Ikea Blinds - I'm so flipping now :)

[zguy]

Got the 1st one this week, as a trial, just finished installing it and added to the Raspbee II bridge. About 3 hours altogether. Had to retry the bridge pairing a couple of times but as soon as I could see it in deCONZ, a scan in the plugin picked it up.

Everything works as expected. I'm just flipping LOL! I have searched for a reasonable cost solution to this for years and compared to anything else available, these blinds are dirt cheap. Yet, with the amount of windows I have, it will cost a bundle, but it will be well worth.

I hate working with deCONZ/Phoscon, they really are a PITA. But once you get your device on board the Raspbee, the JowiHue plugin usually shines. Kudos to @w.vuyk!

[Rupp]

Which exact blinds did you install?

[zguy]

Which exact blinds did you install?

Fyrtur.

[w.vuyk]

Guy,

Great to hear they are working for you now. I like them a lot too.

[zguy]

w.vuyk I just noticed the little remote control doesn't work anymore. It did before I added the blind to deCONZ.

Is this normal/expected? Do I need to add the remote to deCONZ too?

What about the IKEA Tradfri repeater? Do I actually need it?

I'm guessing both got unpaired when I paired the blind to deCONZ.

[w.vuyk]

Guy,

Yes, the blinds come with the remote configured to control the blinds directly. Once paired to deCONZ the remote is no longer directly connected (one controller only in Zigbee). So you would need to pair the remote to deCONZ as well and then use events to respond to the remote. I have never joined the remote yet here as the blinds here respond to light level (blocking sun in the house) or to time of day.
You do not need the repeater, but it can come in handy to use somewhere in the house where signals might be low for Zigbee. I have one in the attick here.

Wim

[zguy]

Guy,

Yes, the blinds come with the remote configured to control the blinds directly. Once paired to deCONZ the remote is no longer directly connected (one controller only in Zigbee). So you would need to pair the remote to deCONZ as well and then use events to respond to the remote. I have never joined the remote yet here as the blinds here respond to light level (blocking sun in the house) or to time of day.
You do not need the repeater, but it can come in handy to use somewhere in the house where signals might be low for Zigbee. I have one in the attick here.

Wim

All noted, thanks for the info. I'll try to pair the remote to deCONZ and report.

In the mean time, I've got a bunch of questions for you and will start new threads for those questions.

[zguy]

Guy,

Yes, the blinds come with the remote configured to control the blinds directly. Once paired to deCONZ the remote is no longer directly connected (one controller only in Zigbee). So you would need to pair the remote to deCONZ as well and then use events to respond to the remote. I have never joined the remote yet here as the blinds here respond to light level (blocking sun in the house) or to time of day.
You do not need the repeater, but it can come in handy to use somewhere in the house where signals might be low for Zigbee. I have one in the attick here.

Wim

I managed to add the remote to deCONZ:


Alas, a scan, or even a restart of the plugin doesn't add to the device to HS.

[mulu]

Your blinds probably work different but form mine, which use a z-wave Somfy motor, I first reset the blind and remote, then I pair the blind with HS and then I pair the remote with HS and the blind, if I recall correctly (it's a couple years ago when I did this). The remote shows up in HS which only is useful to check the battery which I don't even currently do. The remote then also controls the blink independently from HS but frankly I pretty much never use the remote.

[w.vuyk]

zguy

I will try to add the remote here as well, that should put me on track for this one.

mulu

In Zwave devices accept secondary controllers, which is a good thing as you can add a remote for direct control. Zigbee devices is different from that as devices accepts only one controller, in Guy's case the Raspbee or Conbee. So the only way is to pair the remote to the same controller to catch the actions from the remote and forward it to the blinds.

[zguy]

Your blinds probably work different but form mine, which use a z-wave Somfy motor, I first reset the blind and remote, then I pair the blind with HS and then I pair the remote with HS and the blind, if I recall correctly (it's a couple years ago when I did this). The remote shows up in HS which only is useful to check the battery which I don't even currently do. The remote then also controls the blink independently from HS but frankly I pretty much never use the remote.

As Wim mentioned, z-wave and zigbee controllers behave differently. And since the zigbee protocol is not native to HS, zigbee devices can not be added directly to HS, be it from the primary controller or a secondary one.

[zguy]

zguy

I will try to add the remote here as well, that should put me on track for this one.

Thanks. Can't wait to see what you'll come up with.

[mulu]

zguy

I will try to add the remote here as well, that should put me on track for this one.

mulu

In Zwave devices accept secondary controllers, which is a good thing as you can add a remote for direct control. Zigbee devices is different from that as devices accepts only one controller, in Guy's case the Raspbee or Conbee. So the only way is to pair the remote to the same controller to catch the actions from the remote and forward it to the blinds.

Ah, I didn't realize they are Zigbee. Plus I didn't know (or more likely forgot as it's many years ago that I compared protocols) that Zigbee is limited in this way. Thanks for pointing this out.

[stefxx]

I am using those blinds with Tasmota (Sonoff Zigbee Bridge) but for the remote to work you just have to place the in the same "group".

See here: https://tasmota.github.io/docs/Zigbee/ and search for "Example: IKEA remote and IKEA Light". This works for my Fyrtur and remote as well and allows me to continue to use the supplied remote as well as MQTT.

[zguy]

I am using those blinds with Tasmota (Sonoff Zigbee Bridge) but for the remote to work you just have to place the in the same "group".

See here: https://tasmota.github.io/docs/Zigbee/ and search for "Example: IKEA remote and IKEA Light". This works for my Fyrtur and remote as well and allows me to continue to use the supplied remote as well as MQTT.

I have no knowledge of that bridge. But, typically, you'd need to pair the remote to the bridge before you could add it to a group. And in this case, it's the pairing of the remote that is not working.