MeshCube v5.6 vs MeshCube v6.0

Recently a new version of MeshCube has been released. Many of you have asked us "What are the differences between the new and the old MeshCube? Is it convenient for me to upgrade it?"

This guide aims to highlight the main differences between the MeshCube v5.6 and MeshCube v6.0 to allow you to decide whether you need to upgrade it or not.

Visual differences

The two MeshCube versions have different menu organization:

MeshCube v5.6	MeshCube v6.0

• All the settings have been collected in the Settings menu for an easier access;
• All the MeshCube sections have their own tab in the main menu;
• In the interface has been added the documentation regarding the APIs and the Events, without having to search them elsewhere;
• The web interface navigation is more fluid and more user friendly.

Functional differences

In the following are described the main improvements of MeshCube v6.0.

Improved Map management

In version 6.0 the map has new features:

• More fluid visualization of the elements on the map;
• creation of Exclusion zones: these are the zones where the tags can not be placed when moving. For example, in a warehouse an operator that has a tag on him for sure can not climb on the shelves. But sometimes, because of some signal strengthes, the tag calculated position may be located on a shelf. To avoid this an exclusion zone where are the shelves can be defined;
• facilitated design of anchor placement by using the Placeholders. You can dsign the optimal anchor placement by putting the Placeholders on the map. Once that you are sure about the placement you can easily substitute the placeholders with the Non-router nodes detected by the system.

Interface-embedded Gateways management

If you use our TinyGateways in your MeshCube application, now you can configure the gateways directly from the MeshCube interface. When the remote management is configured, in the Gateways section you can access the gateway web interface by pressing the button.

Multiple networks management

If you need more than one Wirepas network, if you use MeshCube v5.6 you need a different MeshCube instance for each network.

Starting form MeshCube v6.0 one MeshCube instance can handle multiple networks simultaneously. For example, if you have a different network for each floor of your building you can use only one MeshCube instance to configure and manage them.
Moreover, each network can be assigned an alias for an easier use.

Advanced networks configuration

In MeshCube v5.6 if you want to change the configuration of the network you have to modify the configuration and it will be then broadcasted to the devices. If you want to go back to the previous configuration you have to modify it again.

In MeshCube v6.0 you can now create multiple Network configuration templates. When you need to change the configuration you just select the template you want to apply and send it to the network. If you want to go back to the previous configuration you select it among the templates and apply it to the network.

Plugins to expand system functionalities

In MeshCube v6.0 have been introduced the Plugins. Plugins are additional functionalities of the software, different from the embedded ones.
It means that if you need a particular functionality that is not already in the MeshCube, you can ask us and, if possible, we will develop a Plugin that satisfies your requests.

Contact us to know more about the available plugins or to discuss about the new ones.

APIs

When passing from MeshCube v5.6 to v6.0 some APIs have changed their names and some new APIs have been added.
The API changes have been introduced to align all the BPE systems (MeshCube, LocateBLE, GateDetector) that we provide.

But the most important change is that in MeshCube v6.0 you can add an authentication when calling the APIs. The 3 authentication options are:

1. No authentication
2. Basic authentication - with username and password
3. JWT Token authentication - the highest authentication level.

Events

The structure of the events has slightly changed from MeshCube v5.6 to v6.0.

MeshCube v5.6

{
    "id": <event_id>,
    "ticks": 637780349000281660,
    "timestamp": 1642438100,
    "timestamp_ms": 1642438100028,
    "data": { ~ }
}

MeshCube v6.0

{
    "id": <event_id>,
    "sequence_number": 2139,
    "timestamp": 1717058253126,
    "data": { ~ }
}

In MeshCube v5.6 the event is composed by the following fields:

• id
• ticks - timestamp of the event in Ticks format
• timestamp - timestamp of the event in UNIX format
• timestamp_ms - timestamp of the event in UNIX format in ms
• data

In MeshCube v6.0 the event is composed by:

• id
• sequence_number - sequence number of the event from the start of the system
• timestamp - timestamp of the event in UNIX format in ms units
• data

FTR Queries

FTR Queries, embedded in MeshCube v6.0, are scripts that allow to define some functions for the call of some APIs. FTR stands for Filter, Transform, Reduce and these functions are to be written in JavaScript.

Do I have to upgrade my MeshCube?

For the new installations will be provided the MeshCube v6.0 as default version.

If you have MeshCube v5.6 and you are not sure if to upgrde your instance to v6.0 consider that:

• the support to MeshCube v5.6 will be maintained, providing bug fixes and compatibility;
• if you have integrated our instance in your third-party application, there are some breaking changes in the API calls and in Events;
• above are described the most important improvements of the instance. You should consider upgrading the instance if you need them;
• if there is no feature that satisfy your needs, but you think that it can be implemented with a Plugin, consider upgrading the MeshCube.

In any case, if you are not sure if to upgrade, contact us and we will help you with the decision.