Conbee USB Stick

[cowinger]

I was looking at the manual for this controller and I am wondering if this is out of my wheelhouse.

Just how difficult is it to set up this controller with windows and with homeseer?

Is there an easier way for someone who doesn't program or code? Any explanation would be helpful. thanks

[w.vuyk]

cowinger,

Normally not much to worry about to install a conbee on a windows machine. It should not be much more difficult then installing a zwave usb stick.

I will put the steps you need here in sequence:

1. Put the conbee usb stick in the hs3 windows machine
2. Let windows install the driver for the stick - it should recognise it by itself
3. Go to https://www.dresden-elektronik.de/deconz/win/ and download the latest beta here (current is 2.04.86
4. Install the downloaded version and start deCONZ after installation
5. The deCONZ interface will start with an empty window where you only see a device 0x00000, the conbee itself.
6. In deCONZ, go to plugins and open the REST API entry. A popup window will start giving you the link to the webapp.
7. Click the link and in the browser the webapp will start. Logon with default user/password: delight/delight.
8. In the webapp, open Menu/Settings. Here you will be notified that a new firmware for the ConBee is waiting. Click install.
9. In the deCONZ application you will see the progress of installing the new interface
10. Once the firmware is installed, deCONZ will be restarted.
11. Register the gateway by pressing the register button on the configuration page of the plugin, immediately followed by pressing the unlock gateway button on the webapp/settings page.

From this point you can go to the plugin and register the new Conbee for the plugin. Adding new lights can be done through the configuration page, by clicking scan new devices. At the same time you can look at the deCONZ interface (not needed, but always fun ) and see the devices getiing connected. a bit later you will see devices created in Homeseer.

Wim

[cowinger]

cowinger,

Normally not much to worry about to install a conbee on a windows machine. It should not be much more difficult then installing a zwave usb stick.

I will put the steps you need here in sequence:

1. Put the conbee usb stick in the hs3 windows machine
2. Let windows install the driver for the stick - it should recognise it by itself
3. Go to https://www.dresden-elektronik.de/deconz/win/ and download the latest beta here (current is 2.04.86
4. Install the downloaded version and start deCONZ after installation
5. The deCONZ interface will start with an empty window where you only see a device 0x00000, the conbee itself.
6. In deCONZ, go to plugins and open the REST API entry. A popup window will start giving you the link to the webapp.
7. Click the link and in the browser the webapp will start. Logon with default user/password: delight/delight.
8. In the webapp, open Menu/Settings. Here you will be notified that a new firmware for the ConBee is waiting. Click install.
9. In the deCONZ application you will see the progress of installing the new interface
10. Once the firmware is installed, deCONZ will be restarted.

From this point you can go to the plugin and register the new Conbee for the plugin. Adding new lights can be done through the configuration page, by clicking scan new devices. At the same time you can look at the deCONZ interface (not needed, but always fun ) and see the devices getiing connected. a bit later you will see devices created in Homeseer.

Wim

Fantastic. That doesn't look as bad as the manual implied! I will definitely give it a try and let you know how it goes. thanks again

[w.vuyk]

I will check to make the manual less scary I guess

Wim

[cowinger]

I will check to make the manual less scary I guess

Wim

I'm sorry, the manual I read I got from the website for the conbee. I have not read your manual but I am going to do that. So I am sure that yours is where I should have started. Sorry for the confusion.

[cowinger]

OK, I got this first window, pic1, where I got to step 8 but after that it was different. Top pic shows the window with the conbee stick as 0x0000. Bottom pics (put together) shows the webapp.

Not sure what to do from here. The plug-in does not recognize it.

[cowinger]

UPDATE: The plug-in found the conbee but it is asking to push a button to connect. There is no button.

[w.vuyk]

cowinger,

In the webapp/settings you see the button you need - "unlock gateway", indeed something I missed to tell

Wim

[cowinger]

cowinger,

In the webapp/settings you see the button you need - "unlock gateway", indeed something I missed to tell

Wim

Ah Yes, with some careful trial and error I discovered this. I have the conbee working and I have a osram white and color bulb as devices as well as an osram plug.

Now I have some results for you if you are interested.

