Perfect ST use cases. Search and ye will find. Wash done was the first use case I solved with ST that opened the budget for it at my house. I’m over 50 devices now.
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I like it, maybe if i’m successful it will open my budget up a bit as well!
Thought this was a good article on HomeKit and why it’s been so slow to move forward.
Apple is screwing up HomeKit; here’s how they can fix it
That’s one opinion, from a person who was an android developer. I disagree with pretty much everything in that article. This, in particular:
Devices should be connected to the cloud. In the cloud, servers can talk to each other. We can fix bugs without risky over-the-air firmware updates.
Is just so far away from most people’s home automation experience it’s hard to even discuss. Of all applications, home automation is the one that should be using local connectivity. Well, that and medical monitoring. The fact that HomeKit is local except for out of building control is one of the things I like best about it.
The author also objects to HomeKit’s hardware-based implementation and suggest a software substitution. But it’s the hardware piece that is going to provide the encryption that will I believe set a new security standard for low-cost home automation. It won’t be perfect, but it will definitely be more secure.
Again, choice is good. Different people need different things. If somebody has a cloud-based, software-based home automation platform that they’re happy with, more power to them. 
But I wouldn’t call Apple nuts for choosing to go with a local system.
JMO
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Interesting article. I happen to agree with a bunch of it. The trick is the glue. Literally whatever makes it easier to glue devices and software together. (Why I happen to think ST is a winner right now). If that is cloud, so be it, makes some sense. It sure as heck isn’t requiring a proprietary chip for “security”, as the percentage of consumers that pick up an HA device and look for it’s security certification has got to be super low. It’s just not a thing, and I think at it’s height it still won’t be a thing. As I’ve said many times, there are just SOOO many easy ways to steal things, what hope does home automation have of standing in the way of smash and grab unless laser guided auto tasers become the norm. People instinctively know this and won’t pay for it. A shiny watch or phone is one thing, automating your home is another.
Thought I would share my video tutorial of Homebridge here:
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To keep people from getting confused, this thread really needs to be limited to official, legal integrations.
The method you show in the video is based on use of the Phillips hue bridge simulator, and is a violation of the Phillips developer terms of service.
There is discussion of other methods in the projects category.
Maybe this is a dumb question, but I don’t know how the Apple Home system works… Does using Apple Home to control “smart” devices restrict you from also controlling these same devices from another system, like SmartThings? If Apple Home connects to each device like other systems (e.g. SmartThings) do, then I presume I am correct?
The whole HomeKit system works very differently from SmartThings. If you want, we can go into the technical details, it’s up to you.
But the main thing is that you can definitely have a device that works with other systems as well it just depends on the system manufacturer and some specific HomeKit rules.
For example, the Phillips hue bridge works with almost everything, including homeKit. It works with smartthings, it works with Staples connect, it works with vera, it works with HomeKit, it works directly with echo without needing any of the previous systems. It also has its own IFTTT channel.
Lutron Caseta light switches also have an IFTTT channel, and also can work with many systems, including wink, Staples connect, Echo directly, HomeKit ( but not smart things).
The Idevices pocket socket works with many different things, including smart things, wink, HomeKit, echo directly, etc.
The ecobee Thermostat works with both SmartThings and HomeKit. I’m not sure what else it works with.
So you just have to look at each individual device to see what integrations it supports.
Maybe a over-simplified way of explaining this is that a physical device most of the time connects to only one controller (a hub or cloud service). The controller can be connected to other hubs/controllers. This way there are often many different way how you can control a device.
Examples:
z-wave <->Smartthings <->(Homebridge, IFTTT, Amazon Echo…)
Nest Thermostat <->Nest Cloud<->(Smartthings, Amazon Echo, IFTTT)
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Hmm, ok I think I’m getting it now. So should I look at Apple’s Home app/HomeKit, built into iOS 10, as an extra layer on top of existing automation systems (that “work with HomeKit”) giving an additional mode of control of the “smart” devices connected to said existing automation systems?
For example, if you own a Phillips Hue bulb and it’s connected to the Hue Bridge and you already have the Hue app working to control the bulb, you could then separately open the Home app on your iPhone to also control that very same bulb? So it’s just an extra layer of control over the same device that’s connected with a different “hub” or “bridge”…?
I also should have asked… Are there “smart” devices that the Apple Home app can also control directly, without the need for the “smart” device to already be connected to a “hub” or “bridge”? So is there like a “works with HomeKit” standalone lamp outlet that the Home app can just connect to directly without the outlet having to be connected with, say, the Lutron system?
Yes, several. Not a lot yet. Again, the iHome smart plug doesn’t need an additional hub to work with HomeKit , but can also work with several different other systems . Eve just released a new light switch today which will work with HomeKit and does not require an additional hub. (Lutron Caseta switches, as we mentioned, talk to their own smartbridge which then can work with HomeKit. Eve switches standalone.)
https://support.smartthings.com/hc/en-us/articles/211523263-iHome-SmartPlug
Here’s the full list as of October 27, 2016. Some of these can work with multiple different systems, some will only work with HomeKit or their own app.
