Announcements & Updates

A minor update to the WeatherFlow PiConsole (v4.0.2) is now available. This release fixes a bunch of bugs

  • Fixed bugs in rain accumulation calculations
  • Fixed bug when Air or Sky data is missing
  • Fixed bug when pressure data is missing

To update first stop the console with: wfpiconsole stop

Then update using: wfpiconsole update

PLEASE NOTE: any local changes you may have made to the code will be overwritten by the update command. Please backup your changes before updating.

3 Likes

A minor update to the WeatherFlow PiConsole (v4.0.3) is now available. This release fixes a bunch of bugs

  • Fixed bug in installer script (thanks @transier.home)
  • Fixed bug in rain accumulation values
  • Changed panel background to true black

This update will also update any out-of-date Python modules that are required by the PiConsole. If you are concerned that they may conflict with other software on your Pi, please check the install file (or the list below) for details of the required modules and version numbers

To update first stop the console with: wfpiconsole stop

Then update using: wfpiconsole update

PLEASE NOTE: any local changes you may have made to the code will be overwritten by the update command. Please backup your changes before updating.

Python Dependencies

PYTHON_MODULES=(cryptography==3.4.5
                autobahn[twisted]==21.2.1
                pyasn1-modules==0.2.8
                service-identity==18.1.0
                numpy==1.20.1
                pytz==2021.1
                ephem==3.7.7.1
                pillow==8.1.0
                packaging==20.9
                pyOpenSSL==20.0.1
                distro==1.5.0)
5 Likes

After a very long delay, the next version (v22.3.1) of the PiConsole is finally ready!

To update please stop any running consoles with wfpiconsole stop and then update using the wfpiconsole update command. Any local changes you have made to the code will be overwritten, so please make a backup! This update may also delete your wfpiconsole.ini file and ask you to generate a new one (sorry - this shouldnā€™t happen again!), so please make a note of your API keys. Donā€™t use an old .ini file with the new version as it will be missing configuration keys.

Major changes include:

  1. Ability to switch between stations/devices @padamec
    Using the new Station tab in the main menu, it is now possible to change between stations and devices without having to edit the .ini file and restart the console.

  2. Ability to define custom panels @mark.hemker
    For power users, there is a now a fixed framework within which you can define custom panels that will not be overwritten when the console is updated

  3. New outdoor Temperature display
    When the indoor temperature is hidden (which is now the default), the 24 hour outdoor temperature difference and three hour trend will be displayed

  4. New station/device offline indicator
    When a station/device goes offline, a new alert indicator is shown next to the date/time. The time since the last observation will now also be shown in relevant panels

  5. Sager Forecast interval @storm_tracker
    The frequency of the Sager Forecast can now be specified under Menu ā†’ Settings ā†’ System

  6. Moon phase icon @Pcarr-AU
    The moon phase icon that shows the lit portion of the moon is now correctly tilted for both the northern and southern hemispheres at all stages of the moon phase cycle

  7. Calendar versioning
    I have switched to using calendar versioning (hence the jump from v4 to v22) in order to avoid having to decide when an update deserves a major release or minor release

The release also includes many minor bug fixes and performance improvements.

Many of the features have been thoroughly tested, however it is always possible that bugs remain. If you spot anything misbehaving please let me know and I will get in a fix in place as soon as possible. This may take more time than usual given my life commitments, so please be patient.

Troubleshooting

  1. If the update stops with ā€œError: Unable to update local package cache. Please check your internet connectionā€, run this command and then try to update again:
    sudo apt-get update --allow-releaseinfo-change

  2. If the console crashes when you press the Menu button, please make sure that the name of your Station in the wfpiconsole.ini file is correct (more details here: Announcements & Updates - #2256). If you are not comfortable editing the .ini file, you can delete it and then restart the console. A new .ini file will be created. Keep a note of your API keys as you will need to re-enter these.

Custom Panels (this is for power users!)

The custom panel templates are contained within the user folder. To use this feature you first need to rename customPanels.kv.tmpl to customPanels.kv and customPanels.py.tmpl to customPanels.py. An example panel called ā€˜BigTemperatureā€™ is included as an example, and will be loaded the next time you start the console.

