openHAB2 IHC binding

[Pauli Anttila]

Update 12.3.2019:

Binding has been merged to openHAB main repository and will available in 2.5 version. Before that, new version can be found from official openHAB snapshot builds.

Before official add-on documentation page is updated, binding documentation can found here.

 

NOTE. If you have used older beta versions of the binding, beware that there has been some breaking changes lately:

• Controller address parameter is not anymore ip, but hostname
• "-channel" suffix is removed from channel types. E.g. switch-channel is just switch.

 

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Even openHAB 1 IHC binding has been rock solid for many years, I finally decided to port the binding to support openHAB 2 features.

Latest version: https://openhab.jfrog.io/openhab/libs-pullrequest-local/org/openhab/binding/org.openhab.binding.ihc/2.4.0-SNAPSHOT/

Documentation link

Some improvements / features:

• By default, binding create channels automatically from project file (currently all dataline_inputs, dataline_outputs, airlink_inputs, airlink_outputs and resource_temperature).
• Auto creation can be disabled, and channels can be created manually (then all resource id's are supported).
• Support both Paper UI and thing files configuration.
• Channels for basic controller information (state, SW and HW version, controller uptime, etc).
• Trigger channels support (button short press, long press and extra long press).
• Support multiple controllers (those who have e.g. two controllers environment).

 

 

[EjvindHald]

Hi Pauli

Many people including me have benfitted a lot from your original binding 1.x to Openhab. Thank you very much for your effort developing very stable, flexible and robust software which have worked seamlessly for many years now.

That you have now decided to develop binding version 2.x for OpenHab2 is the best news in a long time. I would like to participate in testing, and I also have some input to this, which I will send you in a private email. If interested, I can also offer do donate something to you, because your binding has been of great value to me.

Ejvind

[Christian Alexandersen]

Hi Pauli

I have been using your stable IHC Binding for a long time and looking forward to se a OpenHab 2 version. Thanks for all your work

I would be happy to test the 2x version in my setup.

Christian

[Kandersen]

This sounds incredible. I can test as well, Openhab 2.2, Openhabian on an Rpi3.
Specially these days as I seem to get a strange error. OpenHab can read fine from the controller, but writing to the controller ends in a timeout error. This started a few days ago, and I have no idea why.

[Bjarne B. Dollerup]

I just set up my Controller to work with OpenHAB 2.2 on an OpenbianPi, so far I really like what I'm seeing.

I would love to test your new binding. 

[Pauli Anttila]

Here is the link to the first test version <-- see first post -->

Just drop the jar file to openHAB addons folder. Binding should work fine also with 2.2 openHAB version. Both version 1 and this new should run parallels also in the same openHAB instance. 

There is no documentation available yet, so I hope you familiar with the openHAB 2 and paper UI (or things file). I will create documentation, when channel structures and functionalities are more close to the final.

Good luck

 

Add new thing...

 

You can add new channels manually from icon right side of the Channels text.

 

[Kandersen]

Pauli, what will happen if I add this to an already exsisting Openhab 2.2 with IHC controller installed? (my main installation)

[EjvindHald]

Hi Pauli

Thanks. I have downloaded it and added to addons, and it showing up in Things. Also, it automaticly detects my inputs and outputs as shown below. However, it seems I can only press the blue "O" for the built-in Controller Channels and Signal Strength. All the autodetected content from my installation of type Switch creates no response when the blue "O" is pressed.

I am running version 2.3.0.

Can you help wit this?

Ejvind

[Pauli Anttila]

8 hours ago, Kandersen said:

Pauli, what will happen if I add this to an already exsisting Openhab 2.2 with IHC controller installed? (my main installation)

It should work fine.

[Pauli Anttila]

7 hours ago, EjvindHald said:

Hi Pauli

Thanks. I have downloaded it and added to addons, and it showing up in Things. Also, it automaticly detects my inputs and outputs as shown below. However, it seems I can only press the blue "O" for the built-in Controller Channels and Signal Strength. All the autodetected content from my installation of type Switch creates no response when the blue "O" is pressed.

I am running version 2.3.0.

Can you help wit this?

Ejvind

 

Did you try to refresh the page (reload the Paper UI page)? I have seen similar problem, but page refresh have always helped (issue is related to Paper UI not the binding itself).

[EjvindHald]

37 minutter siden, Pauli Anttila skrev:

Did you try to refresh the page (reload the Paper UI page)? I have seen similar problem, but page refresh have always helped (issue is related to Paper UI not the binding itself).

Yes, I have tried refresh and also several different browsers with same result. I do not know if it is related but I am using the new controller hw 7.

[LarsC]

44 minutter siden, Pauli Anttila skrev:

Did you try to refresh the page (reload the Paper UI page)? I have seen similar problem, but page refresh have always helped (issue is related to Paper UI not the binding itself).

