domoticz Error sending switch command](check device/hardware !)

[tombstone]

Re: [Error sending switch command](check device/hardware !)

Hi I getting the same error msg (Error sending switch command](check device/hardware !)). I got my 1st serial Gateway started last night and just built a irrigation controller made from bulldog. Irrigation control

I have promini for the serial Gateway and a pro mini for the irrigation controller.

I get 2 nodis on domoticz one as my sprinkler and the other as unknown.

I get 5 children as lights
One mysensor 2.2. on the my sprinkler

One unknowing
On the unknowing

The error comes up when turning on or off.

Sorry if this is a easy fix but I'm just learning.

Thanks

[dbemowsk]

@tombstone One thing to note with the irrigation controller and Domoticz. The irrigation controller sketch looks for 3 variables from the controller for each irrigation zone, V-VAR1,V-VAR2 and V-VAR3. It has been a while since I used Domoticz, but unless there has been some recent change, these are not supported by Domoticz. What these values are are configuration values as follows:
V-VAR1 =The amount of time that the particular zone will run when "Run all zones" is called
V-VAR2 = The amount of time that the particular zone will run when the zone is triggered as a single zone
V-VAR3 = The name for the zone

Back when I used Domoticz, I was working on a way to deal with this. If you look at this post from me, I had a sketch that would deal with this in Domoticz. That sketch is quite old as it was written for MySensors 1.5.4, but looking it over may give you some ideas.

Maybe someone else has a more up to date sketch with a different way of doing this. Your last resort option is to hard code the values on the irrigation controller, but then all you can do from Domoticz is turn the zones on and off. You won't be able to change how long a zone runs unless you re-program the irrigation controller.

[tombstone]

@dbemowsk
I happy to change from domoticz.
As I just starting out. What one you use now?

[dbemowsk]

@tombstone I have a Vera Plus controller which is a hardware based controller that costs around $150 US. http://getvera.com/controllers/veraplus/

There may be other free controllers out there that support the V-VAR variables, but I don't know which ones.

[tombstone]

@dbemowsk

Yes it's has limited functionality. Looks like openhub, Home Assistant, MyController.org and my nodes works find.

It be good to know if it's been fixed on Domoticz.
Will have to find out but if not I have to change to one of the above.
Which one do you recommend
Thanks

[dbemowsk]

@tombstone I have never used any of the others, so I cannot make a recommendation, sorry.

[pjr]

So your node can get messages thru to gw but gw cant get them always to node..
Have you added capacitor to your gateway radio? For me this looks like power issue of the radio.
You could try this on your gateway: #define MY_RF24_PA_LEVEL RF24_PA_LOW (or RF24_PA_MIN) before mysensors include.

[dbemowsk]

@pjr No, his problem is in trying to use the irrigation controller sketch with Domoticz. Domoticz does not support the use of V-VARx values from MySensors which are used in the irrigation controller sketch to adjust the watering times of zones and to set the zone names.

[pjr]

@dbemowsk Yes thats true that domoticz doesnt handle the VARX the way the irrigation code expects. But about the error message written on topic I'm pretty sure it actually is his problem since I'm using domoticz and have faced the same error message..

He stated:
"[Error sending switch command](check device/hardware !)"
"The error comes up when turning on or off."

With default settings RF24_PA_HIGH or RF24_PA_MAX (have to check the default from MyConfig.h) is used and with this setting the radio needs good power source. Especially the clone radios..

[dbemowsk]

@pjr OK, I didn't realize about the error message. I just assumed it had to do with the V-VARx problem.