Philips Hue

[pbj]

Hi all,

I've just purchased a Philips Hue bridge which allows my three existing Philips LivingColors LED lights to be controlled via REST HTTP calls (and an iPad!). Before setting off on a Christmas project to rustle up a python xAP/Hue interface so I can use them with Cortex, has anyone done this before?

My alternative is to use a simple command line tool to control the lights which is called from a macro, but that doesn't seem very elegant, any other ideas?

[Karam]

Cortex API? But then xAP route might be just as good. If using macro type method might be worth linking to the state of a virtual light object to give some aspects of automation. Of course if someone changes light states via an external application then things will get in a mess.

[Andrew Millne]

Did you make any progress with this pbj? I'm looking to do something similar but some native Cortex support for Hue would be great if possible. http://www.developers.meethue.com/tools-and-sdks

[Andrew Millne]

I made a start on this but unfortunately the hue API requires the PUT method to be used and the Cortex API only allows for Get and POST. Also rather than a key/value list would it be possible to get a raw message body area?

For a post request...

Sent
http://192.168.1.140/api/myapikey/li.../state?on=true

HTTP/1.1 400 Bad request

PUT requests made outside of cortex are working correctly.

DELETE method is also used in the hue API but I haven't come across a need for it yet

[pbj]

Hi Andrew,

I ended up using powerscript to create a command line. It's not terribly elegant, but does the job. Of course that means there's no possibility of feedback from the light, but I don't think the Hue offers that anyway.

Peter

[Andrew Millne]

The Hue API does feature a JSON response with "success" reported on a successful command.

Aside from the issue of no PUT/DELETE, I only seem to be encountering one other minor issue with the lights. I've replaced some of the lamps on a QLD circuit with hue bulbs and occasionally they don't want to come on even though I've reset the rates to immediate. No amount of toggling the circuit on/off brings the bulb back to life, I have to take the bulb out of the holder and pop it back in. I don't have this issue with lamps on a relay switched circuit. With API support in Cortex I hope I'll be able to overcome this by leaving the dimmer circuit on all the time and adding a virtual light object to send on/off api commands to the hue lamps to retain the occupancy sensing capabilities of Cortex. This should also allow me to automate some other desk/floor lamps around the house where I neglected to install Idratek switched sockets.

I'm on hold until if/when we can get PUT/DELETE support in the cortex API however. Karam?