Internet Of Things: Controlling an LED/Bulb using Facebook Messenger Chatbot via Chatfuel and MQTT!

Material to get started:

1. ESP8266 12e NodeMCU manufactured by Lolin (Check the datasheet, if you are using a different version.)

   

   Fig. 2: ESP8266 12e by Lolin

2. USB Type C cable to program ESP8266 12e from a laptop or PC. Most Android phones use this type of cable.

   

   Fig. 3: USB Type C Cable

3. Relay Module – Relay is an electro-mechanical switching device. In a relay, we can control switching AC or DC appliances digitally by providing input to relay input pins. Here we have used a 1-channel relay operating on 5 Volts.

   

   Fig. 4: 1 Channel Relay Module

   To connect your AC appliance, use the following connection with the Relay Module use the following connection. The Signal pin is IN.

   

   Fig. 5: Relay Connection

   With some wires and breadboard.

Back End Set-up:

1. Set-up with Facebook Messenger:

We need a Virtual human to chat with. For this, we will create a Facebook Page.

Fig. 6: Create a Facebook Page

To create a Facebook Page, click here and Get Started with Community or Public Figure. Fill your Page name and Category.

Fig. 7: Fill the page details

If you wish, you can even add a Profile Picture and Cover Page to it. You must also hide your Page name and do settings so that your page is not available publicly.

2. Set-up with Chatfuel Platform:

Go to Chatfuel Platform from here. Sign Up with the same Facebook profile you created the Page and go to the Dashboard and select “Create from Template” and then “Blank Bot”.

Fig. 8: Create a Chatbot

Now the Blank bot is created in the Dashboard and you need to connect it with the Facebook Page. So, click “Connect”.

Fig. 9: Connect Bot

Now Select the Facebook Page you want to connect with. Now you can start with the AI part of the Chatbot.

Go to Automate and edit the Welcome Message by changing the User’s First name.

Fig. 10: Welcome Message

Now Click the Default Answer and edit it in the same way. The default answer is replied for the commands not programmed in your Chatbot or for any unexpected error.

Fig. 11: Default Answer

Now, we start adding Blocks. Blocks are the functions that will be executed on chat commands. Click on the + symbol to add these blocks. These functional blocks will hit the APIs of IFTTT server.

Fig. 12: Add Block

Create two blocks and rename them as Relay On and Relay Off. 

Select Relay On block and add a Text card to it. This text card is a reply that our Chatbot gives on performing this certain block.

Fig. 13: Add a Text Card

You can edit this Text Card in your preferred answer. Do the similar settings for the Relay Off with Light Off message.

Fig. 14: Edit this Text Card for Relay On

Now, click on Set Up AI (1) and select + ADD AI RULE (2) and fill the AI. This is the main set up of its AI.

Fig. 15: Set Up AI

Add its AI rules by written all permissible phrases a user can say (1) and reply with Blocks (2) and add the corresponding block (3). To add each phrase simply type the phrase and Enter.

Fig. 16: Set Up its AI with the Rules

We will leave it here. Further settings will be done after setup with IFTTT.

3. Set-up with Adafruit IO:

Adafruit IO serve is the IoT end. Here our ESP8266 gets connected with its server and executes our desired command. Go to Adafruit IO. Sign Up or Sign In to your Adafruit IO account.

Fig. 17: Adafruit IO account Set Up

After creating Adafruit, you should be taken to Adafruit Home Screen.

Now Select Feeds from hand menu and Click Action > Create a New Feed from the drop-down menu.

Fig. 18: Create a new Feed

Give this any name you wish, I created “onoff”. Now, Go to Dashboards > Actions > Create a New Dashboard. Similarly name this one also, I named it “LightAutomation”.

Fig. 19: Dashboard

And click on + “Blue +” on the Top right side of your Dashboard to create a new block.

Select “Toggle” Block.

Fig. 20: Create a new block

Now, choose your feed and click “Next Step”.

Fig. 21: Choose Feed

Fill the block settings and “Create the Block”.

Fig. 22 : Block Settings

Now let’s merge everything with IFTTT.

1. Set up with IFTTT:

Create an account on IFTTT (https://ifttt.com) by Signing Up with your same Google Account you are using in your phone.

Now go to My Applets > New Applet > Click “ + this “. Search for the service Webhooks and select it.

Fig. 23: Choose a Service – Webhooks

Select Request a Web Service and Fill the event name and Create Trigger.

