computer science

ThingSpeak

ThingSpeak is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand ThingSpeak rather than just read about it. In short: ThingSpeak is an open-source software written in Ruby which allows users to communicate with internet enabled devices. It facilitates data access, retrieval and logging of data by providing an API to both the devices and social network websites.

Key takeaways

ThingSpeak belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect ThingSpeak to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of ThingSpeak from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

ThingSpeak is an open-source software written in Ruby which allows users to communicate with internet enabled devices. It facilitates data access, retrieval and logging of data by providing an API to both the devices and social network websites. ThingSpeak was originally launched by ioBridge in 2010 as a service in support of IoT applications. ThingSpeak has integrated support from the numerical computing software MATLAB from MathWorks, allowing ThingSpeak users to analyze and visualize uploaded data using MATLAB without requiring the purchase of a MATLAB license from MathWorks. ThingSpeak has been the subject of articles in specialized "Maker" websites like Instructables, Codeproject, and Channel 9.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with ThingSpeak

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what ThingSpeak claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to ThingSpeak before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about ThingSpeak ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of ThingSpeak

In research: ThingSpeak appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses ThingSpeak in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: ThingSpeak is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Free and open-source software stubs, Free software programmed in Ruby, Internet of things, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for ThingSpeak outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study ThingSpeak in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what ThingSpeak means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain ThingSpeak out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is ThingSpeak in simple terms?

Why does ThingSpeak matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study ThingSpeak?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on ThingSpeak.