LIFX equipment

Has anyone found a way to integrate LIFX bulbs/LED strips etc into CBus via a SHAC? I was trying to use an Alexa routine but unable to activate a routine via Smartvoice. For some reason, Alexa has an extremely limited list of "smart devices" that are eligible to initiate a routine.

 

U need Homebridge and Homebridge CBUS or to code specific commands to be despatched over the LAN port.

But honestly > why?

CBUS is vastly superior for the switching, use that and ditch the poor quality end point hardware and complexity.

 

thanks Chromus,

I understand that homebridge will require a pi of something like that running all the time. However, my preferred option would be to issue instructions directly from my SHAC. Can you/anyone provide some sample script that following a lot of trial and error will allow me to get to something that works? ( Adressing your second point .... My C-Bus has 98 devices and I am not changing any of that out.,I ve added a few LIFX devices for very specific applications and am keen to be able to operate them from C-Bus)

 

It Should be relatively simple according to their api doc https://lifx.readme.io/

Use http post command from lua script

 

thank you Pie Boy, I am a novice - any chance of a sample script that I can modify? thanks

 

the following is returning an error when I try to save it - any ideas?

socket.udp()

sendto(31 00 00 34 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 66 00 00 00 00 55 55 FF FF FF FF AC 0D 00 04 00 00, 192.168.86.23, 56700)

close()

with thanks

 

Did you require socket as below? Also if you are sending hex bytes you may need string.char()

cmd =String.char(0x31, 0x00, 0x00, 0x34, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x66, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x55, 0x55, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xAC, 0x0D, 0x00, 0x04, 0x00, 0x00)

require('socket').udp():sendto(cmd, '192.168.86.23', 56700)

 

thank you Pie Boy - this saved ok so we are over that hurdle but did not activate light as expected. I had copied the instruction from the example given on the LIFX site https://lan.developer.lifx.com/docs/building-a-lifx-packet so it should work okay - any other ideas? we are on the right track.

 

Can you test/ prove that command with packet sender or similar to see if you have connectivity and command correct,
Another method would be to run up wireshark and determine if the shac is sending packets etc
Also dose the lifx have an app? and dose that app use the lan protocol, id say it’s unlikely it dose, but if it dose you would see that traffic on the wireshark also.
Also I’m not familiar with lifx, dose it have a hub as such? And dose it require anything to be enabled to use the lan protocol?

 

I've used wireshark to confirm that my PC is issuing a message to SHAC to run the relevant event script. However, there is no messaging going from SHAC back onto the network to activate the LIFX light.
LIFX does not need a hub and can be activated by a LAN UDP message - the plot thickens!
any further ideas?
btw my "user function library" contains only the email program and dawn/dusk calculator (both are in use and working fine) - should there be anything else in there?
cheers

 

Can you successfully send the lan protocol UDP command from your computer without the shac and thus proving connectivity and udp command is correct?

 

try this for on and off, run in an event script, on and off will follow level 0 and 255 of the object

cmd_on = string.char(0x2A, 0x00, 0x00, 0x34, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x75, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00)

cmd_off = string.char(0x2A, 0x00, 0x00, 0x34, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x75, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00)

local level = event.getvalue()

function lifx_cmd(cmd)
require('socket').udp():sendto(cmd, '192.168.86.23', 56700)
end

if level == 0 then
lifx_cmd(cmd_off)
end

if level == 255 then
lifx_cmd(cmd_on)
end

 

I was able to use an app to work the light from PC and then used Wireshark to capture the packets. However I had no luck with trying to issue the command from PC using Packer Sender. The good news is that your script works perfectly. Thank you for your help!

 

Dear Pie Boy, I can turn my lights on and off - which is great but the boss is asking about colours and levels. I've had a good look at what you sent me but I cannot relate it back to LIFX instructions without making some huge assumptions. Would you mind sharing your thinking with me so that i can then modify what you have done and be able to set colours and levels (by establishing separate groups for each setting)?

 

All good, i just basically interpreted the lifx doc to make the on/off commands, you would need to do the same for dimming and colour changing, once you know the command, (it helps if you can qualify the command with packet sender or similar making sure it works before sticking it into the SHAC)
then just modify the code to suit or put the function it a library and call it from where ever

the simple way
-- create user library with the below

Code:

function lifx_cmd(cmd)
require('socket').udp():sendto(cmd, '192.168.86.23', 56700)
end

Then you can call the function from any script as below with the function call, just change your commands (cmd=...)to suit what you want the lifx to do.

Code:

cmd = string.char(0x2A, 0x00, 0x00, 0x34, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x75, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00)

function lifx_cmd(cmd)

The more complex way would be to build some code that makes the lifx packets based on some varibles and then has a function call to execute, but this is more complex and if you only have a couple of lifx devices, there is not really any point to do it this way.

 

I'll certainly avoid the "more complex way" at this stage and appreciate your assistance. It is the makeup of the command that I am struggling to relate back to the LIFX doc. Might you be good enough to identify which sections of the on/off sample that you provided (and I've been able to get working across 4 lamps) relate to on/off, colour and brightness. I should be able to take it from there (with luck!)

 

I've made a bit of progress and can now control the transition time by fiddling with the last four bits. Still no luck with brightness, and colour....

 

Did you get this going? I have just been testing a Lifx downlight and wrote a test script to set the color. I can post it if you like.

Not very impressed with the dimming ability of these devices . Don't think I'll be using any.

 

Hi Ashley,
I've not made any more progress and confirm that I can now turn lamps on/off and adjust the transition time. No luck with colour or dimming so if you have cracked the colour side of things I might be able to combine your work with what I got from PieBoy earlier. Please post what you have - with thanks

 

I've created a new thread here which I can add to if I get keener:

https://www.cbusforums.com/threads/controlling-lifx-bulbs.10424/