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    HS Integration with Venstar T7900

    Hello, I am about to purchase a Venstar T7900 thermostat, which I want to integrate with HS (both monitor and control). I am running HS3 on a Hometroller SEL.

    I am woefully ignorant in this area. From what I read, I get the impression that some thermostats are easier to integrate than others. I like the T7900 because they publish their API specification for a Wi-Fi link to a home automation system. The installation and user manual is here, and the API spec is here. They offer a cloud-based configuration, but they say that local access is also feasible.

    I'm looking for the easiest, most reliable interface to an HS3 plug-in. I am already running Big5 and mcsMQTT, which may or may not be helpful. I'd be willing to consider any recommended plug-in. I like MQTT. I am adverse to any solution that would require flashing new code to the thermostat itself.

    TIA for any help you can offer.

    -Eric


    #2
    You can integrate it with the URL capability of mcsMQTT. I am not inclined to provide a customized interface because this product does not seem to have a wide HS userbase. I do not think you can do it easily with Big5 based upon risqures statement that Big5/6 does not support the querystring parameters on POST requests that appear to be used by this thermostat.

    The question becomes what is attractive about this thermostat vs. others that have specialized plugins to interact with them?

    Comment


      #3
      The question becomes what is attractive about this thermostat vs. others that have specialized plugins to interact with them?
      I haven't purchased yet; perhaps I was hasty.

      My one firm requirement is that the thermostat must be compatible with my heat pump. My research in this area suggests that there is nothing particularly unusual about my heat pump interface.

      So, I have an open mind. Do you have any specific recommendations?

      [Edit: Pete seems to like it, and I noticed that there is a Docker container venstar2mqtt that is supposed to make integration with HomeAutomation trivially simple. As I said, I know very little about this stuff; but I assumed that if a package can make Venstar talk nicely to HA, then perhaps it might be easy to make Venstar talk to HS(?)]

      Comment


        #4
        The API is pretty simple that could easily be handled with the URL capability of mcsMQTT. If I was doing it myself I would go this route rather than adding a middleware venstar2mqtt for simplicity.

        When I did the Daikin and Intesis thermostats in mcsMQTT I included specialized logic for validation of ranges and forming the full required payload from the individual HS devices. This equivalent capability may (or may not) exist in venstar2mqtt.

        For purpose of comparision, the specialized logic would allow a user to change a HS device heat setpoint and the properly formatted message to the venstar would be delivered. Without it, then a user UI would remain the same with a heat setpoint device, but an event would also be setup so that when the setpoint is changed it would have an event action that sends the command to the venstar.

        Comment


          #5
          I believe most multistage thermostats today can handle heat pumps.

          Comment


            #6
            Michael McSharry ,

            If there's one skill I've been sharpening lately, it's my ability to confuse myself.

            The question becomes what is attractive about this thermostat vs. others that have specialized plugins to interact with them?
            As I said in the OP, I'm looking for a simple solution to a common problem: (1) buy a new thermostat, (2) connect it to HS. In your post #2, you mentioned that you weren't interested in the Venstar thermostat because other more popular ones were available. In your post #4:

            When I did the Daikin and Intesis thermostats in mcsMQTT ...
            Aha! If I get a Daikin, then mcsMQTT support will be there, ready to go. In section 11.2 of your mcsMQTT document, you describe the Daikin interface facility. I couldn't find any references to specific model numbers, so -- ever the optimist -- I assumed that your plug-in would work with any Daikin that embedded Wi-Fi.

            I found a Daikin model DT4272 on the Daikin site that looked pretty good. Though the Venstar T7900 is available on Amazon, the DT4272 apparently is not.

            Anyway, I decided to scan the DT4272 manual to see if was really a good choice. And I discovered ...

            Except for a few words on the title page, the DT4273 manual is identical to the Venstar T7900 manual! (The difference between a DT4272 and A DT4273 is that the latter supprts humidity monitoring and control, while the former does not.)

            So here are my new questions:

            Does mcsMQTT, as described in section 11.2 of the manual, support the Daikin model DT4272 or DT4273? If yes, then I must conclude that you already support the Venstar T7900, since it's obviously the same product.

            But if you don't presently support models DT4272 / DT4273, then exactly which Daikin thermostat models do you support in your existing plug-in?

            Comment


              #7
              I do not think I am helping with my feedback. Daikin units that have been integrated are the mini-splits. Where there is similarity in the API, they are not the same. Your observation is that it may not be much of a change needed. Even if without customized integration, it is not that much effort to use the URL capability of mcsMQTT. It has a documented API which means it is designed for integration. Next week I will be in AZ and will have much leisure time. I could have Amazon deliver it to me so I can work with it and then send it to you when done. Alternately I can help you with using the mcsMQTT URL capability.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Michael McSharry View Post
                I do not think I am helping with my feedback. Daikin units that have been integrated are the mini-splits. Where there is similarity in the API, they are not the same. Your observation is that it may not be much of a change needed. Even if without customized integration, it is not that much effort to use the URL capability of mcsMQTT. It has a documented API which means it is designed for integration. Next week I will be in AZ and will have much leisure time. I could have Amazon deliver it to me so I can work with it and then send it to you when done. Alternately I can help you with using the mcsMQTT URL capability.
                Thanks for your response, Michael. I think I'll order one and see if I can figure out how to use the mcsMQTT URL capability. It's nice to know that, if I get stuck, you'll have my back.

