[OBSOLETE] SmartLife (H801) RGBW LED Strip Wifi Controller & Bulb

Devices & Integrations Community Created Device Types
1390

the one single issue is that now it will not get detected by the smart app
and manually adding it does not work either
either it will not show up at all under things or if it does it won’t work right and either way in the smart app clicking on the device under installed devices gives this message

i check the log and i see the error
"9392d798-e623-4c7e-bfcf-7ede8a83eaa8 12:13:38 PM: error java.lang.NullPointerException: Cannot invoke method startsWith() on null object @ line 646"
keep popping up during discovery

i did do a search for this in the thread and the one instance i found the guy had a complicated setup with like 3 routers , i am only using one and his issue seemed to resolve itself for him and there was no reason give as to why and no explanation of what the error is

that is about as much as i can distill it down

1391

I wouldn’t try adding it manually as if it’s not detecting it in the first place there’s issues somewhere which need addressing.
If your concerned about the IDE problem to your best bet is to start again.
Delete all the device handlers and smartapps for the H801 from all the IDE’s you’ve added them to and log into the correct one and start again.

1392

ok i keep on seeing this message popup
error java.lang.NullPointerException: Cannot invoke method startsWith() on null object @ line 646"

during discovery
i went to that line in the smartapp i noticed that it says something about arilux
now i do not understand java at all but what if when eric added support for arilux
it made the device discovery less stable or have issues with the h801 ?

like maybe it is trying to discover or initialize an arilux and not fining it and getting stuck because it does not see one and then never gets to the h801

so would i be able to get the old code from github from before he added the arilux support and delete everything or maybe just the smart app and then put the old code in instead and see if that helps?

i am not sure i just replace the code for the smartapp with the old code if it will work with the update device handlers though or if i would have to replace all 3 pieces of code and with specific dated ones to make it work correctly

1393

All apps/handlers probably need to be a similar version for it to work as the interfaces may have changed between versions. I would suggest you stick with it. Please visit the IP address of the H801 in a webpage and go to the firmware update page, from there I suggest re-uploading the firmware - make sure you use the H801 firmware - That way you can be sure it is all fully up to date and that you didnt choose the wrong firmware to flash.

After that try going to the control page of the H801 web dashboard and see if changing the red slider makes your lights turn red (green and blue after). Then step onto the SmartThings integration. Install all three things from scratch in the correct ST IDE. (make sure you remove the actual devices in the devices page aswell as the handler/app).

With those steps you will be in a better position to confirm that it is correctly setup.

1394

actually now that you mention it i think i may have downloaded the .bin
from this youtube video

so is this an old version?

ok i logged into it and i see this under status

" {“rgb”:“000000”, “r”:“00”, “g”:“00”, “b”:“00”, “w1”:“00”, “w2”:“00”, “power”:“off”, “running”:“false”, “program”:"", “uptime”:“0:0:57”, “version”:“2.0.6”, “date”:“Jun 20 2017 20:47:54”} "

so i assume this is the FW version and it’s published on date
"version":“2.0.6”, “date”:“Jun 20 2017 20:47:54”}

so is this not the one i should be using?

what about these advanced setting in there? is there anything i can try changing to make it connect?

should i use this link from the OP
https://github.com/erocm123/SmartThingsPublic/raw/master/devicetypes/erocm123/smartlife-rgbw-controller.src/SmartLifeRGBWController.ino.generic.bin

or another one?

EDIT: ok i updated the FW with the FW from the link above and it said successfully updated reboot
and it still will not connect

1395

@cjcharles

ok i tried the link
https://graph.api.smartthings.com/

it just redirects me the one i am already using so this is not the problem as i already deleted everything from the 1st wring URL

1396

can one of you please make a video showing how this thing is supposed to work because i just can’t figure out if it is working or not , a visual demonstration of the deicve handler is needed here
i have it doing something but i am not sure what that is and if it is working like it is supposed to or not

first of all can anyone give me a direct answer to these questions

  1. when i go to the device under things am i supposed to be able to click on that configure button and configure something?
  2. is there supposed to be a red dot on the configure button or does this indicate a problem?

is this normal or not yes or no?

  1. when i go into the smart app under installed devices and go the controller is there supposed to be something there or not? or is it supposed to say that the device is not fully configured?
    just simple yes or no is this normal or not ?
    https://s26.postimg.org/gwx6dn5wp/Screenshot_20170914-092303.png

  2. when i switch it on is it supposed to make the white lights stay on solid and RGB flash different colors? and am i supposed to have to keep adjusting $hit at random to get the lights to stop fading or flashing different colors and stay a solid color?

