Problems with hs4

[docgreg]

I have used the Oministat 3 plugin for hs3 for a long time with no problems. Thanks for a great plugin.

But since upgrading to hs4, I seem to have constant issues with the plugin losing the thermostat configuration.
The thermostats are still present in the device list, but the plugin during startup reports 0 thermostats. I have deleted and re-created the thermostats, which works for a while, but on next boot, they are missing from the plugin once again (not in the thermostat list in the configuration, though the device persists in hs)

Any suggestions?
Any plans on a new release for hs4?

Thanks

[Kirby]

I used the plugin with the Beta versions of HS4 and didn't have any problems like you described. I have since upgraded to Ecobee thermostats and use the free HS4 plugin.

Sorry, the Omnistat 3 plugin is destined to die with HS3.

[twinch]

Kirby, any chance you will release the source? I don't think it would take much tweaking to make it compatible with HS4. Something stopped working in the last few versions that used to work in the Betas of HS4. I'm guessing it is to do with putting an object in PlugExtraData. Even a work around like adding the RefIDs to the INI file would be better than replacing a thermostat I'm happy with. Thanks for the years it worked for me anyway!

[Kirby]

I have no problem with releasing the source. There is actually quite a bit of code written in C# under Visual Studio.

Also, I would not be able to provide any support for the code. You would be on your own.

If you still want it knowing the above, let me know. I'll package it up in a zip.

[twinch]

I sent you a private message with my email address. I have written a couple of plugins and don't expect updating this for HS4 compatibility to be an issue.

[Kirby]

I have sent you the source. I hope that if you are successful updating the plugin that you will share it with others.

Good Luck!

Kirby

[twinch]

For anyone monitoring this issue, I found the problem and will be turning in a bug report. I do not believe the issue is with the plugin.

In the meantime, decide how important it is to you for your thermostat devices to work after a restart of HS4. If this comes ahead of having HS Touch you can go to Setup > Network and uncheck Enable HS Touch. You may still have to create a new thermostat device one time after this if the PED data was already changed by HS Touch. You won't know this until a restart of HS.

[Kirby]

Nice Work! Thanks for figuring this out. I knew the plugin would be in good hands.

The baton is officially passed.

Kirby

[twinch]

No love yet on the fix from HS. Judging by the release notes on 4.1.3.0 and the fact that HSCS-577 has not yet been addressed, I don't expect this one to have changed yet. I'm hoping it is slated for the next version. For now I'm leaving my HS Touch down.

[SteveMSJ]

No love yet on the fix from HS. Judging by the release notes on 4.1.3.0 and the fact that HSCS-577 has not yet been addressed, I don't expect this one to have changed yet. I'm hoping it is slated for the next version. For now I'm leaving my HS Touch down.

twinch
Out of interest can you elaborate more on the bug you identified?

I had an issue with one of my HS3 plug-ins which worked fine in HS4 alpha and most betas but at release stage users started reporting issues. It took a bit to pin down because it didn't appear to happen on all systems but it sounds similar to what you are reporting. In my case I was storing a collection and an array as part of the PED and the HS4 conversion to json storage was erasing the PED. I submitted a bug report to HST with lots of supporting data to show the issue but got zero response. HSCS-325 still 'Waiting for Support' after a month. Rather than waiting I changed the way I was storing the data in PED, which solved the issue for users who hadn't already upgraded to HS4.

The odd thing was that it didn't seem to happen on all systems which I couldn't explain but gave up investigating. My development windows and linux systems didn't show the issue but my production windows system did, as did other user's systems. Your reference to HSTouch has me intrigued.

Steve

[twinch]

Here are the bug report details...
HSCS-577 Thermostat root PED data is replaced by HSTouch
Details

27/Jul/20 7:55 AM Description and Steps to Reproduce:
When HSTouch is enabled I create a thermostat device with plugin OmniStat3. The device is Thermostat API/Thermostat Root Device with no sub-type. It does have a value set to 1 and a VsPair defined. It's relationship is the parent of several features. A named PED JSON String is assigned with key thermostat data rev 3. The plugin can be disabled/enabled with no issues, however shutting down HS and restarting will delete the PED and replace it with a named key "thermnumber1". The thermostat device is no longer usable due to the missing PED.