                Comment


                  #9
                  sorry guys i been out of the loop for awhile. . and im sure the OP has probably long found a thermostat solution.. one of the reasons for Venstar support is they have a LOCAL API.. as opposed to simply a cloud based one.. this is important as my thermostats provide info to my Homeseer and HVAC systems .. with poewer outages becoming more common.. often my cable and backup ISP go down (yet the generator keeps the house going).. so having a NON cloud interface to the stats is paramount..

                  as many here know I hacked the china-protocol to my Grunaire (chigo) minisplits and built my own boards.. those boards talked to my HVAc control program running on an HS2 machine... 14 years later those units are starting to die (lightning and modern A/C dont get along).. the boards are no longer available.. so ive been switching to Fujitsu's latest release units (2020 release) so support has a long life ahead of them esp since they are ducted commercial units...

                  I talk to those with an Intesis device.. I have 2 intesis devices.. one is a standard WMP-1, talking a WMP-1 is stupid easy.. i had a script written in 15 minutes to talk to it and send the data to my HS2 HVAC program (I run a raspberry pi to handle many of my 1 wire sensors now since it seems like mcs1wire is going legacy)... the WMP-1 allow basic control of your Fujitsu units however there are no provisions in that device to see if the unit is actually operating or not.. (it will show turned on and will show its mode and setpoints.. but not if the unit is actually running or not..)

                  the other intesis device is a Modbus device.. and while modbus is a tougher protocol to talk to (ive been using it for a long time).. the Intesis Modbus device provides MUCH MORE control and data about your A/C units.. (after all it is a commercial device)...

                  the venstar thermostats offer a Local API as well as a cloud app (if you want to control them outside of Homeseer).. and their API is really not bad to talk to it.. you do have to have the ability for custom querystring which it looks like mcsMQTT does.. i wrote a curl script to talk to and control my T8900 in short time.. ill be going the route of mcsMQTT with it as it looks like I can send and receive from URL's.. so ill dig into it..

                  I dont like the "supported" thermostats in homeseer simply because the yare all cloud based.. so if I lose my internet then my Homeseer system and subsequently my HVAC control programs all lose the ability to talk to the thermostats.. the HVAC system goes into a failsafe heat-only ability at that point.. keeping it local means as long as my WAP's and switch are online and power is supplied i can control and run everything with normal abilities..

                  if there are HS supported thermostats with local API im all ears but I dont know of any..

                  ive been using Venstar stats in various places for years.. in fact I installed Venstar Surveyor systems in commercial buildings (like starbucks) at one time... the surveyor is a completely agile product in and of itself (it does power / lighting / etc monitoring and control.. as well as HVAC).

                  I stepped up this project a lot as my old 2004 RCS ZCV4 zone controller is starting to go defunct.. and of course its long Obsolete.. so im migrating away from it...

                  now if i could figure out how to make my old VB6 HVAC control program run on and talk to my HS4 I wouldnt have to rewrite that multi-1000s of lines of code.. but for now that program lives on the HS2 machine.. and ill have to run a connector as a migrate main home control to HS4 pro.

                  PerfecTemp - the Most advanced HVAC system I've ever Built - and its in my House

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Aprilaire 8810,8820,8830, and 8840 thermostat have a hs3 plugin that does not rely on anything cloud. I have been happy with mine but they are not super popular here.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      im playing with mcsMQTT.. I have it talking to the Venstar to receive data but just not yet able to control it.. havent figured out how to make mcsMQTT Post a url encoded payload.. im sure im doing something dumb
                      PerfecTemp - the Most advanced HVAC system I've ever Built - and its in my House

                      Comment


                        #12
                        as for the aprilaire's i had looked at them in the past but never could get any docs on their API so I passed them by.. thats great there is a HS plugin maybe ill look again but I still want the API spec so I can see whats going on.. im not one to be a "regular consumer" I like to know how things work.. assuming the 8840 doesnt heat the sensor up with the sacreen it might be an option... ive had issues with other thermostats where the LED screen drivers heat up the stat and I get frozen out of my own house either because the heat never comes on or the A/C never shuts off.. the Venstars support remote sensors (maybe the aprilaires do too).. its prob worth getting one to see what it will do.. it does have a really nice screen and all..
                        PerfecTemp - the Most advanced HVAC system I've ever Built - and its in my House

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by Michael McSharry View Post
                          I do not think you can do it easily with Big5 based upon risqures statement that Big5/6 does not support the querystring parameters on POST requests that appear to be used by this thermostat.
                          This is old information. Current version of Big6 does support parameters in HTTP POST. See paragraph 3. in the "what's new" section of Big6 online documentation here

                          http://big6.ivanv.com/whats-new/

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