Use Mac running Indigo as extra sensor

Posted on
Sat Mar 18, 2017 9:58 pm
Benwin offline
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Use Mac running Indigo as extra sensor

Is it possible to use the main mac running indigo as another BLE sensor? It seems a waste having a Pi sitting tight next to it.

Thanks
Ben

Posted on
Sun Mar 19, 2017 11:38 am
kw123 offline
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Re: Use Mac running Indigo as extra sensor

could be possible.. my indigo mac is an old one that does not have BLE.. difficult to test.., but may be on my other mac.. will think about it .

The $50 for a complete RPI ( incl box, SSD, power) is cheap compared to $$$ for the mac and using 10% CPU to listen to BLE traffic coming in .

But the idea of using the BLE capabilities of the mac is interesting.. the MAC though has many more complexities (security for one) to access peripherals to make it work.

The only problem I have with my RPIs are the SSD .. every else is at 110% of my expectations

Karl

Posted on
Mon Mar 20, 2017 5:24 am
Busta999 offline
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Re: Use Mac running Indigo as extra sensor

Benwin wrote:
Is it possible to use the main mac running indigo as another BLE sensor? It seems a waste having a Pi sitting tight next to it.

Thanks
Ben


https://store.radiusnetworks.com/products/macbeacon

A Mac iBeacon.

May give it a go.

The MAC Mini runs 24x7 already for Indigo, camera management and media streaming.




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Posted on
Mon Mar 20, 2017 7:13 am
Different Computers offline
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Re: Use Mac running Indigo as extra sensor

You mean as a Beacon, not sensor, right?

SmartThings refugee, so happy to be on Indigo. Monterey on a base M1 Mini w/Harmony Hub, Hue, DomoPad, Dynamic URL, Device Extensions, HomeKitLink, Grafana, Plex, uniFAP, Fantastic Weather, Nanoleaf, LED Simple Effects, Bond Home, Camect.

Posted on
Mon Mar 20, 2017 8:11 am
Busta999 offline
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Re: Use Mac running Indigo as extra sensor

Yup as a beacon, I am well out of my depth here, just trying to find a way to automatically, reliably detect when no one is in the house.


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Posted on
Mon Mar 20, 2017 10:15 am
johnpolasek offline
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Re: Use Mac running Indigo as extra sensor

Busta999 wrote:
Yup as a beacon, I am well out of my depth here, just trying to find a way to automatically, reliably detect when no one is in the house.


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We tried a number of different ideas and finally went with everybody carrying tiles and/or fitbits with a Pi near each door. When number of "family" beacons home goes to 0, doors lock and motion sensors arm, when number of family beacons home becomes > 0, motion sensors disarm, when any family beacon changes to "up", closest rPi door unlocks if it's locked... It's been working out fairly well over the past month or so. We do have a "bypass" variable to prevent the motion sensors from arming when the exterminator, for example, has to use his one time code to get in, but that's very rare.

Posted on
Wed Mar 22, 2017 2:39 am
Busta999 offline
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Re: Use Mac running Indigo as extra sensor

Thanks, we use Tiles on all the keys and I have a gen 2 pi, so pretty close to getting something working.


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Posted on
Wed Mar 22, 2017 6:34 am
Different Computers offline
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Re: Use Mac running Indigo as extra sensor

I've started watching my notifications in Home Remote for geofencing, and it seems to be more reliable than it once was. So that's an option. It's a painfully awkward interface, but it's a cheap iOS app with its own forum here.

SmartThings refugee, so happy to be on Indigo. Monterey on a base M1 Mini w/Harmony Hub, Hue, DomoPad, Dynamic URL, Device Extensions, HomeKitLink, Grafana, Plex, uniFAP, Fantastic Weather, Nanoleaf, LED Simple Effects, Bond Home, Camect.

Posted on
Wed Mar 22, 2017 11:30 am
johnpolasek offline
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Re: Use Mac running Indigo as extra sensor

Different Computers wrote:
I've started watching my notifications in Home Remote for geofencing, and it seems to be more reliable than it once was. So that's an option. It's a painfully awkward interface, but it's a cheap iOS app with its own forum here.


So have they solved the problem of the IPhones either going to sleep and dropping out of the list or burning through their entire battery capacity in less than a day?

Posted on
Wed Mar 22, 2017 12:01 pm
Different Computers offline
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Re: Use Mac running Indigo as extra sensor

List?

Here's what Home Remote does for me: when I enter a defined geofence, it triggers a specified Indigo Action Group. HR does not keep any sort of list of devices.

Occasionally, I notice a delay in picking up an iBeacon for a different trigger, and that might be related to the phone sleeping.

SmartThings refugee, so happy to be on Indigo. Monterey on a base M1 Mini w/Harmony Hub, Hue, DomoPad, Dynamic URL, Device Extensions, HomeKitLink, Grafana, Plex, uniFAP, Fantastic Weather, Nanoleaf, LED Simple Effects, Bond Home, Camect.

Posted on
Wed Mar 22, 2017 3:15 pm
johnpolasek offline
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Re: Use Mac running Indigo as extra sensor

Different Computers wrote:
List?

Occasionally, I notice a delay in picking up an iBeacon for a different trigger, and that might be related to the phone sleeping.


When I tried it several months ago, depending on how I had various background programs configured, either the phone would go dead after 6 to 10 hours if I had something GPS (map my run, Trimble outdoors, google maps, etc) configured to run in the background, or the geofence action would trigger fine for about 10 ,minutes or so after I had last used the phone and then never again until I brought the phone up again (say to check email a couple of hours and 20 miles later). and it did it for the 5, 6, and 6s that comprise all the family phones that I set up. It wasn't "occasional"; it was 100%, just like trying to track the phones in PiBeacon.

Posted on
Wed Mar 22, 2017 4:44 pm
Different Computers offline
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Re: Use Mac running Indigo as extra sensor

All I can tell you is that in my 4-5 days of testing with my iPhone SE, it's working fine.

SmartThings refugee, so happy to be on Indigo. Monterey on a base M1 Mini w/Harmony Hub, Hue, DomoPad, Dynamic URL, Device Extensions, HomeKitLink, Grafana, Plex, uniFAP, Fantastic Weather, Nanoleaf, LED Simple Effects, Bond Home, Camect.

Posted on
Thu Mar 23, 2017 5:33 am
johnpolasek offline
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Re: Use Mac running Indigo as extra sensor

When I have a little time, I'll try again... particularly because it allows geofences to be located away from the house.. but as I said, for alarm enable/disable and door unlock functions the tiles and fitbits are also capable of doing a great job... and once the new $10 Pi0Ws actually become available, it won't be that expensive (and adds alarm switch, sensor, and display capabilities everywhere you can hide one).

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