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    Originally posted by jheavner View Post
    I came to HS just to see if I could post scene data from HS-specific switches to Home Assistant. I've installed both your plugin and the other MQTT plugin. For whatever reason, this plugin will not connect to my broker. I've tried putting both my IP and mqtt://IP in the box. Any ideas? I'm not using a cert, I'm running on port 1883 and I don't have a user/pass configured. Connecting should be the easiest thing in the world.
    I have my install connecting to mosquitto running on my Home Assistant installation.

    Are you using a Hassbian install with mosquitto or Hass.io with native mqtt broker or with the mosquitto hass.io plugin?

    Comment


      I have no involvement with hass. My broker is mosquitto running Debian on Odroid or RPi.
      I use m2mqtt.net.dll within the plugin to handle the mqtt protocol.

      The connection resolves to an IP address either explicitly or via dns using the network name.

      Comment


        Originally posted by jheavner View Post
        I came to HS just to see if I could post scene data from HS-specific switches to Home Assistant. I've installed both your plugin and the other MQTT plugin. For whatever reason, this plugin will not connect to my broker. I've tried putting both my IP and mqtt://IP in the box. Any ideas? I'm not using a cert, I'm running on port 1883 and I don't have a user/pass configured. Connecting should be the easiest thing in the world.
        You can't use both plugins at the same time, if I may point out. Different brokers? Maybe but I have not tested that yet! ===> Choose one!


        Eman.
        TinkerLand : Life's Choices,"No One Size Fits All"

        Comment


          Initial testing here is with two Node Red brokers doing Mosquitto 1-wire stuff and initially I did see the two brokers talking to the plugin.

          Next here configuring a broker via Mosquitto standard install and python adds for a small OpenWRT configuration. IE: broker #3.
          - Pete

          Auto mator
          Homeseer 3 Pro - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e 64 bit Intel Haswell CPU 16Gb
          Homeseer Zee2 (Lite) - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e - CherryTrail x5-Z8350 BeeLink 4Gb BT3 Pro
          HS4 Lite - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenovo Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram

          HS4 Pro - V4.1.18.1 - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenova Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram
          HSTouch on Intel tabletop tablets (Jogglers) - Asus AIO - Windows 11

          X10, UPB, Zigbee, ZWave and Wifi MQTT automation-Tasmota-Espurna. OmniPro 2, Russound zoned audio, Alexa, Cheaper RFID, W800 and Home Assistant

          Comment


            Originally posted by Pete View Post
            Initial testing here is with two Node Red brokers doing Mosquitto 1-wire stuff and initially I did see the two brokers talking to the plugin.

            Next here configuring a broker via Mosquitto standard install and python adds for a small OpenWRT configuration. IE: broker #3.

            With Node-RED a lot more stuff is doable but overlooked.

            The 2 MQTT plugins in HomeSeer can't connect to the same Broker at the same time.


            Eman.
            TinkerLand : Life's Choices,"No One Size Fits All"

            Comment


              Originally posted by Michael McSharry View Post
              I see in the debug txt file that the thread to start the broker connection was spawned
              5/6/2018 4:59:05 PM 459 | Spawning MQTT Threads

              If this .txt file corresponds with the .ini then debug should be enabled and in that case the first thing that happens in the spawned thread is is output to the log\
              "MQTT Thread Started with broker "

              It looks like the thread never was actually started. Did you look in HS Log page for anything about mcsMQTT?

              Your broker setting should not have the protocol "mqtt://" prefix. All other settings look reasonable.
              I'll remove the mqtt://. That was me trying different things. I've attached the log from HS but spoiler alert, it's full of "mcsMQTT - HandleAction Line 0 Object reference not set to an instance of an object."

              Someone else mentioned I can't run two MQTT brokers at once. Why not? I understand I might duplicate messages and it might be a terrible idea.

              Comment


                Originally posted by jeubanks View Post
                I have my install connecting to mosquitto running on my Home Assistant installation.

                Are you using a Hassbian install with mosquitto or Hass.io with native mqtt broker or with the mosquitto hass.io plugin?
                Hass.io with the plugin. Frankly, I would have been happier using z-wave in HA but I've been fighting central scene issues and I thought if I could take advantage of HS while it's on sale I could use it as a simple MQTT publisher for zwave, let HA handle most other things, and then let node-red be the brains behind all of it.