Fig. 24: Create a Trigger

After creating Trigger, we must fill the Action Service. For that click on + that.

Fig. 25: If Webhooks Then

Now, search for the Action Service Adafruit and select it.

Fig. 26: Choose Action Service as Adafruit

For the very first time, this will ask your Adafruit Login Credentials. Fill your Adafruit IO account details there.

Choose “Send data to Adafruit IO” action and fill the Action field by choosing your “Feed name” and “Data to Save” as Value 1 in Add Ingredient. “Create Action” and click “Finish”.

Fig. 27: Complete Action Fields

Now go to My Applets (1), select your Applet (2) you created and Click on Webhooks (3).

Fig. 28: Select Webhooks

Now, we need the API URL. We can get it from Webhooks Settings. So, click on Settings. Copy this URL and save it somewhere we will need it later.

Fig. 29: Webhooks Settings

We will make 2 links for light on and light off from this single URL.

For Light On: https://maker.ifttt.com/trigger/<your event name>/with/key/<your webhook trigger key>/?value1=1

For Light Off: https://maker.ifttt.com/trigger/<your event name>/with/key/<your webhook trigger key>/?value1=0

Copy these two links and save them. We need them for Chatfuel Integration.

You can test these two links by hitting them directly in your web browser and checking your Toggle Switch created at the Adafruit IO server.

Let us now integrate everything up.

Do you remember the Relay On and Relay Off Blocks we created in Chatfuel platform? Let’s get back to them.

We now will add JSON APIs to them. Select the + in Add a Card menu of Relay On block.

Fig. 30: Add the link on Relay On block

Click on JSON API from Chatfuel Plugins Menu.

Fig. 31: JSON API in Chatfuel Plugins

Now, select the type as Post and enter the link we made for Light On. Paste this link in the URL Tab here.

Fig. 32: JSON API of Relay On

Similarly, we will do this for Relay Off.

Now, our Chatbot is ready and is connected to our IoT Server (Adafruit Server).

You can test with Chatbot with Inbox section of Chatfuel. Your Adafruit IO server will get updated in real time.

Fig. 33: Test Chatbot with Adafruit IO

Steps for the Software Setup:

(Ignore this step if you already have the setup for Arduino IDE)

To code the ESP8266 we need an Integrated Development Environment, and we will use the Arduino IDE software. Arduino IDE is a cross-platform application. It is written in Java and coded in C/C++ with some special rules. To download the latest Arduino IDE from here.

Arduino IDE does not contain support of ESP8266 family so to install the ESP8266 Boards library in Arduino IDE, follow the instructions below.

1. Open Arduino IDE. Go to File > Preferences.

   

   Fig. 34: Preferences in Arduino IDE

   
   
2. Enter http://arduino.esp8266.com/stable/package_esp8266com_index.json into the “Additional Board Manager URLs” field. Now, click the “OK” button.
3. Go to Tools > Board > Boards Manager.

   

   Fig. 35: Boards Manager in Arduino IDE

4. Scroll down, select the ESP8266 board menu and install “esp8266 by Esp8266 community”.
5. Select your ESP8266 board from Tools > NodeMCU 1.0 (ESP12E Module).

   

   Fig. 36: Boards Selection in Arduino IDE

   Restart your Arduino IDE.

The Code

Download the Code from the link below and Open it in Arduino IDE.

Let’s understand the code.

Before uploading you need to make some changes in the code.

Place your Wi-Fi credentials here within the double quotes. The ESP8266WiFi.h library helps to run the functions of Wi-Fi in Arduino IDE.

Fig. 37: Code Declarations

Now we will give our feed name to subscribe to our MQTT Server. For more details on MQTT refer here.

We will subscribe for MQTT in our Void Setup().

Fig. 38: Void setup()

The relayPin is set as OUTPUT and initially Low. Now, we will play with this Output here in the Void Loop().

Fig. 39: Void Loop()

Save the Code and Upload it via the USB Cable. Do not forget to select the COM port from the Tools Menu in Arduino IDE before uploading the code.

Connections

Flow the circuit diagram for connecting the home automation.

Fig. 40: Circuit Diagram

Now, power up everything.

Open Messenger App on your phone, search the chatbot with its name and start chatting with your IoT system by giving commands like “Turn on the light” or “Switch on the light”.

To download the source code click here.

PS: Don't forget to include the AIO key as well. Also, make sure that the feed name and the trigger key is perfect, else the chatbot will give a JSON Error.