[Official] Home Automation Thread

[wahjohreno]

I was eyeing somfy motors for my curtains too but they don't seem to be compatible with alexa or Google home.

Alexa controls my Somfy motors just fine via Fibaro.

 

[Solidus_GZ]

I was eyeing somfy motors for my curtains too but they don't seem to be compatible with alexa or Google home.

Their asian region mylink is discontinued as connexoon replaces it. However i read on somfy support site they have no plans to have connexoon work with alexa.

After researching deeper into alternate curtain motors, i saw xiaomi has released a zigbee enabled curtain motor!

The community support on smarthings was also successful in getting smarthings to work with it. This also means Alexa should be able to control that motor via smartthings.

Since i have a smartthings hub already, i just ordered a xiaomi motor from AliExpress.
I will try to see if my hub can talk to it.

My next hurdle, after confirming the motor, smarthings and alexa work together, is getting the curtain rails. However that doesn't seem to be too difficult a problem. We can also buy the rails from Ali express. Just need to give them the lengths we need.

Anyway, if this solution works, i'll be able to have motorised curtains that alexa can control at a fraction of the cost of a somfy motor.

Too bad somfy doesn't want to support alexa. They lost one customer here as i would not have bothered researching into other motors if they had.

Do Xiao mi need to change the rail as well? Or plug and play?

 

[AsusEpoxy]

Do Xiao mi need to change the rail as well? Or plug and play?

they should all conform to DT82 rail track specification. It is the more popular standard. Ask the supplier whom you buying from to double confirm.

 

[bullfrog]

Do Xiao mi need to change the rail as well? Or plug and play?

I'm assuming all motors require their own track. Xiaomi uses Dooya DT82 tracks. Don't think it's plug and play if you have for e.g somfy tracks as the motor drive housing needs to be compatible too. Maybe that just needs to be changed. Don't know..

 

[Solidus_GZ]

Thanks for the info!
The curtains supplier is selling somfy nc50 not sure whether same track dimensions as dooya Dt82 anot...so I think I will wait for the actual curtain to install before buying bah

 

[Zerocool]

for those using xiaomi switch i have 2 burnt and based on xiaomi forum there are others with cases as well. they can cross sell their smoke alarm alr....

 

[bullfrog]

for those using xiaomi switch i have 2 burnt and based on xiaomi forum there are others with cases as well. they can cross sell their smoke alarm alr....

Wah jialat. And here i was planning to use them in my new home.

 

[MaoZeDuo]

I already bought to replace all in the house

for those using xiaomi switch i have 2 burnt and based on xiaomi forum there are others with cases as well. they can cross sell their smoke alarm alr....

 

[MaoZeDuo]

I hope their curtain motor wont end up like this

 

[waterfoe]

I am actually using an EA1, with the engraved C4 keypad.... not using the touchscreen because I don’t see a need.... if I have ample budget than maybe hahaha....

As for the the drivers, I have the following:

1. Haiku
2. Sony
3. Sensibo
4. Ifttt

I think most TV already have drivers available, according to my installer, Sony TV are compatible, Samsung TV from 2017 onwards and LG tv launch in 2018 are compatible as well.

I do know such system can be abit more restrictive.... but what I do like is most devices are all integrated together....

At 5.3k I believe your integration is quite basic if im not wrong. You're using 3rd party switches are not the engraved C4 keypads and you would not have dedicated touchscreens right?

Im also guessing a single EA-1/EA-3

When you go into more esoteric setups then you will need to start paying for drivers which will be a pain. Many of C4's original "free" drivers dont work so we need to get 3rd party ones ie. for LG tvs.

 

[Yureak]

I am actually using an EA1, with the engraved C4 keypad.... not using the touchscreen because I don’t see a need.... if I have ample budget than maybe hahaha....

As for the the drivers, I have the following:

1. Haiku
2. Sony
3. Sensibo
4. Ifttt

I think most TV already have drivers available, according to my installer, Sony TV are compatible, Samsung TV from 2017 onwards and LG tv launch in 2018 are compatible as well.

I do know such system can be abit more restrictive.... but what I do like is most devices are all integrated together....

Im a C4 owner as well. Your EA1 is very entry though and is actually meant more for one room as opposed to a whole house. It’ll soon get bogged down and you may need to consider upgrading to an EA3.

My dealer had to purchase a annex4 driver for my lg oled to work because the free c4 one isnt very reliable.

You should also consider placing a few touchpads or ipads in the walls around the house... i have a few ipads just for this left on 24/7 because its very fiddly and troublesome to open the app on your phone just to turn off a light unless you’re using voice control too.

 

[waterfoe]

I do know the difference between EA1 and EA3, the main diff is just on the audio which I don’t really need it.... so really no point. I do have 5 configurable keypad around my house which I find it quite useful.

The touchscreen actually is more for house with intercom.... for now, I can live without that.... the universal remote I find it rather useful as well... all devices connected to the system can be control by the remote.

Actually my house do have quite a lot of programming done. For instance if I turn off my TV after 10pm, my living room will turn on for the next 1 min than it will turn off thereafter. (Time for me to walk to my room).

