Node w/o radio, direct to Vera & usb hub



  • I know that this has been asked before. I spend some time looking through the Forum and really couldn't find an answer. I have 2 relay switches that are sitting less than 6 inches from my serial Gateway and would like to see if there is a way to directly connect them to my Vera unit. My gateway, like most, is on a USB hub. I am not looking to add the relays to the Gateway I/O's, but would like to add a stand-alone relay that can be controlled directly through Vera. My search through the Forum has shown mixed results some people say it is possible others say it is not. I'm looking to see if anyone has actually successfully done this. I find my motion sensors and light sensors work great on the my sensors Network, however occasionally the two relays I have do not receive the signal to turn on or off from the gateway. I have found the serial Gateway sketch under the dev section on GitHub, but still was unable to make it work successfully. Any advice would be helpful.


  • Contest Winner

    @pbcstudios I don't have Vera. But I've experienced the simular problems in the best. Did you add the capacitor to the antenna? It solved my problem.

    You could also try to add Ack mechanism to the sensor. I wouldn't attach the relays directly to Vera. If for some reason you want to switch to another HA. You'll have to find another solution.



  • Yes, capacitors, regulated wall wart, etc...lol. Doesn't happen often and it's not the driving force behind wanting a direct connect. It just seems silly to have a transmitter next to a receiver. 🙂


  • Contest Winner

    @pbcstudios maybe you can add a serial gateway and connect the relays to that. I agree, it seems silly to have a transceiver next to the gateway. I know some people have connected sensors to the gateway, but I don't think I'd do that.


  • Admin

    @pbcstudios
    The gateway in the development branch should be able to handle sensors/actuators directly connected to it (without the need for any attached radio).

    So what is the problem you're experiencing?

    Did you create a sketch?



  • Thank you for your reply. While I can understand the node sketches and alter them to fit my needs, the gateway sketch eludes me. I took the GatewaySerial.ino sketch in the development branch and inserted voidsetup and voidloop from the relay sketch. I guess it's not as easy as combining node sketches. When I compile I get a "gw not declared in this scope" error. I'm not even sure if I do get it working, if I create a new Mysensors plugin and hit Start to include or create a Relay device in Vera.

     /**
     * The MySensors Arduino library handles the wireless radio link and protocol
     * between your home built sensors/actuators and HA controller of choice.
     * The sensors forms a self healing radio network with optional repeaters. Each
     * repeater and gateway builds a routing tables in EEPROM which keeps track of the
     * network topology allowing messages to be routed to nodes.
     *
     * Created by Henrik Ekblad <henrik.ekblad@mysensors.org>
     * Copyright (C) 2013-2015 Sensnology AB
     * Full contributor list: https://github.com/mysensors/Arduino/graphs/contributors
     *
     * Documentation: http://www.mysensors.org
     * Support Forum: http://forum.mysensors.org
     *
     * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
     * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
     * version 2 as published by the Free Software Foundation.
     *
     *******************************
     *
     * DESCRIPTION
     * The ArduinoGateway prints data received from sensors on the serial link. 
     * The gateway accepts input on seral which will be sent out on radio network.
     *
     * The GW code is designed for Arduino Nano 328p / 16MHz
     *
     * Wire connections (OPTIONAL):
     * - Inclusion button should be connected between digital pin 3 and GND  
     * - RX/TX/ERR leds need to be connected between +5V (anode) and digital pin 6/5/4 with resistor 270-330R in a series
     *
     * LEDs (OPTIONAL):
     * - To use the feature, uncomment MY_LEDS_BLINKING_FEATURE in MyConfig.h
     * - RX (green) - blink fast on radio message recieved. In inclusion mode will blink fast only on presentation recieved
     * - TX (yellow) - blink fast on radio message transmitted. In inclusion mode will blink slowly
     * - ERR (red) - fast blink on error during transmission error or recieve crc error 
     * 
     */
    
    // Enable debug prints to serial monitor
    #define MY_DEBUG 
    
    
    // Enable and select radio type attached
    #define MY_RADIO_NRF24
    //#define MY_RADIO_RFM69
    
    // Set LOW transmit power level as default, if you have an amplified NRF-module and
    // power your radio separately with a good regulator you can turn up PA level. 
    #define MY_RF24_PA_LEVEL RF24_PA_LOW
    
    // Enable serial gateway
    #define MY_GATEWAY_SERIAL
    
    // Flash leds on rx/tx/err
    #define MY_LEDS_BLINKING_FEATURE
    // Set blinking period
    #define MY_DEFAULT_LED_BLINK_PERIOD 300
    
    // Inverses the behavior of leds
    //#define MY_WITH_LEDS_BLINKING_INVERSE
    
    // Enable inclusion mode
    #define MY_INCLUSION_MODE_FEATURE
    // Enable Inclusion mode button on gateway
    #define MY_INCLUSION_BUTTON_FEATURE
    
