Homebridge Plug-in

I'm probably biased but yes, it's been great for me.

The two new versions that @dan.t have built are terrific. They completely eliminate the Hubitat side App in favor of a more integrated feel. MakerAPI is Hubitat built and included, HubConnect is a Community created add-on.

I have yet to try the MakerAPI version, but there's a thread on just that here too...

Dan is actively working these products and has / is making great progress.

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I'm a long time user of @tonesto7's version and still use his version for SmartThings (and NST Manager).

I do find that the new MakerAPI version seems a bit faster and more reliable, but I've only been using about a week so far.

So I'm trying to understand the ins and outs of Homebridge. Let me start by saying Im in IT and a Software Developer. So Ive messed with a bit of code. Im just trying to get things up and running and some of the many documentation seems to be a bit confusing. Ive installed Homebridge on WHS2011 machine along with your Hubitat plugin. I have the UI X interface up and running, Hubitat has all the driver code installed and devices configured. I have paired Homekit with Homebridge but this seems to be where my problem starts. Nothing populates in Homekit when I pair, Nothing populates in Homebridge either. I can watch the Node logs and I see all devices reporting to Homebridge. I assume the devices should show up in Accessories and eventually into Homekit, but its not. I have also reset and repaired Homebridge twice with Homekit and it has resulted the same every time. So what am I missing here?

Try using Maker API plug in instead ..

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If you're not using this Homebridge MakerAPI app and node.js plug-in combination, then you should. It's a lot more stable and faster than the original app and plugin that @tonesto7 created. He'll tell you the same.

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@logeo2004-register We don't really know where you are starting from and so our advice is going to be great, but not necessarily on point...

How is your Homebridge setup built? On a Raspberry Pi? You say:

In general, you should have no driver code to install. Maybe you mean you have installed the MakerAPI App builtin to Hubitat. Maybe you mean something else.

Have you used Dan's excellent web tool for building the Homebridge config.json? You pasted it in via the UI X and restarted Homebridge?

So if you could take the time to help us understand where you started and where you are now, our advice will be more focused on your next step.

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noted.

I miss spoke on the driver code. I meant tobnesto7 App code for the Hubitat connector. Ill look at the link but I have set up the config in Homebrige and the logs in Homebridge show its streaming data from Hubitat to Homebridge. My issue(my thoughts) seems to be with adding Homebridge to Homekit. Based on other tutorials when I add Homebridge I should see all the devices from Hubitat to add to Homekit as well. I dont get that option. Im able to assign Homebridge a room in Homekit but it doesnt show up in that room. It does however show up as a Hub in Homekit. I will take a look at the Maker APi option.

If you have a Raspberry Pi, I built a bootable image file that gives you Homebridge + Node-Red in one. They are independent packages on the rPi, you can use one package or the other or both... start with one, use the other months from now.

Homebridge has the Hubitat plugin's installed already.
Node-Red has the Hubitat palettes installed already.

http://homebridge.hubitatcommunity.com/rpi/

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Yea, Ive been trying to avoid another piece of equipment and utilize my server more but it seams I might have to go that way.

No, you don't have to go that way. You can rewind and install the Hubitat focused version of Homebridge vs tonesto7's ST focused version. I think that's all we're suggesting.. that here, in the Hubitat Community, we have a lot of experience with Homebridge BUT using the Hubitat focused package.

If you wanted to NOT uninstall the existing version you could TRY it via the rPi image I built, then draw your own conclusions. If you got it working via an rPi, then when you decided to rewind and rebuild your server, you would have a config.json that worked, for example. I would think that would make the rewind a little easier, perhaps. :slight_smile:

The short version is: Just install the Hubitat-Homebridge-MakerAPI version into your existing Homebridge system. Just add another plugin. Then alter the config.json to use the new plugin and not use the old. You will have to have created a MakerAPI installation first, of course.

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To reiterate what @csteele said. I just started using Homebridge with Hubitat. It literally took me 20 minutes (including putting devices into Rooms) using @dan.t's MakerAPI Hubitat integration for Homebridge.

I installed homebridge 1.1.1 as a node server on an Odroid that I have other node servers running already. But if hadn't had that, I would have simply used @csteele's new RPi image.

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I wasnt aware tonesto7's was ST focused version. maybe this was the issue. My search for Hubitat version s really only lead to tonesto7 and Maker. Haveing said that, I switched to Maker and it had no issue connecting and populating devices. functionality of the devices seem to be hit or miss but reporting is spot on. I see an occasion GET timeout error to the Hubitat. Short of that I can live with it! Thanks for the feedback.

Using the UI X and searching for "hubitat" would display the 3 choices:

Tonesto7's version is prominent, but it's been superseded by the versions from Dan.Tapps. If you have multiple hubs and are connecting them via HubConnect, then that version makes more sense. For everyone else, the MakerAPI version is the right choice.. should be default choice, really. :smiley:

As I mentioned, the most vocal of us using Homebridge use @dan.t versions (I use the HubConnect version) it's those versions you'll get the most help with. :slight_smile:

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I have this issue as well with my blinds. I can set the blinds to almost closed and it goes to that setting but if I just try and close them it does not work and I get the same error as above. Is there something I can do to fix this?

New Version Coming

I have recently moved my whole home over to HE and the remaining item was HomeKit
I tried the new maker API version and but it was missing the flexibility and performance of the newly rewritten from the ground up as a dynamic homebridge plugin I wrote for ST.
It ran great on ST and is just so much better on HE.
I know that there used to be performance issues with using the app as an endpoint in the past but i've tweaked this new version to run under HE without using the maker API and events web socket (At least for now).
I've been running it with 148 devices and it's been solid and not slowing my hub down one bit.
If anyone is interested in testing it out let me know, I didn't need to make many changes to make it work on HE but I will continue refining it over the coming weeks.

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Sure!

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I'd definitely be interested, @tonesto7

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Could you speak to what the difference is between what flexibility and performance you are prioritizing v.s. the Maker API route?

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The plugin:

  • It's so a much more efficient design and way easier to maintain and expand upon.
  • Because the plugin is now a dynamic homebridge plugin it no longer needs to be restarted to add remove devices.

The custom app:

  • The issue with the previous app used local hub action commands which had issues when lots of them are made.
  • The maker API is just a premade app with exposed endpoints just like is possible in a custom app with a predefined command structure.
  • The new app uses standard HTTP requests (with defined timeouts) to prevent hub slowdowns.
    My biggest reason for using a custom smartapp is its ability to transform or remove attributes/capabilities of the devices without needing to customize the config files.

I initially set out to at least use the events websocket but all my testing is showing me that it's not necessary to receive real time events under homekit.

All I can say is set up a second instance and test it out.

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