                Comment


                  The 2 MQTT plugins in HomeSeer can't connect to the same Broker at the same time.


                  Yes here only using the mcsMQTT plugin and nothing else. I recall reading about the other Homeseer mosquitto plugins but never did try them.

                  On a separate endeavor redoing all of my weather stuff outside combining the Davis Weather station and 1-Wire stuff and 1-wire digital guage and old 1-wire Dallas tipping bucket and a variety of other sensors. (Plus the NOAA direct downloads and NOAA weather radio stuff using the RPI).

                  Here relating to weather migrating my stuff from the Cumulus / serial (modded buffer cable from Australia) which is plugged in to the weather console to an autonomous Davis receiver on a stick and changing software to WeeWx to include more sensors then eventually taking it to Mosquitto.
                  - Pete

                  Auto mator
                  Homeseer 3 Pro - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e 64 bit Intel Haswell CPU 16Gb
                  Homeseer Zee2 (Lite) - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e - CherryTrail x5-Z8350 BeeLink 4Gb BT3 Pro
                  HS4 Lite - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenovo Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram

                  HS4 Pro - V4.1.18.1 - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenova Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram
                  HSTouch on Intel tabletop tablets (Jogglers) - Asus AIO - Windows 11

                  X10, UPB, Zigbee, ZWave and Wifi MQTT automation-Tasmota-Espurna. OmniPro 2, Russound zoned audio, Alexa, Cheaper RFID, W800 and Home Assistant

                  Comment


                    Ok, I actually had to disable both plugins and then re-enable mcsMQTT before it would connect but I am now connected!

                    I've looked at the documentation but are there some examples or walk-thrus somewhere on setting this thing up? My needs are super simple, I want to publish changes from HS light switches and then subscribe to changes sent back through MQTT (and obviously I want the lights to reflect what comes back through the subscribe). I'm going to play with it but if someone can jump start me I'd appreciate it.

                    Comment


                      Good news Jay!!!

                      There is a help file PDF which you can look at in the /HomeSeer/docs directory called mcsMQTT.pdf.

                      There are currently no links to it in the mcsMQTT tabs that I can see.

                      It is being updated with each version of the plugin update.

                      Attached is current help pdf file. Note that this will probably change with next plugin revision.

                      Many authors put a link in the configuration tabs for their plugins and some put the link in the general Homeseer Help file.

                      Personally and a request it would be nice to have it under Homeseer Help and under Help

                      Resources for Installed Plug-Ins and Scripts

                      [ATTACH]68642[/ATTACH]

                      Another way is just a tab under the plugin configuration stuff.

                      [ATTACH]68643[/ATTACH]

                      I could not upload the PDF file so I put it on Microsoft Drive over here:

                      mcsMQTT help file
                      - Pete

                      Auto mator
                      Homeseer 3 Pro - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e 64 bit Intel Haswell CPU 16Gb
                      Homeseer Zee2 (Lite) - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e - CherryTrail x5-Z8350 BeeLink 4Gb BT3 Pro
                      HS4 Lite - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenovo Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram

                      HS4 Pro - V4.1.18.1 - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenova Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram
                      HSTouch on Intel tabletop tablets (Jogglers) - Asus AIO - Windows 11

                      X10, UPB, Zigbee, ZWave and Wifi MQTT automation-Tasmota-Espurna. OmniPro 2, Russound zoned audio, Alexa, Cheaper RFID, W800 and Home Assistant

                      Comment


                        Originally posted by Pete View Post
                        Good news Jay!!!

                        There is a help file PDF which you can look at in the /HomeSeer/docs directory called mcsMQTT.pdf.
                        Thanks Pete. Yeah, I had found that document when I first installed. It's 75 pages long. That's about 70 pages more than my ADD is going to get through. I would generally rather learn by doing than RTFM. I was hoping for a couple "getting started" tutorials with increasing complexity. I have to confess that I'm really struggling with both the design of HS as well as the usage paradigm. The tool appears highly functional, just not intuitive or easy to use.

                        Comment


                          Originally posted by jheavner View Post
                          Thanks Pete. Yeah, I had found that document when I first installed. It's 75 pages long. That's about 70 pages more than my ADD is going to get through. I would generally rather learn by doing than RTFM. I was hoping for a couple "getting started" tutorials with increasing complexity. I have to confess that I'm really struggling with both the design of HS as well as the usage paradigm. The tool appears highly functional, just not intuitive or easy to use.

