Actually, there are different signal strength available for Bluetooth even now. Depending on whether it’s a plug-in device or battery-operated, and whether its Bluetooth low-energy or not. In any case, in my house I have plenty of devices that I would use within the short range area. I already know that from homekit deployment.
But more important: Bluetooth mesh is coming. For real. At which point it definitely repeats. Samsung was actually one of the pioneers in this area and had Bluetooth mesh lightbulbs out in 2014 but have since pulled back somewhat. We have previously discussed this in the forums, but the following is a good recent overview article.
You are totally right about the different signal strengths…but remember, each Bluetooth device wants it’s own frequency domain, and if you make one device more powerful, you use that frequency up in more places…dramatically decreasing the number of devices you can have. Wifi already is a huge pig for frequency space, and Bluetooth has to fight with it as it stands now. As new standards come out (your Bluetooth meshing for example), new exciting capabilities arrive. Unfortunately we only get to use what we have today…until tomorrow comes.
I agree those are the maximums (Class 1 bluetooth devices)…but not the norm. Look at the devices to see their capabilities. Good luck finding class 1 devices, they are pretty rare. iPhones and Droids are all class 2 so you get your 30 feet.
True, but the whole point of IOT mesh designs is that they’re supposed to send tiny messages infrequently. How often do you use a light switch? So there’s less infighting then there would be with the star topology like Wi-Fi.
But as far as what’s available today, like I said, I’ve got More than a dozen Bluetooth low-energy HA devices all over my house. They’re talking to one of several base stations: two tablets, Harmony hub, my phone, Apple TV. No noticeable collisions.
I have no idea how any of that would work with the SmartThings hub in the mix, and there’s no way to tell until they actually turn it on. But it’s definitely a practical HA protocol for some small homes.
I’d be super surprised to see it as far out as 18 months.
We have a mostly working Device Type Handler, we have hardware samples of the keypads we want to work with, and we have engineers assigned to the SmartApp/Solution work. We just need to prioritize that work against the existing roadmap.
Source: me - my team manages the onboarding of new devices/SmartApps/solutions
This will be led by the Samsung Strategy and Innovation Center, Global Innovation Center and Samsung Research America, part of Samsung’s U.S. footprint of more than 15,000 employees across the country.
I am glad to see that you are working on device type handlers, but the main item which is the foundation is the SHM. So the way I look at it is the priority should be that, then as new devices come out add them. All any of us want to hear is the actual roadmap of what is being worked on and will SHM live up to what an alarm interface should be. We have heard a lot of promises, but nothing direct, or when entry and exit and keypad support will be ready. I don’t think it is asking much to have that. I also think ST was premature in releasing SHM when a perfectly viable product already was there. Then SHM comes and we the users go back to a system that is comparing the Space Shuttle to the Apollo missions.
Even if we don’t have Bluetooth we still can’t have a building without the foundation. So SHM has to be fixed. And this community has a number of very confident developers that have device types working way before the official release, so many devices have been working a long way before your release. So again the foundation comes first then the walls.
1 Like
tgauchat
(ActionTiles.com co-founder Terry @ActionTiles; GitHub: @cosmicpuppy)
51
SHM has a ton of potential, especially if it is opened as much as possible to Community Developers.
We’ve had quite a few requests to add a “PIN Pad” Tile to SmartTiles, particularly for the activation and deactivation of Alarm State, but a solid “SHM” will be the incentive for us developers to satisfy SmartThings’s Customers.
We’d also like to be able to handle SHM notifications … at least some types; but right now that is completely restricted as far as I am aware.
bamarayne
(Jason "The Enabler" as deemed so by @Smart)
52
I’m making a stand that I will NOT EVER use bluetooth…
bluetooth sounds like some disease out of backwoods Kentucky… and it doesn’t nearly as awesome, cool, and space agey as Z-wave… ooooohhhhhhh Z-wave… and then… oh yeah baby… and then there’s
#ZIGBEE
I can’t wait to start my honey farm with my ZIGBEE’s!!!
I find zigbee easier to resuscitate, but less stable than zwave. The 2.4 wave interference and the fact that there are less popular , are just killing the buzz.
I think you are being unreasonable. If they share a detailed timeline, then can’t keep to it, then what? You’ll create another sky-is-falling post complaining that they didn’t keep to the timeline you demanded?
@Tyler’s post is actually pretty helpful, and more detailed about the status of integrating entry/exit delays than anything I’ve seen from ST staff on the forums thus far. I think we would all appreciate updates on how the process is going so we at least know there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
I am sorry you think I am being unreasonable, but this has been going on forever and answers are the only way to solve customer questions. I don’t think that is asking to much especially after the telephone call I had with support yesterday. The women said no to delays, but I don’t see anyone here from support affirming or denying that. That is all I am asking.
bamarayne
(Jason "The Enabler" as deemed so by @Smart)
57
I agree. We have invested a lot into our system, with most of it being out very limited time. This is our home, our pride and joy. We want it to be perfect. But when things like this occur and we can’t get answers to what is going on, it is extremely frustrating because it causes us to work in the blind with no idea if our efforts will pay off.
It is disappointing when we have something so close to our hearts fail because others refuse to keep their promises to us.
All we want is honest answers so we can make our systems work.
[quote=“joelw135, post:50, topic:54162, full:true”]
I am glad to see that you are working on device type handlers, but the main item which is the foundation is the SHM. So the way I look at it is the priority should be that, then as new devices come out add them.[/quote]
They have stated several times that they won’t be doing entry/exit delays until they have an officially supported keypad. So step 1 is developing a DTH for a keypad and going through the process of officially supporting it. Once that is done, they will start working on the entry/exit delays. While the speed of progression isn’t ideal for us power users, at least its a sign of progress.
But it’s definitely a practical HA protocol for some small homes.
THIS, 1000 × THIS