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The 2log documentation is being created here little by little. The documentation was written with the goal to enable Fablabs and Makerspaces to use and operate the 2log system on their own.
All hardware components were intentionally designed based on through-hole parts to allow less experienced makers to solder the parts together.
If any points are not described in enough detail I am grateful for any feedback. Pull requests are welcome.
2log is a free community management system for workshops, fablabs, maker- and hackerspaces.
It is a modular hardware and software solution that digitally links machines, users and processes and makes them remotely trackable. Each device with a power cable - from the laser cutter to the coffee machine - can be connected to your 2log instance with the 2log Switch within a few minutes.
Your advantages:
In order to integrate a machine into 2log, no structural changes need to be made. The 2log switch is simply plugged between the power plug of the machine and the socket. The setup process is so simple that you can easily do it yourself in minutes.
2log is a free OpenSource project that can be used freely and without charge under the terms of the GPL v.3/ AGPL v.3. This means that the authors of 2log.io do not accept any liability for any damage or infringement of valid rights caused by the use of 2log.io.
In order to operate 2log, certain technical requirements must be met.
To run your own 2log instance, a Docker-enabled computer with x86-64 architecture is recommended. Since 2log is implemented in a very resource-efficient way, a headless Linux server with a 1.4GHz dual core and 4GB memory is sufficient.
The 2log hardware components communicate with the server via WiFi. Accordingly, the server and the IoT devices must be able to reach each other over a 2.4GHz network.
For the operation of 2log the server must be able to send e-mails. For this purpose, an SMTP mail server is required.
Since the 2log Switch controls access to the devices by connecting and disconnecting power, it is important to ensure that all connected machines can handle this. Since 2log detects via power consumption whether the machine is in stand-by mode or actually working, it is ensured that a machine is never switched off from operation.
Depending on the smart sockets used for the 2log switches, it must be ensured that the machines do not draw more current than is supported by the connectors.
The easiest way to set up your 2log instance is to use Docker.
The easiest way to set up your 2log instance is to use the Dockerfile provided in the repository. First, make sure that Docker is installed with the associated tool docker-compose.
mkdir ~/2log
cd ~/2log
wget https://gitlab.com/2log-io/2log.io/-/raw/main/docker/docker-compose.yaml
docker-compose up
By default, the WebAssembly frontend can be reached via Port 8080. If the server is running on your local machine, just visit http://localhost:8080 in your web browser and the UI should come up. You can now login into your instancy by accessing the WebSocket service which is by default accessible via port 4711. To check your instance is up and just type ws://localhost:4711. The initial default login is “admin” with passwort “password”. Don’t forget to change the password after the first login!
The mail server can be configured directly via the environment variables. The easiest way to define these settings is directly in the docker-compose file.
#--------- Mail Server config
#- MAIL_HOST=smtp.mydomain.com
#- MAIL_USER=admin
#- MAIL_PASS=password
#- MAIL_ADDR=2log@mydomain.com //sender eMail address
#- MAIL_CONNECTION_TYPE=TLS // or SSL or TCP
#- MAIL_SENDER=2log.io // readable sender name (optional)
#- MAIL_PORT=587
| Variable | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| MAIL_HOST | How to reach the mailserver | smtp.mydomain.com |
| MAIL_USER | The login string | admin |
| MAIL_PASS | The mail server password | xF5s42F1337@r! |
| MAIL_ADDR | Sender eMail Adesse | 2log@mydomain.com |
| MAIL_CONNECTION_TYPE | Security settings. Supported are TLS, SSL or TCP | TLS |
| MAIL_PORT | The port where the mail server is listening | 587 |
To get the latest features and bug fixes it is recommended to update the 2log server regularly.
Updating the 2log instance when using the Docker Compose file is very simple. Just enter the following commands in the command line:
docker-compose pull 2log
docker-compose up
All operational data of the 2log instance is stored in the folder ./2log.io. It is strongly recommended to back up the folder at regular intervals.
To add new members you can either use the web portal or the 2log Admin app.
2log has two separate user administrations. Members and administrators are managed separately and independently. This page is only about adding members.
The easiest way to add a new member is via the app or web portal. The procedure is identical for both variants.
Congratulations! This is your first community member.
If many users are created at once, for example when the new class starts the semester, the CSV Importer is the better choice.
2log.io provides two mobile apps. One is the Community App, which allows members to perform transactions or log on to machines by scanning QR codes. The other is the Operator App, which allows easy administration and management of the 2log instance.
Not everyone likes to carry another smart card. The 2log app for community members provides an alternative to the RFID card. Once the app is linked to your 2log account, just scan the RFID code displayed to authenticate yourself. In addition, the app allows you to keep track of your account balance and transactions.