So it’s not that HomeKit is just an additional layer over an existing control method. Rather, HomeKit integration requires a special chip, a hardware piece, which must be built into the device. (This is why existing devices cannot be retrofitted to work with HomeKit.) If a device has that chip, which is only available from Apple – approved sources, or if it works with a bridge/hub that has that chip and that end device has been specifically approved to work with HomeKit, then it can work with HomeKit through the bridge even though the end device doesn’t have the special chip . The manufacturer may also have added other things to either the bridge or the end device so that it can work with other systems as well.
So it’s more a parallel method of communication than an overlay.
The individual approval step is also important. For example, a number of third-party bulbs can work with the hue bridge, including GE links, cree, etc. when attached to the hue bridge in this way, they can also be controlled from SmartThings.
However, currently only the actual Hue brand bulbs are HomeKit approved. So if you have a HomeKit – compatible hue bridge, you will be able to control the hue brand bulbs connected to that bridge through HomeKit. But you would not be able to control the GE link brand bulbs connected to that bridge through HomeKit, although you could through SmartThings.
So again, it’s not an overlay. There’s a specific approval process for every piece of hardware that can officially connect to HomeKit.
Ok, got it… whew! Really appreciate you breaking it down for me!
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This was interesting.
HomeKit was very briefly featured at the Apple event yesterday – – in the accessibility video. Person transferring from bed to wheelchair starts a good morning routine that opens the shades and turns up the lights.
Here’s the most interesting part: they didn’t do it with Siri. They did it with a tap on the phone.
They still put Siri first among the features on the descriptive page, but they didn’t do it that way in the video.
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Very interesting video.
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So there are now three motion sensors that can sort of work with HomeKit. I’ll be trying all three and can see more specifics once I actually get them. Meanwhile:
One) Hue motion sensor. Battery operated ZLL device. We have four of these and really like them. They include a lux sensor, but that is only used to filter when the motion is reported . These can only be used to trigger hue lights attached to a hue bridge. You can then have other HomeKit devices like Lutron switches come on because a hue light came on, but there is a slight lag. So at our house, the table lamp comes on first, then the overhead light comes on a second or two later. $40
A community member has created a custom DTH for this, so it can be used when the motion sensor is connected directly to the SmartThings hub, although then you lose the ability to use it with the Hue app.
Two) eve Elgato motion sensor. This is a battery operated Bluetooth device. should be able to trigger any HomeKit event because it counts as a “security” device (the companion contact sensors can’t trigger events because they aren’t in the security category). Works just fine to trigger any HomeKit device. The first battery powered motion sensor for the HomeKit platform. It’s Bluetooth, so the range is limited – – it has to be within about 40 feet of the iPad acting as the Homekit control center. $50
https://www.amazon.com/Elgato-Wireless-HomeKit-technology-Bluetooth/dp/B01MAV39M8
Three) iHome multisensor. Can report temperature, humidity, lux, sound, and motion and use those to trigger any HomeKit event. Wi-Fi plug-in device with a USB cable so you can position it somewhat. Says it can definitely trigger any HomeKit event-- but that turned out to only be true for the motion sensor.
It does report sound, light, temperature, and humidity, but you have to use rules within the iHome app for that and the only devices that can be triggered from it are iHome pocket sockets. Those pocket sockets are directly compatible with smart things, so this is a motion sensor that could trigger both a smart things event and a HomeKit event. To be able to trigger from the temperature/sound/humidity/or lux levels, however, you would need to use the iHome pocket socket as a go-between. $80.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LZUSJ26/
Any of these could be used to turn on a Phillips hue bulb and then have that coming on trigger something in SmartThings, but there would be a definite lag of several seconds for any follower devices other than the original Hue. (Or, of course, could just be used as a parallel means of control for hue lights attached to a hue bridge.) So might work for some use cases, not others.
I have HomeKit still working with the Hue bulbs (connected to the Hue bridge still) and the Hue Motion sensors directly connected to the SmartThings hub (so I can control lux levels, Motion and temperature) and everything works very well. In the community there is a device handler for the Hue Motion Sensors which works very well so far
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IOS 10.2 has several significant HomeKit improvements, mostly adding new device classes
- Adds notification support for HomeKit accessories including window coverings, occupancy, motion, door/window, smoke, carbon monoxide, and water leak sensors
- Adds notification support for HomeKit accessories when software updates are available to HomeKit accessories
- Improves Bluetooth performance and connectivity with 3rd party accessories
I was wondering what you ended up doing. I am tired of the instability of ST and was considering migrating to all HomeKit devices and rid myself of having to reboot a hub daily
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I am still with SmartThings. I don’t think Apple has what it takes to really compete in this space.
I automate to have my house react to me, I don’t want to use Siri or my phone.