Messenger

A Messenger is a chat with your device. Type a command like fan on and the board answers in its own bubble. The device can also send you alerts and status messages on its own.

Dashboard ↔ deviceText, up to 256 characters6 quick themes1 Telemetry Point

Try it

Type fan on, fan off or status in the chat and press send. The NuttyFi board reads the text and answers in its own bubble. The buttons under the board send a message from the device, like an alert.

SimulationLIVE

Dashboard

This is the Messenger widget from the dashboard.

Your device

The board reads and answers on the same Telemetry Point.

Widget NameLinked Telemetry Point

Widget Color

Quick themes

Show

Widget nameTelemetry PointWidget border

Messages are textA Messenger always uses a string Telemetry Point. The app sets the DATA TYPE to string for you when you link the point.

How to add and set up

Open the dashboard in edit modeOpen the device and turn on editing.
Add a MessengerPress + on the right edge of the canvas and pick Messenger. Drag it into place and make it tall enough to read a few messages.
Open its settingsClick the gear icon on the widget.
Link a Telemetry PointUnder Linked Telemetry Points, pick a free point, for example TP0. Its DATA TYPE is set to string. Use a point that no other widget uses.
Pick a lookChoose one of the Quick themes, or set your own bubble colours under Customize. Save, then press DONE.

Settings

Setting	What it does
Widget Name	The name in the chat header, like the name of a contact.
Label Color	Colour of the name.
Linked Telemetry Points	The Telemetry Point the chat uses in both directions. Your device code uses the same point.
Quick themes	One tap sets both bubbles: Classic, Ocean, Mint, Sunset, Mono or Neon. Without a theme, your bubbles use the Widget Color and the device bubbles follow light or dark mode.
Customize	Pick the device bubble or your bubble, then set its Background or Text colour. If the text becomes hard to read, the app says Text is hard to read on this bubble. and Fix picks a readable text colour.
Widget Color	Colour of the outline and the avatar, and of your bubbles and the send button when no theme is set.
Hide widget Name / Telemetry Point / Widget Border	Hide the name, the TP badge or the outline around the widget.

Messages and limits

What	How it works
Your messages	Shown on the right. Each one is sent to the device on the linked point, as text.
Device messages	Shown on the left. Whatever the device sends on the same point appears as a new bubble right away.
Length	Up to 256 characters per message. A counter appears when you get close to the limit.
History	The chat opens with the latest 50 messages. Messages are kept for 30 days, then removed automatically.
Sending rate	Up to 30 messages a minute per device. Over that, wait a moment before sending again.
Delete history	The bin icon in the header clears every message on this point for this device. It does not touch other points or devices, and cannot be undone.
Edit mode	While you edit the dashboard, the chat shows a sample. Sending works in live mode.

Receive and reply on your device

Your board receives each message with SME_LISTEN on the linked point and answers with SME.publish() on the same point. Read the text with data.toString(). The examples use TP0.

C++ · Arduino

#define FAN_PIN 5

SME_LISTEN(TP0)
{
  String msg = data.toString();   // the text you typed
  msg.trim();
  msg.toLowerCase();

  if (msg == "fan on") {
    digitalWrite(FAN_PIN, HIGH);
    SME.publish(TP0, "Fan ON");
  } else if (msg == "fan off") {
    digitalWrite(FAN_PIN, LOW);
    SME.publish(TP0, "Fan OFF");
  } else {
    SME.publish(TP0, "Try: fan on, fan off");
  }
}

bool alertSent = false;

void loop()
{
  SME.run();

  int level = readTank();          // your sensor, 0 to 100 %
  if (level < 20 && !alertSent) {
    SME.publish(TP0, "Tank level low: " + String(level) + " %");
    alertSent = true;              // send it once
  }
  if (level > 30) alertSent = false;
}

SME_LISTEN(TP0)
{
  String msg = data.toString();
  msg.trim();
  msg.toLowerCase();

  if (msg == "status") {
    float t = readTemperature();   // your sensor
    SME.publish(TP0, "Temperature " + String(t, 1) + " C");
  }
}

#define DASHBOARD_ID     "PROJ-XXXXXXXX"
#define DEVICE_TOKEN     "SME-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX"
#define FIRMWARE_VERSION "1.0.0"
#define WIFI_SSID        "your_wifi"
#define WIFI_PASS        "your_pass"

#include <SMEIoT.h>

#define FAN_PIN 5

// Messenger on TP0: read the text, answer on the same point
SME_LISTEN(TP0)
{
  String msg = data.toString();
  msg.trim();
  msg.toLowerCase();

  if (msg == "fan on") {
    digitalWrite(FAN_PIN, HIGH);
    SME.publish(TP0, "Fan ON");
  } else if (msg == "fan off") {
    digitalWrite(FAN_PIN, LOW);
    SME.publish(TP0, "Fan OFF");
  } else {
    SME.publish(TP0, "Try: fan on, fan off");
  }
}

void setup()
{
  Serial.begin(115200);
  pinMode(FAN_PIN, OUTPUT);
  SME.begin(DASHBOARD_ID, DEVICE_TOKEN, FIRMWARE_VERSION,
            WIFI_SSID, WIFI_PASS);
}

void loop()
{
  SME.run();                    // keeps the link alive
}

Send messages, not readingsMessenger is for commands, replies and alerts. Send an alert once when it happens, not on every pass of loop(). For readings that change all the time, use a Value or Graph.

These are snippets. Your sketch also needs #include <SMEIoT.h>, SME.begin(...) in setup() and SME.run() in loop(). The full sketch tab shows a complete example; see the SDK quick start for more.

SwitchOne tap on or off, no typing.ValueShows a reading that changes all the time.

Was this page helpful?

Messenger

Try it

How to add and set up

Settings

Messages and limits

Receive and reply on your device

Related widgets