For testing I disabled ALL plugins, wrote the PED (see snippet below for method) and shutdown/restarted HS. With HSTouch disabled there is no change to the device. With HSTouch enabled the PED is overwritten just about the same time the Startup script is run. The script is standard. After examining the source, I do not believe the issue lies in the HS3 plugin. This issue did not exist in earlier beta versions. It began sometime just before 4.1.

jsonString = "{""AwayCoolSetpointRef"":1026,""VacationHeatSetpointRef"":1 0 31}"

[SteveMSJ]

Here are the bug report details...
HSCS-577 Thermostat root PED data is replaced by HSTouch
Details

27/Jul/20 7:55 AM Description and Steps to Reproduce:
When HSTouch is enabled I create a thermostat device with plugin OmniStat3. The device is Thermostat API/Thermostat Root Device with no sub-type. It does have a value set to 1 and a VsPair defined. It's relationship is the parent of several features. A named PED JSON String is assigned with key thermostat data rev 3. The plugin can be disabled/enabled with no issues, however shutting down HS and restarting will delete the PED and replace it with a named key "thermnumber1". The thermostat device is no longer usable due to the missing PED.

For testing I disabled ALL plugins, wrote the PED (see snippet below for method) and shutdown/restarted HS. With HSTouch disabled there is no change to the device. With HSTouch enabled the PED is overwritten just about the same time the Startup script is run. The script is standard. After examining the source, I do not believe the issue lies in the HS3 plugin. This issue did not exist in earlier beta versions. It began sometime just before 4.1.

jsonString = "{""AwayCoolSetpointRef"":1026,""VacationHeatSetpointRef"":1 0 31}"

Thanks for that information.
I suspect the issues are related in that my devices are also the root devices of thermostats. In my case virtual thermostats in which I store a lot of information in the PED of the root devices, including 7 day schedules and sensor and control references. The PED was being wiped at HS4 startup and I did notice that there was one named key added in the cleared PED that I didn't create, but I can't remember what it was now. In my case removing arrays from the data types stored in PEDs cured the issue with HS4. It's interesting what you found with HSTouch because the wiping of PED was only happening on mine, and users, production systems it wasn't happening on my development systems. I possibly had HSTouch turned off at the time on my development systems. That wasn't something I would have thought of looking at.

Steve

[Dave Haig]

I just started using the plugin as I moved my thermostat from HS2 to HS4 and everything looks to be working correctly.

My issue is if I want to make a big change in temperature, the fly out from the selector opens and closes so quickly I cannot make a selection.

Is there perhaps some way to increase the timing so I can get my cursor over the new setting in time before the fly out slams shut and prevents changes?

[twinch]

I just started using the plugin as I moved my thermostat from HS2 to HS4 and everything looks to be working correctly.

My issue is if I want to make a big change in temperature, the fly out from the selector opens and closes so quickly I cannot make a selection.

Is there perhaps some way to increase the timing so I can get my cursor over the new setting in time before the fly out slams shut and prevents changes?

I can confirm that in Devices, List View, the Cool Setpoint and Heat Setpoint selection list control can reset each time the thermostat is polled and these devices are updated. This closed the selection list as often as once each second. There may be a fix possible without rewriting the plugin as an HS4 plugin. I'm not aware of any HS4 bugs slated to fix this. I'll let everyone know if I find a fix.

[Dave Haig]

Thanks, the thermostat is in remote location I visit once a week, so I normally jump the A/C from 90 to 74, before I arrive and the reverse when I leave.

Doing so in 1 degree increments is a wee bit tedious, and there is quite a long delay in the response time of the up down buttons which is not helpful either.

For the most part, I thinks that plugin is very good and although there may be newer options I appreciate the work that went into it and determined to stick with it.