Virtual Security System Plug-In - Feedback Requested

I've been mulling over the possibility of creating an Indigo plug-in that would effectively emulate an alarm system. Here's the background.

GlennNZ has been working on HomeKitLInk Siri for HomeKit integration into Indigo. One of the supported devices in HomeKit is a security system. Having a virtual security system plug-in in Indigo would allow HomeKitLink Siri to see the security system within HomeKit and allow Siri integration.

This virtual security system would expose four security alarm states: triggered, arm away, arm stay, and arm night. Then, within the Home app, one could create automations around these states.

Ideally this could be covered under an Indigo Virtual Device, but these can only have on/off states, and as noted above, this requires four states.

I would appreciate any feedback on this idea.

That would be excellent. I emulate what you described using Node-Red and it would be great to have an Indigo based alternative

JP


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I just created a very minimal plug-in I'm calling "VSS" for now. It's available on GitHub.

Pardon my shallow understanding of Indigo plugins. I've only delved into this once before.

With the plugin installed, just create a virtual alarm. It holds a number between 0 and 4 to indicate the following security system states that HomeKit expects:

0 = stay arm
1 = away arm
2 = night arm
3 = disarm
4 = triggered

You can create a trigger on the state of the security system changing to any of the above. That trigger can run a script or do whatever in Indigo.

The only thing I'm uncertain is how HomeKitLink Siri would interface with this device. I think this is where GlennNZ's help will come in.

It's small, but it's a start!

With Glenn's latest changes to HomeKitLink Siri supporting security systems and changes on my end, I can confirm that HomeKit integration with a security system and VSS is definitely working! Thank you Glenn!

I'll work with Jay and Matt to get a page for this plugin.

And it's up! Here's the link.

I had a play with the plugin: the device is created and I can change its state but have had no luck publishing the device to HomeKit in HomekitLinc Siri - is it meant to be configured as a security device?

[I currently achieve the same outcomes without a plugin just using a variable to define various modes...and publishing actions to HomeKit rather than a device.... so publishing a device HomeKit would be the key advantage of this approach (?). The pain for maintenance (whether the armed state is held in a variable or in device states) is the plethora of triggers/sensors required to be managed. If you were to evolve the plugin, grouping sensors (and defining zones) would be the key value-add opportunity from my perspective. The DSC alarm plugin, for example, allows the configuration of zones (as well as simplifying a few other tasks - might be worth a look)]

Be sure you have the latest version of the HomeKitLink plugin.

I created this plugin because I could see no way to have a true HomeKit first-class security system otherwise. You mention using variables -- I tried that approach to manage my own security system with scripts, and it worked, but I could not integrate that into HomeKit as a first-class security system.