In the customPanels.py file you must create two classes per custom panel called: [panel_name]Panel and [panel_name]Button. ā€˜panel_nameā€™ can be whatever you want, but you must add two classes that end with Panel and Button per custom panel. The classes should be empty (just add pass under the class name), unless you want to add methods to your custom panel to control its behaviour.

In the customPanels.kv file you can define the layout of the panel. You need to add the two class names that you defined in customPanels.py surrounded by left and right angled brackets: <>. You can see the ā€˜BigTemperatureā€™ panel in customPanels.kv.tmpl as an example. For the Button class, you can change the text attribute under PanelButton: to set the name of the panel that will be displayed in the bottom bar of the PiConsole. Otherwise leave this class unchanged. For the Panel class, the panel title is defined by the _title attribute under PanelTitle:. This can be different to the name of the panel that is displayed in the bottom bar. Otherwise you are free to define the layout however you want using in-built or custom Kivy widgets (Widgets ā€” Kivy 2.2.1 documentation).

Whilst customs panels should not be overwritten when the console is updated, please make backups and treat this feature with caution for the time being.

9 Likes

A new version (v22.3.2) of the WeatherFlow PiConsole is now available.

Hopefully this will fix a raft of issues identified since the last release, including:

  • Fixed Reboot/Shutdown buttons
  • Fixed crash on Pi4 when Menu button is pressed
  • Fixed crash if station name is outdated
  • Fixed bug in customPanel templates
  • Fixed bug in update popup

To update please run wfpiconsole stop followed by wfpiconsole update. Please make sure any local changes to the code or custom panels are backed up.

5 Likes

A new version (v22.3.3) of the WeatherFlow PiConsole is now available.

This version fixes a couple of minor bugs:

  • Fixed bug when station has no devices
  • Fixed bug with new stations and no lightning strikes

To update please run wfpiconsole stop followed by wfpiconsole update . Please make sure any local changes to the code or custom panels are backed up.

1 Like

@germy and @hjalmar - the bug has been fixed!

A new version (v22.3.4) of the WeatherFlow PiConsole is now available.

This version fixes a minor bugs:

  • Fixed bug with lightning panel at startup

To update please run wfpiconsole stop followed by wfpiconsole update . Please make sure any local changes to the code or custom panels are backed up.

A new version (v22.5.1) of the WeatherFlow PiConsole is now available.

This version contains general bug fixes and performance improvements

  • Fixed bug causing console to crash when lightning is detected

To update please run wfpiconsole stop followed by wfpiconsole update . Please make sure any local changes to the code or custom panels are backed up.

@germy and @storm_tracker, hopefully the fixes in this update should allow you to run on the stable branch again. Just update the console as usual, and you will automatically be moved back to the stable version.

2 Likes

A new version (v22.12.1) of the WeatherFlow PiConsole is now available.

This version contains a critical bug fix for the Sager Forecast and general performance improvements

  • Fixed bug causing console to crash when METAR API response is empty
  • Fixed bug where Sager forecast did not update on error
  • Fixed bug in Cryptography module for Pi3
  • Fixed bug when removing indoor Air sensors for device list
  • Fixed bug that showed station as offline when switching stations/devices

To update please run wfpiconsole stop followed by wfpiconsole update. Please make sure any local changes to the code or custom panels are backed up.

@jah.stewart, @arnold_thermann, @storm_tracker, @fritz614 - this should solve your issue. The Sager Forecast will remain blank, however, until the API issues are fixed their end.

4 Likes

A new version (v22.12.2) of the WeatherFlow PiConsole is now available.

This version should fix the issues with the red exclamation mark in most cases by forcing the console to reconnect to the WF servers if data messages stop flowing. This remains an API-side issue, however, so this workaround might not be successful in all cases.

  • Added watchdog to Websocket to reconnect when messages stop arriving
  • Changed device offline timeout from 5 to 10 minutes
  • Added Tempest battery mode status information
  • Tweaked wording of station online/offline status
  • Fixed bug with update notification

To update please run wfpiconsole stop followed by wfpiconsole update . Please make sure any local changes to the code or custom panels are backed up.

This version also fixes a bug in the ā€˜Update Availableā€™ notification that causes the console to crash. Running the update should fix this bug permanently.

2 Likes

A new version (v22.12.3) of the WeatherFlow PiConsole is now available.

  • Fixes bug in Tempest status when wind sampling is 20 seconds

To update please run wfpiconsole stop followed by wfpiconsole update . Please make sure any local changes to the code or custom panels are backed up.

