Aida Commissioner

Aida Commissioner is a field web app for commissioning MHT INX nodes on a cable pull. It ties together a pull schedule, per-node configuration Excel workbooks, and LAN discovery over CoAP so technicians can assign serial numbers, verify connectivity, and push the right configuration — including Cluster IDs used later by Home Hub and Controller.

Overview

This product helps you:

1. Import a pull schedule (which cable/node should get which serial)
2. Import node configuration workbooks (resources and parameters per logical node name)
3. Discover nodes on the LAN by subnet or IP range
4. Match devices by serial and commission — update the schedule and push config over CoAP

:::note Commissioning only Commissioner is for install-time workflow. Day-to-day lighting and voice control use Aida Home Hub (residential) or Aida Controller (commercial). :::

How it works

Piece	Role
Pull schedule	Source of truth for cable name, node name, and serial
Configuration workbook	Multi-sheet Excel; each sheet is a configuration area
Discover	ARP reachability + CoAP GET /inx/network for serials and IPs
Commission	Bind serial to schedule row and PUT INX configuration (including Cluster ID → keyw)

Prerequisites

• Ubuntu or Debian laptop or site host with sudo (installer can install Docker)
• Network access to MHT nodes (same subnet or routed path for ARP/CoAP)
• Pull schedule and configuration Excel files in the expected column layout
• Optional: phone or laptop camera for label scanning (requires HTTPS)

Installation

curl -fsSL https://aida-platform.com/commissioner/install.sh | sudo bash

Pin a release:

RELEASE_TAG=v1.2.0 curl -fsSL https://aida-platform.com/commissioner/install.sh | sudo bash

After install

Item	Default
Install directory	/opt/aida-commissioner
UI	https://<host-ip>:5000
Operator scripts	start.sh, stop.sh, uninstall.sh

Open the UI over HTTPS on the same Wi‑Fi as the nodes. Accept the self-signed certificate warning once. Camera-based label scanning requires a secure context — plain HTTP will not expose the phone camera.

:::tip Host network The container uses host networking and NET_RAW so ARP discovery and CoAP work like a native install. Do not use bridge-only Docker networking on commissioning laptops. :::

Inputs

Pull schedule (Excel)

Column	Description
Cable name	Cable identifier on the pull
Node name	Logical node name (must match configuration)
Node serial	Device serial (updated when commissioned)

Configuration (Excel)

Workbook with multiple worksheets, one per configuration area (building zone, panel type, or deployment profile). Each sheet defines how named nodes are configured on the devices.

Column	Description
Node name	Must match pull schedule / commissioning selection
Resource name	e.g. actuator1, input1, sensor1, WallSwitch
Configuration parameters	Resource-specific settings from your template
Cluster ID	Written to device keyw (aliases: cluster id, clusterid)

:::important Cluster ID The Cluster ID string becomes the cluster name used by Home Hub and Controller. Prefer clear names such as Kitchen or Lobby, and use them consistently. :::

Setup process

Step 1: Open Settings

1. Browse to https://<host-ip>:5000.
2. On Settings, set:
   • Server IP
   • Node CIDR subnet (used for discovery)
   • Configuration worksheet / area from the uploaded config workbook
3. Upload the pull schedule and configuration Excel files.
4. Save.

Step 2: Discover devices

On the Devices page:

1. Click Discover to scan the configured subnet (or a custom IP range).
2. The app ARP-probes addresses, then issues CoAP GET /inx/network on responsive hosts to read serial numbers.
3. Online status refreshes about every 10 seconds.

Per-device actions include Edit, Commission, and Delete. You can also clear serial/IP mappings when redoing a pull.

Step 3: Commission a node

On the Commissioning page:

1. Cable / node — select from the pull schedule, type the name, or capture a label image (OCR / 1D / 2D barcode).
2. Node serial — enter manually or scan the device serial label.
3. Press Commission to:
   • Update the pull schedule row with the serial
   • Discover the device by that serial
   • Apply configuration for the selected node name from the active configuration area
   • Reboot the node after config (trigger 1)

Step 4: Commission All (optional)

On Devices, use Commission All when many discovered nodes are ready for bulk apply according to the schedule and active config area.

Step 5: Hand off to Home Hub or Controller

After commissioning:

1. Confirm Cluster IDs in Excel match the rooms you want in voice or the controller.
2. Install Aida Home Hub (or pair devices into Aida Controller).
3. Register the same cluster names on the hub before Matter or Home Assistant pairing.

Pages reference

Page	Purpose
Settings	Network, config area, upload/download Excel
Devices	List node name, serial, IP; discover; commission; clear mappings
Commissioning	Primary cable/node + serial flow with optional camera capture

Discovery protocol (summary)

Step	Behavior
Reachability	ARP probe across node subnet or custom IP range
Identification	CoAP GET /inx/network
Serial	CBOR payload at e.serialnum
Live status	Periodic GET /inx/network on Devices (~10 s)

Upgrades

Edit RELEASE_TAG in /opt/aida-commissioner/.env, then:

sudo /opt/aida-commissioner/start.sh

Or re-run install.sh (idempotent).

Troubleshooting

Symptom	What to check
Discover finds nothing	Correct Node CIDR; host on LAN; Docker host network + NET_RAW; nodes powered
Commission fails	Serial matches device; node name exists in active config sheet; CoAP path to device
Camera / scan unavailable	Use https:// (not http); accept cert; phone on same Wi‑Fi
Home Hub ignores room	Cluster ID in Excel must match hub cluster name exactly

Related documentation

• Aida Home overview — how Commissioner and Home Hub fit together
• Aida Home Hub — voice and Home Assistant after commissioning
• Aida Controller — commercial building alternative

Support

For support, contact your system administrator or MHT Technologies.