Homebridge/Lutron & Other Interface

[Wxchaser]

I installed Raspian Jessie on a Raspberry Pi 3 this morning - updated and did Homebridge installation (although I didn't make or change JSON files). I got as far as getting the code and pairing the Homebridge with Apple Home (Homekit app).

When I did an NPM search for Lutron (wanting to use Homebridge to turn on all my switches and lights), I couldn't find anything that would work for Lutron.

My generic NPM search was from here:

https://www.npmjs.com/search?q=homebridge-plugin &page=1&ranking=optimal

All I could find for Lutron were 2 items and neither worked for me:

https://www.npmjs.com/search?q=homebridge-plugin Lutron&page=1&ranking=popularity

I'd like advice from those that have configured Homebridge for multiple home automation providers - thanks for any help. For now, I left the Raspberry Pi 3 configured to auto boot into Homebridge & just have to configure some JSON files and find the right packages.

 

[gildorn]

Which Lutron system do you have?

 

[Wxchaser]

Lutron Caséta Wireless dimmers and switches - PD-6WCL dimmers & PD-6ANS wireless switches. I couldn't find anything that worked for Lutron on Homebridge yet.

The Lutron app works fine but I want something I can control/automate my home lighting with that includes Lutron, Philips Hue & LIFX products.

 

[gildorn]

If you have relatively recent LIFX and Hue, you may not need Homebridge at all. All three of those systems support HomeKit directly now. You'd turn on HomeKit from all three systems, then cross their functionality from the Home app itself. Homebridge is only really necessary when the product's HomeKit support doesn't exist (or is missing something it should have).

Caséta supports HomeKit directly and has since nearly the beginning, so no one really bothered to hack together a Homebridge plugin — the Lutron ones you're looking at are for RadioRA2, their higher-end system. Just go into the Lutron Caséta app and enable HomeKit there.

Edit: If you have a first generation Caséta hub, you'll need to upgrade to a second gen for HomeKit support.

 

[Wxchaser]

I have the Lutron Smart Bridge Pro - Lutron Caseta L-BDGPRO2. In HomeKit , after I added the Philips Hue hub, everything is working properly. However, if I am using the Lutron app or iConnectHue, i am only seeing the Philips Hue equipped lights/rooms.

I noticed that my Apple TV 4K was showing as connected under Home Hubs, so I went into settings - accounts - and logged out of iCloud & now my Living Room (HomePod) is showing as connected.

So thanks very much for your suggestions! I just have to figure out why the Hue app and the iConnectHue app are only showing the Philips Hue equipped lights/rooms. I know the Lutron app will only show the Lutron attached equipment and a few other things.

The Lutron Office Smart Bridge Pro 2 shows up in HomeKit with 5 accessories (dining room, exercise room, living room ceiling fan, living room lights, and office). I reset HomeKit & Siri from the Hue app. In the Lutron app I show my current home listed correctly. Under Advanced, do I need to have Integration have the Telnet Support toggled on? My network settings on that screen are correct & I generated an integration report and emailed it to myself.

So - perhaps I am misunderstanding cross-compatibility - as you said HomeKit is working properly, but the other apps appear to be proprietary and are only showing aka the Philips connected hub and lights.

Thanks for your help!

Also just noticed I didn't have the Home icon in Control Center so I just added that. Thanks again gildorn.

 

[gildorn]

So - perhaps I am misunderstanding cross-compatibility - as you said HomeKit is working properly, but the other apps appear to be proprietary and are only showing aka the Philips connected hub and lights.

This is the core of it, yes. If you want to automate across both Lutron and Hue, then you have to use the Home app. Or a third party app that uses HomeKit to show you all your HomeKit accessories.

(If they wanted to, Lutron or Philips could use HomeKit to show you other systems' lights, but they have chosen not to build this support.)

I noticed that my Apple TV 4K was showing as connected under Home Hubs, so I went into settings - accounts - and logged out of iCloud & now my Living Room (HomePod) is showing as connected.

You might want to turn that back on just so you have a backup Home Hub. You need to have a Home Hub for automation or to control HomeKit when away from your home network. You can have multiple set up. It'll pick one to use. If that one goes offline it'll use one of the others.

 

[Wxchaser]

This is the core of it, yes. If you want to automate across both Lutron and Hue, then you have to use the Home app. Or a third party app that uses HomeKit to show you all your HomeKit accessories.

(If they wanted to, Lutron or Philips could use HomeKit to show you other systems' lights, but they have chosen not to build this support.)

You might want to turn that back on just so you have a backup Home Hub. You need to have a Home Hub for automation or to control HomeKit when away from your home network. You can have multiple set up. It'll pick one to use. If that one goes offline it'll use one of the others.

Do you know of any 3rd party apps that show all your Homekit accessories as you mentioned?

I wanted my HomePod to be the primary home hub as I have it always connected whereas my ATV 4K is in "sleep" mode when not in use. Do you recommend I turn off the sleep settings? I can re-enable it in accounts with iCloud. The primary reason I bought HomePod was to use for home automation, although the other aspects of it are pretty good to use also!
[doublepost=1520790032][/doublepost]I turned back on the ATV 4K in my living room/home theater - so now my home hubs appear as Living Room Connected (which is my HomePod), Apple TV 4K on Standby, and Apple TV Office on Standby.

I changed my sleep settings to never on the ATV 4K and will possibly change the sleep settings in the one in my office.

Good suggestions, thanks.

 

[gildorn]

You don't need to turn off sleep. The AppleTV will maintain as much of a connection as needed to wake as much as it needs to control your HomeKit accessories. The HomePod is basically doing the same thing.


I know the Elgato Eve app will show more HomeKit accessories than just their own. This third party app called (confusingly) Home allows for some more sophisticated automation.

 

[Wxchaser]

You don't need to turn off sleep. The AppleTV will maintain as much of a connection as needed to wake as much as it needs to control your HomeKit accessories. The HomePod is basically doing the same thing.


I know the Elgato Eve app will show more HomeKit accessories than just their own. This third party app called (confusingly) Home allows for some more sophisticated automation.

Turned sleep settings back to 15 minutes on ATV 4K and will look into the Elgato Eve app - much appreciated.

Edit - just noticed that app is $14.99 so will do a little research on it first before jumping in. After doing some reading and checking out the reviews, it appears the developer is very responsive and updates the program frequently and listens to consumer questions and requests. I may purchase this after my next light upgrade in my kitchen and outside lighting, as his program appears to be very robust!