    // Inverses behavior of inclusion button (if using external pullup)
    //#define MY_INCLUSION_BUTTON_EXTERNAL_PULLUP
    
    // Set inclusion mode duration (in seconds)
    #define MY_INCLUSION_MODE_DURATION 60 
    // Digital pin used for inclusion mode button
    #define MY_INCLUSION_MODE_BUTTON_PIN  3 
    #define RELAY_1  3  // Arduino Digital I/O pin number for first relay (second on pin+1 etc)
    #define NUMBER_OF_RELAYS 1 // Total number of attached relays
    #define RELAY_ON 1  // GPIO value to write to turn on attached relay
    #define RELAY_OFF 0 // GPIO value to write to turn off attached relay
    
    
    // Uncomment to override default HW configurations
    //#define MY_DEFAULT_ERR_LED_PIN 4  // Error led pin
    //#define MY_DEFAULT_RX_LED_PIN  6  // Receive led pin
    //#define MY_DEFAULT_TX_LED_PIN  5  // the PCB, on board LED
    
    #include <SPI.h>
    #include <MySensor.h>  
    
    void setup() { 
      // Setup locally attached sensors
        // Initialize library and add callback for incoming messages
      gw.begin(incomingMessage, AUTO, true);
      // Send the sketch version information to the gateway and Controller
      gw.sendSketchInfo("Relay", "1.0");
    
      }
    
    
    void presentation() {
     // Present locally attached sensors 
       for (int sensor=1, pin=RELAY_1; sensor<=NUMBER_OF_RELAYS;sensor++, pin++) {
        // Register all sensors to gw (they will be created as child devices)
        gw.present(sensor, S_LIGHT);
        // Then set relay pins in output mode
        pinMode(pin, OUTPUT);   
        // Set relay to last known state (using eeprom storage) 
        digitalWrite(pin, gw.loadState(sensor)?RELAY_ON:RELAY_OFF);
    }
    }
    
    void loop() {
      // Alway process incoming messages whenever possible
      gw.process();
    }
    
    void incomingMessage(const MyMessage &message) {
      // We only expect one type of message from controller. But we better check anyway.
      if (message.type==V_LIGHT) {
         // Change relay state
         digitalWrite(message.sensor-1+RELAY_1, message.getBool()?RELAY_ON:RELAY_OFF);
         // Store state in eeprom
         gw.saveState(message.sensor, message.getBool());
         // Write some debug info
         Serial.print("Incoming change for sensor:");
         Serial.print(message.sensor);
         Serial.print(", New status: ");
         Serial.println(message.getBool());
       } 
    }
    

  • Contest Winner

    I think you forgot to copy something. If I look at the Serial gateway example in 1.5.4 I see at least this line:

    // Construct MySensors library (signer needed if MY_SIGNING_FEATURE is turned on in MyConfig.h)
    // To use LEDs blinking, uncomment WITH_LEDS_BLINKING in MyConfig.h
    #ifdef WITH_LEDS_BLINKING
    MySensor gw(transport, hw /*, signer*/, RADIO_RX_LED_PIN, RADIO_TX_LED_PIN, RADIO_ERROR_LED_PIN);
    #else
    MySensor gw(transport, hw /*, signer*/);
    #endif
    

    This part (you need more) is missing in your sketch hence the errors.


  • Admin

    Just a sec.. I'll modify the sketch a bit.

    I have now disabled radio and the inclusion button feature and MY_LEDS_BLINKING_FEATURE as it will interfere with your relays.

     /**
     * The MySensors Arduino library handles the wireless radio link and protocol
     * between your home built sensors/actuators and HA controller of choice.
     * The sensors forms a self healing radio network with optional repeaters. Each
     * repeater and gateway builds a routing tables in EEPROM which keeps track of the
     * network topology allowing messages to be routed to nodes.
     *
     * Created by Henrik Ekblad <henrik.ekblad@mysensors.org>
     * Copyright (C) 2013-2015 Sensnology AB
     * Full contributor list: https://github.com/mysensors/Arduino/graphs/contributors
     *
     * Documentation: http://www.mysensors.org
     * Support Forum: http://forum.mysensors.org
     *
     * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
     * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
     * version 2 as published by the Free Software Foundation.
     *
     *******************************
     *
     * DESCRIPTION
     * The ArduinoGateway prints data received from sensors on the serial link. 
     * The gateway accepts input on seral which will be sent out on radio network.
     *
     * The GW code is designed for Arduino Nano 328p / 16MHz
     *
     * Wire connections (OPTIONAL):
     * - Inclusion button should be connected between digital pin 3 and GND  
     * - RX/TX/ERR leds need to be connected between +5V (anode) and digital pin 6/5/4 with resistor 270-330R in a series
     *
     * LEDs (OPTIONAL):
     * - To use the feature, uncomment MY_LEDS_BLINKING_FEATURE in MyConfig.h
     * - RX (green) - blink fast on radio message recieved. In inclusion mode will blink fast only on presentation recieved
     * - TX (yellow) - blink fast on radio message transmitted. In inclusion mode will blink slowly
     * - ERR (red) - fast blink on error during transmission error or recieve crc error 
     * 
     */
    
