WebControl 8 Remote Control app for iPhone

I will soon be submitting to the app store an iOS (iPhone/iPod/iPad) app to remote control the PLC version of the WebControl 8 board. I've posted a video on Youtube that gives you a taste of the UI. The forum will not let me post the link, but you can go to Youtube and search for WC8RC and it should be the only video (sorry for the shaky screen capture program!).

I'll let you know when the app is approved. Feel free to let me know if you have any thoughts, here or by private email to [email protected]. Thanks.

...R

Hey what is the lowest iphone/ios I could use this on? I'm thinking of maybe buying an old used one on ebay and using it on wifi only -- (After buying the app with my sim in it)

Thanks...

It should work on anything running iOS 5.0 or later, but all I can say for sure is that it runs on my iPhone running 5.1, and that it runs on the iPhone 5.0 simulator. [I use ARC (Automatic Reference Counting), and that wasn't available pre- iOS 5.0.]

A few moderate caveats: (1) It only runs on the PLC (i.e., not the BRE) version of the WebControl firmware. I've tested it on my board (with the latest PLC firmware), and it should work on the next version. (2) If you enable "Web Login", the current version of the app sends the board's username and password unencrypted. So if you're worried about someone being able to sniff your WiFi, that's a consideration.

...R

Here is the Youtube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWy9PgM7K0Y

Great iPhone/iPad app. I wish to see it running on android tablet also.
Andriod tablet like this one would be a great home automation controller:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/221124416715

or this one, it even has IR blast feature built-in:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/370649997350

wm8s said:

If you enable "Web Login", the current version of the app sends the board's username and password unencrypted. So if you're worried about someone being able to sniff your WiFi, that's a consideration.

Click to expand...

If you're using it on a local network, use a static IP and configure the WC board to only permit access from known/trusted IPs. You can use 8. (If you do this, you must set all 8 to *SOMETHING* other than 0.0.0.0). Of course, if you do this you don't need the user/pass (or you can still use it, but anyone sniffing them still won't get the chance to use them)

One final thing: the user/pass is not sent in clear text. Here's a packet-capture of a request to one of my boards:

The first request goes out:
GET /api/status.xml
HTTP/1.0 User-Agent: Wget/1.12 (freebsd8.1)
Accept: */*
Host: 203.hi.dd.en
Connection: Keep-Alive

but gets this reply:
HTTP/1.1 401 Unauthorized
WWW-Authenticate: Basic realm="Protected"
Connection: close
401 Unauthorized: Password required..


So a new request is made, including the hash
GET /api/status.xml
HTTP/1.0 User-Agent: Wget/1.12 (freebsd8.1)
Accept: */*
Host: 203.hi.dd.en
Connection: Keep-Alive
Authorization: Basic YWGtaW96cGFzt3dgcmQ=

and then the data is returned:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Connection: close
Content-Type: text/xml
Cache-Control: no-cache
<response>
<op1>0</op1>
<op2>0</op2>
<op3>0</op3>
(etc)

I've just uploaded the app to the iTunes app store.

Note that the app only currently supports the PLC version of the firmware. You can see it here; be sure to read all of the notes before downloading:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wc8rc/id561629692?ls=1&mt=8

If you have any problems or suggestions, there is a feedback button on the Help screen.

...R

PS For technical reasons, the app does not use the same authentication method as rossw described (i.e., the method that a browser might use), so the username and password ARE sent in clear text from the app.

+1 for port to "android"

mc2000 said:

+1 for port to "android"

Click to expand...

Believe me, I'd love to have the time to quit my job and learn Android and Windows Mobile! Alas, bills need paid, and even if I sell 50 copies of the iOS version of the app [something I kinda doubt], I'd only be $200 in the red :wacko:

...R

I purchased the App, but can't seem to get it to connect to my Webcontrol board. I am using a direct URL not an IP address for access so I have entered that into the Host section, however nothing seems to be happening? Has this also been tested on IOS6, as that is what I am using?

Sorry for the delay. I was out of the office. My iPhone 4S runs iOS 6, and it works fine there. [There is an unrelated layout bug that only shows on iPhone 5's (some of the screens don't look good), but I've fixed that and will upload with the next update,]

When you say "direct URL", do you mean a name and not a dotted number IP address. E.g., like "my.board.com" instead of "192.168.1.15"? I've tested it with named sites with no problems. If you don't use them, did you delete the username and password?

I have a simulated board available. Put in www.baileyhudson.com for the URL and delete the username and password. Can you try that and see if you get a response (the device name at the top should flash green, and the fields should update; you won't be able to actually turn anything on or off)? If that doesn't work, email me off list (rob at wm8s dot com), and we'll get it fixed.

Thanks, I had included the http:// and I think that was the problem, just needed the address. It works now.

Yep. You got it. The app adds the "http://" part. Just put in:


or, if you're using, e.g., port 1234:

Downloaded it. nice. worked right off the bat.
Would you be interested in making a custom version of your app?
Mainly a subset of what you have already.

h

Glad to hear it!

I certainly could do a custom version, but it's been my experience that custom programming is infrequently cost effective for the customer. Feel free to contact me offline ([email protected]) to discuss further if you'd like.

...R

hoj said:

Downloaded it. nice. worked right off the bat.
Would you be interested in making a custom version of your app?
Mainly a subset of what you have already.

h

Click to expand...