HS3 - Real Time Device Monitoring from node.js - HomeKit Plugin Mod.

[jvm]

mwolter - I found a severe bug in the 2.3.0 development code that causes crashing after about 60 seconds. I've fixed it (hopefully). To continue using the development code with this fix, run
npm -g update


I will run this 2.3.0 test version on my home system for a day or two to make sure it is stable. Assuming it is, I'll then publish it on npm, at which time, you should switch to the published version. To do that, all you need to do is:

npm -g uninstall homebridge-homeseer-plugin-2018

npm -g install homebridge-homeseer-plugin-2018


The first command will remove the 'git' development version. The second will then re-install from npm. This should be ready by Sunday for you to switch back to the 'regular' published package track.

As an FYI, once you are back to the 'regular' npm version, all you need to do for future updates is
npm -g update

[mwolter]

[jvm]

Thanks. I pushed the update to npm as there was another error that needed fixing.

Nope, I'm not a programmer. My day job is in law but I'm pretty good at figuring out tech. I ordered a few books from Amazon a couple of months ago and went about figuring how to fix the "original" plugin when it wasn't reporting battery status for my door locks and didn't update dimmers correctly. It snowballed from there! Glad you find this useful.

[mwolter]

Yeah, I'd say you are pretty good at tech as well 👍. Makes sense, in an odd way law and coding share a similar simple logic. Not sure that makes sense, sounded somewhat better in thought 🤔

Found one issue. Not sure how I missed this before.

It looks like Homekit (HK) is not aware of the garage door being closed if it was closed via the wall push button (the button that came with the garage door opener). For instance, if I open the door with the button, HS and HK are aware the door is open but when I close it via the button HS shows closed and HK shows open. If I use the button to open and HK to close, HK does realize it's closed.

Let me know if you need any additional info. Thanks!

[jvm]

Try another "update" using npm -g update
I had to fix a similar problem for Window Coverings -- maybe that somehow took care of your issue.

If not, does it update when the next "regular" poll occurs (which should happen every 60 seconds)?

I notice for locks that if there are multiple operations that are close in time (e.g., you open / close within a few seconds), there seems to be some kind of race condition and as a result of this the locks sometimes don't update properly using the "instant" status -- however, they will update at the next "regular" poll. If your doors also update at the next poll (which occurs every minute), let me know. Right now, at least for door locks, this is a low priority issue since if it does not update instantly, it self-corrects during a polling cycle.

[mwolter]

That appears to have fixed it, thanks!

[Guest]

hi,

when i want to turn a light on... it does nothing. But if i mannually set them to N% in the home app it works

`
All my lights are lutron lights, not zwave. So the values are 0= off 1-99=dim and 100 =on.

[jvm]

Summerguy - Thanks for letting me know this.

The plugin expects the lights to use the value of '255' for "Last Value" which is used when the lights are turned on. My guess is that Lutron lights use a different value.

Can you respond by pasting an an image of HomeSeer's "Advanced" and "Status Graphics" page for one of your lights and I'll look into this.

Also, can you let me know the specific Lutron plugin that you use in HomeSeer. There seem to be several. It might also be possible to check with that plugin author to see if they can support the "255 = Last On Value" value expected by HomeSeer. I can do this if I know which plugin is involved.

Also, I'm curious - there are homebridge plugins on npm specifically for lutron (for example, homebridge-radiora and homebridge-lutron), have you tried using these to support your lutron devices directly (i.e., without involving HomeSeer)? I assumed that a Lutron-specific plugin might work better for lutron lights. Is this not the case?

[Guest]

Hi Jim, thank you for your fast reply. Please see the picture and the my reply in ''quote''

Summerguy - Thanks for letting me know this.

The plugin expects the lights to use the value of '255' for "Last Value" which is used when the lights are turned on. My guess is that Lutron lights use a different value.

Can you respond by pasting an an image of HomeSeer's "Advanced" and "Status Graphics" page for one of your lights and I'll look into this.

Also, can you let me know the specific Lutron plugin that you use in HomeSeer. There seem to be several. It might also be possible to check with that plugin author to see if they can support the "255 = Last On Value" value expected by HomeSeer. I can do this if I know which plugin is involved.

i am using the caseta one

Also, I'm curious - there are homebridge plugins on npm specifically for lutron (for example, homebridge-radiora and homebridge-lutron), have you tried using these to support your lutron devices directly (i.e., without involving HomeSeer)? I assumed that a Lutron-specific plugin might work better for lutron lights. Is this not the case?