    // Enable debug prints to serial monitor
    #define MY_DEBUG 
    
    
    // Enable and select radio type attached
    // #define MY_RADIO_NRF24
    //#define MY_RADIO_RFM69
    
    // Set LOW transmit power level as default, if you have an amplified NRF-module and
    // power your radio separately with a good regulator you can turn up PA level. 
    #define MY_RF24_PA_LEVEL RF24_PA_LOW
    
    // Enable serial gateway
    #define MY_GATEWAY_SERIAL
    
    // Flash leds on rx/tx/err
    // #define MY_LEDS_BLINKING_FEATURE
    // Set blinking period
    #define MY_DEFAULT_LED_BLINK_PERIOD 300
    
    // Inverses the behavior of leds
    //#define MY_WITH_LEDS_BLINKING_INVERSE
    
    // Enable inclusion mode
    #define MY_INCLUSION_MODE_FEATURE
    // Enable Inclusion mode button on gateway
    //#define MY_INCLUSION_BUTTON_FEATURE
    
    // Inverses behavior of inclusion button (if using external pullup)
    //#define MY_INCLUSION_BUTTON_EXTERNAL_PULLUP
    
    // Set inclusion mode duration (in seconds)
    #define MY_INCLUSION_MODE_DURATION 60 
    // Digital pin used for inclusion mode button
    // #define MY_INCLUSION_MODE_BUTTON_PIN  3 
    #define RELAY_1  3  // Arduino Digital I/O pin number for first relay (second on pin+1 etc)
    #define NUMBER_OF_RELAYS 1 // Total number of attached relays
    #define RELAY_ON 1  // GPIO value to write to turn on attached relay
    #define RELAY_OFF 0 // GPIO value to write to turn off attached relay
    
    
    // Uncomment to override default HW configurations
    //#define MY_DEFAULT_ERR_LED_PIN 4  // Error led pin
    //#define MY_DEFAULT_RX_LED_PIN  6  // Receive led pin
    //#define MY_DEFAULT_TX_LED_PIN  5  // the PCB, on board LED
    
    #include <SPI.h>
    #include <MySensor.h>  
    
    void setup() { 
      // Setup locally attached sensors
        // Initialize library and add callback for incoming messages
      // Send the sketch version information to the gateway and Controller
     for (int sensor=1, pin=RELAY_1; sensor<=NUMBER_OF_RELAYS;sensor++, pin++) {
        // Then set relay pins in output mode
        pinMode(pin, OUTPUT);   
        // Set relay to last known state (using eeprom storage) 
        digitalWrite(pin, loadState(sensor)?RELAY_ON:RELAY_OFF);
    }
      }
    
    
    void presentation() {
      sendSketchInfo("Relay", "1.0");
    
     // Present locally attached sensors 
       for (int sensor=1, pin=RELAY_1; sensor<=NUMBER_OF_RELAYS;sensor++, pin++) {
        // Register all sensors to gw (they will be created as child devices)
        present(sensor, S_LIGHT);
    }
    }
    
    void loop() {
    }
    
    void incomingMessage(const MyMessage &message) {
      // We only expect one type of message from controller. But we better check anyway.
      if (message.type==V_LIGHT) {
         // Change relay state
         digitalWrite(message.sensor-1+RELAY_1, message.getBool()?RELAY_ON:RELAY_OFF);
         // Store state in eeprom
         saveState(message.sensor, message.getBool());
         // Write some debug info
         Serial.print("Incoming change for sensor:");
         Serial.print(message.sensor);
         Serial.print(", New status: ");
         Serial.println(message.getBool());
       } 
    }
    


  • @hek Thank you. I see how the pins are in conflict, but I copy the sketch posted and still got errors when compiling (ie. 'sendSketchInfo' was not declared in this scope). What am I doing wrong?


  • Admin

    Did you really install the MySensors library from the dev-branch?



  • @hek Ahhh! Got it. Thank you. But can I use the original Gateway sketch with attached radio from the Master branch? My Serial gateway with a radio died this morning, which is why I started down this path. I figure if I have to start my Gateway from scratch I might as well try connecting my relays directly. Or do I have to re-install that library?


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