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About Cumulus: Difference between revisions
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=== Reading Weather Station === | === Reading Weather Station === | ||
When Cumulus software (of any flavour) interrogates the weather station for more readings, (which is done very frequently) it compares the readings against those read earlier, so it can maintain a whole series of extremes (maximum and minimum in each day, each month, that month in all years, each year, and all-time). | When Cumulus software (of any flavour) interrogates the weather station for more readings, (which is done very frequently) it compares the readings against those read earlier, so it can maintain a whole series of extremes (maximum and minimum in each day, each month, that month in all years, each year, and all-time). | ||
Given that weather stations are prone to having hiccups in their output: | |||
*Cumulus can (for some weather station types only) compare the latest reading with the previous. If the discrepancy is large (and this can be configured), then the new reading is rejected | |||
*If Cumulus is reading a item that should not suddenly decrease (such as a rain counter) then Cumulus can detect whether that is a new starting value or a faulty value | |||
*If a particular reading is not valid, then for up to 6 reads, Cumulus can substitute the last good reading for the invalid one. After those 6 rejections, Cumulus will normally stop work properly and the output value will remain at zero (as Cumulus does not have ability to use "nulls). | |||
*Because temperature, humidity, wind speed, and pressure, are used for calculating derived values, a failure in any of these source sensors will result in incorrect derived values, and may cause Cumulus to stop some processes. | |||
=== Real Time Interval === | === Real Time Interval === | ||
These actions are optional | These actions are optional: | ||
*you need to enable the various possible actions at a real time interval, as well as selecting the time interval between the end of one set of actions and the start of the next set of actions. | |||
#Cumulus 1 and MX can produce a realtime file for external systems to use: | |||
#* Cumulus 1 uses it for the optional wind graphics on its gauges pages | |||
#* MX does not use this file for any functionality it offers. | |||
#Cumulus 1 and MX can upload files to a web server at this interval | |||
#*Cumulus MX (only) can upload a new row for a database table at this interval, the default content resembles the realtime file | |||
=== Standard Upload Interval actions === | === Standard Upload Interval actions === | ||
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This is when Cumulus stores, the set of readings it has processed, in a detailed log created specially for each individual month. It does NOT record the maximum and minimum since the last log entry, it just a snapshot of the readings at that logging time, so it is unlikely to capture extremes. | This is when Cumulus stores, the set of readings it has processed, in a detailed log created specially for each individual month. It does NOT record the maximum and minimum since the last log entry, it just a snapshot of the readings at that logging time, so it is unlikely to capture extremes. | ||
You need to have an external processing system looking at any real-time output to have a better chance of capturing the true extremes. | |||
=== End of Day Actions === | === End of Day Actions === | ||
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#*Regardless of whether the AWS can calculate the highest and lowest values, Cumulus can (and for 9am to 9am if required), | #*Regardless of whether the AWS can calculate the highest and lowest values, Cumulus can (and for 9am to 9am if required), | ||
#*it can combine the temperature it reads and the wind strength it reads to calculate current wind chill and also calculate the greatest wind chill in a day, month, year, or all-time, | #*it can combine the temperature it reads and the wind strength it reads to calculate current wind chill and also calculate the greatest wind chill in a day, month, year, or all-time, | ||
#*it can also take into account humidity to calculate apparent temperature, Heat Index and | #*it can also take into account humidity to calculate apparent temperature, Heat Index, Humidex, and feels like values | ||
#*Cumulus can count the | #*Cumulus can count the time when the temperature is above or below configurable temperatures: | ||
#* | #**The total number of hours below a set values (default 7 Celsius) is output as a total for a season and named [[Heat/cold_degree_days_and_Chill_hours#Calculation_of_Chill_Hours|'''Chill Hours''']], you can tailor which month the count restarts each year. | ||
#**Taking into account the number of degrees away from the threshold the temperature is on each reading, Cumulus will calculate "[[Heat/cold_degree_days_and_Chill_hours#Heat_Degree_Days|Heat_Degree_Days]]" and "[[Heat/cold_degree_days_and_Chill_hours#Cold_Degree_Days|Cool_Degree_Days]]". | |||
#*It can track the duration for each observed wind speed and calculate wind run for each day, it can report the day each month (or year, or all-time) with the highest daily wind run | #*It can track the duration for each observed wind speed and calculate wind run for each day, it can report the day each month (or year, or all-time) with the highest daily wind run | ||
#*Cumulus also tracks the actual rainfall over each 5 minutes and uses that to calculate a rain rate; it can report the highest hourly rainfall in a day, a month, a year or all-time; and it can report the wettest day in a month, year or all-time. | #*Cumulus also tracks the actual rainfall over each 5 minutes and uses that to calculate a rain rate; it can report the highest hourly rainfall in a day, a month, a year or all-time; and it can report the wettest day in a month, year or all-time. | ||
