Use OpenSprinkler with Home Automation Server?

[jwka]

Hi all,

just stumbled over this product and did a little research (pleas forgive that I have not read hundreds of topics yet) and have the following question:

We are in the Home Automation area and program HA servers. We communicate with a large variety of all kinds of IOT devices such as IP outlets etc. so we are able to communicate a bit over IP.

(following I will use “HA” for Home Automation and “HAS” for the server)

We would like to incorporate irrigation into our HA experience and wonder how to best integrate the OpenSprinkler into such. The following issues:

– the Sprinkler should be able to operate independentliy (which it obviously does) BUT:
– fully controlled and communicated with the HAS.
– the solution shall allow the gardener to run selected valves manually also (with including the “BUT”)

BUT means:
– Whenever the OpenSprinkler will switch a valve, there should be an IP package sent to The HA server (preferrably by UDP or http get/post to a website on the HA server)
– The OpenSprinkler shall react to requests from the HAS:
– – status-feedback (what is the current status, what are the current times?
– – action upon request (HAS sends “open valve X” and OpenSprinkler will act on that request)

Can anyone direct me on IF that’s possible (without reprogramming the ATMEL) and if so, HOW?

Thanks in advance and sorry if I raised a question already answered!
jwka

[Ray]

BUT means:
– The OpenSprinkler shall react to requests from the HAS:
– – status-feedback (what is the current status, what are the current times?
– – action upon request (HAS sends “open valve X” and OpenSprinkler will act on that request)

These are already supported by the firmware, and is in fact how the mobile app communicates with the controller. Specially, statuses can be obtained using JSON (check this post for JSON commands: http://rayshobby.net/?p=8422), and actions are implemented using HTTP GET (http://rayshobby.net/?page_id=730#httpget).

Whenever the OpenSprinkler will switch a valve, there should be an IP package sent to The HA server (preferrably by UDP or http get/post to a website on the HA server)
– The OpenSprinkler shall react to requests from the HAS:

:
This is not supported currently. Obviously it requires knowing specifics of your HA server, what specific HTTP GET/POST command it should send, IP address or host name of the HA server. Since this is similar to how logging is implemented, it shouldn’t be too difficult to modify the software to do so.

[djagerif]

From a similar POC integration project I’ve done a while ago OS can only be polled to get a status update. Because OS runs independently it can Open|Close valves but it does not inform any upstream neighbour of the action. There were a few requests to have OS keep open a TCP connection to and then send the valve state through that connection. A Browser would be a perfect candidate and using Reverse Ajax or Comet would be the solution but that is not my area of expertise, actually I am just a tinker and a Master of None 🙂

I eventually settled on a Poller model and polled OS to get valve states. The best would be to have OS send State updates via TCP. If the connection drops, either OS or the HA Master could request a full sync and then settle back to the Push model again.

Ingo

[Author]

Posts