Hubitat RF 433 MHz Options 06/2020 (e.g. broadlink, sonoff bridge)

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1

Hi there,

I am looking to setup RF capabilities for my hub to control some devices, I wanted to see how I could go about doing that. From browsing the forms it seems like my best options are Sonoff Bridge and Broadlink.

Here is what I have found on them so far, let me know what you think or if there is a better option out there.

--Broadlink Integrations

1)Hubitat and Broadlink RM Pro + WIFI + IR + RF Remote Controller ( an android app as a man in the middle , but reviews for the app suggest that it may not be working anymore)

  1. [WITHDRAWN] NATIVE Broadlink RM/RM Pro/RM Mini/SP driver & RC HVAC Manager (this is withdrawn which may cause some issues later down the road, please don't discuss why it is withdrawn or the legal issues, that can be discussed in the linked form)

  2. hombridge setup with a broadlink plugin

--Sonoff Bridge (or RF LINK??)

Basically this involves flashing with Tasmota and using a driver possibly from one of these three links , or all three could work, IDK it got a little confusing.

  1. [RELEASE] Tasmota for HE - Auto-detecting Tasmota drivers + Tasmota firmware 7.x/8.x for HE (for use with Tuya, Sonoff and other ESP devices)
    2)[Release] Sonoff RF Bridge and RFLink drivers using Tasmota 7.x firmware
    3)[RELEASE] Sonoff RF 433MHz Bridge

Any insight would be helpful.

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2

The post that you mentioned as #1 under broadlink got hijacked by the Android app use case.

I still use @rob121's broadlinkgo running locally on an RPi on my network. It is awesome and easy to setup and use.

Hubitat and Broadlink RM Pro + WIFI + IR + RF Remote Controller

Here are some brief instructions based on how I set mine up. Broadlink RM IR device api

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3

I use the Tasmotized Sonoff Bridge for a bunch of RF moisture sensors and a few motion sensors. I use Node Red though for the logic and it works great. I'm happy to help if you go the Node Red route but that does complicate things even though the controlling Node Red flow is simple.

I have a Broadlink in route from Banggod and was planning to try the HE integration but it looks like I missed that window so I will probably have to use Node Red for that also.

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4

The first question is, what are those devices? If any of them use rolling codes it becomes much more complex and of the options you mention only RFLink is likely to work. There may also be other alternatives.

For SONOFF Bridge you will need to flash custom firmware, both on the ESP chip and the RF chip. Describe your use case a bit more and I'm sure you'll find a solution.

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5

Good Point. I actually don't know if it uses rolling codes or not. I tried looking up the FCC filing for it, but couldn't find anything on rolling codes. How can I find out? Should I just email the manufacturer?

6

You can start by telling us the manufacturer name and model, very often someone here knows.

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That sounds interesting, I've been hearing about Node Red for a while now. Is it basically another hub? Does it run locally?

excuse my naivete

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Essentially yes. It runs on hardware external to the Hubitat - anything ranging from a RPi Zero to an Intel NUC.

Yes, it does. It can also be run in the cloud, but I guess that defeats the purpose of local control/processing.

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I have never seen any mention of flashing the RF chip. I didn't with mine. Do you have more details on that and the benefits?

10

The custom firmware is faster and can support many more types of devices. The RF firmware is called Portisch. When you change firmware, the format of the RF data is different, so you would have to re-record the signals. If things are working and you are happy, then no need to change, but for a new install I definitely recommend it.
This is the firmware I use:

11

@markus I am new to HE.

I am looking for a way to use the following 433Mhz devices

  1. TFA Dostmann 30.3163 (excellent Freezer/Fridge Temp Sensors)
  2. Oregon Scientific THN132N - Temp Sensor
  3. Lightwaverf JSJSLW100 - 10 button remote control

If looks possible that one of these works I am keen to go ahead.

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@habitat what are you currently using to receive those devices?

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Rfxcom a usb device plugs into my Mac for my current HA

I have got a workaround to the fridge/freezer temp sensors by using hue motion sensors

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One option could be using something like an RPi and Domoticz or Home Assistant along with your RFX. Both of those could output to MQTT which could then be consumed by Hubitat via one of the MQTT Apps (e.g. [Beta] MQTT beta 3d (released 5th July))

I also have RFX and use a similar route for integration. I only chimed in on your question as you mentioned the TFA 30.3163 ..... I bought one recently to test for use in a freezer and it seems to read +40°C high. It does seem linear though, so with an offset it should be OK. Does that match with your experience?

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I have just ordered a sonoff 433mhz Wi-Fi bridge, to play with on a slow boat from China so will take a while to get here.

Kept busy getting second HE up as main controller for the house, with the other HE just managing heating and hot water, the hue hubs managing automated lighting

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Yes, it does read 40c high you need to offset.

I am using the hue motion sensors in fridge and freezers and they are doing well with extra benefit of motion and luminance detection, for door open detection.