# Cumulus also includes a '''weather diary''' where you can record (in free text) any aspect of the weather for a day that your AWS does not capture, this diary includes ability to record for each day if snow is falling, if snow is lying, the snow depth, and from the last it can calculate a snow index for a month or for a winter. | # Cumulus also includes a '''weather diary''' where you can record (in free text) any aspect of the weather for a day that your AWS does not capture, this diary includes ability to record for each day if snow is falling, if snow is lying, the snow depth, and from the last it can calculate a snow index for a month or for a winter. | ||
# Cumulus also produces monthly reports summarising the weather each day of that month, and a yearly report summarising the weather each month of that year. | # Cumulus also produces monthly climatological reports summarising the weather each day of that month, and a yearly climatological report summarising the weather each month of that year. | ||
# Cumulus includes some templates that it processes to generate web pages, and provides hundreds of web tags that you can incorporate into templates of your own that Cumulus will process into scripts or web pages for you; there is a choice of how frequently this processing happens | # Cumulus includes some templates that it processes to generate web pages, and provides hundreds of web tags that you can incorporate into templates of your own that Cumulus will process into scripts or web pages for you; there is a choice of how frequently this processing happens | ||
#Cumulus also has the ability to launch external processes, at its "real-time" processing interval, its "normal updating" interval or as it is processing the daily "rollover" to a new meteorological day. | #Cumulus also has the ability to launch external processes, at its "real-time" processing interval, its "normal updating" interval or as it is processing the daily "rollover" to a new meteorological day. | ||
== Flavours == | == Flavours == | ||
Two flavours of Cumulus are available for download [[Software|from this page]], another flavour was briefly available. | Two flavours of Cumulus are available for download [[Software|from this page]], another flavour was briefly available. | ||
=== Cumulus 1 === | === Cumulus 1 === | ||
This is no longer developed and runs only on a device using the Windows operating system. There are large numbers of web sites (both private and public) using Cumulus 1 and it is probably the simplest version to install. However, there is no source available, and no author knowledge available (other than what appears at [[FAQ|FAQ for Cumulus 1]] and other pages in this Wiki. | This is no longer developed and runs only on a device using the Windows operating system. | ||
There are large numbers of web sites (both private and public) using Cumulus 1 and it is probably the simplest version to install. However, there is no source available, and no author knowledge available (other than what appears at [[FAQ|FAQ for Cumulus 1]] and other pages in this Wiki. | |||
The current stable [[Cumulus Versions|version]] is 1.9.4 (28 November 2014). This is an installer, run it and it will install all the functionality and files that you need. | |||
If you want to use Cumulus 1, after you have installed the above download, [[Downloads|download]] patch 2 (28 Jan 2020) as that patch will changedthe drop down year selectors to allow selection of future years (to 2030) as well as past years. The non-patched version will accept you typing in any dates, but the drop-down selectors can only display 2000 to 2020. | |||
=== Cumulus 2 === | === Cumulus 2 === | ||
This is no longer available as it never worked satisfactorily. | This is no longer available as it never worked satisfactorily. | ||
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=== Cumulus 3 aka MX === | === Cumulus 3 aka MX === | ||
[[Cumulus MX]] is newer, and still being actively developed, it will run on a number of operating systems and has the advantage that it consists of an engine that reads the AWS, does the calculations, and creates a web server. There is then a separate user interface that runs in this web server, and lets you see a number of dashboard type web pages and edit settings. This separate user interface can run on any device connected to your local network (LAN) or wifi, as it just just needs a private link to the device running MX. Despite MX being more complicated to get to know, it does offer more features and can connect to more AWS than Cumulus 1. This is not the place to list all extra features, but it can output to a database, it maintains its file of extremes for a month and year beyond the end of those periods, and adds the ability to process a file only at end of each day. | [[Cumulus MX]] is newer, and still being actively developed, it will run on a number of operating systems and has the advantage that it consists of an engine that reads the AWS, does the calculations, and creates a web server. There is then a separate user interface that runs in this web server, and lets you see a number of dashboard type web pages and edit settings. This separate user interface can run on any device connected to your local network (LAN) or wifi, as it just just needs a private link to the device running MX. Despite MX being more complicated to get to know, it does offer more features and can connect to more AWS than Cumulus 1. This is not the place to list all extra features, but it can output to a database, it maintains its file of extremes for a month and year beyond the end of those periods, and adds the ability to process a file only at end of each day. | ||
=== Should I use Cumulus 1 or Cumulus 2 or Cumulus 3 (MX)? === | |||
Steve Loft (who originated all 3 versions) had no recommendations one way or the other. However, since he focussed on enjoying retirement and withdrew from involvement in Cumulus, a lot has changed. | |||
Now newcomers should probably choose Cumulus MX, but read on if you are not sure. | |||
Cumulus 1 is a finished version, and because the development environment is obsolete no further changes are possible. That said there have been two recent patches to the screen interface, allowing dates from 2021 to 2030 to be selected in drop downs, but the core code will never change. Cumulus 1 is reliable and has more functionality to cope with problems if your weather station set-up may experience problems. However, it does not support some new weather station models, and it will only run on a Microsoft Windows device, so those two facts may imply you cannot use it! Although there remains some expertise with Cumulus 1 established users, any newcomer may prefer to choose a MX as that has more technical support available. | |||
