For those struggling with getting your Daikin aircons with new cloud-connected wifi controllers (class C - BRP072Cxx) hooked up on Hubitat:
The only stable and working solution I found is to equip each inside aircon unit with a second wifi controller of class B that maintains local network support and does not require outside internet connection.
There is one possible alternative that works with the original built-in wifi controllers, but it does require a Home Assistant to run in parallel with Hubitat, a bridge app between HA and HE and a customized driver - and is generally less reliable and stable.
My aircon units are FVXM35A (floor unit) and several FTXM20R (wall unit).
STABLE SOLUTION:
Install a second wifi controller from the class B inside each inside aircon unit and hook it up to HE using the driver from bendews.
PROs:
- local network connection - works always when your local network is up
- no dependence on Daikin's cloud
- no dependence on a 3rd party smart home hub
- time-tested driver
- you can use Daikin's new cloud app (Onecta) AND their older app (Daikin Residential Controller) AND have it hooked up on HE
*extra redundancy - if one wifi controller stops working - you have a backup and can control the unit via the other app
CONs:
- expensive - it set me off almost €100 per inside aircon unit
- you end up with 2 wifi controllers in each unit (I still need to check whether I can disconnect the original C class units)
What you need for each inside unit:
- network controller : BRP069B42 or BRP069B41 - same controller, but the first comes with a 5-pin cable and the other without. A class controllers should work the same way too - as @eriktack mentioned above - not sure what is the difference exactly. There is an Ebay store called py.store shipping those from Bulgaria - mine were delivered within a week and cost $66+shipping: Daikin Air Conditioner Wi-Fi Online Controller BRP069B41 (BRP069A41) | eBay
- 5-pin jumper cable: if you buy the B41 controllers like me, you will need a jumper cable with 5 pins - like this one that I paid €1.95 for: https://elektronicavoorjou.nl/product/jumper-wire-5-pins-30cm/
- EKRS21 Daikin S21 cable adapter. Check your local aircon online shops for who is selling those - they are typically used to install Daikin's wall mounted wired remote control - so they seem to be generally available everywhere where their units are sold. EKRS21 | Daikin - mine cost me €22.50 (yes outrageously pricey!)
Alternative for the S21 cable adapter - though rather flimsy - would be to use jumper cables directly out of the S21 connector - as documented here: Daikin arico wifi vervangen door S21 wifi module - Duurzame energie en installaties - GoT
Installation:
- turn off power to your aircon system (typically fixed main switch inside your home main power switch box)
- take off the cover, blower direction flap, power connection cover and motherboard cover - this video helped me do that: How to clean air conditioner. Properly cleaning a dirty air conditioner. Daikin air conditioner - YouTube . Be careful with the clicking system on top of the plastic cover of the wall units - unclick them carefully to not to break them.
- connect the EKRS21 adapter to the S21 slot on the motherboard.
- use the 5-pin jumper cable to then connect to your new wifi adapter.
- find a space within our outside the unit to hide the new wifi adapter in - one that is NOT covered by a metal cover plate. On my wall units there is a little empty space at the top right corner. On my floor unit I found space at the bottom right. If your cable is long enough, you can install the wifi adapter outside of the unit on the wall.
- close everything again
- install Daikin Residential Controller app on your phone
- follow the very clear instructions in the app to add a new unit: Menu/Add Adapter (easiest by using the WPS button on your router)
- once you see the unit, test that you can control it via the app and note down its IP address and MAC address (unit settings icon top right).
- fix the IP address on your router to that unit's MAC address to make sure your router will not assign it with a different one later
- install the Daikin aircon driver "Daikin WiFi Split System Hubitat". This is a driver originally created by bendews for SmartThings and then ported by Eric Tack (@eriktack) to Hubitat: GitHub - eriktack/hubitat-daikin-wifi: SmartThings Device Handler for Daikin WiFi Systems - Erik's original thread here:
[Release] Daikin AC Wifi Controller - create a new Hubitat virtual device and select the Daikin aircon driver (find it under user drivers at the bottom of the list). Save the device.
- under the device preferences - find Daikin WiFi IP Address field and fill that in. Leave the port set to the default port 80.
- test that you can control the unit via the new virtual device in Hubitat and eventually create a corresponding dashboard item.
THE CLOUD ALTERNATIVE (aka the "mad professor option"):
Hook-up the Daikin cloud wifi controllers on HomeAssistant via new custom adapter code, bridge Hubitat with HomeAssistant and install customized Daikin driver on Hubitat to control your units.
PROs:
- no need to buy a separate wifi controller for each unit
- no double wifi controllers
- no need to disassemble the units
- much cheaper
CONs:
- dependence on Daikin's cloud and outside internet connection
- dependence on HomeAssistant aside of Hubitat
- dependence on bridge app between HA and HE
- more technical
- specially customized driver of HA/HE bridge that is not on the main development branch - solely for this Daikin setup - cannot update the bridge drivers in future
- some bugs, unexplained quirks and reliability issues
- Daikin's own cloud link is unstable
What you need:
- HomeAssistant hub running on your local network - e.g. on a Raspberry PI.
- Home Assistant Device Bridge (HADB) app installed on Hubitat
- custom drivers from @gabriel_kpk - he was kind enough to share them with me - I could forward if he is ok with that
Installation:
- Install HomeAssistant on a separate system - Raspberry PI, thin client PC or any other machine you can keep always running.
- install the new Daikin C class driver in HomeAssistant from here - follow instructions carefully - including the adding of your Daikin Onecta user and password to the YAML configuration file - and restart HomeAssistant: GitHub - rospogrigio/daikin_residential: Cloud control of Daikin devices that are supported by Daikin Residential Controller app.
- Your aircon units will be automatically discovered by HA - configure/name them within your HomeAssistant.
- install the Home Assistant Device Bridge (HADB) - [RELEASE] Home Assistant Device Bridge (HADB)
- replace the driver code of HADB by @gabriel_kpk 's customized HADB driver code
- install @gabriel_kpk 's Daikin aircon driver
- create a new virtual device with the new Daikin aircon driver, save then edit IP address in preferences to point to your aircon's IP address and save again.
CONCLUSION
As I said - I already invested into the local network option and it works great. I am happy I am not dependent on Daikin's cloud nor HomeAssistant instance.
The alternative solution is a viable workaround and @gabriel_kpk has put some great work there to make it happen, but it needs more effort to tune out some bugs and quirks and it adds a lot of software complexity since it requires 2 different hubs, a bridge app between those hubs and a bunch of custom drivers you have to keep in mind to maintain in future.
Hope this will help someone out there.