Hi Pauli, and thanks for an updated add-on !

I have the same issue as Ejvind, I have tried an force-refresh (ctrl+f5) it does not change anything.

[Pauli Anttila]

OK, then I guess there is a real problem. What if you add channel manually? Can that be linked?

[LarsC]

Initially I could not click on the manually created channel either, but after a page refresh I could.

I just used some random channel and ressource id

[EjvindHald]

In the top built in channels there are only English characters, but in channels in my project there are also national Danish letters. These are not standard, but needs unicode to work. Can this be related?

[Pauli Anttila]

I updated the dropbox link to to updated binding version, which hopefully solve the linking problem.

2.3.0 RC1 Paper UI (at least) have couple issues now open related to channel linking, so there might still be some difficulties to link in some circumstances.

[EjvindHald]

I have now tested it again, and it looks good. I can now push and link to an item if needed, and it seems to be fine. However, so far I guess I will just keep an items file, because then everything is scripted which is convient. I have made this test in my items file, and it works fine:

Switch IHC2Spisebord "Spisebord2"   <phlampe>     {channel="ihc:controller:22d2638c:outputs#2845531"}

This is really good!

I have also tried to add a channel manually, which I could, but I could not get it to work. Maybe because I do not know proper channel naming. @Pauli AnttilaCan you provide an example of a channel like above for a manual added channel belonging to a resource in an function block?

From @Pauli AnttilaI would also like a channel example of the <, > ON, OFF, miliiseconds and more cool functions that were in binding 1.x. Then I will test those as well in the new binding.

Thanks.

[LarsC]

3 timer siden, Pauli Anttila skrev:

I updated the dropbox link to to updated binding version, which hopefully solve the linking problem.

2.3.0 RC1 Paper UI (at least) have couple issues now open related to channel linking, so there might still be some difficulties to link in some circumstances.

It works here aswell !

Good job !

[Pauli Anttila]

You can add channels manually from Paper UI

Add e.g. switch channel

Which will then look like following

 

Or you can manage things and channels via things file (e.g. ihc.things)

ihc:controller:elko [ ip="192.168.1.2", username="openhab", password="openhab", timeout=5000, loadProjectFile=true, createChannelsAutomatically=false ] {
    Channels:
        Type switch-channel : my_test_switch "My Test Switch" [
            resourceId=3988827
        ]
        
        Type contact-channel : my_test_contact "My Test Contact" [
            resourceId=3988827
        ]
        
        Type number-channel : my_test_number "My Test Number" [
            resourceId=3988827
        ]
}

which will look like following

 

[EjvindHald]

Thanks - I did add it in the way you have shown, but I could not get it to work in my items file. Can you provide an example of a line in an item file with a manual added channel?

[Pauli Anttila]

9 hours ago, EjvindHald said:

Can you provide an example of a line in an item file with a manual added channel?

You can see full channel links e.g. from Paper UI. In my example (test-switch),

item definition is 

Switch testSwitch { channel="ihc:controller:elko:test-switch" }

 

[Kandersen]

Pauli - Is it normal to create items as things?
From you screendumps, it looks like you´re creating items (switch) as a thing?

[Pauli Anttila]

33 minutes ago, Kandersen said:

Pauli - Is it normal to create items as things?
From you screendumps, it looks like you´re creating items (switch) as a thing?

Items can't be created as a thing. Which screenshot you are referring?

I have created channels which can be then linked to the items. Every channel also have a data type, e.g. Switch, which can be then linked to Switch item.

 

[EjvindHald]

22 timer siden, Pauli Anttila skrev:

You can see full channel links e.g. from Paper UI. In my example (test-switch),

item definition is 

Switch testSwitch { channel="ihc:controller:elko:test-switch" }

 

Hi Pauli

I have it working now, but I do not know the core reason for the problem. After I dropped and recreated it in PaperUI 2 times it suddenly worked. I never received any errors, but no messages were submitted to the IHC controller. At last messages were sent, and the controller reacted to the input. I verified everything in Service View.

So everything seems to be fine. Only thing remaining is to test <, > ON, OFF along with milliseconds. This is a very powerful feature of the binding. Looking forward to a line example in the items file for that, so I can test this also. Thanks.

Ejvind

[Kandersen]

11 timer siden, Pauli Anttila skrev:

Items can't be created as a thing. Which screenshot you are referring?

I have created channels which can be then linked to the items. Every channel also have a data type, e.g. Switch, which can be then linked to Switch item.

 

My mistake, I missread your screendump 

[Pauli Anttila]

Does anyone have idea what is the scale (min, max, etc) of the battery level and signal strength for wireless devices?