I can use the Lutronpro- bridge directly with homekit . But i created groups of lights in HS3 ( one per room) and i copy pasted the status/graphics values of lutron lights into theses.. so that wont solve the problem ( i sed the scenemaster plugin to do these group...then i copipasted the status graphic page from a lutron light) i will post a pictures of this in the next message.

[jvm]

I was hoping that Lutron supported a turn-on-to-last-value setting, but it looks like it doesn't. I'll see what I can do. Most likely, what this would require is that I add an additional configuration parameter allowing a user to select the turn-on value instead of defaulting to 255.

[Guest]

wow that would be awesome!!

thanks

[jvm]

I believe I have this working, but is as a "development" build. It would be helpful if you can test it. You'll need to have 'git' on your system. Its often installed by default on Linux, but if it isn't already there, or you're using windows, you can download it from: https://git-scm.com/downloads. Then install the development build by executing:


npm -g install git://github.com/jvmahon/homebridge-homeseer#Lutron

in your config.json file, you will need to specify the "onValue" for each of your Lutron lights like so:

{"type":"Lightbulb", "ref":317, "onValue":50 }

Here the "onValue":50 means when you tap the icon, it will turn on to 50% by default.

Please test by turning on/off and adjusting brightness from (1) your iphone; (2) from HomeSeer; (3) from the switches themselves. Let me know if there are any odd behaviors and please confirm if everything works O.K. Please confirm that when you change from HomeSeer or from the switches themselves, the iPhone updates to show the new on /off /brightness values.

If all works O.K., I'll then test some more, clean up the code, and publish to npm.

[Guest]

i can confirm this work 100%

is it possible to add

, "onValue": 100

on switch and outlet ?

thank you

edit: the fonction is working for switchs too... so i presume it is working for the rest too!

[Guest]

But got some problem with homebridge i think. I fell nostalgia here , that was my fist tryy with automatisation one year ago.
But that is not the problem lol.


All the devices becomes ''non responding '' for no reason., time to time.. like every 5 minutes.. ( i was having this issue two days ago too). I wanted to replace the imperihome with this app since this is incoporated to the iphone with SIri ( and we got instant local status /control....it is in fact a little faster than alexa when asking commands vocally).... But if the problem is on the Homebridge ( the homebridge app itselft not your plugin) side... it won't be possible to keep that as a solution :S.



i am using Windows with firewall on... will try to open ports..

do i have to open any port on my router?

thank you !

[jvm]

The onValue change should work for switches and outlets.

I don't recall having to change any specific ports on the Windows PC or on my router to get everything working.

I have, on occasion, seen my HomeKit devices get stuck in an "updating" mode for short periods, but this also happens with 'native' HomeKit devices that do not use homebridge , so I think that kind of problem is something on Apple's side (hopefully to be addressed in upcoming iOS / tvOS update 11.3). Other than that, I also use this on Windows and have had no problems with the homebridge application becoming unresponsive - at least it didn't before I added the onValue / Lutron fixes for you. I switched my home to the test build and I am still testing to see if something I added for the onValue support caused a problem, but so far, I'm not noticing one.

But let me know - when you got the unresponsive "updating" message, did homebridge eventually recover, or did you have to reboot? Are there any error message displayed on your homebridge computer?

Some additional things for you to check:

Suggestions:
1. Make sure all of your Apple TVs and iPads have the latest version OS (11.2.6). If not, updated them. HomeKit can switch which Apple TV or iPad is used for remote access, so all of them should have an up-to-date OS. If you have both Apple TVs and iPads which can work as home hubs, I suggest disabling the iPad hub feature and just using the Apple TV's. This guide explains how to enable the hub function in the iPad, but you should be able to figure out how to disable it from this too: https://www.imore.com/homekit-home-hub

2. Look at the Windows 10 Installation guide I have on the plugin's Wiki to see that you have homebridge properly installed (though if it works at all, you probably did install it correctly).

3. Check your 'node' version. I recommend version 8.6 or later.

4. Check your homeseer version. I'm using the latest beta (3.0.0.423) which you can download from the link at the end of this post: https://forums.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=181241 . The beta seems quite stable, but be sure to backup HomeSeer before updating to the beta.


5. Check your Z-Wave and other plugins and be sure to update those too.

6. Try disabling / removing any 'extra' plugins like ImperiHome to make sure there isn't a conflict / problem between plugins.



Good luck. Let me know if any of this helps!