I also have a button in my room to turn off my living room lighting as well.

Maybe can get your installer to do that for u

Im a C4 owner as well. Your EA1 is very entry though and is actually meant more for one room as opposed to a whole house. It’ll soon get bogged down and you may need to consider upgrading to an EA3.

My dealer had to purchase a annex4 driver for my lg oled to work because the free c4 one isnt very reliable.

You should also consider placing a few touchpads or ipads in the walls around the house... i have a few ipads just for this left on 24/7 because its very fiddly and troublesome to open the app on your phone just to turn off a light unless you’re using voice control too.

 

[Yureak]

I do know the difference between EA1 and EA3, the main diff is just on the audio which I don’t really need it.... so really no point. I do have 5 configurable keypad around my house which I find it quite useful.

The touchscreen actually is more for house with intercom.... for now, I can live without that.... the universal remote I find it rather useful as well... all devices connected to the system can be control by the remote.

Actually my house do have quite a lot of programming done. For instance if I turn off my TV after 10pm, my living room will turn on for the next 1 min than it will turn off thereafter. (Time for me to walk to my room).

I also have a button in my room to turn off my living room lighting as well.

Maybe can get your installer to do that for u

I already have all of that bro I have a multi-level setup in fact with an entire server rack for a dedicated theatre (I am the TS after all). The main difference between ea1/3 isnt the audio, its the processor. EA1s are meant for a single room and EA3s are meant for small-mid homes with the EA5 being suitable for larger ones. As you scale, you may experience some lag as well as driver corruption/controller instability (take it from someone who has used this for several years). You could check with your dealer for specifics or its all on the online spec sheets.

That said, i caveat this saying that I have no idea what size your place is whether a one bedder, two befder etc so it depends on your use-case and if it works then that’s your litmus test.

I used to have alot of time or event triggered scenes but after some use, i realised my lifestyle is very dynamic and i prefer granular control so i removed most of my scenes.

I dont use an sr260 like you though because for me ive gone fully touchscreen and digital.

 

[Inediblebulk]

What are the switches controlling? The max is 800watts

for those using xiaomi switch i have 2 burnt and based on xiaomi forum there are others with cases as well. they can cross sell their smoke alarm alr....

 

[waterfoe]

Because my place is not that huge... So really no point getting an EA3 or even an EA5.... It like using machine gun to cut vegetable....

Anyway the EA1 can comfortably support 30 devices so i think the performance is still quite acceptable.... At least not like my neighbor who need to reboot his Fibaro controller every night....

The wall mounted touch screen is quite nice.... Maybe if i strike toto i will do it for my next house....

I already have all of that bro I have a multi-level setup in fact with an entire server rack for a dedicated theatre (I am the TS after all). The main difference between ea1/3 isnt the audio, its the processor. EA1s are meant for a single room and EA3s are meant for small-mid homes with the EA5 being suitable for larger ones. As you scale, you may experience some lag as well as driver corruption/controller instability (take it from someone who has used this for several years). You could check with your dealer for specifics or its all on the online spec sheets.

That said, i caveat this saying that I have no idea what size your place is whether a one bedder, two befder etc so it depends on your use-case and if it works then that’s your litmus test.

I used to have alot of time or event triggered scenes but after some use, i realised my lifestyle is very dynamic and i prefer granular control so i removed most of my scenes.

I dont use an sr260 like you though because for me ive gone fully touchscreen and digital.

 

[bullfrog]

What are the switches controlling? The max is 800watts

Ya good question. I also would like to know.

I hope it wasn't connected to a waterheater or something similar. The switch isn't designed for that. Also it doesn't have earth.

 

[Zerocool]

Ya good question. I also would like to know.

Actually it is used to control only 2 Florencence tube, way less than rated capacity. Actually try searching xiaomi forum there are a few cases of this issues as well. From xiaomi support It got something to do with the electronics parts that tap the current from live wire burning out as this is no neutral switch.

Apparently even new stocks of the switch have this issue. I have 2switches like that already, going to swap out all of them.

 

[bullfrog]

Actually it is used to control only 2 Florencence tube, way less than rated capacity. Actually try searching xiaomi forum there are a few cases of this issues as well. From xiaomi support It got something to do with the electronics parts that tap the current live wire burning out as this is no neutral switch.

Apparently even new stocks of the switch have this issue. I have 2switches like that already, going to swap out all of them.

I see. So their switch with neutral is better. Guess i'll purchase those and run neutral wires to all my switch points. That will up my reno costs. Damn

 

[Zerocool]

I’m not sure if the one with neutral is ok, I saw a few threads with people posting about this issue, those with pictures are all having no neutral switches.

Just becareful with these switches, but they burnt with a very foul smell so Incase it really happens it should wake u up from ur sleep...at least I was woken up by it.

 

[AsusEpoxy]

I’m not sure if the one with neutral is ok, I saw a few threads with people posting about this issue, those with pictures are all having no neutral switches.

Just becareful with these switches, but they burnt with a very foul smell so Incase it really happens it should wake u up from ur sleep...at least I was woken up by it.

how long have u been using yours?