Mobile app W-Link

1 Тerms

• we, us: „Technoelectronic ltd“
• app: mobile app W-Link
• “W-LINK” controller, controller: a hardware module manufactured by us, having a built-in WiFi module designed for remote control of different devices and processes
• „W-LINK” device, device: а device operated by the "W-LINK" controller
• cloud, cloud server: supported by „Technoelectronic ltd“ server, servicing Internet connections between the user's phone (tablet) and its "W-LINK" devices
• app instance: mobile app W-Link, installed on a specific smartphone or tablet

The purpose of our system is to enable remote control and monitoring of devices and systems, with the functions of the control panel being taken over by a smartphone or tablet that wirelessly connects with our dedicated controllers or universal modules. The controllers have an integrated WiFi module that works in AP (Access Point) or AP + STA (Station) mode. Maintaining AP mode allows for direct connection between the smartphone and the controller without the need for additional equipment (such as WiFi routers and Internet access) near the managed object. The availability of such equipment makes it possible to establish a connection and manage the object from any point your smartphone has available access (WiFi or Mobile) to the Internet. It follows from the above that the minimum configuration of the system includes a smartphone or tablet with the mobile application W-Link installed and the appropriate controller for your device. The next level includes the availability of a local wireless WiFi network near the managed object (usually routed through a WiFi router) without Internet access, which grants the possibility to connect over the local network. If the local network has Internet access, you can make an Internet connection between the smartphone and the controller in two ways. The first is through the cloud server we support. The second way requires the static public IP address of the router to which the controller is connected and the corresponding settings.

3 Mobile app W-Link

3.1 Download and installation

The mobile app W-Link is free and can be downloaded from Google Play Store or through the „Play store” mobile app. The app is for mobile phones running Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) or later. It facilitates and accelerates the establishment of a connection between the mobile phone and the controller and provides the user with the appropriate means to set up and manage its "W-LINK" devices. Upon installing it on phones running an operating system older than Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), you will receive a message that the app will get access to an "approximate location". If your phone has a newer version of the operating system when it starts up W-Link will request permission to access its location. In fact, the app needs permission to scan for WiFi networks within its range to choose the fastest way to connect to your controller, or to provide you with a list of WiFi devices within the range of the phone when you want to add a new controller. If you deny access to the location, you will need to enter by hand the name of the WiFi network and the type of protection of the controller you want to add.

3.2 Access to the application

To prevent malicious actions with your devices from unauthorized individuals, access to the application may (and should) be restricted. Each installed application supports two access levels called "User" and "Administrator", which differ in the permissions granted to the system. The "User" level allows you to monitor the status and execute the commands that realize the desired functions of the device. The "Administrator" level provides access to both application and controller settings menus. Access to each level is provided by the appropriate password. Upon initial installation of the application, the passwords are accordingly „user” and „admin”. To gain access to the desired level, the user must select it from the main menu, Access (see section 3.3.1 Main menu). After clicking on the selected item, the user will be prompted to enter the according keyword (username or admin access ). Upon successfully entering, a dialog box will appear with a button that allows you to change the keyword and the "Automatic login" checkbox. If the last one is selected, the user will automatically receive the appropriate access level for subsequent launches of the application and will not be required to enter the keyword. With auto-enabled access to both levels, the application will only provide it to the "User" level. If none of the levels have automatic login permission, each time the application starts and upon selection of a device from the list, the user will be prompted to enter an application access keyword. If the keyword entered corresponds to one of the levels, access to the level will be provided. It will be valid until you exit the app or change it through the Main menu -> Access.

When the application is first installed on any mobile device, it will require the creation of a user name and an admin access password. Do what is necessary to securely store the admin access password.

Longer and more complex passwords, as it is generally known, offer greater security, but they create some inconvenience when working with them (it's harder to remember and it takes more time to enter). The application does not impose any requirements for the length and complexity of your new passwords, leaving you with the choice of a compromise between reliability and convenience.

Using the Auto-login feature significantly speeds up work with the application, but can cause undesirable consequences if your phone gets into the wrong hands.

3.3 Main window

When launching the application, its main screen is displayed. In its top right corner is a button to access the main menu of the application. The main portion of the main screen is occupied by a list of pre-loaded devices (see section 3.3.1.2 New Device). After installing the application, this list is empty. When you click on a list item, the app launches a connection process and displays the main screen to work with the selected device.

3.3.1 Main menu

Depending on the current access level for the application, the main menu is as follows:

3.3.1.1 Access

Allows changing the access level of the application and keywords.

