Groovy is on the way out Smartthings Edge is the replacement

One significant known limitation I think deserves being called out anywhere people might be thinking about playing around with this right now:

  • Driver-based devices do not work with Groovy SmartApps, including SmartLighting. Drivers do support Rules as automatons in the App or via the API, or Endpoint Apps.

SmartThings Edge Developer Beta | Known Issues and Bug Tracking

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Thanks for letting us know about this.

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If this new language and development direction makes life easier for developers

Please can someone take pity on us Fibaro RGBW 441 and 442 users and develop a driver so we don’t loose them… pleeeeease

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Hey @orangebucket, if you feel comfortable posting your account username/email or one of the driverIds of the DTH here or sending me a private message with the info. I can take a look at what’s causing those old DTHs to be returned for you.

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Finally local drivers!! (YASSSSS) [Sorry, I had to be happy]

Looking at the examples at SmartThingsEdgeDrivers and the tutorial from @jody.albritton with the different yaml profiles for zigbee devices, I cannot find a case of parent/child.

How would the Lua-based drivers would handle this types of devices? (gang switches, power boards, non-standard zigbee devices, etc.)

I did read the comment by @JDRoberts that it might be via component definitions, but would love to see an example. (Yes, I’ve started coding furiously :stuck_out_tongue: )

I really hope that SmartThings/Aeotec doesn’t forget to do the drivers for their hybrid hardware devices, they definitely did with their AU/NZ smart outlet (GP-WOU019BBEWA, no local exec in the groovy one, as it uses the generic zigbee power outlet, instead of the smartpower one)

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Hey, @Chares

This will be addressed through endpoint/component association.

For a better reference, check the Multi-Component devices section from the Zigbee-specific documentation.

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Nowhere else to go. I don’t even need ST really, it is largely just a diversion.

I’d just been desperately hoping for Zigbee (and Z-Wave though I’ve rejected that) drivers to be more specific to devices and largely declarative. On the LAN side I was hoping for simple HTTP call support with everything else farmed out via a simple API. Sort of LAN2Hub rather than C2C. It just seemed more in the spirit of the current SmartThings.

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I know what some of those acronyms mean, at least.

I’m thinking this is a good time, for me, or anyone else for that matter, to jump in to coding with Smarttthings, as there will be more question and answer exchanges going on, than ever. Not a bad diversion at all, speaking for myself.

Lua looks more familiar to me, than Groovy did, at least. So, that’s encouraging.

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How will I manually control local devices? Will I still need to use my phone/tablet with either wifi or cell network to go the cloud to send the commands to my hub?

I don’t see how I will be able to un-plug the ST hub and control my devices manually. I understand ST automations that are local would run. Just no way to have manual control working unlike HE or HA (I don’t how iPhone HomeKit works)

HomeKit, including the app, runs locally except for voice control. So if the Internet goes out but your Wi-Fi is still working at home, just not with Internet access, you can just open the app and use it the way you normally would.

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Hmm… I haven’t really thought about the case you describe, exactly. But light switches etc, for example, would still be able to control things if the devices, router and hub has power/backup power.

edit: And I believe I just learned something new, care of JD’s reply.

*yep, and basically what JD describes below

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If your mains powered light switches are working, you probably don’t need backup power for the hub.

And if you need backup power for the hub, your mains powered lightswitches probably are not going to work. :wink: but your battery powered light switches/buttons might.

So a power outage is a whole different kind of problem. But an Internet outage can happen for many reasons, both local and regional. And that doesn’t mean your Wi-Fi isn’t working. It might be working, but just between devices in your own home.

And if you unplug the hub, many of your devices are not going to work for a different set of reasons.

Typically when discussing home automation, “local processing“ means the “cabin in the woods“ scenario. You have power to your hub and switches, you have Wi-Fi within the building, but you don’t have an active Internet connection. So now what works?

With quite a few systems, including ring security, the mobile app does not work anymore, but the core functions continue operating.

With some systems, including Apple HomeKit, the mobile app will work just fine as long as it is on the same Wi-Fi as your devices. But some services, and in homekit’s case, that currently includes voice processing, won’t work.

This is a common issue for people with RVs, boats, homes in some rural areas.

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@JDRoberts
JD, is it possible to have 2 or more instances of Smartthings all within range of each other independantly working without interference from each instance ?

Do you mean two hubs? Sure, shouldn’t be any more of an issue than any other hubs. You don’t want them right next to each other, but as long as they’re say, 5 m apart, you should be all right.

I know there have been other customers who have had multiple hubs in one building before, sometimes one in the main house and one in an Airbnb section. And we’ve definitely had community members who had multiple hubs in a multiunit building.

I myself have run a SmartThings hub, 2 wink hubs, and another Z wave hub all in one 1800 square-foot building for over a year.

You sometimes get pockets of interference just like with any network deployment and you may have to move things around a little or add a few extra repeaters but it should be doable. :sunglasses:

Hmm thank you JD, can I also ask, why do the hubs not interfere with each other ?

unfortunately the app still communicates only to the cloud. So no manual control without an internet connection. Funny story, SmartThings tweeted yesterday that Edge would enable local control from the app without the internet. I chuckled that the PR person must not quite understand ST architecture. Several hours later it was deleted and replaces with verbage about local automations in the app without the internet.

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Mostly because both zwave and zigbee are very low power protocols with little tiny messages. So you just don’t get a lot of interference. Strong Wi-Fi can drown out zigbee quite easily, but zigbee won’t normally make a dent in Wi-Fi transmissions.

There are also a number of community members now running both a smartthings hub and a Hubitat hub in the same building. :sunglasses:

Thank you JD, I ask stupid questions for a reason, I have always held the belief that Smart homes are the future, all of current hub and device manufacturers are trying to find a way to eventual mass adoption retro fit or as a complete low cost initial install, a very lucrative market if it can be achieved

Having the ability to run without Internet and with zero local interference would go a long way in moving the possability closer

It’s not zero local interference, it’s just not a high probability.

And the original home automation systems, such as Insteon, didn’t use the Internet at all. But they didn’t get a lot of market share either. Most people these days do want Internet access so they can get added features and out of home controls, it’s just that they also want the system to work for basic functionality if the Internet isn’t available. Which is how many systems, including Hubitat, Homeseer, and HomeKit work. :sunglasses:

I’m not sure Joe clueless wants extras provided by the Internet, an enthusiast perhaps, Joe clueless wants long term reliability and low cost

Long term reliability means 30 years minimum to match what has always been available from standard wired electrical systems and switches, however that makes profit making difficult as any tech relies on advancement which in turn creates purchases, this keeps the wheel spinning

So I keep hitting a wall on how does a company win market share, create profit but supply 100% reliability because without reliability adoption is a non starter… its a conundrum

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