The Community App is available for Android and soon also for iOS in the AppStore. You will find all further information at https://2log.app
Currently, the app only works with the virtual tally sheet. However, we are already working on an alternative 2log Dot version with a small OLED display. The goal is to make all 2log services compatible with the app as well.
The 2log app for community members as such does not store any personal data. However, every action performed with the app (e.g. payment or login processes) could be logged on the server side. Since each operator of a 2log instance is responsible for the collection, storage and processing of data, no generally valid statement can be made here about the storage and processing of data.
Finally, it depends on the infrastructure of the instance operator which data is stored and for which purposes it is processed. Please contact the operator of the instance for further information.
One of the main functions of 2log is the access control of machines. A machine can be any device with a power cable. From the laser cutter to the band saw to the 3D printer, pretty much any device can be integrated.Thanks to 2log rights management, each user can be given permission to use specific machines. This is done either via individual permissions or via groups.
Via the power consumption, 2log can determine whether a machine is actually working or only in stand-by mode. In this way, the machine usage can be charged according to different pricing models.
Certain hardware and software components are required to set up a machine access control.
Since the 2log Switch controls access to the devices by connecting and disconnecting power, it is important to ensure that all connected machines can handle this. Since 2log detects via power consumption whether the machine is in stand-by mode or actually working, it is ensured that a machine is never switched off from operation.
Depending on the smart sockets used for the 2log switches, it must be ensured that the machines do not draw more current than is supported by the smart plugs.
To integrate a machine into 2log, two hardware components are required: A 2log Switch and a 2log Dot. The Dot is a smart RFID reader that reads the user’s cards and logs them into the machine. The Swtich is the actuator. It activates the power supply only when a user with valid authorization has logged on to the system.
The 2log Admin App is required to connect the hardware components with the 2log.io server. The APK for Android can be downloaded here
Connecting the hardware components to the server must be done via the 2log app. This is currently only available for Android. The APK can be downloaded here. For this reason, it is recommended to run the complete setup of the new machine directly via the app.
In the machine settings there is a box with the heading “Dot”. Immediately after creating the machine, a note should appear here stating that no dot has yet been assigned.
If you are setting up a new machine you will probably want to connect a new Dot.
Answer “no” to the question whether the Dot is already connected to the system. You will now be redirected to the Setup Wizard.
Follow the instructions dosplayed on the screen until the setup is complete.
If the setup is completed successfully, you have the possibility to test the connection by clicking on the “Blink” button. If the LEDs of the dot start blinking, everything has worked.
If it is a Dot that is already connected to the server, continue here.
Answer “yes” to the question whether the Dot is already connected to the system.
Enter the four character address of the dot you want to assign to the machine.
If the setup is completed successfully, you have the possibility to test the connection by clicking on the “Blink” button. If the LEDs of the dot start blinking, everything has worked.
In the machine settings there is a box with the heading “Switch”. Immediately after creating the machine, a note should appear here stating that no switch has yet been assigned.
If you are setting up a new machine you will probably want to connect a new Switch.
Answer “no” to the question whether the Switch is already connected to the system. You will now be redirected to the Setup Wizard.
Follow the instructions dosplayed on the screen until the setup is complete.
If it is a Switch that is already connected to the server, continue here.
Answer “yes” to the question whether the switch is already connected to the system.
Enter the four character address of the switch you want to assign to the machine.
To access the settings page of a machine control:
Sets the name with which the machine is displayed in the system. The name should be unique and identify the machine without any doubt.
Bad example: “3D Printer 1” , “3D Printer 2”, “3D Printer 3”.
Good example: “Prusa i3MK3s orange”, ““Prusa i3MK3 black”, “Ultimaker 2”
Defines after which period of time (in minutes) a machine is automatically switched off if no active job is currently running. This also automatically causes the currently logged in user to be logged out.
Select a machine type. This currently only affects the icon that is displayed in the overview page.
Many machines require suction to extract sawdust or toxic fumes. But some of them are not able to communicate with the machines they are connected to.
2log offers the possibility to switch a suction with a 2log Switch and assign it to one or more machines. If a user logs on to a machine that is connected to a suction, the suction will automatically switch on. This is especially helpful when several machines share one suction.
2log offers different pricing models for charging the machine usage. A distinction is made between billing on the basis of machine usage or on the basis of user session. The distinction which billing basis makes more sense depends primarily on the type of machine. Machines whose jobs have a predefined runtime, such as laser cutters or 3D printers, should be billed according to the duration of use. Machines such as belt grinders or drill presses are better billed according to the session. This prevents the user from switching the machine on and off unnecessarily often.
Regardless of the billing basis, you can choose between a flat fee or billing by duration. The duration of a unit can be freely defined.
