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Software / API Bindings / openHAB / API Reference and Examples / Bricklets / Compass Bricklet

openHAB - Compass Bricklet

Warning

The openHAB bindings are still in beta, but the development was stopped.

This is the description of the openHAB API bindings for the Compass Bricklet. General information and technical specifications for the Compass Bricklet are summarized in its hardware description.

An installation guide for the openHAB API bindings is part of their general description.

Thing

UID:
  • tinkerforge:brickletcompass:[UID]
Required firmware version:
  • 2.0.0
Firmware update supported:
  • yes
Channels:
Actions:
Parameters:
  • Data Rate – Type: Choice, Default: 100Hz
  • The data rate that is used by the magnetometer. The lower the data rate, the lower is the noise on the data.
  • Options: 100Hz, 200Hz, 400Hz, 600Hz

  • Background Calibration – Type: boolean, Default: true
  • If the background calibration is enabled the sensing polarity is flipped once per second to automatically calculate and remove offset that is caused by temperature changes. This polarity flipping takes about 20ms. This means that once a second you will not get new data for a period of 20ms. We highly recommend that you keep the background calibration enabled and only disable it if the 20ms off-time is a problem in you application.

  • Magnetic Flux Density Update Interval – Type: integer, Default: 1000, Unit: ms, Min: 0, Max: 4294967295
  • Specifies the update interval for the magnetic flux densities in milliseconds. A value of 0 disables automatic updates.

  • Status LED Configuration – Type: Choice, Default: Show Status
  • The status LED configuration. By default the LED shows communication traffic between Brick and Bricklet, it flickers once for every 10 received data packets. You can also turn the LED permanently on/off or show a heartbeat. If the Bricklet is in bootloader mode, the LED is will show heartbeat by default.
  • Options: Off, On, Show Heartbeat, Show Status

Channels

Heading

The heading (north = 0 degree, east = 90 degree)

Type:
  • Number:Angle
UID:
  • tinkerforge:brickletcompass:[UID]:BrickletCompassHeading
Read only:
  • Yes
Unit:
  • Degree Angle
Range:
  • 0 Degree Angle to 360 Degree Angle (Step 0.1 Degree Angle)
Parameters:
  • Update Interval – Type: integer, Default: 1000, Unit: ms, Min: 0, Max: 4294967295
  • Specifies the update interval in milliseconds. A value of 0 disables automatic updates.
Magnetic Flux Density - X

The magnetic flux density (magnetic induction) measured in direction of the x axis.

Type:
  • Number:MagneticFluxDensity
UID:
  • tinkerforge:brickletcompass:[UID]:BrickletCompassMagneticFluxDensityX
Read only:
  • Yes
Unit:
  • Tesla
Range:
  • -0.0008 Tesla to 0.0008 Tesla (Step 1e-08 Tesla)
Magnetic Flux Density - Y

The magnetic flux density (magnetic induction) measured in direction of the y axis.

Type:
  • Number:MagneticFluxDensity
UID:
  • tinkerforge:brickletcompass:[UID]:BrickletCompassMagneticFluxDensityY
Read only:
  • Yes
Unit:
  • Tesla
Range:
  • -0.0008 Tesla to 0.0008 Tesla (Step 1e-08 Tesla)
Magnetic Flux Density - Z

The magnetic flux density (magnetic induction) measured in direction of the z axis.

Type:
  • Number:MagneticFluxDensity
UID:
  • tinkerforge:brickletcompass:[UID]:BrickletCompassMagneticFluxDensityZ
Read only:
  • Yes
Unit:
  • Tesla
Range:
  • -0.0008 Tesla to 0.0008 Tesla (Step 1e-08 Tesla)

Actions

Actions can be used in rules by creating an action object. All actions return a Map<String, Object>. Returned values can be accessed by name, sometimes the type deduction needs some hints, as shown below:

val actions = getActions("tinkerforge", "tinkerforge:brickletcompass:[UID]")
val hwVersion = actions.brickletCompassGetIdentity().get("hardwareVersion") as short[]
logInfo("Example", "Hardware version: " + hwVersion.get(0) + "." + hwVersion.get(1) + "." + hwVersion.get(2))

Basic Actions

brickletCompassGetHeading()
Return Map:
  • heading – Type: int, Unit: 1/10 °, Range: [0 to 3600]

Returns the heading (north = 0 degree, east = 90 degree).

Alternatively you can use Magnetic Flux Density - X and calculate the heading with heading = atan2(y, x) * 180 / PI.

