Hey there! If you’re looking to set up automated SMS alerts for your IoT temperature sensors, you’re in the right place. In this guide, I’ll walk you through creating a system that sends an SMS via Twilio whenever your sensor detects a temperature exceeding a set limit. We’ll be using Make (formerly Integromat), MQTT, and Twilio to make this happen. Let’s dive in!
Introduction
Monitoring temperature-sensitive environments is crucial, and receiving instant alerts when temperatures go beyond safe thresholds can prevent potential issues. By integrating MQTT (a lightweight messaging protocol for small sensors) with Twilio’s SMS service through Make, we can automate this process efficiently.
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Set Up Your MQTT Broker
First, ensure you have an MQTT broker running. If you don’t have one yet, consider using Mosquitto, a popular open-source MQTT broker. Here’s how to set it up:
- Install Mosquitto: Download and install Mosquitto from its official website.
- Configure the Broker: Edit the configuration file to set up user authentication and define topics for your sensors.
- Start the Broker: Run the Mosquitto service to start listening for incoming messages.
For detailed instructions, refer to the official Mosquitto documentation.
2. Connect Your IoT Sensor to the MQTT Broker
Configure your IoT temperature sensor to publish temperature readings to the MQTT broker. Typically, this involves:
- Setting the MQTT Broker Address: Input the IP address or hostname of your MQTT broker.
- Defining the Topic: Choose a topic like
sensor/temperaturewhere the sensor will publish data. - Publishing Data: Program the sensor to send temperature readings to the defined topic at regular intervals.
Ensure your sensor supports MQTT and is configured correctly to communicate with the broker.
3. Create a Make Account and Set Up a New Scenario
Next, we’ll use Make to automate the process:
- Sign Up/Login: If you haven’t already, create an account on Make.
- Create a New Scenario: Click on “Create a new scenario” to start building your automation.
4. Add the MQTT Module in Make
To receive data from your sensor:
- Add MQTT Module: In your scenario, search for and add the “MQTT” module.
- Configure the Module:
- Connection: Enter your MQTT broker’s details (hostname, port, username, password).
- Topic: Input the topic your sensor publishes to, e.g.,
sensor/temperature. - QoS: Set the Quality of Service level (usually 0 or 1).
For more details on configuring the MQTT module, refer to the Make documentation.
5. Add a Filter to Check Temperature Threshold
We only want to send an SMS when the temperature exceeds a certain limit:
- Add a Filter: Click on the line connecting the MQTT module to the next module and select “Set up a filter”.
- Configure the Filter:
- Condition: Set it to trigger when the temperature value from the MQTT message exceeds your defined threshold (e.g., greater than 30°C).
6. Add the Twilio Module to Send SMS
Now, let’s set up Twilio to send the SMS alert:
- Add Twilio Module: Search for and add the “Twilio” module in your scenario.
- Configure the Module:
- Connection: Enter your Twilio Account SID and Auth Token. You can find these in your Twilio dashboard.
- From Number: Input your Twilio phone number.
- To Number: Enter the recipient’s phone number.
- Message: Craft the SMS content, e.g., “Alert: Temperature has exceeded the threshold! Current temperature: [temperature_value]°C”.
For detailed instructions on setting up Twilio with Make, refer to the Make Twilio documentation.
7. Test and Activate Your Scenario
Before going live:
- Test the Scenario: Run the scenario manually and simulate a temperature reading that exceeds the threshold to ensure everything works as expected.
- Activate the Scenario: Once confirmed, activate the scenario to run automatically.
Optional Enhancements
To further improve your setup:
- Log Temperature Readings: Integrate with Google Sheets or Airtable to log all temperature readings for historical analysis.
- Multiple Alert Recipients: Configure the Twilio module to send alerts to multiple phone numbers.
- Dynamic Thresholds: Use a database or spreadsheet to dynamically adjust temperature thresholds without modifying the scenario.
And there you have it! With this setup, you’ll receive instant SMS alerts whenever your IoT sensor detects temperatures beyond your defined limit. Happy automating!