3.3.1.2 W-Link акаунт

The “W-LINK” platform needs an e-mail address as a unique identifier for your mobile application. This ID will be used when the platform sends to you a status change message of one of your controllers or when you want an already configured controller to be shared to your application. If you do not use these platform capabilities, creating such an account is unnecessary. Each e-mail address can only be used for one instance of the application. This address must be valid and you having access to it, since activation and removal of the W-Link account takes place after following a hyperlink, which will be sent via e-mail to the requested address.

3.3.1.3 New Device

The user can only work with the devices that have been added into the application installed on his phone. When a device is successfully added, it appears in the list on the main screen. In addition, information identifying the application instance is stored in the device controller memory. This information is used by the controller for user authorization in subsequent device management requests. To add a new device, you must have administrator access to the application and be aware of the device administrator password (see section 4.2.1 WiFi settings).

To add a new device, you need to fill in some of the fields shown in the figure to the left.

• Device name – Enter the name you want to see in the list of devices on the main screen. For example: "Garage", "Lighting" and so on. If you leave the field blank, the application will assign a name automatically, using the data entered in the SSID field. If this field is also empty, a name like "DeviceXXXXX" will be generated, where XXXXX is the serial number of the controller. The name can be edited at any time (see section 3.4 Settings).
• User – The field is required. Its content is part of the data used by the controller for a user's identification and authorization. It can be used by the administrator as an identifier to remove, block, or activate a user (see section 4.2.4 Users). For the convenience of the administrator, it is recommended that the contents of the field have a relation to the user of this application. For convenience, it is automatically populated by using your recently created user name. "W-LINK" controllers do not allow the registration of users with the same identifiers. If a user with the same identifier is already registered in the controller, the registration will be denied.

Devices can be added via a direct WiFi connection or over the Internet, choosing one of two ways depends on your and the device's location and the data you will fill in.

The data grouped in the window „Directly“ is required to establish a direct WiFi connection. If you are within range of the device, you can use the button „Browse Devices“. It will provide you with a list of visible WiFi networks from which to select the desired device. After selecting a device the “Security“ and „SSID” fields will be automatically filled. If the security type is different from "OPEN", you must enter the password in the appropriate field. The default WiFi settings of "W-LINK" controllers are described in 4.2.1 WiFi settings. An example is shown in the figure top left.

The data in the „Via Internet" window is required to make an Internet connection, where two options are possible, depending on whether the controller uses our cloud server or uses a static public IP address. In the first, you need to enter the serial number of the desired controller (see section 4.2.1 WiFi settings). If the factory-set TCP port of the controller (12346) has been changed, you must enter its new value.

In the second case in the „Public IP” field, you need to fill in the static public IP address of the router to which the desired device is connected. In the „TCP port“ field, you must fill in the port on which the controller is set up (see section 4.2.2 Internet settings).

Although for successfully adding a device, it is sufficient to fill in the data for only one type of connection (Directly or Via Internet), it is advisable to fill in the other as well, as this data will be stored and used by the application when working with the device in different situations. If you decide to add only the required data for the moment, you can fill in the other data later (see section 3.4.3 WiFi settings of the application and section 3.4.4 Internet settings of the application).

After filling in the the data, click on the „ADD“ button and wait. If the password for access to the application as an administrator is different from the controller's password, it will be required to enter the latter. If the controller is factory-set and an access password has not already been created, you will need to create one before the adding process continues. Save the password you just created because you will need it later when you decide to add this controller to another user's phone. Upon successful addition, you will receive confirmation, and the device will appear at the bottom of the list on the main screen.

3.3.2 Device management

The control screens are composed of: an action bar, a connection control window, and a specialized part. The first two parts are identical for all devices, and in the third part there are indicators, buttons and other controls for specific functions for the respective device type.

3.3.2.1 Action bar

Comprised of:

• „Back” an arrow-shaped button pointing to the left. Clicking on it will take you back to the main application screen.
• device name, located to the right of the „Back” button
• button to enter the settings menu - see section 3.4 Settings
• button to remove the device – causes the following dialog box to appear:

TOTAL REMOVE means that the device will be removed from your phone's list, and that this user's information will be removed from the controller's memory. Complete removal requires a connection between the phone (tablet) and the device. In the absence of such, the position will be inactive

LOCAL REMOVE - the device will be removed from your phone's list, but the information identifying a user will remain in the controller's memory unusable. It can be removed from there later when you have a connection with the controller(see section 4.2.4 Users). Use this option only when the connection to the controller is currently not possible but you want to remove the device immediately.

