In mid 2021, Blynk released the latest generation of the Blynk IoT platform, officially named "Blynk IoT" (the prior product is called "Blynk Legacy"). The Blynk IoT library is v1.xx or later. The Arduino library is v1.x or later can be downloaded from GitHub, or within the Arduino IDE search for Blynk by Volodymyr Shymanskyy.
Blynk is an IoT Platform that features a no-code mobile app for building a custom Android and iOS mobile app connected to IoT devices. Users may interact with their IoT devices using a mobile app, or a web console. From the mobile app or the web console, a user may control their IoT device, and access the data collected through powerful visualization widgets. All data between the IoT device, the mobile app (Blynk.App) and the web console (Blynk.Console) passes through the Blynk cloud (Blynk.Cloud).
The unique features of the Blynk IoT platform is the ability to build a professional mobile app for Android or iOS with no code, and the simple and consistent methodology for sending data. In general, the IoT device, the mobile app, and the web dashboard communicate with and through the Blynk cloud service. All devices require a connection to the internet in order to facilitate this communication. Blynk IoT has been built from the ground up to support large scale deployment, and yet small scale projects are easy to configure.
The maximum rate a IoT device can push data to the Blynk Cloud is one per second or 1.0 Hz (this is the typical rate for most IoT Platforms. However, the IoT device can push ten values simultaneously for a single sensor in a package every second, achieving an effective rate of 10 Hz (1 sample every 0.1 sec). Virtual pin double values are limited to fifteen digits, so a floating point value range of -1E+14 to +1E+14. Virtual pin integer values may be -2147483648 to +2147483647. Virtual pin string values limited to 1024 bytes. You can also push data from the custom Blynk mobile app and/or the Blynk online web dashboard to the IoT device.
By default the server stores only 1 data point per data stream per minute. When Datastream 'Save raw data' option is enabled, more than 1 point within 1 minute interval sent by IoT device - value for that data stream will be averaged. The maximum number of data points that may be pushed to the Blynk cloud is 10,000.
It is also possible to communicate with the Blynk cloud from another service (webhook) or for example Python application via the HTTPS API. The maximum number of HTTPS API update requests per device per day is 500,000 (may be exceeded by Business Plan subscribers). The maximum webhook execution rate is one per minute. See Blynk docs standard limits (Business Plan subscribers can exceed limits)
Devices of a similar type and configuration are organized into a common 'Device Template'. Each Device Template has metadata, Datastreams, and Events that are common to all devices derived from the Device Template. Datastreams are channels for time-stamped data that flows in and out between the IoT device and the Blynk Cloud.
Each Blynk account supports an organization and sub-organizations. Membes, devices, and locations are assigned to organizations or sub-organizations. Members may be assigned the role of 'Admin', 'Staff' and 'User'.
The firmware on IoT devices can be updated in bulk over the air (OTH) from the Blynk Console using the
Every message sent via Blynk is encrypted and secure provided the hardware supports TLSv1.3 or TLSv1.2 (transport layer security protocol) and uses port 443. Granular permissions allow you to customize what members may do and see.
Blynk.Inject is supported for ESP32, ESP8266, WiO Terminal by Seeed, Arduino MKR1010, Arduino Nano 33IoT, and Texas Instruments CC3220.
On 16 Aug 2021 Blynk released a new feature named AuthTokens management for the deployment of Blynk to commercial non-WiFi devices (cellular, ethernet, etc.). AuthTokens management allows you to generate AuthTokens, export them as CSVv and flash them to your devices, and then each gets a unique QR code that can be provided to the customer of each device. When the customer receives the device, they download the Blynk app, scan the QR code, create a new Blynk account, and then device is then ready to use. Read more at https://blynk.io/new-feature-makes-it-easy-to-deploy-and-manage-non-wifi-commercial-iot-devices.
Blynk.360 is a web portal for monitoring devices, managing users, performing over-the-air-updates (OTA), and more.
Automations perform actions based events. Events include time, IoT device state, or a mobile app manual trigger.
Blynk.360 is a web browser based console for managing IoT devices, users, data, performing over-the-air-updates (OTA), and more. Also called 'Web Dashboard' and 'Blynk.Console'.
Blynk.Air a over-the-air firmware update system for the Blynk connected IoT device.
Blynk.App a no-code mobile app for building a mobile app to interact remotely with an IoT device(s). Also called 'Mobile Dashboard'.
Blynk.inject is a WiFi manager built into the Blynk app that assists with connecting your IoT device to a WiFi network (device provisioning). Additionally, you can assign a set of metadata to your device after it has been first connected via WiFi via a customized wizard on the phone app to give it a 'profile'.
Blynk.Cloud is a cloud based server where all of the data is stored.
Device Templates a device deployment process designed to scale. Metadata may be added to categorize the device. The flow of data to and from a device is called DataStreams. Events are alerts and notifications.
Blynk.Edgenet is the software that is used on an IoT device to communicate with the Blynk Cloud.
DataStreams is a reference to the flow of data in and out of an IoT device connected to Blynk.
Pages are a feature of the Blynk.App that allows the user interface widgets and content to be allocated among pages. more info.
Developer Mode a Blynk user that has permissions and access to all of the Blynk functionaility is assigned the role of 'Developer'. By default, the first user in an Organization becomes a Developer.
Blynk headquarters are reported to be at:
118 East 4th Street
New York, New York, 10003
USA
40.7254182, -73.9879909
Do you need help developing or customizing a IoT product for your needs? Send me an email requesting a free one hour phone / web share consultation.
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