Glossary of important terms about the Notecard and Notehub

Glossary

The Notecard API is a collection of requests for interfacing with a Blues Wireless Notecard.

Overview

The Notecard & Notehub

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

Using the Notecard Interface with a Firmware Library

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

Notecard Walkthrough

Notehub Configuration

Adding Notes to Notefiles

Working with Environment Variables

Interacting with Notehub

Essential Requests

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

All of the scenarios discussed so far in this guide are focused on performing requests directly against the Notecard from a host, and synching data from the Notecard to Notehub.

Inbound Requests & Shared Data

Sending Data Through Notehub

Creating & 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 perform web requests to a 3rd party API or service, the Notecard can facilitate these requests with the web.get, web.put, and web.post requests.

Web Transactions

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

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

Low Bandwidth Design

Working with Note Templates

Measuring Data Usage

Much of the power of the Notecard is in the fact that it can be used by any Host MCU or processor, from an 8-bit Arduino to a Raspberry Pi.

Host Firmware Update Requests

Obtaining Host Firmware Download Status

Entering DFU Mode on the Notecard

Ensuring DFU Mode is Active

Retrieving Host Firmware from the Notecard

Clearing DFU State

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

Performing Notecard Maintenance Requests

Changing the Notehub Service Host

Viewing and Customizing Modem Behavior

Changing the Notecard I2C Address

Working with the Notecard AUX Pins

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

Error Codes

Status Codes

This API reference contains an alphabetical overview of all API requests relevant to the Notecard and Notehub. The sections below detail the options available for each request, what each request returns, and example requests.

Introduction - API Reference

Introduction

The Notecard provides a number of requests that can be used to configure the behavior of the Notecard, its pins, its use of GPS and accelerometer data, and to query the state of the Device, its network connection and peripherals.

card Requests - API Reference

card.attn

card.aux

card.contact

card.io

card.location

card.location.mode

card.location.track

card.monitor

card.motion

card.motion.mode

card.motion.sync

card.motion.track

card.random

card.restart

card.restore

card.status

card.temp

card.time

card.triangulate

card.usage.get

card.usage.test

card.version

card.voltage

card.wireless

card Requests

the Notecard offers a set of host firmware update APIs that can be utilized by developers, in concert with Notehub, to update the firmware of a [Host MCU]

dfu Requests - API Reference

dfu.get

dfu.status

dfu Requests

Environment variables are key-value pairs that can be set on the Notecard, or on a device, project and fleet in Notehub.

env Requests - API Reference

env.default

env.get

env.modified

env.set

env Requests

The file set of requests enable developers to work with all types of Notefiles.

file Requests - API Reference

file.changes

file.changes.pending

file.delete

file.stats

file Requests

The hub set of requests provide a variety of ways for a developer to configure and monitor the connection between the Notecard and Notehub.

hub Requests - API Reference

hub.env.get

hub.env.set

hub.get

hub.log

hub.set

hub.status

hub.sync

hub.sync.status

hub Requests

The note requests enable the quick creation and management of Notes in Notefiles.

note Requests - API Reference

note.add

note.changes

note.delete

note.get

note.update

note.template

note Requests

The Notecard can perform requests and obtain responses from 3rd Party APIs and services with the web API requests.