3.3.2.2 Connection control

3.3.2.2.1 Choosing the type

In the app there is an algorithm to establish a connection between the phone and the controller. Its purpose is to choose the fastest way to connect under specific conditions. However, you can always set the connection type you want by using the buttons:

for direct connection

to connect through the local WiFi network, to which the device is connected

for establishing an Internet connection, having your phone using a WiFi access point

for an Internet connection, using the mobile data connection provided by your service provider

The blue colored button shows the currently active connection type.

3.3.2.2.2 Button „TAKE/RELEASE CONTROL“

The system allows up to 9 users to connect to the controller at the same time, only one of them having the authority to issue commands and the rest can only monitor the status of the device. The right to control is obtained by the user who first connected to the device. On its application this button will be active and will look like this:

, while for other users it will be inactive:

The first user can renounce his right to control by clicking on this button. The button will then become active for all users and will look like this:

The above statement applies to all users when the "Safety mode" option is inactive (see section 4.2.2 Internet settings).When the option is active, for users connected via the Internet, the button will always be inactive and will look like this:

3.4 Settings

The application allows you to set the parameters for each individual device. The next figure shows the way to reach the settings window.

3.4.1 Controller sharing

The "W-LINK" platform provides the ability to share already configured controllers among users as an alternative way of adding a controller to an instance of the application. Use this method when you want to save additional application-specific settings such as controller name, static IP address and controller TCP port, names and active levels of inputs and outputs, and more. Sharing requires the recipient's application to have an active "W-Link account". (see section 3.3.1.2 of the W-Link account)

3.4.2 Device name

As already mentioned above, the device name can be changed at any time. Confirmation of the changes is done by pressing the „OK” button. The serial number of the controller is displayed above the name edit box. It is factory preset and can not be changed.

To access the other setup menus, the application will ask you to enter the administrator password. After successfully entering, you will get the desired access, which will be valid until 2 minutes after the last login into one of the menus. When choosing WIFI SETTINGS or INTERNET SETTINGS, choose the "Application settings" from the pop-up dialog.

3.4.3 WIFI settings

The parameters of the WiFi network created by the controller. These parameters will be used to make a direct ("DIRECT") connection to the device. Editing them may be necessary for the following reasons:

• the device was added via an Internet connection and the WiFi parameters were not entered

• WiFi device parameters have been changed by another phone

The changes can be done „off line” as well

3.4.4 Internet settings

3.4.4.1 Router

Information about the local WiFi network in which the device is connected. It is used by the application when establishing a „WLAN” connection. The router data will be automatically populated after establishing a connection to the device.

3.4.4.2 TCP/IP

Data required to establish an („I-NET” or “MOBILE") connection with the device.
• Public IP address – enter the static public IP address of the router to which the device is connected. If you do not have one, leave the field blank. In this case, the app will use our cloud server to make an Internet connection.
• TCP port – When a cloud server is not used, Internet connections are served by a running on the controller TCP server that uses the port number entered in this field (default 12346). When you make the necessary settings in the router's NAT table, use this port number.

The changes can be done „off line” as well

4 Controllers

"W-LINK" controllers are designed for remote control of a wide range of devices using a mobile phone or tablet with a W-Link application installed. Each of them has a built-in module that supports two WiFi interfaces. Through the first interface the module organizes a WLAN network for a „DIRECT“ connection. This interface supports up to 4 simultaneous users.

Through the second interface, the module can connect to an existing WLAN network (most commonly organized by a WiFi router that provides Internet access). This allows connection over the existing WLAN or over the Internet. The WiFi module works on TCP / IP protocol. "Direct" and "WLAN" connections are served by a TCP server that supports up to 4 simultaneously connected clients. The Internet connection is TLS / SSL secured and can be done in two ways:

The first is through the cloud server we support. It allows up to 5 simultaneous users to each controller..

The second way requires a static public IP address of the network where the controller is connected and the corresponding settings of the controller and the router. In this case, a second TCP server is started in the controller. This server can only support one TLS / SSL connection.

4.1 Access to the controller

Users get access to controllers using the W-Link mobile app installed on a smartphone or tablet. When establishing a connection with a controller, each instance of the application goes through an identification and authorization process. Depending on the information the controller receives from the application during this process, it can get permission to drive, to set up, or be denied access. A drive permission can only be granted to an instance of the application that is registered in the controller. Registration is done when the controller is added to the application list (see section 3.3.1.2 New Device) and is valid until its removal . (see section 3.3.2 Device control – button to remove the device and section 4.2.4 Users).