                          Hello jheavner,

                          Please take small steps before you leap to the tenth step.

                          1: Slowly go back at the start of the thread going through all the posts you started before it gets too big / long.

                          2: There are 2 MQTT plugins for HomeSeer ====> mcsMQTT being the better one at first hardest to grasp and MQTT Plugin being the simple to learn but in most cases you have to create your own devices. You don't have to uninstall mcsMQTT but disable it for now. Once you learnt how MQTT works in HomeSeer ===> There is a thread about the MQTT Plugin on the main discussion forum and start from there.

                          3: Once you have grasped how things work and found some time to read the mcsMQTT manual you will surely start to see that it's the better plugin! It automatically scrambles the entire HomeSeer system to turn it ready to connect the dots and create the most MQTT enabled machine ( Read the Manual)

                          4: Node-RED can also connect and .............etc




                          Eman
                          Last edited by Eman; May 8, 2018, 12:36 PM.
                          TinkerLand : Life's Choices,"No One Size Fits All"

                          Comment


                            Originally posted by Eman View Post
                            Hello jheavner,

                            Please take small steps before leap to the tenth step.

                            1: Slowly go back at the start of the thread going through all the post before it gets too big.

                            2: There 2 MQTT plugins for HomeSeer ====> mcsMQTT being the better one at first hardest to grasp and MQTT Plugin being simple to learn but in most cases you have to create your own devices. You don't have to uninstall mcsMQTT but disable it for now. Once you learnt how MQTT works in HomeSeer ===> There a thread about the MQTT Plugin on the main discussion forum and at or start from there.

                            3: Once you grasped how things work and found some time to read the mcsMQTT manual you will surely start to see that it's the better plugin! It automatically scrambles the entire HomeSeer system to turn it ready to connect the dots and create most MQTT enabled machine ( Read the Manual)

                            4: Node-RED can also connect and .............etc




                            Eman
                            No offense, but you are suggesting I do exactly what I don't want to do. I don't want to read about the trials and tribulations of Lewis & Clark before I visit California; I just want to visit California. I understand that history and context are useful to some people but I'm not one of those people. Different people learn in different ways. I'm aware of the other plugin and I'm decently handy with MQTT and node-red already.

                            Comment


                              Section 4 of the manual is intended to provide simple guidance to get started with mcsMQTT. Other sections are more for reference after the basic operation is understood. The Q&A part of it is geared to specific needs so don't need to read every one, but find the question associated with what you are trying to do and that answer should give you the guidance you need.

                              Different people come from different orientations with different levels of experience so no single set of words will get everybody from point A to point B.

                              Comment


                                Originally posted by Michael McSharry View Post
                                Section 4 of the manual is intended to provide simple guidance to get started with mcsMQTT. Other sections are more for reference after the basic operation is understood. The Q&A part of it is geared to specific needs so don't need to read every one, but find the question associated with what you are trying to do and that answer should give you the guidance you need.

                                Different people come from different orientations with different levels of experience so no single set of words will get everybody from point A to point B.
                                Thanks Michael. One question I do have which I hope you can answer. Once I have your plugin setup and I've got both my subscription and publication messages right where I want them can I easily control zwave devices? I'm looking at pages 29-30 of your document and I can't tell. I don't know what either CAPI or non-plugin device means.

                                Basically, if a subscriber receives /hs/dining room lights/on (And I can change the topic to whatever it needs) can HS parse that topic and take the action on the device? I totally get it if I have to create events to chain control, although, thinking about it, I'd rather have my logic in my broker and if I need three events to fire then I'd rather capture 3 topics like this and have something clever parse topics in command or events or whatever they're called.

                                /hs/garage door/close
                                /hs/back door/unlock
                                /hs/kitchen lights/on

                                By any chance have you considered putting "seen" topics into another tab and not auto-populating the associations tab? I have a nasty habit of sending garbage to test and then that garbage collects in the association tab and I have to stare at it. I get the filtering and sorting and the reject checkbox but it's still going to end up with a lot of noise. I guess a search would also be handy. I'm already finding myself next-ing through hundreds of records 20 at a time. I'm worried the T2 and T3 drop-down filters could get ungainly pretty quickly.

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