Hubitat Elevation device handler for the Pixelblaze addressable LED controller.
12/24/2019 Version updated to 1.0 - this is a major update
What is a Pixelblaze?
For information on the Pixelblaze, visit its home: www.electromage.com
Pixelblaze is an ESP32 based programmable LED controller with a fast
fixed-point integer Javascript-like interpreter built in. It's very easy
to create and save complex lighting patterns, animated or not.
What can I do with this driver?
This driver gives the Hubitat basic control over the Pixelblaze - on/off, brightness,
get pattern list, set active pattern, etc.. It works with RuleMachine, so you can
coordinate the Pixelblaze with your other home automation devices.
For example I have mine set up to automatically turn on/off depending on ambient light level,
in sync with the rest of my Hue setup. I also have it run a nice candlelight pattern for a few
minutes if a motion detector sees somebody coming downstairs in the middle of the night.
What's New in this Version (1.00)
Alternate on/off method
You can now choose between two methods:
1.Set specific patterns to use for on and off states. The advantage of this method
is that it gives you complete control over what "on" and "off" actually mean.
2.Use hardware brightness to switch on and off. This has the advantage of
being completely pattern independent. It works like... an on/off switch.
To preserve compatibility with the previous version, the default is method 1 - using
patterns. To switch to the new method, just unset the "Use Patterns for On and Off"
switch in preferences, then save preferences.
Lazy Connection
Connects to the Pixelblaze via websocket only when necessary to keep traffic and load on
devices to a minimum. You are connected only when you issue a command or request status.
After a short period of inactivity (configurable via a constant in the code), the connection
is closed.
Auto-reconnect and Sync
The device handler now periodically polls for status and configuration. So if you use the
Pixelblaze's web interface to change settings or edit patterns, or if the Pixelblaze
(or the Hubitat) should go offline, connection will be automatically reestablished, and
hardware state and pattern list resynced.
It's not instant - if you're actively working on things and need connection now, use the
"Initialize" and "Get Patterns" buttons, but if left unsupervised, the device handler will
quickly return to its normal working state.
Improved Pattern Handling
Quality-of-life improvements. "Set Active Pattern" is joined by "Random Pattern", "Next"
and "Previous" to make switching and exploring patterns a litte easier. I've also exposed
the Pixelblaze's internal pattern sequencer, which rotates between
all available patterns on a timer.
SetVariables (replaces SetVariable)
The SetVariables command takes a json-formatted string composed of the names and values
of variables exported by the currently active pattern. See readme.md in the repository
for details and example code.
To Use
Set up your Pixelblaze. Take note of it's IP address.
On your Hubitat Elevation's admin page, select "Drivers Code", then click the
"New Driver" button. Paste the Groovy driver code from this repository into
the editor window and click the "SAVE" button.
Create a new virtual device on your Hubitat, name and label it, and select
"Pixelblaze Controller" as the device type. Save your new device.
Click the new device on the Hubitat's "Devices" page, and enter your Pixelblaze's
IP address and port number (which should be 81) in the provided field.
If you are using on and off patterns (selected by switch in device preferences),
you will also need to enter the names of the patterns to use for the "On" and "Off"
states. You can use any pattern stored on your Pixelblaze.
For the "Off" pattern, I just wrote a quick pattern that does
nothing when called to render pixels. Like this:
export function render(index) {
; // do absolutely nothing
}
But again, you can have "On" and "Off" do anything you like!