Cumulus 2 explored an improved data approach using UTC and having better handling of rainfall. Although it was hoped it would make enhancement easier, and allow use of alternative languages possible, it proved too complicated. and has been abandoned and is no longer available, so if you don't already have it hard luck. Subsequently, some of the developments in Cumulus 2 were ported into new version 1.9.0, and remain in final Cumulus 1.9.4 from where they were in turn ported to Cumulus MX. So whichever of the two versions still available you choose, you are benefiting from work done for Cumulus 2. | |||
Cumulus 3 is live and is still being improved. It is more often known as [[Cumulus MX]]. It is using a different architecture (partly inspired by Cumulus 2), it provides some enhancements in functionality and will run on a range of platforms. It can be used in a production system as it has good reliability, but perhaps should be avoided in a few rare cases where people's systems are not very reliable. Initially MX lacked several key parts of the functionality in Cumulus 1, but the number of such facilities continues to decrease as Mark Crossley is adding missing functionality. | |||
== Outputs to external web sites == | == Outputs to external web sites == | ||
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==Web pages== | ==Web pages== | ||
Steve Loft once described the web pages his wife designed and he provided with Cumulus with these words: "They exist because they're our web pages, and they're really only included with Cumulus as examples of how the web tags work. It never occurred to me that most people would simply use the supplied examples instead of creating their own pages!" | |||
Steve Loft once described the web pages his wife designed and he provided with Cumulus with these words: '''"They exist because they're our web pages, and they're really only included with Cumulus as examples of how the web tags work. It never occurred to me that most people would simply use the supplied examples instead of creating their own pages!"''' | |||
'''Web pages included''': | '''Web pages included''': | ||
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*Trend Graphs (in Cumulus 1 the graphs shown are generated by the software as images; in MX the software generates the figures for plotting in Json files, the graphs are then drawn from those figures) | *Trend Graphs (in Cumulus 1 the graphs shown are generated by the software as images; in MX the software generates the figures for plotting in Json files, the graphs are then drawn from those figures) | ||
The standard menu navigation allows for inclusion of both a support forum link and a link to a webcam. Custom web pages can be achieved through the use of web tags added to any HTML/CSS layout. | The standard menu navigation allows for inclusion of both a support forum link and a link to a webcam. Both of these links go to a URL that is defined in the settings. There is nothing to stop you putting a URL for some other web page on your site or to another external web page in these settings so you can use existing links in the provided web pages (although it would be less muddling if you changed the text for the links on the web pages. | ||
Be aware that in the supplied web pages, where there is a table (as on all web pages other than gauges and trend graphs) the standard menu is placed within the table and stops the table resizing to fit the screen width of device you are viewing those web pages on. | |||
Custom web pages can be achieved through the use of web tags added to any HTML/CSS layout. | |||
==Help and Support== | ==Help and Support== | ||
Cumulus 1 includes a comprehensive Help File, this can be downloaded from [[Software|here]] if you are using MX, but | Cumulus 1 includes a comprehensive Help File, this can be downloaded from [[Software|here]] if you are using MX, but the format used can only be read on windows operating system. | ||
To read more about this Wiki see [[CumulusWiki:About|About Cumulus Wiki]]. | To read more about this Wiki see [[CumulusWiki:About|About Cumulus Wiki]]. | ||
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* list the [[Webtags|web tags]] available, and how to use input and output parameters with them | * list the [[Webtags|web tags]] available, and how to use input and output parameters with them | ||
* give guidance for setting up a [[Website setup|web site]] whether using the provided template pages, or ones you have edited/created, plus other "web tips" | * give guidance for setting up a [[Website setup|web site]] whether using the provided template pages, or ones you have edited/created, plus other "web tips" | ||
* some 3rd party apps and tools that can be run on your web site | * some [[:Category:User Contributions|3rd party apps and tools]] that can be run on your web site | ||
* weather terminology, explaining the various terms that Cumulus uses, the way that derivatives are calculated, and the ways that your weather station can measure what it reports to Cumulus | * weather [[:Category:Terminology|terminology]], explaining the various terms that Cumulus uses, the way that derivatives are calculated, and the ways that your weather station can measure what it reports to Cumulus | ||
Further help, support, and discussion is available on our Forum. Anyone can read the forum. You will need to register to be able to see attachments or post to the forum. Please submit bug reports and requests for enhancements there. You will find a guide to how to capture a [[Screen capture|what is on your screen]] in this wiki, as that can be useful when requesting support. You may also be asked to supply various files to help diagnose your problem. Do that by using Zip to compress all the requested files, then below the window where you post your response click on the tab labelled attachments for further instructions. | Further help, support, and discussion is available on our Forum. Anyone can read the forum. You will need to register to be able to see attachments or post to the forum. Please submit bug reports and requests for enhancements there. You will find a guide to how to capture a [[Screen capture|what is on your screen]] in this wiki, as that can be useful when requesting support. You may also be asked to supply various files to help diagnose your problem. Do that by using Zip to compress all the requested files, then below the window where you post your response click on the tab labelled attachments for further instructions. | ||
