My HGI80 equivalent Domoticz setup without HGI80

[DBMandrake]

Happy to report that my SeeedStudio RFBee and UartSBee have now arrived and I've got them up and running with the fullTalgoRythm/EvohomeWirelessFW firmware as an alternative to the HGI80. It's connected to my Windows machine running Domoticz at the moment, but should work OK on my Pi too.

Attachment 940

It was my first time messing with Arduino stuff. Not too painful a learning curve, but I was a bit impatient and I think I should really have understood a bit more what I was actually doing! Hopefully this will help me progress further with the development of some of the new Evohome functionality in Domoticz. It shouldn't matter which type of non-HGI80 device is used as long as Domoticz can connect to it via a serial port.

Dan

What was the total parts cost ? When you say serial port do you mean you are having to use a standard USB to serial port interface to connect this board to your PC/Pi ?

[DanD]

@StuartP
Yes, I got the RFBee from Rapid. I'd use them again, quick delivery. They supplied the v1.2 which uses the Atmega328 which has double the memory of the v1.1 (Atmega168), but all the packaging says v1.1. I'm guessing that it's just the v1.1 has been superseded. It works perfectly and the firmware is compatible with either chip, you just need to select the correct chip in the programmer (I used the Arduino IDE). I had to source the UartSBee from another supplier (Cool Components) as I couldn't find anyone that had both in stock as I wanted v5. The documentation is very limited and I did struggle with whether to select 'Prog' or 'Uart' on the UartSBee. After many failed attempts to upload the firmware I found that the switch has to be set to 'Uart' (you can probably tell that I didn't really understand what I was doing). Again delivery was very quick.

@DBMandrake
Total cost (inc delivery) was: £45.58 (RFBee £19.40, UartSBee £26.18).

Connection is via standard micro USB to USB lead between computer and UartSBee (by serial port I meant USB). I'll post another update when I've tried it out connected to a Pi.

I've also started mulling over whether to also play with the RFBee on its own once its been programmed as, in theory, I could just remove it from the UartSbee and connect a battery pack. The author of the firmware indicated that they'd added the power saving features, so I will likely try it out at some point. I think with some additional work, the firmware should be able to perform the device repeater functionality as a standalone device. Too many new ideas at the moment!

Oh, and I think I'll just use something like a tic tac packet as a case for the UartSBee + RFBee when connected via USB.

Dan

[paulockenden]

I wonder whether a Jeelink or Jeenode could be used?

http://www.digitalsmarties.net/products/jeelink

[StuartP]

I wonder whether a Jeelink or Jeenode could be used?

http://www.digitalsmarties.net/products/jeelink

Nope, Jeelink / Jeenode use a different radio chip.

RFBee - CC1101
Jeenode - RFM69CW

Very different beasts.

[DanD]

Oh, that's a shame . The Jeelink looks a great little device. Another firmware project for someone, as it the newer RFM69CW should be configurable? From a quick google, the older Jeelink/Jeenode stuff used the RFM12B which doesn't look like it would ever work as the preamble bytes were hardcoded.

I've just been googling about setting up the RFBee as a standalone battery powered device and I think the SeedStudio XBee Carrier might have been a better choice for me than the UartSBee. If I've understood the XBee Carrier's features correctly, it also provides the ability to program and operate the RFBee via USB as well as providing the circuitry for charging a Li battery. Maybe another device for my shopping list!

Dan

[StuartP]

@DanD

Welcome to the wonderful world of lowpower RF and arduino.

Spent several years looking at low power battery based sensors using atmega328 & RFM12B (Jeenodes basically). Then a nicer solution came onlong, only for the company to be bought out and their IP stashed away from humble developers (anyone remember OpenPI).

I guess with the arrival of Evohome here, it might be time to look at low power sensors again

A few hints, if you're adevloping standalone battery powered sensors, you need to get rid of as many external components as possible, this will eventually drive you down the route of PCB design etc. It's a great journey, but can be very frustrating at times. So shout if you need any help, I'm sure those of use that can will help out.

[bruce_miranda]

Why would you need the RFBee to be battery powered? To process the data received by the RFBee is going to need constant processing, and the moment processing is needed, you land up draining the battery. What am I missing?

Also what is the UartSBee doing besides providing a UART connection to the RFBee? Would something like a Particle Photon be better? It will provide both the Uart and the RFBee processing, which can then be sent anywhere using Wifi.

[DanD]

I think I'm way out of my depth here, but learning fast!

@StuartP
Thanks for the info and offer of help. I think I will try out a standalone set-up for the RFBee, just to be able to explore the limitations of this type of set-up and I used to enjoy lower-level programming and optimisation.

@bruce_Miranda
Good question! I've probably gone off in a direction that not many people are interested in. A standalone battery powerd RFBee would just provide a very specific function e.g. a device repeater. It wouldn't provide an interface with Domoticz or anything else. It's more like a prototype for a new Honeywell device that provides very niche functionality (and wouldn't be a best-seller ). It's more of an intellectual exercise. I'm not sure the particle proton has the 868Mhz functionality link to Evohome, but if it does, then yes it could likely be configured to replace a RFBee + UartSBee + Pi.

Dan

[bruce_miranda]

A battery operated device is perfect for taking readings or receiving instructions. But to do any kind of processing you do need some permanent power.

The Photon doesn't do any radio. It does however provide a UART, a MCU and a wifi chip. So I was thinking more along the lines of providing the RFBee the ability to update a webserver (be it Domoticz or ano) directly instead of via a USB cable.

[bruce_miranda]

@StuartP
Yes, I got the RFBee from Rapid.

Did you buy the last one they had! Shows out of stock now.