homebridge-plugin-vera v0.0.4

homebridge-plugin-vera

This will be primarily based off of the excellent @tonesto7 homebridge-smartthings-v2.

This is a work-in-progress. The motivation, in part, regards education regarding modern Javascript programming constructs such as classes, promises, arrow functions. The other part of motivation regards my ownership of two Veralite controllers, and the current lack of Vera support for HomeKit.

Update 2020-01-04: Recently, I've used the Vera iOS app a good deal while testing the plugin. I really like Vera's app alot, and it is my preferred app for the purpose of controlling it's attached zwave devices. Considering my ownership of two Veralite controllers, there are aren't many other choices :), but the app is great. I only wish that I could control all my home automation devices from my AppleTV 4K.

The first cut at the plugin has now been pushed to develop. The only supported device is the dimmable light, as those are the kinds of devices I have installed in my home. The framework is now in place, however, to expand the number of supported devices.

Issues

Many homebridge plugins have to deal with an issue which regards the setting of the HomeKit characteristic, Brightness. It seems that HomeKit chooses to set the state of the characteristic, On, during the same operation. Developers of various homebridge plugins have found workarounds, but these appear for the most part to involve the unsatisfying use of delays to alter the timing of set requests between On and other characteristics. I have not tested color light bulbs, and the problem may extend to more than just the two aforementioned characteristics. The topic is discussed in more detail in this github issue.

To address the brightness idiosyncrasy, I have implemented a tentative solution which avoids the use of delays. Instead, if specified in a 'device file' (e.g. src/luupdevices/dimmable_light_1.js), the property _changeOnly causes the plugin to bind a special setter function to a HomeKit characteristic. This setter queries the device for the current state of the characteristic, and if the value is in fact the target value, then the setter does not proceed with a superfluous request to the device. This solution has not been exercised in an industrial-strength testing scenario, but it appears to solve the immediate problem of poor response to user manipulation of a dimming slider.

The problem, however, is still not suppressed in the case of dimming operation for a light which is not currently switched on. Under such a scenario, the plugin will choose to issue the 'On' command in addition to the 'Brightness' command. A race condition may be possible, and indeed, my own experience seems to confirm that interspersed 'On' commands disrupt the successful completion of commands to change 'Brightness'.

The Vera LUUP architecture would seem to offer a mechanism by which a robust solution could be implemented. Such a solution would involve use of the UPNP event mechanism to receive notification of changes to state variables. Communication with the controller regarding an individual bridged accessory (i.e. device) would be sequentialized in such a manner as to await confirmation of the completion of each outstanding command.

Credits

I would like to acknowledge, in addition to @tonesto7, those whom he found helpful ...

• @tonesto7 homebridge-smartthings-v2
• @sibartlett homebridge-wink3
• @danTapps homebridge-hubconnect-hubitat

... As well as those with knowledge regarding the Vera UI7 API:

• @Be2daErtin homebridge-bvera

Installation:

1. Install homebridge using: npm i -g homebridge (For Homebridge Install: Homebridge Instructions)

2. Update your configuration file. See sample config.json snippet below. This plugin requires that your Vera controller be assigned a static IP address. The pluging cannot discover the address.

      "platform": "VeraController",
      "name": "Veralite",
      "controller_ip": "192.168.1.xxx", 
      "excluded_vera_device_types": [
        "urn:schemas-micasaverde-com:device:ZWaveNetwork"
      ],
      "logConfig": {
         "debug": false,
         "showChanges": true,
         "hideTimestamp": false,
         "hideNamePrefix": false,
         "file": {
            "enabled": true,
            "level": "good"
         }
      }

• • debug Optional | Default: falseEnables Debug log output

  • hideTimestamp Optional | Default: falseHides timestamp prefix from console log output

  • hideNamePrefix Optional | Default: falseHides plugin name prefix (e.g. [Veralite]) from console log output

  • file Optional Enable log file output and configure options

    • enabled Optional | Default: false Activates logging to file (homebridge-plugin-vera.log) stored in the same folder as the homebridge config.json

    • level Optional | Default: good Defines the log entry levels that are written to the file. good(recommended) is the default which will write all necessary entries.