a_VisualThermometerTutorial.md

@activities true

@explicitHints true

Greenhouse Visual Thermometer

Simple Temperature Indicator

Introduction Step @unplugged

Learn how to visually represent temperature using the status ZIP LEDs on the Environmental Control Board.

Step 1

The first thing to do is to set up the ZIP LEDs and create the status LEDs range. From the ||kitronik_smart_greenhouse.ZIP LEDs|| section of the ||kitronik_smart_greenhouse.Greenhouse|| category, add the ||variables:set zipLEDs to|| ||kitronik_smart_greenhouse.Smart Greenhouse with 8 ZIP LEDs|| block to the ||basic:on start|| section, followed by the ||variables:set statusLEDs|| block.
Also, to show that temperature is being displayed, add a ||basic:show string "T"|| block at the end of the ||basic:on start|| section.

~ tutorialhint

let zipLEDs = kitronik_smart_greenhouse.createGreenhouseZIPDisplay(8)
let statusLEDs = zipLEDs.statusLedsRange()
basic.showString("T")

Step 2

Next, create a new variable called ||variables:temperature||. This will be used to store the temperature reading from the sensor.
In the ||basic:forever|| loop, ||variables:set temperature to|| ||kitronik_smart_greenhouse.Read Temperature in °C|| - this block can be found in the ||kitronik_smart_greenhouse.Sensors|| section of the ||kitronik_smart_greenhouse.Greenhouse|| category.

~ tutorialhint

basic.forever(function () {
    temperature = kitronik_smart_greenhouse.temperature(TemperatureUnitList.C)
})

Step 3

Now that the temperature reading is stored, it can be used to determine the status LED position and colour.
To do this, an ||logic:if else if|| block will be used (from the ||logic:Logic|| category) to compare the reading with some preset temperature boundaries. Add in an ||logic:if|| block to the ||basic:forever|| loop and press the ||logic:+|| icon at the bottom of the block 3 times. This will add 2 ||logic:else if|| statements and an ||logic:else|| statement - remove the ||logic:else|| by pressing the ||logic:-||.

~ tutorialhint

Step 4

There are 3 status LEDs, so it makes sense to have 3 temperature 'zones' - cold, ideal and hot. For plants, 20-30°C is a good growing temperature, so that can be the 'Ideal' range. For 'Cold', less than 20°C, and for 'Hot', greater than 30°C.
In the first ||logic:if|| statement, check whether ||variables:temperature|| is less than 20. In the second statement, check whether ||variables:temperature|| is greater than or equal to 20 ||logic:and|| less than or equal to 30. Finally, in the third statement, check whether ||variables:temperature|| is greater than 30.

~ tutorialhint

basic.forever(function () {
    temperature = kitronik_smart_greenhouse.temperature(TemperatureUnitList.C)
    if (temperature < 20) {
        
    } else if (temperature >= 20 && temperature <= 30) {
        
    } else if (temperature > 30) {
        
    }
})

Step 5

Having set up the temperature zone boundaries, different LEDs can now be set to particular colours inside the ||logic:if|| statements.
For ||variables:temperature|| ||logic:< 20||, ||kitronik_smart_greenhouse.set ZIP LED 0 to blue|| (make sure to change the first drop-down to ||variables:statusLEDs||). For ||variables:temperature|| ||logic:≥ 20 and ≤ 30||, ||kitronik_smart_greenhouse.set ZIP LED 1 to green||, and for ||variables:temperature|| ||logic:> 30||, ||kitronik_smart_greenhouse.set ZIP LED 2 to red||.

