Thanks. I have no experience with the Yolink hub at all, so your understanding is obviously better than mine.
I'm no expert either.
I wish they would just release an official local API, or other local integration capability.
But such is life.
2 Likes
Did some digging and it looks like they're delayed, but progressing toward a new hub that will supersede the hub 3 and support both Matter and local api connection (YS1606-UC).
The manual for the YS1606-UC has been found in the wild and you can see the Matter and Local API connection methods on page 34.
Unfortunately, I'm guessing this will be similarly priced at $100 USD (and who the heck knows how much for Canadians, no thanks to this stupid trade war we're now in).
1 Like
Yup, the repeatedly delayed new hub seems promising. Will be interesting to see what it can/can't do when released.
1 Like
For what it is worth, I have several yolink temp/humidity sensors that I really like for battery life and range including penetration of Fridge/Freezer. I have been messing with the API and MQTT connections via the cloud.
I am a fan of local and so I have been looking at the promised local hub. Well it turns out the release of the local hub is imminent. I got an email from their support and they said that it had been received in their warehouse and so should be released soon. They gave me the opportunity to buy one early and in theory (USPS) it is arriving tomorrow 2/18.
That said, I suspect that it may be a real challenge to get people excited because while it has a few things that are great (local control and backup power from a swappable Lion battery), it has several things that are less than great (API access, but no MQTT, price approx $200 US). Then it has a few things that aren't for me, but maybe matter to others. Subscription backup connection to the cloud via built in 4G.
They have update the API documentation to speak to local access. Those updates are at:
As I said, I got early purchase access at 50% discount if they do actually price it at $200 which I think is way too much given the rest of the smart home universe, but at least the local APIs breaks it out of their walled garden.
If I learn anything more surprising once I have it in my hands, I will post more, but I suspect most of my interactions will be via Node-Red as I have more dev experience there.
Oh, the Matter connections are described in the manual posted before, but I have not really done anything on that front, so have no opinion on either the implementation or the value of that.
2 Likes
Thanks for the info.
It will be interesting to see the reality of it when it comes out. $200 is steep, but not crazy steep (in my opinion).
They make nice devices, so it would be good for everyone the more they remove barriers to implement (like relying on the cloud).
Here is the link to it. I'm going to hold out until a sale or until after local integrations start rolling out. At $100 it would be an instant buy/roll the dice. At $199 I'll wait and see.
But it is nice to see it finally happening!
5 Likes
I'm trying to get a Local Hub sent to me so I can update my current integration solution.
3 Likes
I hope you get yours Steve. I have received my Local Hub and wanted to pass along a few notes. First as far as I can tell, unlike access device info on the cloud, it supports API access only. It doesn't do MQTT. I suspect this will mean polling via API will be the only way to keep up with measurements like I care about from my Temperature and Humidity Sensor.
On the other hand assuming your hub has internet access, the cloud data sources (API and MQTT are both still there).
I also suspect that you need internet access and the app to working via the cloud to initially setup devices. The sequence is first set up the device just like before the local hub existed, then you go into the local hub via the app and assign it to the local hub. Only after that point will the local hub respond via the API with data about that device. Assuming the hub maintains internet connectivity, then you can get temperature readings (as an example), on the display of the device, on the app, via API from local hub, via API from the cloud, and via MQTT from the cloud.
The one part of this that I think is disappointing is that I am still dependant on their ongoing success to be able to bind a device to my account which in turn has the hub bound to it as well.
Finally, they are still working through with growing pains. I was working to get the local API working and was getting an error message on the app in the place where the User Id and Security secret were supposed to be displayed (do note they are different than the ones used for cloud API access). I had to reach out to support who referred me to engineering who then replied after fixing the problem. Here is an excerpt from the email from the engineer:
We’ve identified an issue with the initialization configuration of some P1606 devices in the US market, which is affecting certain functionalities. I believe this is the main cause of the issues you are currently experiencing.
I’ve now pushed the updated configuration to your device, and I believe its LAN and related features are functioning properly.
PS. I don't have any Matter capability yet (still rockin C-5 hubs) and so I can't speak at all to what benefits that unlocks nor what holes it might have.
If anyone has questions for someone with a local hub and Temperature Humidity sensor, but on triggerable devices, feel free to ask me.
1 Like
Thanks!
