I am hoping it will happen soon. There are more and more zigbee only products that would be really nice to integrate into Vera.

+1 for Zigbee with Vera, but a few reasons it hasn't already been done are pointed out here: http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,8040.0.html

Awesome!!

@Homer Awesome! Let me know what you find. Are you using mysensors 1.7?

@Dringie No... I've been trying to get it to work, but I am still having issues getting Vera to send IR commands to the Arduino. I think it's the implementation of the actual command that send the IR info to the arduino.

I will keep working, and I will send guessed another message.

It would be nice to control the Patrull similarly to http://thingm.com/products/blink-1/.

@lasso Instead of storing raw codes, you could also try using pronto codes for some of your IR devices. The pronto codes will take up less space than the longer raw codes.

Thanks! @Zeph

When you create an IR device in Vera, it uses two files:
D_Codeset_2.xml and I_Codeset_2.xml.
You can change the codes in the I_Codeset file to whatever you want (I think). The codes in the I_Codeset file would be the shorter code representing a longer one in the Arduino program.

What I still have to figure out is if Vera sends short codes (0x153) or the RAW codes. I'm hoping raw so I can change the code send to different numbers. And if Vera does send pronto codes, I wonder if Vera will try and convert the single digits (representing a larger command) into a pronto code (I doubt it).

So about half of this topic got cut off. To catch people up: The main goal of this topic is to create an IR transmitter device in Vera that can be used to send IR codes to a TV, DVD, DVR, etc. The transmitter is easy to assemble by attaching an IR LED and IR receiver (for learning codes) to an Arduino. The cost of this is about $15. Normal IR blasters range from $50 (USB UIRT - not wireless) to over $100 (Global Cache WF2IR - wireless). Seeing that I could save $85, a MySensors IR blaster looked great.

When trying to connect the IR blaster to Vera, and get it to transmit, I encountered some problems. The MySensors program currently does not support IR blasters, so I tried to edit the code and make it work. After looking at the SQ Blaster plugin, it gave me an idea of how to get the IR blaster to work. I edited lump files in an attempt to create an IR blaster device. I have so far been able to have Vera create an IR blaster device that shows up on the devices page.
However, when trying to use it to create an IR device (TV) I can go through the initial setup
But then click on any of the remote's buttons gets me this error message.

I have been stuck with this for a while now. Also, the Vera appears to be sending the IR command:
08 06/06/14 10:25:29.361 JobHandler_LuaUPnP::HandleActionRequest argument ProntoCode=0000 0071 0000 001A 0080 0080 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0060 0020 0020 0020 0060 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0060 0020 0060 0020 0060 0020 0060 0020 0020 0020 0060 0020 0020 0020 0060 0020 0060 0020 0060 0020 0060 0020 0060 0020 0020 0020 04DF <0x2ca29680>
02 06/06/14 10:25:29.362 Device_LuaUPnP::HandleActionRequest 38 none of the 1 implementations handled it <0x2ca29680>
01 06/06/14 10:25:29.551 zzz-A2 83 <0x2ca29680>
01 06/06/14 10:25:29.551 zzz-1 83 <0x2ca29680>
01 06/06/14 10:25:29.551 zzz-1b 0xe1b888 <0x2ca29680>
08 06/06/14 10:25:29.552 JobHandler_LuaUPnP::HandleActionRequest device: 38 service: urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:IrTransmitter1 action: SendProntoCode <0x2ca29680>
But the IR code never arrives at the Arduino. I am currently trying to fix this problem, and was wondering if anyone could help. Hek suggested I send guessed (from Vera forums) a message which I will do.

If any one wants to give this a try, here are the files to upload and test: Please let me know if you see something wrong with the code!

L_Arduino.lua
Which contains:
function sendProntoCode(prontoCode, device)
sendCommand(luup.devices[device].id,"IR_SEND",prontoCode)
end

I_Arduino1.xml
Which contains:
<action>
<serviceId>urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:IrTransmitter1</serviceId>
<name>SendProntoCode</name>
<run>sendProntoCode(lul_settings.ProntoCode, lul_device)</run>
</action>

D_Arduino1.xml
Which contains:
<service>
<serviceType>urn:schemas-micasaverde-com:service:IrTransmitter:1</serviceType>
<serviceId>urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:IrTransmitter1</serviceId>
<SCPDURL>S_IrTransmitter1.xml</SCPDURL>
</service>

MySensors_IR.ino
Which creates the IR device (S_IR) and then serial prints whatever message it receives.

Quick side note:There are two IR codes that Vera might be sending right now. A short code, 0x2ca29680 (in Vera log), or 0000 0071 0000 001A 0080 0080 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0060 0020 0020 0020 0060 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0060 0020 0060 0020 0060 0020 0060 0020 0020 0020 0060 0020 0020 0020 0060 0020 0060 0020 0060 0020 0060 0020 0060 0020 0020 0020 04DF (also in Vera log). In the event that Vera is sending the longer code which is too big to send over the air, my solution to that was to have Vera send a single digit representing a longer IR code to send, for example 1 = power button, 2 = volume up, 3 = volume down, etc. The single digit method is already in the Arduino program so that I can change the IR codes on the Arduino easily without needing to change them in Vera.

Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for your help!

Please let me know if you have any success with Vera using my sensors to send an IR command. I tried for a while. but had no luck. Part of the topic got removed in the forum crash, but hopefully this will help you get started. http://forum.mysensors.org/topic/146/building-an-ir-blaster/

Trying to change the code that Vera transmits, I discover this: :angry::angry::angry::angry::angry:

Right after selecting it here:

I'm not sure why Vera refuses to accept the Arduino as an IR transmitter. I will give the SQ blaster plugin another look at to see what they have.

I was quite surprised when I saw that. All of the codes work properly when used with the send sony command. On my second remote, it uses the NEC protocol, and has a longer code. Another remote I tested was coming in as only raw code, so if someone tried to use remotes with only raw code it could be pretty space consuming.

The sd card was a good idea! The program could also possible use multiple ir LEDs in different locations to get the signal to multiple devices, which is when the sd card might be needed.

I'm now checking over what changes hek suggested earlier, and comparing it with some other mysensors devices. It seems like the vera is not sending a message through the send pronto code function that is described below.

@hek said:

I think you have to create your own implementation of SendProntoCode.

You must take care of and handle all actions in D_IrTransmitter1.xml. Edit the I_Arduino.xml where you will find the actions defined.

<action>
    <serviceId>urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:IrTransmitter1</serviceId>
   	<name>SendProntoCode</name>
   	<run>if (p ~= nil) then p.sendProntoCode(lul_device, lul_settings.ProntoCode) end</run>
 </action> 

And then implement sendProntoCode in L_Arduino.lua which sends the actual code using sendCommand to gateway for further processing.

function sendProntoCode(device, prontoCode)
  sendCommand(luup.devices[device].id,"IR_SEND",prontoCode)
end

So I got the Arduino side of it done! Did I make any mistakes?

MySensors_IR.ino

@Dvbit I didn't see anything talking about a bidirectional signal. Where did you see that? I am going to check out what it says as well as the plugin files to see what I can find.

FWI: The IR receiver I ordered from RadioShack came, so I am able to program in the codes. It was mentioned earlier that the codes would take up a lot of space on the Arduino, but using the IRRemote library, receiving a remote signal gives me a hex that will work with some of my devices, so I don't see a storage issue. I have to remotes set up so far.

@Dvbit said:

http://blog.univers-domotique.com/2013/10/plugin-vera-arduir/

Thanks for the suggestion, however, the project talked about is going the wrong way. I want signals from Vera to the transmitter, not transmitter to Vera.

I got an IR receiver and programmed my codes into an Arduino program. For anyone wondering, I had no storage issues (previously talked about).I haven't given up on this yet (saving $200 is a pretty good motivation)! Still trying to find out how to get Vera to send a message to Vera with Vera's IR remote UI. Seeing as how I have been trying with absolutely no luck for the past few days, I might have to make me own remote UI.

I haven't contacted guessed yet but I will soon, still playing around with it myself.

Has anyone tried this yet?? Instructions above.

Might this be the problem?

The IR transmitter has no implementation file.

How do I get MySensors to create a device with I_IrTransmitter1.xml?

I believe that Ir device is the tV or DVD that is created , and transmittersend out the ir codes.

Still nothing... I changed the some of the TV's IR codes (channel number buttons 1-6) to single digit numbers so that it would not be too big for serial. I case anyone wants to give it a shot, I attached the modified files.

I_Codeset_2.xml
D_Codeset_2.xml
I_Arduino1.xml
L_Arduino.lua
S_IR_Serial.ino

I changed the files, and am now testing it out. Log says:

08 06/06/14 10:25:29.361 JobHandler_LuaUPnP::HandleActionRequest argument ProntoCode=0000 0071 0000 001A 0080 0080 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0060 0020 0020 0020 0060 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0060 0020 0060 0020 0060 0020 0060 0020 0020 0020 0060 0020 0020 0020 0060 0020 0060 0020 0060 0020 0060 0020 0060 0020 0020 0020 04DF <0x2ca29680>
02 06/06/14 10:25:29.362 Device_LuaUPnP::HandleActionRequest 38 none of the 1 implementations handled it <0x2ca29680>
01 06/06/14 10:25:29.551 ZZZ-A2 83 <0x2ca29680>
01 06/06/14 10:25:29.551 ZZZ-1 83 <0x2ca29680>
01 06/06/14 10:25:29.551 ZZZ-1b 0xe1b888 <0x2ca29680>
08 06/06/14 10:25:29.552 JobHandler_LuaUPnP::HandleActionRequest device: 38 service: urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:IrTransmitter1 action: SendProntoCode <0x2ca29680>

Last line looks promising. I guess I will try a shorter code, and see what I get.

Hek - Thanks for the advice with the sendProntoCode! I will work on it today.

Bulldoglowell and Hek - I was just testing to see if the code would go through. I plan to have the Vera send out a number that represents a larger code stored in the Arduino.