Getting Started Guide

Introduction

Bevywise's CrystalMQ Broker is a fully managed, cloud-based MQTT solution that offers simplicity and scalability, making it ideal for businesses of all sizes. The standout feature of this hosted CrystalMQ Broker is its readiness to serve. This messaging platform ensures reliability, security, rapid data transmission, and constant availability from anywhere at any time. Begin connecting your devices to the digital world with ease. This guide provides a detailed, step-by-step procedure for setting up your CrystalMQ Broker on a cloud instance. .

Feature Highlights

• No complex Setup
• No Server maintenance
• Scalability
• Anywhere at Anytime
• Flexible data processing/integration

Get Started

To begin, you need to create an account. Our hosted CrystalMQ broker offers two options: the Shared FREE plan, designed for learning and testing small-scale applications, and the Dedicated MQTT server, ideal for developing large-scale applications. Choose the option that best fits your needs.

Try Shared Instance for Free

When you choose the Shared FREE option, your instance will be hosted on a shared architecture, with other tenants using the same VM. VM.

This version is entirely free, and you can start by signing up for a shared instance with a new account.

Setting up is straightforward: just create an account and begin exploring the features.

Try Dedicated Instance

A dedicated MQTT server offers secure, isolated MQTT instances, ensuring guaranteed separation from other tenants' instances.

This premium option provides enhanced security and isolation. To get started, simply sign up for our dedicated instance.

Quick Steps to Explore Our CrystalMQ Cloud Broker

Using our CrystalMQ broker is a straightforward process. Simply sign up and create a new account to start exploring the features. Here are the quick steps to get started:

1.Sign up for a new account

2.Choosing a suitable plan

3.Begin using the service

4.Connect your devices/clients

Sign up for a new account

To create your account, visit our CrystalMQ signup page and fill in the required details.

Enter your email address, phone number, and account password.

Note: Please provide a valid email address, as we will need to verify your account and send you a confirmation link to get started.

Click the 'Sign Up for FREE' button after entering your details.

We will then send an account confirmation link to the email address you provided.

Check your inbox or spam folder for the email, and confirm your account by following the instructions provided.

Once you click the 'Confirm Now' button on the page you encounter after clicking the link in your email, your account will be activated.

You can then log in to CrystalMQ using your mail.

After logging in, you will be directed to the CrystalMQ Console.

Click on 'New MQTT Broker' to view the available plans and their details.

Choosing a suitable plan

We offer three different plans for our CrystalMQ broker.

FREE Forever - This is a shared instance plan ideal for learning and testing IoT applications. With this plan, you'll share the VM with other tenants, and you can connect up to 10 clients/devices. It supports only MQTT version 3.1.1.

Advanced - This plan is designed for medium and enterprise-level businesses. It provides a dedicated instance with isolation from other tenants' instances and allows you to connect up to 20,000 clients. It supports MQTT versions: 3.1.1 and 5.

Enterprise - This plan is tailored for enterprise and service provider companies. It includes a dedicated instance with complete isolation from other tenants' instances, and the number of client connections can be customized according to your needs. It supports MQTT 5 versions: 3.1.1 and 5

Shared FREE Plan

When you select the Shared FREE plan, your 'Free Forever' MQTT server will be ready within a minute or two.

Once it's set up, you'll see a page with the following details:

1.MQTT Server Name - Shared MQTT platform

2.MQTT Dashboard - The link to access your shared free instance

3.Plan - FREE (as you have chosen)

4. Created On - The date and time your account was created

Click on the link to access your CrystalMQ Dashboard.

When you click, you'll be taken to the 'Overview Page', which provides essential details such as the host address, TCP port, and WebSocket port. Additionally, we offer a list of ready-to-use MQTT client applications that you can use to connect to our CrystalMQ broker.

To begin connecting your clients, click on the Security page .

Connect your clients/devices

Begin provisioning and monitoring your devices.

Click the 'Add a new device' button to open the 'Add a client' window.

Provide a unique client ID and name for the client/device you are adding. The MQTT username and password for that client will be automatically generated. Once added, the authentication token (which serves as the password) will be shown only once before being encrypted for security reasons. Be sure to note it down for future use.

Include a brief description of the client.

Then fill in the 'Can' tab which is nothing but the permissions tab.

There are 3 types of permissions. They're :

• 1. Send and Receive Messages – Grant both subscribe and publish permission for the device.
• 2. Send Messages – Grant only publish permission.
• 3. Receive Messages – Grant only subscription permission.

After filling in all the details, click the 'Add' button to provision your client/device.

Once completed, the newly created device, along with its authentication key and token, will be displayed.

By selecting any provisioned device, you can view the client's details.

You also have the ability to control your clients' or devices' access to publishing and subscribing topics. In the 'Access Control List' section, enter the topic or multiple topics (separated by commas) and choose whether to allow or deny the device/client from publishing to those topics. Similarly, enter the subscription topics and set whether to allow or deny subscription to them.

Data - dashboard

The dashboard provides a quick overview of the most recent activity on the platform. It displays the following information:

• 1. Total & Active Clients: The total number of clients/devices along with the count of active ones.
• 2. Messages Received & Sent: The total number of messages received and sent.
• 3. Recent Events: A log of recently published messages, including the client ID, the topic, the data, and the timestamp of the publication.
• 4. Recent Connections & Disconnections: Information about clients/devices that have recently connected or disconnected.

Widgets

This page displays data through live graphs. You can create more than 8 different types of widgets here. Below is the list of available widget types:

• 1.Text
• 2.Colour
• 3.Table
• 4.Line chart
• 5.Bar chart
• 6.Gauge chart
• 7.Half Gauge
• 8.LED light
• 9.Switch

Widget creation

To create a widget, follow the below steps :

Click on the + symbol in the top right corner. In the 'Widget type' window that appears, select anyone type of widget.

