Getting started controlling Somfy blinds

I am getting ready to install the motorized blinds. I am going with Somfy motors because it appears that there is a path to controlling them from Indigo. Not sure about anything else. So far the Autelis interface seems to be the way to talk to and control the blinds.

So, looking on the Autelis site, I see they have two different controllers for Somfy: SDN and RTS. I know RTS is the Somfy wireless remote control. Not sure what SDN is. I can go hardwired or wireless but prefer hard-wired for reliability.

Do you have any sort of, "here are the pieces you need and here is how you install and configure them," document? FWIW I have 14 blinds I need to control.

Somfy RTS is also supported by the RFXCOM plug-in and RFXtrx433E.
You can configure up to 40 Somfy RTS devices in the RFXtrx433E.

Besides Somfy you can control many other 433MHz devices and receive weather sensors.
See chapter 2 in the RFXtrx User Guide http://www.rfxcom.com/WebRoot/StoreNL2/ ... _Guide.pdf

Brian, if you have the option to hard wire I would take it, good and all as RTS is, you still have no confirmation of action. I have added aeon labs recessed door and window sensors into my roller blinds to allow me to know if blind is open or not. I would recommend using a zwave module to do the controls but with 14 it will add up a bit but gives you more reliability


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I agree with the hard wiring recommendation... but you need to have a place to run your wires; nothing like a hard wire IMO. In my case, I install molding in each room and hide the wires and desired hardware (motors, servos, sensors) inside window frames using a router to cut a channel to run my wire on the back sides of things before installing frames and panels. The other part of my projects that always make wiring a snap is to do wainscot or board-n-batten in the room; this kind of decor not only gives you a great look and feel to the home but also provides plenty of access areas which will get covered up by wood panels. For longer runs, a two tier base board that serves to run all kinds of low voltage goodies to every window or location that is needed. Installing 1 or 2 additional CAT5 or CAT6 cables leaves room for future fun projects (window, shutter, blind sensor and control... whatever you have time for).

I'm very interested in motorized plantation shutters myself.

I've been playing with Somfy 24v lv25-b64 motors with a qubino DC shutter controller.. It took a while to get it to work as I wanted it to but it now works well and allows for both control via indigo and local control. Of course it does need 24v power available at every blind location you want to control.


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I'm just about to go down this route too, and am looking at the somfy timber slatted blinds.

Are the zwave modules easy to configure in `indigo? I wasn't thinking of using a plugin - just up/down (and rotate when the blind is fully down - small adjustments apparently). I've got two zwave modules, but not unpacked them yet!

These two recent posts have made me just stop and question the approach. I've already got the hard wires in to the top of the frames.

Ive only used fibaro shutter switch but it worked well, used them with curtains so can't speak to how it would act with Venetian blinds


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What zwave modules did you get mat? And what motors?


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Durosity,

I've got two Fibaro FGRM 222 to try - I I had of brought one it would have been faulty.

Not got the blinds yet - I left my old 12v IR's in the old pad, but looking at 240v's this time around.

I'll report back, but just wondered if anyone had any experience.

Office is being decorated and flooring going down tomorrow so should be able to start physically putting stuff together next week! The the automation can creep throughout the house!

I now have an Autelis SX200 controlling 7 Somfy ST30 motors using their hard-wired RS-485 (SDN) interface. Documentation at Autelis is a bit marginal but there is enough there to figure it out and get it working. (Nothing works until you set the open and close limits to something. (Nowhere in the doc is this clear.) Now to make it work with Indigo. I thought I saw someone post something about Autelis which is how I ended up going down this road but now I can't find the post.

More stuff needs to make it out of the forum here and into the Wiki where it can be better organized.

Hi Brian.

Looking at the wiki http://www.autelis.com/wiki/index.php?t ... _Somfy_SDN this looks easy to integrate with Indigo.

Grab the Cynical Network plugin, create a TCP Out device to the IP address of your Autelis on port 6000, then create actions to send the relevant #P1=2 commands (set shade 1 to preset 2)

If you want incoming feedback from them, create a TCP In device and a variable to store the received commands.



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Or even...

viewtopic.php?f=145&t=8935




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Hi Duriosity - I saw your post re: Qubino Flush shutter DC and the LV25. I'm just about to install the same thing. Is there any advice for the setup and configuration that you could give me?

Many thanks,

Adam

I've been playing with Somfy 24v lv25-b64 motors with a qubino DC shutter controller.. It took a while to get it to work as I wanted it to but it now works well and allows for both control via indigo and local control. Of course it does need 24v power available at every blind location you want to control.


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I've successfully integrated the Somfy plugin and RFTRX, to control a Somfy Venetian.

Everything works as expected except the angle commands are clearly running too long, so instead of turning the blades, they lift (or lower) the blinds by a few cm.

Is there any way of reducing the length of the pulse (or is that a limitation in the rfxtrx implementation?).

See: viewtopic.php?f=28&t=12682&p=141797#p141797