Otodata RC1010 propane tank transponder support

[mhaberler]

I'm asking for help on adding a decoder for the Otodata propane tank BLE transponders
see https://www.otodatatankmonitors.com/our-monitors (bottom right), they look like so:

They work together with Rotarex capacitve tank probes
The FCC report shows the intestines - likely a Nordic nrf2 device : https://fcc.report/FCC-ID/2ADQFC008TR900

while they also export a GATT profile, the relevant data can be decoded from advertising broadcasts alone - unfortunately the ad format is not documented but can partially be guessed, see below

The device sends ads every second or so

When scanned, the device cycles through three different scan responses, where the device name shows the tank level and sensor health - this has been used to integrate into Home Assistant

However, active scan is not necessary to get at the relevant data:

I have decoded the tank level and sensor status with this fragment

device model and serial number can be extracted with this code

Find a pcap with advertisements of a transponder connected to a probe and properly reporting here.

A transponder which is disconnected reports differently

@DigiH suggested I add some OMG logs with "pubadvdata":true, here they are

N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/CC68BE331158 msg {"id":"CC:68:BE:33:11:58","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"RC1010 56001530","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c4502008813000437870f000000","rssi":-51}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/EB7E5809DC7F msg {"id":"EB:7E:58:09:DC:7F","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"unit sleeping","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c4502008813000437830f000000","rssi":-55}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/F8EECC42AF8D msg {"id":"F8:EE:CC:42:AF:8D","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"RC1010 56001608","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c45020010270000366e0f000000","rssi":-60}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/D82CC3C65D32 msg {"id":"D8:2C:C3:C6:5D:32","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c45020010270000376c0f000000","rssi":-55}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/EB7E5809DC7F msg {"id":"EB:7E:58:09:DC:7F","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"trbl:URD (50.0)","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c4502008813000437830f000000","rssi":-48}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/D82CC3C65D32 msg {"id":"D8:2C:C3:C6:5D:32","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"unit sleeping","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c45020010270000376c0f000000","rssi":-71}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/F8EECC42AF8D msg {"id":"F8:EE:CC:42:AF:8D","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"level: 100.0 % vertical","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f3332383148845603132111010400022af20304","rssi":-62}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/CC68BE331158 msg {"id":"CC:68:BE:33:11:58","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"RC1010 56001530","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c4502008813000437870f000000","rssi":-58}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/F8EECC42AF8D msg {"id":"F8:EE:CC:42:AF:8D","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"RC1010 56001608","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c45020010270000366e0f000000","rssi":-55}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/EB7E5809DC7F msg {"id":"EB:7E:58:09:DC:7F","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"trbl:URD (50.0)","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c4502008813000437830f000000","rssi":-46}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/F8EECC42AF8D msg {"id":"F8:EE:CC:42:AF:8D","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"level: 100.0 % vertical","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f3332383148845603132111010400022af20304","rssi":-55}N: Device detected: F8:95:D1:79:44:21
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/D82CC3C65D32 msg {"id":"D8:2C:C3:C6:5D:32","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"level: 100.0 % vertical","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c45020010270000376c0f000000","rssi":-68}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/CC68BE331158 msg {"id":"CC:68:BE:33:11:58","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"unit sleeping","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c4502008813000437870f000000","rssi":-40}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/EB7E5809DC7F msg {"id":"EB:7E:58:09:DC:7F","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"unit sleeping","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f3332383144845603132111010400022af20304","rssi":-51}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/CC68BE331158 msg {"id":"CC:68:BE:33:11:58","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"unit sleeping","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c4502008813000437870f000000","rssi":-42}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/EB7E5809DC7F msg {"id":"EB:7E:58:09:DC:7F","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"RC1010 56001604","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c4502008813000437830f000000","rssi":-45}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/F8EECC42AF8D msg {"id":"F8:EE:CC:42:AF:8D","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"RC1010 56001608","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f3332383148845603132111010400022af20304","rssi":-55}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/D82CC3C65D32 msg {"id":"D8:2C:C3:C6:5D:32","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"RC1010 56001535","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c45020010270000366d0f000000","rssi":-69}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/F8EECC42AF8D msg {"id":"F8:EE:CC:42:AF:8D","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"level: 100.0 % vertical","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c45020010270000366e0f000000","rssi":-61}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/CC68BE331158 msg {"id":"CC:68:BE:33:11:58","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"trbl:URD (50.0)","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c4502008813000437870f000000","rssi":-49}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/EB7E5809DC7F msg {"id":"EB:7E:58:09:DC:7F","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"unit sleeping","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c4502008813000437820f000000","rssi":-60}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/EB7E5809DC7F msg {"id":"EB:7E:58:09:DC:7F","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"unit sleeping","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c4502008813000437820f000000","rssi":-45}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/CC68BE331158 msg {"id":"CC:68:BE:33:11:58","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"trbl:URD (50.0)","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c4502008813000437870f000000","rssi":-52}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/F8EECC42AF8D msg {"id":"F8:EE:CC:42:AF:8D","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"unit sleeping","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f3332383148845603132111010400022af20304","rssi":-63}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/D82CC3C65D32 msg {"id":"D8:2C:C3:C6:5D:32","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"level: 100.0 % vertical","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c45020010270000366d0f000000","rssi":-55}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/F8EECC42AF8D msg {"id":"F8:EE:CC:42:AF:8D","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"RC1010 56001608","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c45020010270000366e0f000000","rssi":-66}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/EB7E5809DC7F msg {"id":"EB:7E:58:09:DC:7F","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"trbl:URD (50.0)","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c4502008813000437820f000000","rssi":-52}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/CC68BE331158 msg {"id":"CC:68:BE:33:11:58","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"trbl:URD (50.0)","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c4502008813000437870f000000","rssi":-52}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/CC68BE331158 msg {"id":"CC:68:BE:33:11:58","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"RC1010 56001530","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c4502008813000437870f000000","rssi":-53}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/D82CC3C65D32 msg {"id":"D8:2C:C3:C6:5D:32","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"RC1010 56001535","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c45020010270000366d0f000000","rssi":-56}N: Device detected: F7:5D:20:07:C3:25
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/EB7E5809DC7F msg {"id":"EB:7E:58:09:DC:7F","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"trbl:URD (50.0)","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f3332383144845603132111010400022af20304","rssi":-54}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/F8EECC42AF8D msg {"id":"F8:EE:CC:42:AF:8D","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c45020010270000366e0f000000","rssi":-54}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/CC68BE331158 msg {"id":"CC:68:BE:33:11:58","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"RC1010 56001530","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c4502008813000437870f000000","rssi":-40}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/F8EECC42AF8D msg {"id":"F8:EE:CC:42:AF:8D","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f3332383148845603132111010400022af20304","rssi":-66}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/F8EECC42AF8D msg {"id":"F8:EE:CC:42:AF:8D","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"RC1010 56001608","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c45020010270000366e0f000000","rssi":-54}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/EB7E5809DC7F msg {"id":"EB:7E:58:09:DC:7F","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"trbl:URD (50.0)","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c4502008813000437820f000000","rssi":-45}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/CC68BE331158 msg {"id":"CC:68:BE:33:11:58","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"RC1010 56001530","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f33323831fa835603132111010400022af20304","rssi":-53}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/D82CC3C65D32 msg {"id":"D8:2C:C3:C6:5D:32","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"level: 100.0 % vertical","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c45020010270000366d0f000000","rssi":-63}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/CC68BE331158 msg {"id":"CC:68:BE:33:11:58","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"trbl:URD (50.0)","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c4502008813000437870f000000","rssi":-52}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/F8EECC42AF8D msg {"id":"F8:EE:CC:42:AF:8D","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"name":"level: 100.0 % vertical","manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f3332383148845603132111010400022af20304","rssi":-54}

I can reasonably decode that in C, but the theengs/decoder interpreter is beyond my paygrade - which is why I'm asking for help

thanks in advance

Michael

[DigiH]

Hi @mhaberler

N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/F8EECC42AF8D msg {"id":"F8:EE:CC:42:AF:8D","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f54454c45020010270000366e0f000000","rssi":-54}

{"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","cidc":false,"level":100,"status":0}

Does that look right to you?

and with the longer manufacturerdata, are the serial and model actually decimal conversions from the hex data, or could they be ascii from the hex?