When billing according to the duration of use, only the time during which the machine is actually running is charged.
With “Flat rate per job”, the set fee is charged as a flat rate for each time the machine is switched on.
In the case of a flat rate per session, the set fee is charged only once for logging on to the machine.
When billing by session time, the time during which the user is logged in to the machine is billed.
When charging on the basis of machine usage (job duration or flat rate per job), it is very important to set the threshold value to match the machine behavior.
Turn on the machine and let it run in stand-by mode for a few minutes.
Start a job and wait until it has run through or switch on the machine and let it work for some time. You should see the power consumption of the machine in the form of a graph.
Move the threshold with the mouse so that the graph is above the line most of the time during operation.
Software, schematics and building instructions were made to the best of our knowledge. We provide them here free of charge because we think it could be of use.
However, we don’t take any responsibility nor liability for using this software nor for the installation or any tips, advice, videos, etc. given by any member of this site or any related site.
The 2log Dot is a smart RFID reader that can read almost all common RFID cards. Its main purpose is to allow users to authenticate themselves with their smart cards in the system. For example, to log on to a machine.
The 2log Dot is based on the ESP32 and the PN532, two components that are used very often in the maker scene and are easy to obtain. Thanks to the modular design and the exposed GPIO pins, the 2log Dot can be extended at will.
The 2log Dot board is a joint project which was developed together with the Technik Kultur Saar e.V. - Many thanks to Matthew for this contribution! In this repository you will find Gerber files for the 2log Dot board.
Congratulations - in a few days you will have your 2log Dot boards in your hands!
The PCB consists of a 4-Layer stack. All required parts are through hole components with the exception of the capacitor C1 which is a combined footprint. Besides the PCB itself you need the following parts:
To build a Dot you need a soldering iron with a fine tip, solder and some stranded wire.
I highly recommend using the template that can be clamped between the reader and PCB. This ensures that the LED sits above the PN532. This avoids ugly shadows. you can find the stl file here: https://gitlab.com/2log-io/hardware/2log-dot-case
It’s a good idea to put the ESP loose on the pins first, while soldering the pins tight to the board. This ensures that the ESP can be plugged in later without any problems when it is time for its turn.
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Next, the button can be soldered on.
Solder the pins to the PN532. Also here it makes sense to insert the pins loosely into the board during soldering. Otherwise it can happen that you solder the pins a little bit crooked. Then they no longer fit into the PCB and you have trouble.
Now you can connect the reader to the board. In between comes the template that we printed out earlier with the 3D printer. Make sure that the recess in the template is positioned so that you have free access to the pins for the LED ring.
Now we can solder the capacitor and take the opportunity to cut off the protruding pins of the PN532.
Next, the ESP can be soldered.
Now we can work on the LED ring. For this I took copper wire and stripped it. Next, the stranded wire is tinned and soldered to the contacts of the LED ring.
Bend the pins upwards and put the ring on the template. Here you have to thread the stranded wire through the holes of the board and solder it from the backside.
Congratulations! You now have a 2log Dot.
The case can be printed with normal PLA. Get the stl files from here. I particularly like the matte look of the Extrudr NX2 black matte. For the lid, simply laser a circle with a diameter of 70.5 mm. The material used for this is BLACK & WHITE 9H04 SC.
esptool.py \
-b 460800 \
--before=default_reset \
--after=hard_reset write_flash \
--flash_mode dio \
--flash_freq 40m \
--flash_size 4MB \
0x1000 bootloader/bootloader.bin \
0x10000 2log-Dot.bin \
0x8000 partition_table/partition-table.bin \
0xe000 ota_data_initial.bin
You may need to add -p /dev/<serial-adapter> with the path to the serial adapter in case the system can’t detect the serial adapter automatically.
You can set up the devices either with the 2log app or manually with a Linux Shell. Using the app is straight forward and will be explained in the corresponding chapters.
Here we explain how to provision a Dot via a direct SSH connection. You only need a command line for the manual setup.
You can also use this protocol to create your own program code for provisioning.
Press the button on the back of the Dot with a pointed object for several seconds. Once the Dot is in pairing mode, it will start glowing purple and open a WiFi hotspot.
Connect your laptop to the WiFi with the SSID I'm a Dot.
Enter the following command into your linux console:
openssl s_client -connect 192.168.4.1:8443
After a few console outputs, a connection to the Switch should be established.
{"cmd": "hi"}
The device will respond with something similar to
{
"cmd": "welcome",
"device": {
"sid": "I5O2",
"uuid": "3C:61:05:DE:8A:A4"
}
}
Write down the short id (sid) somewhere. You will need it later to assign the device. In the example here the device has the sid I502
{
"cmd":"setconfig",
"ssid":"<YOUR_SSID>",
"pass":"<YOUR_PASSWORD>",
"extconfig":{
"server":"<YOUR_2LOG_SERVER>",
"testconfig":false
}
}
{ "cmd":"setconfig","status":1}
Which means that the device has received the data.