I'm assuming you're both following the bottom of this thread on the HA site:
As for MQTT for the local API, Matter will help with alot of that, as by the matter spec, a matter controller can register for subscriptions, and get async updates changes per the device attributes. - So via Matter, you could effectively get "real-time" changes without polling (similar to what you can do with MQTT). That all said, I believe more attributes are exposed via the local API, than via Matter clusters - Aka battery levels, firmaware revs, RSSI radio signal strength - I'm guessing none of that is in the initial Matter clusters that are exposed. - But I'm assuming the local API does expose alot of that.. - We'll have to see if they continue to add more to their matter interface, to meet the later requirements of Matter V1.3 and beyond, or if they add their own propritatary clusters.
My thought to effectively get exclusive local access similiar to what's done today with MQTT and the cloud API, would be a combination of Matter subscriptions, to get the asynch updates like MQTT, and then use that to trigger the API read to get the rest of the "missing/detailed" attributes. - Until the API is dug into more depth, the above is a bit of speculation on my behalf, just based on reading the HA thread linked above. But your right about provisiing still having to be done via the companies "cloud tools" before things are exposed to Matter or the local API..
We live in interesting times! (as least as it relates to the long promised YoLink local hub.)
There are only so many places I can track and while I have dipped my toes on Home Assistant, it is not one I am following at the moment that said, if you want to copy over anything I put here to that forum feel free.
Having read what was posted there, I wanted to highlight what I have found as far as reporting from my T/H Sensors.
I have 4 hubs total (including the new local) due to the way certain things were on sale while purchasing. I discovered that before the local hub existed, my T/H sensor's reading would be available only on the account to which it had been bound. I make the distinction because, I had 2 hubs bound to 1 account along with all of the sensors to that same account. Then I created another account with the 3rd original hub. I didn't bind any of the sensors to that account. What I thought was interesting (and some might construe as a security risk), is that the sensor reading would reach the yolink cloud and thus the app even if I powered down the 2 hubs on the account with the sensors while leaving the 3rd active.
My conclusion was that any yolink hub would transmit sensor readings to the cloud, but they would only be easily visible to the account to which they were bound.
Now with the new local hub things work a little differently. With the new hub bound to the account with 2 hubs and all of the sensors, I then had the ability to move devices to the "Local Network" created on the Local Hub. Once I had done this, then sensor readings were available in all of the places they previously had been, plus the local api. So far so good. This made me wonder, what would happen when the local hub was powered down. (By the way unlike the original hubs, it has a power switch). End result, apparently once a device is moved to "Local Network" its broadcast is only transmitted by the Local hub. When that local hub is off, neither the old hub on the same account, nor the old hub on the alternate account, transmit the sensor reading to the cloud. (Strictly speaking, it is possible with someone with the time and skills to monitor network traffic, they might find they are in fact transmitting it to the cloud and then the cloud is throwing it away.)
Net result bound devices moved to a local network become dependant the local hub both to have local data and interactions, but also to get the data to the cloud.
FYI. Regarding MQTT for the local hub, I asked and the engineer that had fixed my earlier problem, said that they are working on it plan to have that capability. I hope that is true as it would be ideal for my use cases. Not timeline was hinted at much less promised.
Steve - Just curious if you ever got a local hub, as it sounds like the 0605 firmware stabilized Matter, and added local MQTT into the hubs firmware - I'm still following the bottom of the thread: YoLink integration - #878 by ivanhartley - Third party integrations - Home Assistant Community - But it now reads like the local hub is out of stock, given HW limitations (and it's doubtful tariffs will help in this situation). Just curious if you ever got a local hub to rework some of your HE integration?
Nope. From what I gather, there are still major issues getting the new hub to work locally. 
1 Like
I'm likely going to buy a local hub, based on the next batch of available HW - My guess is end of June or July (but if it's over $200 with tariffs, I may reconsider). - Regardless, I'll check in again at that point, as I'm willing to either help procure the new HW for you to work on a matter/local port, or I'll be willing to loan you my HW.
Either way, I'm guessing this is still 2-3 months out, but I'm rather pleased that they FINALLY released something, and they seem to be adding HW (more sensors) and needed API (local MQTT) support with a new 0605 release -
My SWAG is that they are running into memory limits on the current ExpressIf chipset, and they they are having to provision more RAM or flash or the HW - But that is a personal guess - Regarless, it definitely sounds like the ball is finally moving down the field at this point (at least that's my impression), so I'm thrilled with even small victories at this point (after 2.5 years of waiting.)
What chaps my butt is that they promised this integration on the "Pro Hub" with a future firmware upgrade. I got that hub a while back in anticipation of the firmware update. Now they screwed us and came out with the "Local Hub".
1 Like
