News about HomeKit and Vera

[rstrouse]

siri doesnt seem to understand "turn off" for me.. which is annoying to say the least.

Yeah I got that same problem with women.

[pepe6859]

I guess what I meant was instead of relying on Vera (the company) to build a better UI or a better app or relying on 3rd party developers that have a Vera to build better Vera apps or cool things for people to use... With homekit (at least for us iOS users) you have the potential for a developer that has for example a SmartThings hub or a wink hub to build some awesome tools or apps that can be used by people that have a Vera or a Homeseer hub. 

I think what's possible here is that you could take all your scenes and logic out of Vera and instead put it into a homekit app.

Just to clarify my view on home automation, I have sensors and scenes and logic that automated everything without me having to do anything. However there's times when I'm in bed and I want to adjust the fan or I'm on the couch and want to dim the lights. Being able to tell Siri, turn the fan to 50% is so simple and easy vs using an app or getting up and going to a switch.


Fantastic!!! That what you said is what at least Im looking for since long ago. My VeraLite is working seamless, but, I miss that, I miss SIRI when laying on the couch and need to send the window shutter down to kill sun refletion, then I need to open VeraMate and bla, bla, bla... SIRI is missing there!!!! Nothing like that for those specific moments. Hey, I use reading glasses hehehehehe

Nice work, keep on going!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mda]

Hi @Albeebe

I feel like I am close to getting this working, but just not quite there yet. Can you help me out please?

I tried downloading your .zip and following the instructions, but the sever would not start.

Then I installed HomeBridge per the instructions and i am able to get the server running (the myTouchHome iOS app sees some demo Accesories in it).

If i copy everything from your .zip into my homebridge folder (replacing the files it asks to replace) the server will not start:

However, if i replace everything but /lib with your version (editing app.js to have my vera's IP), the server does start and all my Vera lights etc are listed in console output, though only some are listed in myTouchHome and trying to turn them on/off results in a timeout.

Code: [Select]

homebridge mda$ npm run start

> VeraHomeKitBridge@0.0.0 start /Users/mda/homebridge
> node app.js

Starting Vera HomeKit Bridge...
Create accessory: AV Closet Fan
TCP server accepting connection on port: 51826
HAP Server is listening

...

Create accessory: Master Bedroom Light
TCP server accepting connection on port: 52756
HAP Server is listening
Create accessory: Master Desk Light
TCP server accepting connection on port: 52818
HAP Server is listening

...

New Session 54301
Server Connection Established 50329
Start Verify M1
Verify M1 Finished

...

{ characteristics: [ { aid: 1, iid: 10, value: true } ] }
Turning on the Master Desk Light
{ characteristics: [ { aid: 1, iid: 10, value: false } ] }
Turning off the Master Desk Light
Error 'Error: connect ETIMEDOUT' turning the Master Desk Light on/off:  undefined
Error 'Error: connect ETIMEDOUT' turning the Master Desk Light on/off:  undefined

What am i doing wrong?

Thanks. I really appreciate any help you can offer!

[mda]

Hi @Albeebe

I feel like I am close to getting this working, but just not quite there yet. Can you help me out please?

I figured it out. in Light.js, DimmableLight.js, and Lock.js the vera's IP was hardcoded. Replacing 10.0.0.20 with " + this.veraIP + " solved it.

@Albeebe is there a way to make this run Vera scenes? Thanks !

[s4nup]

Hi

Can someone help me set this up in laymans terms on a windows 7 machine.

I tried setting it up using the instructions and i got the same error that the other guys got on running the command.

I took a look as the homebridge setup and got crosseyed.

Thanks!!

[rafale77]

can VERA runs node.js, can we use VERA itself as the bridge ?

I have been asking myself this same question for this bridge as well as the bridge for the amazon echo. I fear that the lack of memory on the vera would prevent the bridge from working... The other problem would be the port mapping. I am not sure what port it is talking to and it may conflict with a port the vera is already using.
Unless someone could create an app which would bridge them directly...

[rafale77]

I am also getting this error:

Any idea? I am suspecting that the file copy was made on a different OS causing the ELF compatibility problem. Were the ones for whom this worked run it on Windows?