N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/F8EECC42AF8D msg {"id":"F8:EE:CC:42:AF:8D","mac_type":1,"adv_type":0,"manufacturerdata":"b1034f544f3332383148845603132111010400022af20304","rssi":-66}

[DigiH]

E. g.
b1034f544f54454c45020033270000366e0f000000

{"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","cidc":false,"level":100.35,"status":0}

[DigiH]

And/or which unit does the status have?

[mhaberler]

nope, I would have to waste some propane to get a different reading from 100%, but in a week or so I should have that

re "vertical" - I have no idea how that is coded in the ad

re status / unit: all I can say is this uint16_t is probably a status code, and zero corresponds to "all fine"

so leaving as int is fine until we better understand this device

[DigiH]

nope, I would have to waste some propane to get a different reading from 100%, but in a week or so I should have that

As you see in the sample above, as soon as the hex converts to a float it will also be displayed with decimals then., just a absolute 100 does display as such, and not as 100.00

[DigiH]

@mhaberler

Have a look at the new Otodata RC1010 decoder and give it a test run with OpenMQTTGateway

https://github.com/DigiH/decoder/tree/otodata

[mhaberler]

gave it a spin - almost there!

N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/F8EECC42AF8D msg {"id":"F8:EE:CC:42:AF:8D","name":"RC1010 56001608","rssi":-54,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","level":100,"status":0}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/CC68BE331158 msg {"id":"CC:68:BE:33:11:58","name":"trbl:URD (50.0)","rssi":-45,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","level":50,"status":1024}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/F8EECC42AF8D msg {"id":"F8:EE:CC:42:AF:8D","name":"level: 100.0 % vertical","rssi":-62,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","level":100,"status":0}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/EB7E5809DC7F msg {"id":"EB:7E:58:09:DC:7F","name":"trbl:URD (50.0)","rssi":-51,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","level":50,"status":1024}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/D82CC3C65D32 msg {"id":"D8:2C:C3:C6:5D:32","rssi":-74,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","level":100,"status":0}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/F8EECC42AF8D msg {"id":"F8:EE:CC:42:AF:8D","name":"unit sleeping","rssi":-65,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","serial":5.600161e7,"modeltype":6.736746e7}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/EB7E5809DC7F msg {"id":"EB:7E:58:09:DC:7F","name":"trbl:URD (50.0)","rssi":-50,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","level":50,"status":1024}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/D82CC3C65D32 msg {"id":"D8:2C:C3:C6:5D:32","name":"unit sleeping","rssi":-56,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","level":100,"status":0}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/CC68BE331158 msg {"id":"CC:68:BE:33:11:58","name":"RC1010 56001530","rssi":-47,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","level":50,"status":1024}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/D82CC3C65D32 msg {"id":"D8:2C:C3:C6:5D:32","name":"level: 100.0 % vertical","rssi":-66,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","level":100,"status":0}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/F8EECC42AF8D msg {"id":"F8:EE:CC:42:AF:8D","name":"RC1010 56001608","rssi":-54,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","level":100,"status":0}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/EB7E5809DC7F msg {"id":"EB:7E:58:09:DC:7F","name":"RC1010 56001604","rssi":-54,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","level":50,"status":1024}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/CC68BE331158 msg {"id":"CC:68:BE:33:11:58","name":"RC1010 56001530","rssi":-48,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","level":50,"status":1024}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/EB7E5809DC7F msg {"id":"EB:7E:58:09:DC:7F","name":"trbl:URD (50.0)","rssi":-57,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","serial":5.60016e7,"modeltype":6.736746e7}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/F8EECC42AF8D msg {"id":"F8:EE:CC:42:AF:8D","name":"unit sleeping","rssi":-53,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","level":100,"status":0}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/D82CC3C65D32 msg {"id":"D8:2C:C3:C6:5D:32","name":"level: 100.0 % vertical","rssi":-62,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","level":100,"status":0}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/F8EECC42AF8D msg {"id":"F8:EE:CC:42:AF:8D","name":"level: 100.0 % vertical","rssi":-62,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","level":100,"status":0}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/CC68BE331158 msg {"id":"CC:68:BE:33:11:58","name":"unit sleeping","rssi":-47,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","serial":5.600153e7,"modeltype":6.736746e7}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/D82CC3C65D32 msg {"id":"D8:2C:C3:C6:5D:32","name":"RC1010 56001535","rssi":-63,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","level":100,"status":0}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/CC68BE331158 msg {"id":"CC:68:BE:33:11:58","name":"RC1010 56001530","rssi":-51,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","level":50,"status":1024}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/EB7E5809DC7F msg {"id":"EB:7E:58:09:DC:7F","name":"unit sleeping","rssi":-52,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","level":50,"status":1024}
N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/F8EECC42AF8D msg {"id":"F8:EE:CC:42:AF:8D","name":"level: 100.0 % vertical","rssi":-53,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","level":100,"status":0}