If you want to get the value periodically, it is recommended to use the Heading channel. You can set the channel configuration with the configuration of Heading.

brickletCompassGetMagneticFluxDensity()
Return Map:
  • x – Type: int, Unit: 1/100 µT, Range: [-80000 to 80000]
  • y – Type: int, Unit: 1/100 µT, Range: [-80000 to 80000]
  • z – Type: int, Unit: 1/100 µT, Range: [-80000 to 80000]

Returns the magnetic flux density (magnetic induction) for all three axis.

If you want to get the value periodically, it is recommended to use the Magnetic Flux Density - X channel. You can set the channel configuration with the thing configuration.

brickletCompassGetConfiguration()
Return Map:
  • dataRate – Type: int, Range: See constants, Default: 0
  • backgroundCalibration – Type: boolean, Default: true

Returns the configuration as set by the thing configuration.

The following constants are available for this function:

For dataRate:

  • val DATA_RATE_100HZ = 0
  • val DATA_RATE_200HZ = 1
  • val DATA_RATE_400HZ = 2
  • val DATA_RATE_600HZ = 3

Advanced Actions

brickletCompassGetCalibration()
Return Map:
  • offset – Type: int[], Length: 3
    • 0: x – Type: int, Unit: 1/100 µT, Range: [-215 to 215 - 1]
    • 1: y – Type: int, Unit: 1/100 µT, Range: [-215 to 215 - 1]
    • 2: z – Type: int, Unit: 1/100 µT, Range: [-215 to 215 - 1]
  • gain – Type: int[], Length: 3
    • 0: x – Type: int, Range: [-215 to 215 - 1]
    • 1: y – Type: int, Range: [-215 to 215 - 1]
    • 2: z – Type: int, Range: [-215 to 215 - 1]

Returns the calibration parameters as set by This function is not available in openHAB. Please use Brick Viewer to change persistant device settings.

brickletCompassGetChipTemperature()
Return Map:
  • temperature – Type: int, Unit: 1 °C, Range: [-215 to 215 - 1]

Returns the temperature as measured inside the microcontroller. The value returned is not the ambient temperature!

The temperature is only proportional to the real temperature and it has bad accuracy. Practically it is only useful as an indicator for temperature changes.

brickletCompassGetStatusLEDConfig()
Return Map:
  • config – Type: int, Range: See constants, Default: 3

Returns the configuration as set by the thing configuration

The following constants are available for this function:

For config:

  • val STATUS_LED_CONFIG_OFF = 0
  • val STATUS_LED_CONFIG_ON = 1
  • val STATUS_LED_CONFIG_SHOW_HEARTBEAT = 2
  • val STATUS_LED_CONFIG_SHOW_STATUS = 3
brickletCompassGetSPITFPErrorCount()
Return Map:
  • errorCountAckChecksum – Type: long, Range: [0 to 232 - 1]
  • errorCountMessageChecksum – Type: long, Range: [0 to 232 - 1]
  • errorCountFrame – Type: long, Range: [0 to 232 - 1]
  • errorCountOverflow – Type: long, Range: [0 to 232 - 1]

Returns the error count for the communication between Brick and Bricklet.

The errors are divided into

  • ACK checksum errors,
  • message checksum errors,
  • framing errors and
  • overflow errors.

The errors counts are for errors that occur on the Bricklet side. All Bricks have a similar function that returns the errors on the Brick side.

brickletCompassReset()

Calling this function will reset the Bricklet. All configurations will be lost.

After a reset you have to create new device objects, calling functions on the existing ones will result in undefined behavior!

brickletCompassGetIdentity()
Return Map:
  • uid – Type: String, Length: up to 8
  • connectedUid – Type: String, Length: up to 8
  • position – Type: char, Range: ['a' to 'h', 'z']
  • hardwareVersion – Type: short[], Length: 3
    • 0: major – Type: short, Range: [0 to 255]
    • 1: minor – Type: short, Range: [0 to 255]
    • 2: revision – Type: short, Range: [0 to 255]
  • firmwareVersion – Type: short[], Length: 3
    • 0: major – Type: short, Range: [0 to 255]
    • 1: minor – Type: short, Range: [0 to 255]
    • 2: revision – Type: short, Range: [0 to 255]
  • deviceIdentifier – Type: int, Range: [0 to 216 - 1]

Returns the UID, the UID where the Bricklet is connected to, the position, the hardware and firmware version as well as the device identifier.

The position can be 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g' or 'h' (Bricklet Port). A Bricklet connected to an Isolator Bricklet is always at position 'z'.

The device identifier numbers can be found here. 

Internal Actions

brickletCompassReadUID()
Return Map:
  • uid – Type: long, Range: [0 to 232 - 1]

Returns the current UID as an integer. Encode as Base58 to get the usual string version.