1. all lights 'on/off' works
2. colour loop button has no effect on color bulb
3. alert on white bulb works but then you have no control over after pressing 'off'. You have to press 'on' twice to stop it. It will not come back on at all after an alert is issued.
4. alert works for color bulb but it does not respond to 'off', you have to click 'on'. Color bulb does respond to on/off after an alert.
5. slider bar for both bulbs come up sometimes with different values (slider in different spot) after an on/off/on.
6. osram plug icon shows an 'on' condition when 'on' but does not show the 'off' condition icon when turned off. Does show icon 'off' if you wait 5-8 sec before you shut it off

7. motion sensor is not detected at all with the conbee. I tried several ways of waking and resetting the sensor but nothing.

Hope this helps.

[w.vuyk]

[cowinger]

Cowinger,

On the colourloop, yes, I have heard that the color bulb itself does not have colourloop implemented. So I am sure the plugin sends the commnad, but the bulb will not respond to that..

On the alert, am I understanding that if the bulb is already “on” with sending the alert, will go off once the alert is finished? An alert through the alert button of a device will last 30 seconds and stop by itself. For the bulbs I tested, all go back on to the last state - on for our sample. If you only want to blink once you best use an event with a jowihue “set lights” action, you can select alert there?
I do not fully understand the remarks on the color bulb with alert..

As for the slider change on the on/off action - it should show 0 at off and the last dim value when set to on, is that what you are seeing?

Will have to check on the plug, I heard it is working from another user. I am hoping to receive an Osram plug here soon, but do not have it yet to test...

I was expecting the osram motion sensor would be supported already? But if it does not show up in deCONZ, then this looks bad... will try to check on the github site for this.

Thanks for the updates!

Wim

OK, on the alert they both work and it does this alert for 15 sec. for both.
As far as the slider you just have to wait a few sec. before things change. Timing seems to be the thing to get used to.
The plug does work if you give it time to show the off. The on is right away.

What should the settings be under the "standard settings for lights"?

That just leaves the motion sensor as you said.

Also I forgot to mention the conbee saw the plug as a light and set it up that way. I had to change the icons and remove the slider. Values stayed the same.

[w.vuyk]

yes, the slider will be updated to the refresh of the REST API, if you set the slider yourself, update will be immediate, but if you press the on, it might take anywhere between 0 and 30 seconds indeed. Will check on that as I think the update might come in with the websocket also, but maybe missing that....
If you switch the device off, it should show off immediately, will check on that also, although a swift check here works as expected.

You cannot yet influence the Conbee with the refreshrate, it is on the todo list still here. The refresh rate on the settings for lights is only valid for the philips bridge still. Other settings on the same page can be set as you prefer.

The plug is indeed shown as a light. A technical choice as the standard REST API does not yet know of plugs officially. I guess that will change in the future.

Wim

[cowinger]

yes, the slider will be updated to the refresh of the REST API, if you set the slider yourself, update will be immediate, but if you press the on, it might take anywhere between 0 and 30 seconds indeed. Will check on that as I think the update might come in with the websocket also, but maybe missing that....
If you switch the device off, it should show off immediately, will check on that also, although a swift check here works as expected.

You cannot yet influence the Conbee with the refreshrate, it is on the todo list still here. The refresh rate on the settings for lights is only valid for the philips bridge still. Other settings on the same page can be set as you prefer.

The plug is indeed shown as a light. A technical choice as the standard REST API does not yet know of plugs officially. I guess that will change in the future.

Wim

Thanks Wim. I have the on/off problem with the plug backwards. It shows the icon 'off' when you shut it off but when you turn it 'on' it does not show the icon as 'on' until you press 'on' again.

Otherwise everything else seems to work fine. Hope the motion sensor can be added. thanks again

[cowinger]

Wim,

Is there a way to change the channel on the conbee? It is on the same channel as the modem is on and that is messing up my LIFX bulbs coming on.

FIGURED IT OUT, change it to 15, reset and re-scanned devices. All work now on channel 15.

[w.vuyk]

Cowinger,
'
Changing channel works like a charm, although when having many lights connected, it can take some time.

As for the plug not coming on as because it is treated as the light. It is probably reported as dim value 254. As the device can only hold one value, that is what the plugin reports. When you removed the slider you also removed showing that status. I got confirmation today that the plug is on its way here, so I will tinker with it for sure.

Before that I will try to send the new version to HST here, which solves some other issues that need attention

Wim