RGBW Support?

[NotYetRated]

Thanks for the reply, I didn't see any concrete examples and wanted to make sure before beginning my ordering and tinkering.

[TheoL]

Hi @NotYetRated,

There are some examples on the Domoicz forum https://www.domoticz.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=8039

[LastSamurai]

I posted a similar question earlier in wrong part of the forum. :sweat_smile:
Perhaps it helps. If you are thinking about the hardware side of that too it would be great if you could share your thoughts here.

And yes it should work, I tried it. (Though not with a real RGBW strip yet).

[LastSamurai]

Does anyone know what the values mean that you get from domoticz for an rgbw sensor?
I get on/off values, dimmer values (0-99) and some kind of color codes. These change though. Somtimes its like "#000000FF" (whites?), sometimes like "2400FF". And they dont always (most of the time they actually not) equal the values I set in domoticz.
Has anyone tried this?

[AWI]

Try this

It works with the (limited) domoticz RGB functionality

[LastSamurai]

Well thanks, but you are using RGB instead of RGBW and a digital LED strip. I am trying to use an analog one so I need to get some rgb values in the end.
Do you or anyone else here can explain what the values mean that I get from domoticz? I am starting to think that they are HSL values or something like that because I rarely see the same values on the arduino that I pick on the domoticz interface but most of the time I also get a changing dimming signal right afterwards.

[Chester]

@LastSamurai, the codes look like 16 bit hexadecimal RGB codes similar to the colour formatting used in web pages, formatted as RRGGBBWW. Looks like if its not white it just transmits as RRGGBB though? That way you can have all colours in RRGGBB, and if white, you would be able to transmit that as 255 steps of light level on white only.

[AWI]

@LastSamurai good observation! Looking at the domoticz code, what is happening:
Internal HSV is converted to RGB with Max (255) -'brightness'. It it then sent as RGB with a separate Brightness value. (so 2 messages for 1 RGB...)
In the end it is approximately a similar color ;) the color selector does something similar the other way round..
I addressed this issue with Domoticz , but no change yet..

[LastSamurai]

@AWI Thanks! That already helps a lot.
Strange way they implemented this... Do you by chance also know how that white value part of RGBW is working? I mean I get either rgb values or these "#000000FF" which always are only white and only FF (so full on white).

[vil1driver]

Domoticz, not fully support rgb or rgbw devices yet, it's for that I prefer using dimmers for now.

It's easy to add the 3 dimmers in a scene and/or in lua scripts..

It's just perfect for me..

[MikeF]

I'm looking to build a MySensors node connected to Domoticz, to control a RGBW strip, and I've been following this and other threads and sketches.

There's a number of things I'm not clear on:

• how well supported are RGBW strips in Domoticz: should I be using V_RGBW or V_DIMMER (as @vil1driver suggests)?

• should I be using an analogue or digital strip, and how do I tell them apart?

• how are the strips configured - are they all common anode, with the cathode driven from the drain of an N-channel MOSFET (as @LastSamurai's schematic shows here.)

Thanks for your help.

[LastSamurai]

@MikeF said:

I'm looking to build a MySensors node connected to Domoticz, to control a RGBW strip, and I've been following this and other threads and sketches.

There's a number of things I'm not clear on:

• how well supported are RGBW strips in Domoticz: should I be using V_RGBW or V_DIMMER (as @vil1driver suggests)?

It's not really great but it works. Just read this thread here and my code posted in my other thread for the hardware. I guess V_Dimmer works better at the moment, but V_RGBW is the "right" one and probably better for future compability.

• should I be using an analogue or digital strip, and how do I tell them apart?

Depends on what you wanna do and how much you want to spend. In general analog ones are cheaper and can only show one color at all leds at the same time while digital ones cost more but can (sometimes) control each indivdual led.
How to tell them appart? Well I guess digital ones need to have some kind of chip somewhere? The "normal" ones are always analog.

• how are the strips configured - are they all common anode, with the cathode driven from the drain of an N-channel MOSFET (as @LastSamurai's schematic shows here.)

There are also common cathode configurations as far as I know but my variation is used most of the time (again afaik). Digital ones need to be driven completely differently though.

Thanks for your help.

Hope that helps.

[MikeF]

Thanks for your help, @LastSamurai. I'm looking for an analogue one, where the whole strip is the same colour.

My next step is to decide on the hardware solution: existing specific board, or generic node + add-on board for MOSFETs (I don't see myself designing my own board - no experience).