The 2log Switch is a smart wireless socket that can switch power and measure energy consumption. It communicates via WiFi with the 2log server and ensures that only authorized users can use the machines. By measuring the power consumption, the system knows exactly how long the machine has been in use.
Theoretically, any tasmota compatible, ESP8266 based WiFi socket is suitable. Depending on the type, the software from our repository has to be adapted a bit.
To turn a smart socket into a 2log Switch, the 2log Switch firmware must be flashed to the device. For this purpose a USB Serial Adapter (FTDI) is required.
Officially supported are currently the models “Shelly Plug S” and “Shelly 1PM”. Regarding the 1PM, you have to be careful not to accidentally buy the plus version with the square case. We need the version with the ESP8266 and the round case.
To flash a Shelly Plug S socket you have to do the following steps:
esptool.py \
--chip esp8266 \
--port /dev/tty.usbserial-UUT1 \
--baud 230400 \
--before default_reset \
--after hard_reset write_flash \
-z \
--flash_mode dio \
--flash_freq 40m \
--flash_size 4MB \
0x0 build/bootloader/bootloader.bin \
0x10000 build/2log-switch.bin \
0x8000 build/partitions-OTA-2MB.bin
You can set up the devices either with the 2log app or manually with a Linux Shell. Using the app is straight forward and will be explained in the corresponding chapters.
Here we explain how to provision a Switch via a direct SSH connection. You only need a command line for the manual setup.
You can also use this protocol to create your own program code for provisioning.
Press the button of the Switch for several seconds. Once the Dot is in pairing mode, it will start blinking slowly and open a WiFi hotspot.
Connect your laptop to the WiFi with the SSID I'm a Switch.
Enter the following command into your linux console:
openssl s_client -connect 192.168.4.1:8443
After a few console outputs, a connection to the Switch should be established.
{"cmd": "hi"}
The device will respond with something similar to
{
"cmd": "welcome",
"device": {
"sid": "I5O2",
"uuid": "3C:61:05:DE:8A:A4"
}
}
Write down the short id (sid) somewhere. You will need it later to assign the device. In the example here the device has the sid I502
{
"cmd":"setconfig",
"ssid":"<YOUR_SSID>",
"pass":"<YOUR_PASSWORD>",
"extconfig":{
"server":"<YOUR_2LOG_SERVER>",
"testconfig":false
}
}
{ "cmd":"setconfig","status":1}
Which means that the device has received the data.
Members can also use their 2log account to pay for products. For this purpose, there is the so-called “tally sheet”, which implements a simple payment system in the form of a self-service terminal.
Whether drinks, snacks or materials. It is up to you which products you offer. With the simple product management you keep the prices always up to date and have an exact overview of what was sold in which period.
2log offers a simple product management. With it you can add products, group them into categories, manage prices and assign booking codes. Log in to the 2log Admin Portal and click on the “Products” tab.
The checkbox activates the corresponding product for the tally list. This can be used to hide products that are temporarily unavailable.
The product category is only a logical grouping to increase the clarity, so that the desired product is found faster. In the tally list, a separate tab is displayed for each category. The category has no influence on the billing.
The booking code is taken into account in the statistics and is used to distribute the revenue to different positions.
The 2log tally sheet is a graphical interface for billing all kinds of products in the style of a self service vending machine. The products offered can be managed centrally via the 2log.io user interface. The products can be paid either with the 2log card or the 2log App by scanning a QR code.
The 2log tally sheet runs on all major platforms, if you compile it yourself. Especially single board computers like the Raspberry Pi are a good choice. The easiest way to set up the 2log tally sheet is on a 7" or 10" Android tablet.
This is by far the easiest way to set up the tally sheet: Just download the APK from here and install it on your tablet.
A Raspberry Pi Zero is perfectly sufficient. In the Gitlab repository there are DXF milling files for a nice case. For compiling the sources for the raspberry pi, you can use the docker based cross toolchains.
The SelfService Terminal can be configured via the DeviceExplorer. Depending on the resolution and screen diagonal, it may make sense to set parameters such as the size of the tiles or the font size. Make sure you have added a few products so you can better judge the appearance.
You can access the settings via the Device Explorer in the administration area. Just click on the terminal and change the parameters labelFontSize, maxCellWidth and priceFontSize. After clicking on “Send”, the changes are directly transferred to the device and are immediately visible.
In order for users to be able to pay with their RFID card later, you need a 2log Dot. The Dot can be assigned to the tally sheet via the 2log admin interface.