level, status are perfect!

minor nits:

N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/F8EECC42AF8D msg {"id":"F8:EE:CC:42:AF:8D","name":"RC1010 56001608","rssi":-54,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","level":100,"status":0}

do you need a mandatory model_id for some downstream processing reason? I understand there are several different models out there with at least similar protocol, for instance one RC6030

If optional, I'd derive it from this field only if present (24 byte ad)

serial and modeltype are misdecoded, those are ints - convert to strings?

N: Send on /BTtoMQTT/CC68BE331158 msg {"id":"CC:68:BE:33:11:58","name":"unit sleeping","rssi":-47,"brand":"Otodata","model":"Rotarex-compatible Monitor","model_id":"RC1010","type":"UNIQ","serial":5.600153e7,"modeltype":6.736746e7}

superb, thanks!

[DigiH]

do you need a mandatory model_id for some downstream processing reason? I understand there are several different models out there with at least similar protocol, for instance one RC6030

We always report a model_id, and yes, it could be something more generic, but only if the protocol of other models are exactly the same, not just 'at least similar'.

This would only be verifiable with other models' manufacturerdata.

If optional, I'd derive it from this field only if present (24 byte ad)

This would only be possible for the longer manufacturerdata serial/modeltype broadcasts, so not really an option for all the RC1010 messages.

serial and modeltype are misdecoded, those are ints - convert to strings?

as the actual encoding on the device itself is int -> hex, so is the decoding hex -> int.

If the on device encoding would have been ascii -> hex, then the resulting decoding would have also produced a hex -> ascii string. Like it is with the Oras Smart faucet decoder
https://github.com/theengs/decoder/blob/development/tests/BLE/test_ble.cpp#L157

So instead of having at add an odd int to string casting post_proc routine only for this single decoder, I would suggest any string casting to be done in the receiving project. That is if the actual type of these two static values actually matters, as any comparison or display should also be fine with the ints.

Do you think that the battery level might also be included in one or both manufacturerdata broadcasts, and is the battery type CR2032 correct?

[mhaberler]

fair enough, I can deal with that

battery: no, not a CR2032 or similar. The actual battery used can be seen in one of the photos in the FCC registration; the type doesnt ring a bell with me.

The whole device is sealed to for ignition source regulations, and the battery is not exchangeable; it is specified for 10 years lifetime and thereafter to be replaced.

actually I am pretty sure the battery status is hidden somewhere

short of slaughtering one of the units I do not see a way to detect the field

unfortunately there seems to be no app which can directly read the BLE ads; everything is geared towardws funneling traffic through their cellular gateway

There is an app called "NeeVo" from Otodata but that accesses their cloud service which is fed from the cellular gateway, so not really helpful for decoding.

[mhaberler]

as far as I'm concerned this is good for a merge