Share My Creation ProPower3 for Profile 3 Phase Energy Monitor

ProPower3 is the first app I've built from scratch. My previous coding experience was limited to occasional maintenance of the previous version of the software which was built in Visual Basic 6.
It was developed (mostly in spare time, or time that was forced into being spare) to be a complete replacement for that previous version.

The app is supplied with a 3 phase portable energy monitor that is used to monitor the energy/electricity use on 3 phase electrical supplies. The Profile measures & records energy use into time periods (usually 30 minutes). This software allows download (via USB) & analysis of the recorded data.

A demo version of app is available for download at https://www.newfound-energy.co.uk/propower-3-help/, but I've included a few screen shots here also.
The app is all but useless without the associated hardware but the demo version includes sample data to show the kind of analysis that can be done.

Libraries used include;
jCharts
jGauges
jPDFjet
jPOI
jSerial

A big thank you to @Erel, and to those of you who spend the time & effort to build the libraries that make things so much easier. Thanks also to the members of these forums for the help given (knowingly & unknowingly) during development.
You've taught me (almost) everything I know about software development.

 

[thetrueman]

Hi,
Very nice app and I would like to have demo source to learn some parts...
So is it available... Thanks.

 

[Chris2]

Hi @thetrueman, thanks for your kind words.
I can't release the full app source I'm afraid, but if there are specific areas that are of interest to you then let me know and I'll share how they were done.

 

[thetrueman]

Dear Chris2,

Thanks for your kindness. Would you like to give me your email or email me at shahzad125@hotmail.com for further discussion. Thanks.

 

[Chris2]

I don't really want to get involved in private messaging back and forth.
If you have questions please post them in this forum and I'll happily share how things were done.

That way anyone with a similar question in the future gets the answer too, and others might be able to improve on my answer.

 

[thetrueman]

Oh, Sorry for any inconvenience. Actually my tech background is also same like you like I am an electronics guy and having experience in VB6 to control some hardware projects. Now I wanted to go ahead with new development software and B4X is on my top priority for its versatile features.
Your app is all in all which is good to learn as in electronics we have to communicate on Modbus or proprietary protocols. So I would be interested first in communication part and then I will ask accordingly. Thanks.

 

[Chris2]

The communications to this device is done using the jSerial library:

jSerial library

The jSerial library allows you to open and communicate with other devices through the computer COM ports. It can also be used to communicate with Bluetooth devices over a virtual com port. (jBluetooth library is now available: https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/jbluetooth-library.60184/)...

www.b4x.com

and AsyncStreams:

[B4X] AsyncStreams Tutorial

New video tutorial: AsyncStreams allows you to read data from an InputStream and write data to an OutputStream without blocking your program. The reading and writing are done with two separate threads. When new data is available the NewData event is raised with the data. When you write data...

www.b4x.com

It is not a Modbus device, more of a proprietary protocol. Simple string commands are sent with the data from the hardware coming back in the AStreams_NewData sub.

 

[thetrueman]

Very thanks for directions to kick start. Will update myself accordingly. Thanks.