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Blynk

Blynk is a platform designed for the Internet of Things that allows users to control hardware remotely, display sensor data, and store information through its three main components: the Blynk App, Blynk Server, and Blynk Libraries. Users can connect various hardware like Arduino or Raspberry Pi to the Blynk Cloud using different communication methods and create interfaces using easy-to-use widgets. To get started, users need to create a Blynk account, select their hardware, obtain an Auth Token, and add widgets to their project in the Blynk App.

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8 views17 pages

Blynk

Blynk is a platform designed for the Internet of Things that allows users to control hardware remotely, display sensor data, and store information through its three main components: the Blynk App, Blynk Server, and Blynk Libraries. Users can connect various hardware like Arduino or Raspberry Pi to the Blynk Cloud using different communication methods and create interfaces using easy-to-use widgets. To get started, users need to create a Blynk account, select their hardware, obtain an Auth Token, and add widgets to their project in the Blynk App.

Uploaded by

manikantha.gopalasetty
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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How Blynk Works

Blynk was designed for the Internet of Things. It can control hardware remotely, it can
display sensor data, it can store data, vizualize it and do many other cool things.
There are three major components in the platform:
 Blynk App - allows to you create amazing interfaces for your projects using various
widgets we provide.
 Blynk Server - responsible for all the communications between the smartphone and
hardware. You can use our Blynk Cloud or run your private Blynk server locally. It’s
open-source, could easily handle thousands of devices and can even be launched
on a Raspberry Pi.
 Blynk Libraries - for all the popular hardware platforms - enable communication
with the server and process all the incoming and outcoming commands.
Now imagine: every time you press a Button in the Blynk app, the message travels
to space the Blynk Cloud, where it magically finds its way to your hardware. It works the
same in the opposite direction and everything happens in a blynk of an eye.
Features
 Similar API & UI for all supported hardware & devices
 Connection to the cloud using:
o WiFi
o Bluetooth and BLE
o Ethernet
o USB (Serial)
o GSM
o …
 Set of easy-to-use Widgets
 Direct pin manipulation with no code writing
 Easy to integrate and add new functionality using virtual pins
 History data monitoring via SuperChart widget
 Device-to-Device communication using Bridge Widget
 Sending emails, tweets, push notifications, etc.
 … new features are constantly added!
You can find example sketches covering basic Blynk Features. They are included in the
library. All the sketches are designed to be easily combined with each other.

What do I need to Blynk?


At this point you might be thinking: “Ok, I want it. What do I need to get started?” –
Just a couple of things, really:
1. Hardware.
An Arduino, Raspberry Pi, or a similar development kit.
Blynk works over the Internet. This means that the hardware you choose should be
able to connect to the internet. Some of the boards, like Arduino Uno will need an
Ethernet or Wi-Fi Shield to communicate, others are already Internet-enabled: like the
ESP8266, Raspberri Pi with WiFi dongle, Particle Photon or SparkFun Blynk Board. But
even if you don’t have a shield, you can connect it over USB to your laptop or desktop
(it’s a bit more complicated for newbies, but we got you covered). What’s cool, is that
the list of hardware that works with Blynk is huge and will keep on growing.
2. A Smartphone.
The Blynk App is a well designed interface builder. It works on both iOS and Android
Getting Started
Let’s get you started in 5 minutes (reading doesn’t count!). We will switch on an LED
connected to your Arduino using the Blynk App on your smartphone.
Connect an LED as shown here:

Getting Started With The Blynk App


1. Create a Blynk Account
After you download the Blynk App, you’ll need to create a New Blynk account. This
account is separate from the accounts used for the Blynk Forums, in case you already
have one.
We recommend using a real email address because it will simplify things later.
Why do I need to create an account?
An account is needed to save your projects and have access to them from multiple
devices from anywhere. It’s also a security measure.
You can always set up your own Private Blynk Server and have full control.
2. Create a New Project
After you’ve successfully logged into your account, start by creating a new project.
3. Choose Your Hardware
Select the hardware model you will use. Check out the list of supported hardware!
4. Auth Token
Auth Token is a unique identifier which is needed to connect your hardware to your
smartphone. Every new project you create will have its own Auth Token. You’ll get Auth
Token automatically on your email after project creation. You can also copy it manually.
Click on devices section and selected required device :
And you’ll see token :

NOTE: Don’t share your Auth Token with anyone, unless you want someone to have
access to your hardware.
It’s very convenient to send it over e-mail. Press the e-mail button and the token will be
sent to the e-mail address you used for registration. You can also tap on the Token line
and it will be copied to the clipboard.
Now press the “Create” button.

5. Add a Widget
Your project canvas is empty, let’s add a button to control our LED.
Tap anywhere on the canvas to open the widget box. All the available widgets are
located here. Now pick a button.
Widget Box
Drag-n-Drop - Tap and hold the Widget to drag it to the new position.
Widget Settings - Each Widget has it’s own settings. Tap on the widget to get to them.
The most important parameter to set is PIN . The list of pins reflects physical pins
defined by your hardware. If your LED is connected to Digital Pin 8 - then select D8 (D -
stands for Digital).
6. Run The Project
When you are done with the Settings - press the PLAY button. This will switch you from
EDIT mode to PLAY mode where you can interact with the hardware. While in PLAY
mode, you won’t be able to drag or set up new widgets, press STOP and get back to
EDIT mode.
You will get a message saying “Arduino UNO is offline”. We’ll deal with that in the next
section.
Getting Started With Hardware
How To Use an Example Sketch
You should by now have the Blynk Library installed on your computer. If not - click here.
Example sketches will help you get your hardware online quickly and major Blynk
features.
Open the example sketch according to the hardware model or shield you are using.

Let’s take a look at the example sketch for an Arduino UNO + Ethernet shield
#define BLYNK_PRINT Serial
#include <SPI.h>
#include <Ethernet.h>
#include <BlynkSimpleEthernet.h>

char auth[] = "YourAuthToken";

void setup()
{
Serial.begin(9600); // See the connection status in Serial Monitor
Blynk.begin(auth); // Here your Arduino connects to the Blynk Cloud.
}

void loop()
{
Blynk.run(); // All the Blynk Magic happens here...
}
Auth Token
In this example sketch, find this line:
char auth[] = "YourAuthToken";
This is the Auth Token that you emailed yourself. Please check your email and copy it,
then paste it inside the quotation marks.
It should look similar to this:
char auth[] = "f45626c103a94983b469637978b0c78a";
Upload the sketch to the board and open Serial Terminal. Wait until you see something
like this:
Blynk v.X.X.X
Your IP is 192.168.0.11
Connecting...
Blynk connected!
Congrats! You are all set! Now your hardware is connected to the Blynk Cloud!
Blynking
Go back to the Blynk App, push the button and turn the LED on and off! It should be
Blynking.
Check out other example sketches.
Feel free to experiment and combine different examples together to create your own
amazing projects.
For example, to attach an LED to a PWM-enabled Pin on your Arduino, set the slider
widget to control the brightness of an LED. Just use the same steps described above.

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