HomeKit Bridge Replacement = Priorities?

Hi all,

I have been working on a replacement for HomeKit Buddy to allow HomeKit to display Indigo devices. This has become possible with python3 change which has been forced a bit early.

Obviously this is a fairly big job and the question is priorities...

Currently:

Lights, RGB Colour/Brightness
Contact Sensors/Doors/Windows etc
Motion Sensors
Blue Iris Cameras; including Motion Sensor from camera, and Doorbell linkage /notification with Camera stream.
Valve
Switch
Outlet
Fan
Temperature Sensor
Lock

Working as well as could expect with alpha/beta software, tested on one system.

Questions

1. Other HomeKit device priorities?
2. Currently likely to remain limited to one Bridge (<150 devices) only, may yet revise this -- but thoughts?

No promises/time-line etc... but hopeful to have something out at same time as Indigo 2022.1

Thanks

I find having multiple hubs much more efficient. When using Homekit bridge I’ve got it divided by rooms, and it means handling devices of the same name (eg main light) is a lot easier, plus if there’s problems it’s a lot easier to diagnose per room rather than per site. Also I found it takes a lot less time for HomeKit to refresh the status of the home with the 150 odd devices split over multiple hubs than just the 2.

So yeah.. I’d say multiple hubs is an essential


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I'm just excited that you are taking this on!! Good on ya!

[jay (support)]

I find having multiple hubs much more efficient. When using Homekit bridge I’ve got it divided by rooms, and it means handling devices of the same name (eg main light) is a lot easier, plus if there’s problems it’s a lot easier to diagnose per room rather than per site. Also I found it takes a lot less time for HomeKit to refresh the status of the home with the 150 odd devices split over multiple hubs than just the 2.

So yeah.. I’d say multiple hubs is an essential

I should point out that the issues you have might not be strictly HomeKit issues, but rather the implementation (which is somewhat indirect in that it jumps across multiple technologies). I don't think anyone will know until Glenn gets the plugin going. So I'd recommend that the first iteration be an MVP - minimum viable product - then when people start getting experience with it that will be much more informative of what should be worked on next.

But that's just my opinion...

So I'd recommend that the first iteration be an MVP - minimum viable product - But that's just my opinion...

I wouldn’t disagree. Just wanted to explain a good use case for supporting multiple bridges. To be fair once it’s running as one it should be fairly trivial to change it around to have multiple instances running.

And yeah I’m excited that someone is considering running with this.. I considered it so many times but each time I get to the point where my python is good enough to actually take a stab at it, something comes up in life that takes me away from things for a prolonged period and then I have to almost start from the beginning again. I just can’t retain the knowledge. Damn brain.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[jay (support)]

As Glenn noted, this is really enabled by our move to Python 3 (there's a Python 3 library to do some of the work). While there were ways around the Python 3 issue, it would have significantly increased the complexity.

HomeKit Bridge, while useful to many, was a HUGE and COMPLEX solution with a bunch of moving parts that would have made it exceedingly difficult for someone to effectively take over. TBH, none of our more prolific developers, after taking a cursory look at the total solution, wanted to touch it given this complexity.

Glenn to the rescue! We really look forward to seeing if this solution is going to be more reliable and less complex in terms of implementation.

Indeed! I shall be interested to see the fruits of their labours!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Thanks all

Thanks Jay - certainly this is only made possible by python3!

Hopefully can keep simple - although as below - changing to HomeKit bridge device has upped the complexity a few levels …

As you say previous HomeKit Bridge was really
Complex and even the documentation level that HomeKit Bridge has is impressive - documenting all the various device states as I found the other day.

Spent a bit of time refactoring to a device being an individual HomeKit Bridge approach. Quadruples the complexity of the code, and creates a few pit holes such as bridge being deleted but still running, or devices existing when bridge gone etc.,
orphaned devices marked to be deployed to HomeKit but bridge gone etc

Anyway - that time is gone and so far so good. Still some hardening needed but that work can continue piecemeal.


HomeKit Devices:

What HomeKit devices can people not live without?

(Will see if can support security spy cameras as well somewhere in this - although will need to install etc)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well the device types I use myself in addition to the basic ones are:

Blinds
Faucets
Window motors
Temperature sensors
Contact/motion sensors
DSC alarm panel
Leak sensor
Occupancy detection
Smoke/carbon sensors
Locks
Sprinklers
Lux sensor

I’d imagine that the only one out of that list that would be particularly tricky is the security alarm as I recall C4W had fun with that. But the rest are all pretty much just rebadged binary sensors or on/off/dimmer devices.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Fair play to you Glenn. Looks like you’re covering all my needs. I’d be more than happy to test whenever you’ve it ready and the latest version of Indigo has dropped.

Well the device types I use myself in addition to the basic ones are:

Blinds
Faucets
Window motors
Temperature sensors
Contact/motion sensors
DSC alarm panel
Leak sensor
Occupancy detection
Smoke/carbon sensors
Locks
Sprinklers
Lux sensor

I’d imagine that the only one out of that list that would be particularly tricky is the security alarm as I recall C4W had fun with that. But the rest are all pretty much just rebadged binary sensors or on/off/dimmer devices.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Adding devices isn’t super complicated - although some can be, and may have unknown impact, mainly because of how open and possibly user selectable I have made this. Eg. TemperatureSensor: At most advanced level can select any device, and use any state for temperature.