Merry Christmas everyone!

5 Likes

A new version (v23.3.1) of the WeatherFlow PiConsole is now available.

  • Fixes bug API URL in lib/config.py
  • Updates copyright information

To update please run wfpiconsole stop followed by wfpiconsole update . Please make sure any local changes to the code or custom panels are backed up.

NOTE 1: this update uses a new version of Kivy, the Python GUI library that powers the console. On Pi3 hardware, this upgrade could take up to an hour to complete. Please be patient and let the updater do its thing. On a Pi4, the update should be considerably quicker

NOTE 2: for Raspberry Pi 4 users, this update requires you to be running the latest Bullseye version of Raspberry Pi OS. Various incompatibilities now exist when trying to run the console using the older Buster version of Raspberry Pi OS

NOTE 3 : ad-hoc support for 64 bit systems has been removed. If using a 64 bit system, please re-install an appropriate 32 bit version of Raspberry Pi OS

3 Likes

A new version of the WeatherFlow PiConsole is now available: v23.10.1

  • Added UDP only mode allowing the console to be used without the internet
  • Added the ability to select 1, 4, or 6 display panels
  • Added support for Debian Bookworm
  • Fixed bug in pressure trend due to incorrect rounding

To update please run wfpiconsole stop followed by wfpiconsole update . Please make sure any local changes to the code or custom panels are backed up.

NOTE 1 Breaking change: Updates to the PiConsole are no longer compatible with Raspberry Pi OS (Buster). If you are running the PiConsole on a Raspberry Pi 3 and want to use the latest version, you will need to update your OS. Existing (old) versions will continue to work

NOTE 2 The PiConsole now supports the latest Raspberry Pi OS (Bookworm). The PiConsole should be compatible with a Pi 5, but this currently has not been tested. Full support for the Pi 5 will become available in the future

NOTE 3 In the past I have not accepted donations for maintaining the PiConsole. I maintained the console as a hobby during my free time. I now have a young family and the amount of time I have available to work on the console is much more restricted. I am committed to its development, but sometimes it can take much, if not all, of the free time I have available. With that in mind, I have decided to start accepting donations to support the development. If you wish, you can ā€˜buy me a coffeeā€™ here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/peted.davis

7 Likes

A new version of the WeatherFlow PiConsole is now available: v23.11.1

  • Fixed bug causing console to crash when using demo configuration
  • UDP port properly shared between applications
  • Fixed bug during config generation when station ID is wrong
  • Fixed bug during config generation when station has no devices
  • Allowed update notification to be permanently hidden
  • Fixed bug that prevented the REST API working in UDP mode

To update please run wfpiconsole stop followed by wfpiconsole update . Please make sure any local changes to the code or custom panels are backed up.

2 Likes

A new version of the WeatherFlow PiConsole is now available: v24.5.1

  • Fixed bug in Sager Forecast when METAR report is incomplete

To update please run wfpiconsole stop followed by wfpiconsole update . Please make sure any local changes to the code or custom panels are backed up.

A new version of the WeatherFlow PiConsole is now available: v24.6.1

  • Added timeout to lightning panel after lightning strike detected
  • Added ability to use Statistics API endpoint

To update please run wfpiconsole stop followed by wfpiconsole update . Please make sure any local changes to the code or custom panels are backed up.

Both these new features are disabled by default.

The lightning panel timeout specifies the time in minutes after a lightning strike that the lightning panel will be automatically closed. The timeout can be set under Menu ā†’ Settings ā†’ Display ā†’ Lightning timeout. A value of 0 means no timeout is specified and the lightning panel will not close automatically.

The Statistics API endpoint ensures monthly/yearly rain accumulation values are calculated correctly after a Tempest device has been replaced. Using this endpoint results in a small loss of accuracy (rounding errors), so it is not enabled by default. It can be enabled under Menu ā†’ Settings ā†’ System ā†’ Statistics API endpoint. It is not recommended for use unless you have replaced a device within the last calendar year. At the end of a calendar year, the Statistics endpoint can be switched off.

IMG_1522

A new version of the WeatherFlow PiConsole is now available: v24.6.2

  • Fixed bug when generating demo configuration file

To update please run wfpiconsole stop followed by wfpiconsole update . Please make sure any local changes to the code or custom panels are backed up.

IMG_1522