Mercurio 2.1 - aka "Poor Man's SMS Gateway"

After last week's update I realized that Mercurio's dependency on UltraSMS was unnecessary. Originally, Mercurio used UltraSMS to send and the mercurio.py script to receive. UltraSMS can send and receive, but it has issues with certain characters when receiving, so I recommend it only for sending. Additionally, UltraSMS hasn't been updated in quite a while. In Mercurio 2.1, a ruby script I wrote replaces UltraSMS for sending. So basically, Mercurio now uses mercurio.py to receive and Mercurio Web - via this new ruby script to communicate via bluetooth - it's possible to use a wire too - to send. 

 

Past: 

Mercurio Web -> UltraSMS -> SonyEricsson phone -> send 

Present: 

Mercurio Web with new ruby script -> S60 Nokia phone (perhaps the same phone running mercurio.py) -> send 

The way this works is by embedding a script into Mercurio Web - in the /lib directory - that opens a bluetooth connection to the phone and sends it commands to send any messages that come via the web interface - check mercurio2.heroku.com/outboxes for an example of the UI. The outgoing messages get automatically saved in the database, but not in the phone. You may want to check the outboxes_controller.rb file to see how SendSMS.rb is used. 

If you want to try the new functionality with your computer, you'll need to have your paired phone set up with a serial interface via System Preferences -> Bluetooth -> Your phone -> Edit Serial ports. Take a look at the SendSMS.rb file to see my settings or you can read this other post I wrote in Nokia's Nseries Workshop on how to do just that. 

Changes in Mercurio 2.1: 

Tosses UltraSMS - uses the new SendSMS functionality with ruby-serialport. 

No need for a Sony Ericsson phone, the same S60 phone used with Mercurio S60 can also send. 

Uses SQLite as the database repository - you can use MySQL if you like. 

Runs equally on Macs and Linux. Supersedes Mercurio 2.0. Small UI changes. 

Download from here or my Nokia MOSH collection.

Comments

[bonniesandy@demarketplace.com]

Ok Jose now for us ordinary folks - bonnie

[margo]

Hi

Great Blog. Really great information. I liked it.

Probably will add your blog in my checklist.

Regards
Margo Selvan
Bangalore, India
http://margoneem.wordpress.com

[rakesh]

Actully i am interested in something similar.

Actully i have created local SMS communities FREE of COST for people to communicate in groups.

But corrently i am using a computer running my sms gateway software and connected Mobile phones as GSM modems.

-----------

The solution now i want is something like mercurio.

Actully i want to use NOKIA 6600 running a daemon which recieves SMS and call a php script on my website posting the data of SMS via GPRS.

The part above is same as you have done.

But, for sending SMS, i also want to use the 6600. In other words, the computer part should be completely eliminated as running it 24 hours ON is a problem.

So i have developed a picture in my mind as a script on phone POLLING the web .php url every 1 minute and check for any message to send if any.

And if messages exist in outbox table of website, they are queued into the outbox of Handset.

Also you know, 1 alone handset cant deliver 4-5000 SMS per day. and also National SMS cost more.

So i am planning to put different Handsets of NOKIA 6600 in different states having LOCAL SMS PLAN activated on them, to cut the costs.

Each Handset will have its channel id like 1001, 1002 etc. and it will poll like myweb.com/poll?id=1001. so that my script can do load balancing.

Please reply as soon as possible and email me on malhanrakesh@gmail.com.

For any queries and my ideas, ask me.

Thanks and regards
Rakesh