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User Guide

Welcome to the WebMACS User Guide. This section explains every feature of the platform — from live sensor monitoring to automated alerting and data export.

WebMACS (Web-based Monitoring and Control System) is designed for operators who need to monitor industrial sensors, control actuators, run timed experiments, and export data — all from a browser.

What Can I Do with WebMACS?

Feature What It Does
Dashboard See all sensor values live, toggle actuators, adjust range controls, view a real-time chart
Custom Dashboards Build your own monitoring views — pick from line charts, gauges, stat cards, and actuator toggles, place them on a 12-column grid with size presets, connect each widget to a live sensor. Create as many dashboards as you need — one per zone, process, or team. No code required.
Events & Sensors Define sensors, actuators, and range controls that the controller reads from hardware
Custom Dashboard in action — create, resize, and monitor in real time
:material-play-circle: Custom Dashboard in action — create, resize, and monitor in real time

| Experiments | Group datapoints into time-bounded experiments for later analysis | | Datapoints | Browse the raw data stream collected from every sensor | | Automation Rules | Trigger alerts or webhooks when sensor values exceed thresholds | | Webhooks | Push HMAC-signed events to Slack, Teams, Node-RED, Home Assistant — or any HTTP endpoint | | Integrations | Connect WebMACS to anything: REST API + WebSocket + webhooks — your Swiss army knife for lab data | | CSV Export | Download experiment data as a spreadsheet-ready CSV file | | OTA Updates | Update the system firmware over the network | | Plugins | Extend WebMACS with custom device drivers — bundled or uploaded | | Logs | View system log entries (info, warnings, errors) | | Users | Manage operator and admin accounts |

Quick Overview

flowchart LR
    HW[Hardware Sensors] --> CTRL[IoT Controller]
    CTRL -->|WebSocket + HTTP| BE[Backend API]
    BE -->|WebSocket| FE[Browser Dashboard]
    BE -->|Webhooks| EXT[External Systems]
    BE -->|CSV| DL[Data Export]
    FE -->|Actuator commands| BE
    BE -->|Write| DB[(Database)]
  1. Dashboard — understand the live view and controls
  2. Custom Dashboards — build your own monitoring views
  3. Events & Sensors — configure what you monitor
  4. Experiments — group data into experiments
  5. CSV Export — get data out for analysis
  6. Automation Rules — set up threshold-based alerts
  7. Webhooks — notify external systems
  8. OTA Updates — manage firmware deployments
  9. Plugins — add custom device integrations

User Roles

WebMACS has two user roles:

Role Can Access
Operator Dashboard, Events, Experiments, Datapoints, CSV Export, Logs
Admin Everything above + Rules, Webhooks, OTA Updates, User Management

Admin-only pages are marked with a icon in the sidebar.

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