[/share/Public/homekit] # npm run start

> VeraHomeKitBridge@0.0.0 start /share/MD0_DATA/Public/homekit
> node app.js

Starting Vera HomeKit Bridge...
/share/MD0_DATA/Public/homekit/lib/HAP-NodeJS/node_modules/mdns/lib/dns_sd.js:35
    throw ex;
          ^
Error: /share/MD0_DATA/Public/homekit/lib/HAP-NodeJS/node_modules/mdns/build/Release/dns_sd_bindings.node: invalid ELF header
    at Error (native)
    at Module.load (module.js:355:32)
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:310:12)
    at Module.require (module.js:365:17)
    at require (module.js:384:17)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/share/MD0_DATA/Public/homekit/lib/HAP-NodeJS/node_modules/mdns/lib/dns_sd.js:24:20)
    at Module._compile (module.js:460:26)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:478:10)
    at Module.load (module.js:355:32)
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:310:12)

npm ERR! Linux 3.4.6
npm ERR! argv "/opt/bin/node" "/opt/bin/npm" "run" "start"
npm ERR! node v0.12.3
npm ERR! npm  v2.9.1
npm ERR! code ELIFECYCLE
npm ERR! VeraHomeKitBridge@0.0.0 start: `node app.js`
npm ERR! Exit status 1
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Failed at the VeraHomeKitBridge@0.0.0 start script 'node app.js'.
npm ERR! This is most likely a problem with the VeraHomeKitBridge package,
npm ERR! not with npm itself.
npm ERR! Tell the author that this fails on your system:
npm ERR!     node app.js
npm ERR! You can get their info via:
npm ERR!     npm owner ls VeraHomeKitBridge
npm ERR! There is likely additional logging output above.

npm ERR! Please include the following file with any support request:
npm ERR!     /share/MD0_DATA/Public/homekit/npm-debug.log

[new2me07]

i get the same error... tried multiple attempts. Replace home bridge data with home kit. doesn't really like it. Im on OS X fwiw. Tried on win7 machine didn't like it either. Tried all the suggestions listed so far, nothing helps.

[TomBear]

I got it working installing node-v0.10.9.

[s4nup]

can anyone help me with getting this set up? mainly around the manual process.
i have a mac, windows machine and a rpi

thanks!

[damianxd]

For all the people having troubles with the mdns module, you need to have installed the following dependencies:

Code: [Select]

sudo apt-get install build-essential libavahi-compat-libdnssd-dev
Also, reinstall mdns with:

Code: [Select]

sudo npm install mdns

[new2me07]

I ended up getting it working (on a mac) by following the post and replacing the home bridge files with home kit files except the lib folder. use cd (change directory) command in terminal to switch to the home bridge directory then use npm run start. If you get no errors download the mytouchhome app and add devices. Maybe OP can change instructions to reflect this in 1st post.

[damianxd]

Awesome work Albeebe it really works flawlessly and I could make it a service, so it is running permanently on my home server. Also, Siri works with Spanish command (I'm from Chile), including scenes.

 

[Ramias]

For all the people having troubles with the mdns module, you need to have installed the following dependencies:

Code: [Select]

sudo apt-get install build-essential libavahi-compat-libdnssd-dev
Also, reinstall mdns with:

Code: [Select]

sudo npm install mdns

I am still getting this error:

Code: [Select]

[/pi@raspberrypi ~/homebridge $ sudo npm run start

> VeraHomeKitBridge@0.0.0 start /home/pi/homebridge
> node app.js

Starting Vera HomeKit Bridge...

/home/pi/homebridge/lib/HAP-NodeJS/node_modules/mdns/lib/dns_sd.js:35
    throw ex;
          ^
Error: /home/pi/homebridge/lib/HAP-NodeJS/node_modules/mdns/build/Release/dns_sd_bindings.node: invalid ELF header
    at Module.load (module.js:356:32)
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:312:12)
    at Module.require (module.js:364:17)
    at require (module.js:380:17)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/home/pi/homebridge/lib/HAP-NodeJS/node_modules/mdns/lib/dns_sd.js:24:20)
    at Module._compile (module.js:456:26)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:474:10)
    at Module.load (module.js:356:32)
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:312:12)
    at Module.require (module.js:364:17)

npm ERR! VeraHomeKitBridge@0.0.0 start: `node app.js`
npm ERR! Exit status 8
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Failed at the VeraHomeKitBridge@0.0.0 start script.
npm ERR! This is most likely a problem with the VeraHomeKitBridge package,
npm ERR! not with npm itself.
npm ERR! Tell the author that this fails on your system:
npm ERR!     node app.js
npm ERR! You can get their info via:
npm ERR!     npm owner ls VeraHomeKitBridge
npm ERR! There is likely additional logging output above.
npm ERR! System Linux 3.18.11-v7+
npm ERR! command "/usr/bin/node" "/usr/bin/npm" "run" "start"
npm ERR! cwd /home/pi/homebridge
npm ERR! node -v v0.10.38
npm ERR! npm -v 1.4.28
npm ERR! code ELIFECYCLE
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Additional logging details can be found in:
npm ERR!     /home/pi/homebridge/npm-debug.log
npm ERR! not ok code 0
code]

[Ramias]

Well in case this helps anybody else, I'm running this on my Raspberry Pi.

I tried "npm rebuild" from the homekit directory.  Nothing.

Then npm rebuild from the lib directory.  Nothing.

Then npm rebuild from the /homekit/lib/HAP-NodeJS directory and viola.  npm run start (from homekit) now works.  Now to go test this out with my iPhone.