Adafruit IO Map Block Gets an Update – Multi-feed Support, Tooltips, Paths, and Click-to-Publish

The Map Block on Adafruit IO used to show where one sensor was on a map, and the a value it produced. What if you wanted to build a mobile weather station on a bicycle, or a robot with multiple sensors? Last week, the adafruit.io team has deployed a large update to the Map Block for Adafruit IO Dashboards that addresses feedback from users and gives it new features for your next IoT project.

Here’s what you need to know…

More Feeds per Map Block

Previously, the map block could only display the location and value for one Adafruit feed. The map block can now display up to 5 feeds per map block.

To differentiate between the feeds, we added a selectable color for the feed name and a custom map markers (with ten icons to pick from) for each feed. If you have a mobile project, like an Air Quality sensor mounted to a bicycle or drone, this helps visualize the path it took as well as the values at each location.

Pop-ups (with Feed History) for Each Data Point

We’ve also updated what happens when you click on a data point. Since Adafruit IO feeds can store data from sensors for up to 60 days, we needed a way to show not just the current reading and its metadata but the historical values. When you click on a data point, it’ll show the feeds associated with it, their current value, and a link to view the historical readings. When the location is on a tight range, we now combine data markers on data points to show all data points in the same popover.

Paths and Scaling

Sensors can be easily mounted to cars, quadcopters, or a robot. So, we’ve updated the map block to support IoT projects that are on the move. The map block can now display path lines. A new feature, follow feed, can automatically move the map to each new data point (you can toggle this off.

Finally, adding GPS data via our API endpoint is sometimes a bit difficult. We’ve also added the ability to publish data to any of the 5 feeds in the map with a custom value and location by clicking on the map

As always, if you have any suggestions or bugs to report about this new feature, please let us know in the forums.

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