Hi, We purchased an original Hubitat, and recently we purchased the new version to try out. Our main interest is in using the Broadlink RM Pro.
I have pasted a custom app and driver for the RM Pro into the interface, and it seems to work really well. I had no problem learning IR and RF commands in the Hubitat interface, and I was able to test those commands from the App interface.
But I am really stuck creating a dashboard with buttons to press to issue simple commands (eg mute my TV) and a method to change channels that requires two IR codes (eg. CNN here is ch 17, so I need 1 and 7 to be transmitted).
I have tried everything I can think of for several hours, but I can't seem to make this work. Is there any chance anyone knows of a procedure to try?
You can create a virtual switch device and put that on the dashboard. Then create a Rule that triggers when the device is turned on to run the Broadlink command.
As @snell says above, you could program all numbers from 0 - 9, and create automations around them, and use a Virtual channel on the Dash? Do'able if a little long winded.
It is very cool. Just be aware that Dashboards support this but RM is limited to a number. So, in my drivers where I use (abuse?) buttons, I tend to support both:
Hi @Royski, @snell, thank you very much for your help! I am a noob to Hubitat, but I have purchased various hubs over the years (Vera, SmartThings, Wink, etc) and none of them really seemed to do what I need.
I really like what I'm seeing with Hubitat, and I will give this a try later on today. I think I just need to get over this initial learning curve. If I am able to make it work for CNN (ch 17 here), then I will consider it a success.
Hi, I tried setting this up, but I got quite confused by the Rule Machine. I'm wondering if I have set this up correctly, so perhaps someone can see where I have gone wrong. Clicking the dashboard button does nothing:
I would say turn on the logging for the rule to see if it is even being triggered.
What is the action it is performing? Turning on a light or something?
I made a virtual button and a DNGN Rule just to check if it triggered properly (even if pressed multiple times in a row). Here is what the Rule looks like:
And the resulting log from two presses (you can see the device logged the push, then the Rule logged the push event and that it triggered):
[app:71]2021-01-28 08:29:29.831 am [info]Virtual Button Presses Triggered
[app:71]2021-01-28 08:29:29.824 am [info]Virtual Button Presses: Virtual Button pushed 1
[dev:289]2021-01-28 08:29:29.719 am [info]Virtual Button button 1 was pushed
[app:71]2021-01-28 08:29:24.042 am [info]Virtual Button Presses Triggered
[app:71]2021-01-28 08:29:24.036 am [info]Virtual Button Presses: Virtual Button pushed 1
[dev:289]2021-01-28 08:29:23.961 am [info]Virtual Button button 1 was pushed
Hi @snell, thank you very much for your feedback. I think a big part of my problem is that I do not properly understand the rule mechanism, so I am going to study that today.
Basically, I am trying to send the (learned) IR codes of the Broadlink IR blaster (RM Pro model) that would select CNN here (which is ch 17 here).
At no point has it asked me which of the learned commands it wants me to transmit (1 followed by 7), so this is why I'm thinking I have not set up the rule properly. Thanks for the logging tip - I think I had turned that on, so I will go look at the log today.
Hi, I'm wondering if I need to do anything with this device screen for the RM Pro? (I can see my learned codes toward the bottom). I'm still trying to understand where I might tell the hubitat where I want to tell it to send a learned code:
What you want to do is send a custom action that uses the Actuator capability to send a Stored Code from your Broadlink. Here are a couple screenshots of one that I set up as an example to trigger one of our cleaner robots:
This one shows selecting the custom action and then the Actuator capability.
This one shows the Actuator selected, the custom command selected "SendStoredCode" and then you would send the value you are sending (in this case it is the name of the code stored).
Hi @snell, this seems to be precisely what I need to do, but I am still very confused as to where this is. Is it a device, or an app, or a rule, or what?
I have tried to match your screen, but I cannot seem to do this. I think I may be missing something because I am so new to Hubitat ...
By the way, I really appreciate your help with this, and I think I need just a little more information to activate the actuator.
Both of the last screenshots were from within Rule Machine. It is being triggered by the Virtual Button device, and it is telling the Actuator (a BroadLink device) to perform it's saved code.
I am using the Broadlink Device Manager (BETA) app (which is no longer available) and the Broadlink (BETA) driver (also no longer available). They were made by cybrmage (and worked well enough, there were sometimes some bugs) but for whatever reason they have left the community and withdrawn the app/driver. I do not know of any others at this time that do the job although I really hope someone comes up with one.
Just a point of reference. I'm running Node-Red w Broadlink Nodes on a RPi,. Also use VS to initiate BL nodes to issue codes to RM4. I was fortunate to find Samsung TV codes on line, no hassle of learning,,
Hi @snell, thanks for clarifying that, I will give it another go. Yes, I am using the same app and driver; it worked well for me, although learning RF was a bit tricky.
I had also used the Broadlink Manager app under Win 7, but unfortunately it is stand-alone. This is why I like the Hubitat system, because it can do so many other things. All I need the actual Broadlink app for is to connect to the wifi access point, then everything else happens in Hubitat.
Hi @snell, I think I am very close to resolving this procedure, but I just can't get it to work, so I am wondering if I'm missing something. For device creation (ie button on a dashboard), does this look correct? Or should it be a button of some kind?
Awesome!!