~ tutorialhint

let statusLEDs: kitronik_smart_greenhouse.greenhouseZIPLEDs = null
basic.forever(function () {
    temperature = kitronik_smart_greenhouse.temperature(TemperatureUnitList.C)
    if (temperature < 20) {
        statusLEDs.setZipLedColor(0, kitronik_smart_greenhouse.colors(ZipLedColors.Blue))
    } else if (temperature >= 20 && temperature <= 30) {
        statusLEDs.setZipLedColor(1, kitronik_smart_greenhouse.colors(ZipLedColors.Green))
    } else if (temperature > 30) {
        statusLEDs.setZipLedColor(2, kitronik_smart_greenhouse.colors(ZipLedColors.Red))
    }
})

Step 6

The last step is to make the ZIP LED settings actually display. From the ||kitronik_smart_greenhouse.ZIP LEDs|| section, add a ||variables:statusLEDs|| ||kitronik_smart_greenhouse.show|| block after the ||logic:if else if|| block in the ||basic:forever|| loop. To make sure only one LED turns on at once, add a ||variables:statusLEDs|| ||kitronik_smart_greenhouse.clear|| block just before the ||logic:if else if|| block.
Finally, from the ||basic:Basic|| category, add a 1 second ||basic:pause|| at the end of the ||basic:forever|| loop - this will make the program check the temperature once a second, rather than all the time.

~ tutorialhint

let statusLEDs: kitronik_smart_greenhouse.greenhouseZIPLEDs = null
basic.forever(function () {
    temperature = kitronik_smart_greenhouse.temperature(TemperatureUnitList.C)
    statusLEDs.clear()
    if (temperature < 20) {
        statusLEDs.setZipLedColor(0, kitronik_smart_greenhouse.colors(ZipLedColors.Blue))
    } else if (temperature >= 20 && temperature <= 30) {
        statusLEDs.setZipLedColor(1, kitronik_smart_greenhouse.colors(ZipLedColors.Green))
    } else if (temperature > 30) {
        statusLEDs.setZipLedColor(2, kitronik_smart_greenhouse.colors(ZipLedColors.Red))
    }
    statusLEDs.show()
    basic.pause(1000)
})

Step 7

Click |Download| and transfer the code to the Environmental Control Board.
Try putting the board in locations with different temperatures to see the ZIP LEDs change.

Full Visual Thermometer

Introduction Step @unplugged

Now that a basic temperature indicator is working, more detail can be added to show small variations in temperature.

Step 1

The ||basic:on start|| block will stay the same, as will the structure of the ||basic:forever|| loop, there will just be a few more ||logic:else if|| statements.
Start by adding 6 more ||logic:else if|| statements using the ||logic:+|| (and ||logic:-||) icons, and then delete the 3 ||kitronik_smart_greenhouse.set ZIP LED|| blocks from inside the original statements.

Step 2

Make sure that every ||logic:if|| statement section has a ||variables:temperature|| comparison statement (don't worry about the actual values yet). The first ||logic:if|| should just check for less than, the final ||logic:else if|| should just check for greater than, and all the statements inbetween should have two comparisons with an ||logic:and|| inbetween.

~ tutorialhint

Right click and duplicate the ||logic:and|| statements from first program to make things easier.

Step 3

Set the ||variables:temperature|| comparison ranges and the status ZIP LED colour patterns as shown in the table below:

Temperature	ZIP LEDs	¦ ¦	Temperature	ZIP LEDs
<0	3 Blue	¦ ¦	>30 and <33	1 Red, 2 Green
>=0 and <10	2 Blue	¦ ¦	>=33 and <35	1 Red
>=10 and <20	1 Blue	¦ ¦	>=35 and <40	2 Red
>=20 and <25	1 Blue, 2 Green	¦ ¦	>40	3 Red
>=25 and <=30	3 Green	¦ ¦

~ tutorialhint

For the instances where all 3 ZIP LEDs are the same colour, use the single ||kitronik_smart_greenhouse.set color|| block:

let statusLEDs: kitronik_smart_greenhouse.greenhouseZIPLEDs = null
statusLEDs.setColor(kitronik_smart_greenhouse.colors(ZipLedColors.Blue))

Step 4

CODING COMPLETE! Click |Download| and transfer the code to the Environmental Control Board to see a better representation of the temperature.