Notecard API Reference

Notecard Guides

Blues provides updated firmware releases for Notecard that include feature additions and other improvements. View the release notes for all firmware revisions.

Notecard Firmware Releases

Firmware Releases

Firmware Release Policies

The Notecard API is a collection of requests for interfacing with a Blues Notecard to build an IoT application with Cellular, Wi-Fi, LoRa, or Satellite connectivity.

Overview

The Notecard & Notehub

Learn more about the different Notecard options including functionality by region and network protocol (cellular, Wi-Fi, LoRa, and satellite).

Notecard Product Family

Deciding on a Cellular Technology

Notecard SKUs

The Notecard was designed with simplicity and ease of use as a fundamental goal. As such, the Notecard API exclusively consists of JSON requests to the Notecard and JSON responses from the Notecard.

Notecard Requests & Responses

JavaScript Object Notation, or JSON, is a lightweight format for storing and transporting data of most any kind. It contains 'fields' of your own choosing to convey strings, numbers, boolean values, other JSON objects, and arrays of values

JSON Fundamentals

How the Notecard works with JSON

Requests can be issued to the Notecard over USB, UART, or I2C. The Serial UART interface is fixed at a baud rate of 9600, with eight data bits, no parity bit, and one stop bit (9600/N-8-1).

Notecard Interfaces

When building an embedded IoT application with Blues Notecard, there are a number of essential API requests to know.

Essential Requests

Notehub Configuration

Adding Notes to Notefiles

Working with Environment Variables

Interacting with Notehub

Resetting Request Argument Values

Understanding Persistent Notecard Configurations

Once the Notecard is connected to a cell network or GPS, there are a number of requests available for obtaining the time, location, and using the onboard GPS module for location tracking.

Time & Location Requests

Obtaining the Current Time and Date

Using Cell Tower & Wi-Fi Triangulation

Working with GPS on the Notecard

Sampling GPS Readings with Periodic Mode

Sampling at Predefined Intervals

Always-on GPS with Continuous Mode

Determining the Current GPS Mode

Geofencing with the Notecard

Disabling GPS

Learn how to initiate requests from a cloud-based application and send those requests to Blues Notecard using Notehub over Cellular, Wi-Fi, LoRa, or Satellite connectivity

Inbound Requests & Shared Data

Sending Data Through Notehub

Handling Inbound Notes

Using Database Files for Replicated State

Using Change Trackers with Inbound Data

Handling Notecard Interrupts

Miscellaneous File Requests

If your host needs to request or receive data, to or from a 3rd party API or service, the Notecard can facilitate these requests with the web.get, web.put, web.post, and web.delete requests over cellular, Wi-Fi, LoRa, or satellite connectivity.

Web Transactions

Requirements for Using Web Transactions

Issuing Web Transactions

Parsing Web Transaction Responses

Using Web Transactions Asynchronously

Sending Large Payloads to Notehub

The Notecard is designed to be battery operated, with low current consumption, making it an ideal choice for low power applications.

Low Power Design

Modem Power Management

Host Power Management

Voltage Monitoring

Motion Monitoring

Customizing Voltage-Variable Behaviors

Achieving the Lowest Possible Power State

Power Usage Estimates

Deep Sleep Mode on Notecard WiFi v2

When building an IoT application that is expected to operate over a long period of time with Blues Notecard, you'll want to ensure that bandwidth is preserved and monitored, wherever possible.

Low Bandwidth Design

Working with Note Templates

Measuring Data Usage

Data Usage Estimates

Learn the various modes for using the Notecard AUX pins in your projects.

Working with the Notecard AUX Pins

Using AUX1, AUX2, AUX3, and AUX4

Using AUXEN, AUXRX, and AUXTX

Learn how to update your Notecard firmware using Notehub, the In-Browser Terminal, STM32CubeProgrammer, or the Notecard CLI.

Updating Notecard Firmware

DFU with In-Browser Terminal

DFU with Notecard CLI

DFU with STM32CubeProgrammer

OTA DFU with Notehub

The Notecard provides a number of advanced configuration features that you can use to query the state and status of the Notecard, customize its behavior, set its Notehub service location, and configure the available AUX pins for use in your application.

Advanced Notecard Configuration

Issue Maintenance Requests

Change the Notehub Service Host

View and Customize Modem Behavior

Change the Notecard I2C Address

Functions that Require Setting Time

Validate Notecard Responses

APIs and Arguments for Robustness Testing

Notecard API responses often include a set of error and status codes denoted by curly braces, e.g. `{sync-begin}`. These codes are static and will persist across API versions.

Notecard Error and Status Codes

Notecard Walkthrough