Can BRX recieve an email to trigger a bit?

[PLCwannabe]

   What is the best way to interface a desktop app that sends email as an alarm with brx plc? I need the brx to turn on an alarm buzzer and light whenever the alarm email is received. Or is there a better way to do this?

[franji1]

BRX PLCs do NOT support POP3 or IMAP (receive email).  It does support SMTP (send email).

What is your "desktop app"?  Does it support any scripting capabilities or any other comm protocols other than POP3, since it is initiating the communication?

[PLCwannabe]

I;ll have to get more info on the app, their technical help person doesn't know much beyond how to set it up for email or phone alerts. The app is called Agsense, used to monitor irrigation systems remotely.
            https://www.agsense.com/agsense-solutions/icon-link

[franji1]

Ask them if it supports IoT, and hence MQTT.  I bet it does.  BRX definitely can do that.

[Bolt]

I have asked them in the past if they had an API, where the BRX could log in an check status of things.  Never got anywhere with that.  I know an API is possible with their main competitor.

[franji1]

I have asked them in the past if they had an API, where the BRX could log in an check status of things.  Never got anywhere with that.  I know an API is possible with their main competitor.

Sounds like they need to figure out this is a new millennium and connectivity is key.  Their website definitely highlights that aspect, but it appears it's with THEIR products.  They need to realize they are in a world of connected devices, and not every client is a cell phone with their app.

[Bolt]

Welcome to the world of agriculture.  Tons of interconnected, moderately capable, PROPRIETARY devices!  Sold at a PREMIUM!

[PLCwannabe]

That is exactly what they told me. No support for third-party devices and none planned. $300 USD for a 1-year subscription for each controller. There must be a lot of money in the irrigation business.
    That being the case, can anybody recommend a device capable of triggering an output whenever an email is received? No need to process the email, it just needs to trigger whenever an email is received.

[franji1]

Outlook has scripting capabilities.  Very powerful actually.

You could easily run a program that sends a Modbus Write from Outlook on an event that received an email from address "proprietary_device@acme.com" with subject line "Alarm" (fill in the blank for both address and subject line).  However, you would have to make sure that the PC running Outlook is always On, always running Outlook.

[Bolt]

Here was a post a while back that wanted to do a similar thing.  I guess you could technically setup a cloud webhook triggered via email/SMS to post to an MQTT topic that is subscribed to by the BRX.  https://forum.hosteng.com/index.php?topic=3308