Few questions though:
Window Motors - physically what are you referring to? And what is the HomeKit device ?
Sprinkler - just discovered yesterday that device exists in Indigo! When you says Sprinker - is this an indigo sprinkler device with 6 zones? Or a on/off sprinkler valve equivalent?

Alarm - will see what find.

Thanks


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Window Motors - physically what are you referring to? And what is the HomeKit device ?
Sprinkler - just discovered yesterday that device exists in Indigo! When you says Sprinker - is this an indigo sprinkler device with 6 zones? Or a on/off sprinkler valve equivalent?

Alarm - will see what find

So for window motors they’re really just dimmer devices in Indigo. In the house they’re z-wave modules that control actuators that open the windows to a certain amount, but that shouldn’t matter within HomeKit, just so long as it can be defined as a window device and accept a % value (or on/off). One thing to note though, HomeKit can have things like windows as either a sensor with no controls, or as a device that can be controlled. I know in other setups this has occasional causes issues as of course the DSC alarm contact sensors can be connected to what is also a window but has no control over it. Happy to show you anything in my setup if it’d help.

Sprinklers.. I use one of those 8 channel network relay boards that were popular a few years ago. (It’s not actually a sprinkler it controls, but waters plants so it works). Now this was something that never quite worked in C4Ws setup as in the home app it didn’t work, but did via Siri. Weird eh? Mines very simplistic and is really just on/off, no multi zone, but I know a lot of other users here do have fancy ones (not really much call for sprinkler systems in the north of England!)

As for the alarm.. worse case I can just use the envisalink module in homebridge which works well.

Others I haven't seen mentioned yet:

• Invoking an Indigo Action Group with a momentary switch
• SecuritySpy camera
• SecuritySpy camera triggering a motion event based on detected motion (requires SecuritySpy to invoke a URL/script)
• SecuritySpy camera triggering a doorbell event based on detected motion (requires SecuritySpy to invoke a URL/script)
• Insteon light switches that turn on to their programmed default brightness setting and not 100% (a current issue with HomeKit Bridge)
• Insteon Thermostat
• HarmonyHub Remote Control (via plugin)
• PurpleAir Air Quality Sensor (via plugin)
• MyQ Garage Door Opener (via plugin)
• Rachio Sprinklers (via plugin)
• Haiku Ceiling Fan (with optional light) (via SenseME plugin)

Thanks,
-Mike

I have motorized windows (Fakro brand skylights) that are z-wave. Indigo sees these as "Motor Control Class B". This provides me with everything I need to control these, though the UI could be better (Indigo presents these as though they were dimmers).

I also have a variety of different shade devices in my current Indigo configuration, including the following types of shades:

Fakro brand and some Bali/Somfy "Autoview" that are z-wave. Indigo sees them as "Motor Control Class C".

Somfy RTS, controlled by Insteon IOLinc relays. Indigo sees this as a multi-input/output relay device with one of the output relays providing (one-way) control of the shades.

Lutron Brand "Serena". Indigo sees these as "Lutron Motorized Shade" (via the Lutron RRA2 Plugin). Note that these also have native HomeKit support, so probably no use in adding them to HomeKit Bridge.

I realize this is a complex mess - but this is how my system has evolved.

Others I haven't seen mentioned yet:

• Invoking an Indigo Action Group with a momentary switch
• SecuritySpy camera
• SecuritySpy camera triggering a motion event based on detected motion (requires SecuritySpy to invoke a URL/script)
• SecuritySpy camera triggering a doorbell event based on detected motion (requires SecuritySpy to invoke a URL/script)
• Insteon light switches that turn on to their programmed default brightness setting and not 100% (a current issue with HomeKit Bridge)
• Insteon Thermostat
• HarmonyHub Remote Control (via plugin)
• PurpleAir Air Quality Sensor (via plugin)
• MyQ Garage Door Opener (via plugin)
• Rachio Sprinklers (via plugin)
• Haiku Ceiling Fan (with optional light) (via SenseME plugin)

Thanks,
-Mike

Hi Mike,

Action Group - via switch done.

SecuritySpy Camera Streams - maybe - have spent a lot of time... (a lot!) on Blue Iris cameras and suspect would require similiar level. (well more because would need to setup, install SecuritySpy etc.)

"requires SecuritySpy to invoke URL/script"
Motion event triggering : not sure what direction you are referring to.
HomeKit triggering Security Spy camera? Which won't be supported anytime soon

With the currently supported BI Cameras - the plugin enables the Cameras Motion sensor and this appears as a motion Sensor in Homekit.
When the camera detects motion this is seen in Homekit.
Likewise, with the currently support BI Cameras the plugin supports selection of a Indigo onOff device to be used as a Doorbell.
With Camera setup - select Doorbell device or none - and then when that is triggered in Indigo - HomekIt notifcation; Doorbell pressed and shows camera - pressing on it opens the live stream.
-- Is this what you mean?

Others:
[*]Insteon Thermostat
[*]PurpleAir Air Quality Sensor (via plugin)
[*]MyQ Garage Door Opener (via plugin)
[*]Rachio Sprinklers (via plugin)
[*]Haiku Ceiling Fan (with optional light) (via SenseME plugin)[/list]

all possible maybe's with exception of Harmony Hub , my general thoughts are for things like Televisions, Sonos devices, Harmony remotes etc.. Better option would be running a homekit Bridge plus plugin specifically for these devices. They are not indigo specific devices - mainstay of focus would be to get indigo devices into homekit, rather than supporting every device we can get into Indigo out again to Homekit.


Thanks,