Dummy CBus group controls a homebridge accessorie

Hi all,

I am using Homebridge Wiser, thanks Anthony, and I was hoping to setup a dummy group so i could control a lamp on a smartplug via one of my edlts.

Is it possible to create a group in CBus and some how use some logic in homebridge to turn that smart device on and off?

 

You can do it in Homekit,

Once you have

1. set up a dummy group in Cbus,
2. added it to the home bridge configuration,
3. and made sure it appears in Homekit

then Homekit :

• select Automation,
• then click on +
• add automation
• An Accessory is controlled
• Select you cbus group
• select Turns On
• Next
• select Smartplug
• next
• tap on Smartplug to turn on
• select done.
• Repeat for the off state

 

Thanks. So there is no way to automate in homebridge? I don't have apple hub device and although using iPhones I have a google hub and the devices I am trying to control are google compatible. So it works great with voice for all my devices and CBus groups, it would just be nice to have the edlt control it aswell. I cant see any automations in google home app.

 

I've got my Homebridge running on a Raspberry Pi. I use NodeRed ( https://nodered.org/ ) as a 'backend' to create mapping of C-Bus addresses to other items. e.g. I have a C-Bus virtual group address on a switch that switches on some lamps controlled by a TP-Link plug adapter. There is little latency even though the signal is going switch=>C-Gate=>HomeBridge=>NodeRed=>HomeBridge=>TP-Link (plugin) and then WiFi to the device.

By tackling this way, you can get things to operate without the need for Homekit

NodeRed is extremely powerful for creating 'links' and operating as a backend controller.

 

Thanks I have a look at that, I used to use a Pi but I now run homebridge on my synology in a docker container, ill take a look and see if i can get it working in a container.

 

A little late to the conversation but I also use Node-Red but unlike Chris I use a Wiser 1 as the C-Bus interface and this also works reasonably well slight delay again but nothing to complain about.
If your devices are Tuya based and you have set them up using another App (Brilliant Smart, Mirabella etc. )
Then disconnect them from your existing app use the Smart Life App and relearn them.
Then in Hoobs or Homebridge which ever you are using, download the Tuya Web plug in. Then use Node-Red you will need to add the Homebridge to Node-red using a terminal command,
cd ~/.node-red
npm install node-red-contrib-homebridge-automation.

 

Great info Colin

 

hi, what nodes your using doing this logic, thanks bro!

 

I use Home Assistant, which can also act as a Homekit hub and work alongside homebridge but you may not need Homekit at all, and you can do some pretty advanced logic with it. Check out my how to for the scripts https://www.cbusforums.com/threads/...eb-mqtt-home-assistant-and-home-bridge.10746/

 

Been looking into NodeRed and HomeAssist integration. I have HomeBridge working just fine with Apple and google, but was wanting to try and integrate a couple of no CBus lights as described above.

Homebridge is running in a container on my synology NAS, I deployed both NR and HA and added the homebridge plugins but when i go to configure them and put the HB pin in they don't connect.

I then loaded the NodeRed docker onto a different machine thinking it may be somethig to do with being deployed into the same server and still it does not finds the devices.

Am I missing something?

 

Have you tried installing HB and Node red on the same machine without being in a container.
When I first installed NR and used the HB plugin it took a while for the Group addresses and other lights to populate before I could use them. Both Home Bridge and Node red on a RPi 3B.
I can successfully turn on and off Tuya based devices from C-Bus but not dim.
Did you try adding the MAC address of the HB machine

 

Hi Wonkey, how long did you have to wait? I think I left it for about 5 mins. But i will try for longer.

 

Sorry can't truthfully remember how long I waited, but do remember thinking I had done some thing wrong, pressing the round arrow button and then it all magically appearing.