4.2 Settings

Access to the controller settings can be obtained through any instance of the application by performing the following steps:

• You must login to the application as an „Administrator“ (see section 3.2 Access to the application)
• from the main application screen, click the device you want to set up
• click the settings button in the action bar (see section 3.3.2.1 Action bar)
• from the main settings screen, choose the desired settings (see section 3.4 Settings)
• from the pop-up dialog, choose „Device settings“
• the application will attempt to obtain settings permission from the controller using the last saved device administrator password. If it is valid, you will be able to access the screen to work with the selected device. If the password is invalid (changed via another phone), the application will ask you to enter the new password and try again to obtain permission from the controller. If the attempt is successful, the new password will be remembered in this phone.

4.2.1 WIFI settings

To change the device's settings, the app will try to connect to it. For the state of the connection, you can be informed by the name of the button at the bottom of the screen ("SEND" when connected and "CONNECT" if not). Clicking on the "CONNECT" button will start the connection process. In the absence of a connection, changes are not possible. When a connection is made, the current settings of the controller will be automatically filled in the appropriate fields (except WiFi Password.) If you previously entered data for this field, the text "unchanged" will be displayed. If you haven't, it will be empty). The following parameters are subject to changes:

• WiFi settings – The parameters of the WiFi network created by the controller, for direct connection. The default values for these parameters are:
- Security - WPA2-PSK
- SSID - W-Link-xxxxxxxxxx, where „хххххххххх“ is its unique serial number (in given example 66)
- Password - 12345678

For security reasons, it is advisable to change the SSID and network password
- WiFi channel - channel number of the 2.4GHz frequency band. If the controller connects to a router running on another channel, the channel number entered in that field will be ignored.

• TCP port – see section 3.4.4.2 TCP/IP

After completing the desired changes, you can send them to the device using the appropriate button. Upon success, you will receive confirmation and the new settings will be saved in the controller and the phone from which you have made them.

4.2.2 Internet settings

To change the device's settings, the app will try to connect to it. For the state of the connection, you can be informed by the name of the button at the bottom of the screen ("SEND" when connected and "CONNECT" if not). Clicking on the "CONNECT" button will start the connection process. In the absence of a connection, changes are not possible. When a connection is made, the current settings of the controller will be automatically filled in the appropriate fields (except Password.) If you previously entered this password, the text "unchanged" will be displayed in the field. If you haven't, it will be empty). The following parameters are subject to changes:

- Use Cloud server – If this box is checked, the device will use our cloud server. Otherwise, it will run its own TCP server to handle requests over the Internet.
- Safety operation - Operating certain devices in the absence of visual contact with them may cause injury or damage to property. If this box is checked, the device will not execute commands submitted via an Internet connection.
- Router – a set of data needed by the device to connect to a WiFi router providing access to the Internet. Using the SELECT button will give you a list of WiFi networks stored in your phone to select the desired router. If it is missing from the list, you can manually enter its security type and SSID. The "Password" field is always filled in manually. Note the text "-90dBm" in the "Router" title bar. This is the signal strength that the controller receives from the router of your choice. The data is refreshed only in the moment when connection between the application and the controller is established. The Х symbol here indicates that the controller does not detect the router and the lack of text indicates that the controller has not yet performed a scan.
- Local IP address – Controllers can be set to work with a static or dynamic IP address on the local network they are connected to. If this field is empty, they will use a DHCP protocol to obtain a dynamic IP address. When filling in a valid IP address, it will be used by the controller. When Internet access to them is through a static public IP address, in most cases it is also necessary to use a static local IP address. In addition, the static local IP address speeds up the establishment of a "WLAN" connection between the phone and the controller.
- TCP port – When a cloud server is not used, Internet connections are served by a TCP server that uses the port number entered in this field (default 12346). If more than one "W-LINK" controllers using a static public IP address are in the same local area network, a different port number must be assigned to each of them. When you make the necessary settings in the router's NAT table, use this port number.

4.2.3 Device specific

They refer to the functions performed by each specific device type. Changing these settings is only possible if the controller is connected. In the absence of this, all buttons will be inactive. To some of the controllers a 433.92MHz radio receiver can be added, allowing remote controls (RC) to be used. In the specific settings menu of these controllers, the section "Remote controls" includes two buttons:

- ADD NEW REMOTE CONTROL - Switches the controller to the "add new RC" mode. In this mode, the controller waits for the desired button on the new RC to be pressed. It must be located close enough to the controller to ensure the reception of the broadcast signal.
- REMOVE ALL REMOTE CONTROLS - Upon clicking this button, the application will request a confirmation, and then all Remote controls programmed in the controller will be deleted.