Text Widget

Select ‘Text widget’ if you wish to display data in the form of plain text. This helps you highlight the values of specific parameters in a data.

• Provide a title.
• Select a device from the devices listed in the drop-down menu.
• After selecting the device, the corresponding topics will be listed in the ‘Topic’ tab. Choose any one topic from the list.
• Enter ‘Key’, ‘Unit’ in the respective space provided and then pick a colour to display.
• Then enter ‘Minimum’ , ‘Maximum’, and ‘Offset’ values.
• Provide Subtitle and choose a ‘Colour’ to display.
• If you want to add more key values, then click the ‘Add’ ( + symbol) and repeat the previous steps.
• Click the ‘Create’ button to view your text widget.

Colour Widget

‘Colour widget’ helps you to view data in coloured form. Also, you can set unique colour for each optimum range of values.

The steps are the same as those of creating a text widget.

After providing the device details, topic, key selection, minimum & maximum range, you can proceed entering the offset values.

Give a subtitle if you wish and pick a colour to display. Finally, click ‘Create’ to view your colour widget.

Table Widget

Table widget allows you to view the data in the form of a table.

• Select ‘Table widget’ from the list of widgets.
• Provide a title.
• Choose a device from the device list.
• Enter a topic for which your selected device is associated with.
• Then you have to select a key and provide a sub-title & unit for the key.
• Enter Offset value, status and choose a colour to display.
• Hit the ‘Create’ button to view your table widget.

Line Chart

Line widget allows you to create trend that is to view data that changes over time. This helps you to create a series of values connected with a straight line.

The steps are the same as those of creating a Text and Colour widget. But there won’t be any option to set a minimum and maximum range & offset as this is a trend chart.

Bar Chart

Bar chart has the same usage as that of Line chart and it represents data in rectangular bars with heights proportional to the values they represent.

• Choose Bar chart from the widgets list.
• Provide a title and select any device from the device list.
• After selecting the device, the corresponding topic will be listed in the ‘Topics’ tab. Select a topic.
• Enter ‘Key’ , ‘Subtitle’ , ‘Unit’ in the appropriate space provided and pick a colour to display.
• If you need to add more keys, then click the ‘Add’ button and repeat the previous steps.
• Press the ‘Create’ button to view the widget.

As it is a trend chart, it displays data over time. Hence, it is a chart of your data vs time. Data (value) will occupy y-axis and time will occupy x-axis. The subtitle and unit you provide will be displayed in y-axis.

Gauge chart

Gauge chart visually illustrates a speedometer, which is used to represent the progressive values.

The steps for creating a gauge chart are the same as those of a Text and Colour Widget.

Provide Title and select a device from the list of devices. Then choose a topic from the Topics tab and enter ‘Key’ , ‘Unit’ in the appropriate spaces allotted and pick a colour to display.

Proceed further by entering minimum, maximum and offset values. The minimum and maximum value here depicts the starting and ending point in a dial.

The usage of offset will vary here as each offset represents data range in a dial which is finally pointed by a needle. You can select different colours for different offsets.

Once you’re done, click ‘Create’ to view the gauge widget.

Half Gauge Chart

The process for creating a half-gauge chart is similar to that of a gauge chart. For more details, please refer to the steps for creating a gauge chart.

LED Light

LED widget is a condition based widget which works for random data. It can be used in a scenario of checking the status of the device either active or inactive.

• Select ‘LED light’ from the types of widgets.
• Give it a Title and choose a device from the listed devices.
• Now you have to enter a topic for which your selected device is associated with.
• Select a key value.

Note : LED works only for the device which sends data in RANDOM. For example, On|Off or Open|Close.

Now provide the value (ON) you receive when your device is in active state and (OFF) when your device is in inactive state, in the respective space allotted. Choose your desired colour to represent both active and inactive states. Based on the colour chosen, the LED will blink representing the device’s status.

Switch Widget

This is a user interactive widget where you can control the activity of the device from the UI itself.

• Select ‘Switch’ from the widgets list.
• Provide a Title and select a Device from the list of devices that appear on the drop-down menu.
• In the ‘Topics’ tab, select a suitable topic that your selected device is associated with.
• Enter ‘Subscribe Topic’.

• Select Active value and pick a colour to display it, Similarly, select Inactive value and choose a colour to display it.
• Hit the ‘Create’ button to view the widget.

Clients

This tab displays the complete list of devices (both active and inactive). It provides you with a high level view on each connected device.

With the help of Devices tab, you can get the complete list of events published, commands received if it is a subscriber and send an instant command to the devices. To make optimum use of devices tab, follow the below steps.

• Go to ‘Devices/Clients’ tab.
• Click anyone from the devices listed.

Activity

This is nothing but a list of recent activities.

Events

The list of messages published by that devices along with its associated topic and the time at which the data is published.

Commands

The list of messages received from other devices from a topic this device is subscribed to along with the time at which the data is received.

Subscriptions

This is nothing but the list of topics subscribed by that particular device.

Send command

Users can send a message or data to the subscribed topic manually with the help of ‘Send Command’. Users can use this feature for testing. This can be done at the device level or for a group of devices. To send an instant command :

• Go to the ‘Send Command’ tab.
• Select the active subscribed topic from the list below ‘Command Topic’ to which you want to send the message.
• After selecting, those devices that are subscribed to the selected topic will be listed on the left panel.
• In the ‘Command Data’, type the message which is to be sent to the topic.
• Then click the ‘Send’ button to send the data to the specified topic.