uThing::MNL Configuration

The uThing::MNL device can be configured through its serial interface using two distinct modes: Interactive and JSON.

Configuration Modes

Interactive Mode

The interactive mode is designed for simplicity and ease of use directly from a serial terminal. All commands are a single character followed by the Enter key.

For example, to send the C command via a Linux/macOS terminal, you would use:

$ printf 'C\n' > /dev/ttyACM0

JSON Mode

The JSON mode is intended for programmatic control. Commands are sent as a valid JSON object string. You can combine multiple commands into a single JSON object.

For example, to enable the LED, set the reporting period to 30 seconds, and change the format to CSV all at once, you would send:

{"led":true,"reportingPeriod":30,"format":"CSV"}

Note

For both modes, the device returns a status report after every command to confirm that it was received and processed correctly.

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Commands

Below are the available commands to configure the uThing::MNL.

Reporting Format

This command changes the format of the periodic data output.

Interactive

Command	Format
J	JSON
C	CSV
M	Human-Readable

JSON

Command	Format
{"format":"json"}	JSON
{"format":"csv"}	CSV
{"format":"human"}	Human-Readable

Reporting Period

This command changes how often the device sends a data report. In some cases, like when performing data collection for long periods of time (weeks, months), it's convenient to reduce the reporting frequency and avoid overloading a database with unneeded granularity.

Interactive

Command	Reporting Period
1	1 second (default)
2	10 seconds
3	30 seconds
4	1 minute
5	10 minutes
6	30 minutes
7	1 hour

JSON

Command	Reporting Period
{"reportingPeriod":<seconds>}	An integer from 1 to 3600.

LEDs

This command enables or disables the onboard status LEDs.

Interactive

Command	State
E	Enabled
D	Disabled

JSON

Command	State
{"led":true}	Enabled
{"led":false}	Disabled

Save Configuration

This command saves the current settings to the device's permanent flash memory. The saved configuration will be retained after the device is unplugged and reconnected. This command is only available in JSON mode.

JSON

Command	Detail
{"saveConfig":true}	Stores the current configuration in Flash memory.

Status

This command retrieves the device's current configuration and status.

Interactive

Command	Detail
S	Retrieves device info, configuration, and uptime.

Example Response:

--------------------------------------------------------
***  Device: "uThing::MNL rev.A" -- Status:
     Reporting period: 1 sec, Format: JSON, Uptime: 2189513 ms, Serial #: 28AE9B978CFE249B, FW: v1.0.3
--------------------------------------------------------

JSON

Command	Detail
{"status":true}	Retrieves the current configuration and uptime.

Example Response:

{
    "status": {
        "reportingPeriod": 1,
        "format": "JSON",
        "upTime": 1802065
    }
}

Device Info

This command retrieves static information about the device hardware, firmware, and serial number. This command is only available in JSON mode.

Interactive Mode

In Interactive mode, this information is already included in the Status command (S).

JSON

Command	Detail
{"info":true}	Retrieves device hardware, firmware, and serial number.

Example Response:

{
    "info": {
        "device": "uThing::MNL rev.A",
        "serial": "28AE9B978CFE249B",
        "firmware": "1.0.3"
    }
}

---

Help & Commands Summary

Invalid Command Response

In interactive mode, sending an invalid character (e.g., h) will print a help message summarizing the available commands.

-------------------------------------------------------
***  Invalid option.
 Use:              [m] Human readable, [j] JSON, [c] CSV, [s] Status, [e/d] enable/disable LED
 Reporting Period: [1] 1 sec, [2] 10 sec, [3] 30 sec, [4] 1 min, [5] 10 min, [6] 30 min, [7] 1 hour.
--------------------------------------------------------

Commands Summary Table

The table below summarizes the commands available in firmware v1.0.3.

Command	Interactive	JSON	Description
Format	J, C, M	{"format":"<string>"}	Change reporting format (JSON, CSV, HUMAN)
Period	1-7	{"reportingPeriod":<integer>}	Change reporting period
LEDs	E, D	{"led":<boolean>}	Enable / Disable LEDs
Save Config	n/a	{"saveConfig":true}	Save configuration parameters to flash
Status	S	{"status":true}	Show current configuration and uptime
Device Info	(S)	{"info":true}	Show device hardware, firmware, and serial