The W-LINK platform allows users to subscribe to receive notifications on their mobile devices when the status of the controllers is changed, even when their application is inactive. This option requires:

- the phone and the controller to have internet access
- the app to have an active "W-Link" account

The "NOTIFICATIONS" button at the bottom of the screen opens the menu that allows the user to choose what events to be notified about.

4.2.3.1 START button

You can select the appropriate output pulse length.

4.2.3.2 Roller Shutter Controller

• Run time – enter the time for which the roller shutter performs a full stroke (opening or closing). If both times differ, enter the larger one. It is advisable to add from 2 to 5 seconds to the real time to ensure full closure with a possible reduction in the shutter speed.
• Aux function – determines the function of the auxiliary input of the controller:
- - SAFETY DEVICE
- - CLOSE DETECTOR
- - START BUTTON

4.2.3.3 Digital inputs and outputs

4.2.3.3.1 Digital inputs

Digital inputs settings only affect how they are displayed by the application. When the signal level entering the corresponding input matches the selected active level, its image is highlighted and the text you entered in the field „Active label“ will be displayed. (For example, the "Garage-closed" field in the figure on the left). Otherwise, the image is not highlighted, and the text you entered in the field „Inact. label“ will be displayed. Such an example is indicated by the "Battery-charged" field of the same figure. Changes to the settings for each input will be accepted by the application after clicking a button „OK“

4.2.3.3.2 Digital outputs

The figure on the left shows the screen for specific digital output settings.

The top section refers to the way the output is displayed by the application . The "Active Label" and "Inactive Label" fields have the same meaning as for digital inputs. Using the "Control buttons" box, you can choose whether 1 or 2 control buttons are displayed.

The lower section selects the output mode and sets the desired parameters. Each output can work in the following modes:

- • PULSE with programmable length
- • TRIGGER with selectable power-on state
- - - OFF - when the power is turned on, the output is off
  - - ON - when the power is turned on, the output is on
  - - MEMORY - when the power is restored, the output is set to the state in which it was before the power was interrupted
- • PRESS AND HOLD – The output is activated by touching the button and remains active until it is released. The output operation in this mode is strongly dependent on the quality of the connection between the mobile device and the controller. The deterioration of communication is expressed in random, unwanted deactivations of the output. To improve performance under these conditions, the controller will filter the communication interruptions for time less than what is set in the field „Interference filter“.

If unwilling switching of the output due to accidental pressing of the buttons is undesirable, you can check the boxes „On / Off after holding the button“. The commands will then only be executed after holding the corresponding button pressed for more than 2 seconds.

4.2.4 Users

"Users" means:

- Instances of the W-Link mobile application installed on mobile devices. This type of user registers in the controller memory in the process of adding a new controller to the respective application. (see section 3.3.1.3 New Device). The menu allows the system administrator to remove the data for a given user from the controller's memory, as well as to temporarily block and restore a given user's access to the controller.
- Remote controls using a coded radio signal to send commands to the W-Link controllers. Through this menu, remote controls can be registered to the W-Link controllers. Furthermore, depending on the controller model, can be deleted, blocked and unlocked all remote controls at the same time or each one separately.

The user management screen is accessed by selecting the "Users" item from the main settings menu (see section 3.4 Settings)

4.2.4.1 Registering a new remote control.

In the example from the figure above, the selected functions of the remote control buttons are as follows:

- button 1 - turns Output1 on and off.
- button 2 - turns Output2 on and off.

The figure below shows two more example options for remote control button functions.

If the "Username" field is missing from the menu, it means that the controller model does not support unique identifiers for the remote controls and blocking or deleting a specific remote control is not possible.

After making sure that the filled data is correct, click on the "GO" button. A caption will appear in the "Display" field "Ready for valid transmission". Press any button on the remote control you want to add for about 1 second. If like result "Invalid code" appears on the display, the cause may be radio interference at the time of transmission or an attempt to introduction of a remote control from another manufacturer. In the first case, repeat the attempt by clicking the "GO" button again. Upon successful addition, you will see "Addition is completed" in the "Display" field.

4.3 Factory reset

All W-LINK controllers have a multifunctional button that can be used to restore their factory settings by performing the following procedure:

1. The button is pressed and held, during which the indicator LED lights up and stays lit.
2. After about 8 seconds, the LED goes out.
3. After 2 seconds, the LED lights up for the second time.
4. From this moment on you have 2 seconds to release the button.
5. If you release the button before the expiration of the above time, the factory settings will be restored.