4)what are those grey circle button with R G B W1 W2 in them to the left of the sliders supposed to do when i tap on them?
because when i tap them either nothing happens or the lights go into a fade or flash of different colors
i assumed they were for turning on or off the particular channel
5)am i supposed to be able to slide those sliders at the bottom to make the different channels go on or off or set brightness because the W1 and W2 sliders are at zero and the white channel does not ever go off or even get dim

it seems like nothing is working like it should ,

i really need to see it working and how to use it because i can not figure it out
if this is how it is supposed to work then it just sucks

i can only get it to do anything if i manually add it because it just never finds it during discovery
and even when i manually add it it take about 50 tries of adding and deleting it manually before it shows up in my things list

then when it finally does i go to it and the controls don’t work and do not seem to do anything but make the lights do totally random $hit

i just did the power switching “factory” reset on the controller
and signed it back into my network again and i went to the smart connect app again and again it never will discover my device and again i get the same damn java error
error java.lang.NullPointerException: Cannot invoke method startsWith() on null object @ line 646

1397
  1. No, config happens in background, you don’t see anything.
  2. Means it’s trying to update the config to the device. Not seeing/being able to communicate means it will always be red.
  3. Visit that ip and make sure the device is still on it. Static or reserved reservations are recommended. Make sure no password is set and the web page works to control the device.
  4. Sounds like a wiring issue or bad device. Wire + and one single color. Test. If led strip is too long, it may flicker, especially with a crapy power source.

4, uh 2? Those are to control individual channels, again, won’t work if device isn’t talking correctly.
5. Refer to 4,uh 2.

Remove device from ide, start discovery in smart app, WAIT, then wait some more. 5 minutes at the very least.

If nothing shows up, manual entry won’t work. Check your router for igmp snooping and enable if it’s not.

I can’t stand videos so I won’t make one, but dalec’s were pretty great. Learning more about ST’s operations are highly recommended. This isn’t a simple plug and play device as you’ve inevitably come to find out. :wink:

If you don’t have full control over the device via its web page, stop, go back to step one, troubleshoot.

1398

How do I set a program so it fades to a certain color and then stays? I can’t figure out what parameters to put in to get this to work, it keeps reverting to another color afterwards

1399

Mine does that as well, never tried that before. Use webcore to just do a gradual fade up maybe?

1400

I have everything I need I will go ahead and try, be back with results soon!

1401

yeah i put the IP of the controller in my web browser and i go to the control tab and i try moving the sliders from there and they do nothing
none of them do anything
i go to the update FW tab and it lets me update, it says successfully updated , rebooting

i go to status and i see this so can you confirm that this is the right FW
{“rgb”:“000000”, “r”:“00”, “g”:“00”, “b”:“00”, “w1”:“00”, “w2”:“00”, “power”:“off”, “running”:“false”, “program”:“0”, “uptime”:“0:0:48”, “version”:“2.0.6”, “date”:“Jun 20 2017 20:47:54”}

no static IP is not set my router is set to DHCP but the IP has not changed the whole time i been trying to make it work , here are the advanced settings in the controller

the controller is wired right i tested the controller with it’s original FW and the LEDDimer app and it worked fine and i also tested the strip with a cheap Chinese 40 button RF RGBW controller and it also worked fine and i tried to discover the controller without the strip connected at all and still does not discover it
at worst R and G are reversed but that would not explain why the W1 channel will not turn off or why the strip had solid W and the RGB goes through 7 colors blink cycle when i power it on
(edit :i tried reversing R and G and it make no difference)

the power supply is from an old PC , not sure what the amp ratings on the side mean but they seem ridiculously low and there are 2 of them for 12v to confuse things further but again it worked fine with the controller when it was on its factory FW and the app intended for it and also with the same strip and also with the same strip and the cheapo Chinese RF 40 button remote RGBW controller
also does not explain why the controller is not getting discovered in the smart app when no strip is connected to it , there surely is enough power for the controller alone to be discovered , the signal strength is good in my router client list

here is the power supply ,i can not imagine these amp ratings are right either one of them this was from an old 486 i think

probably is underpowered for the 300 led 5 meter strip but it is only for testing purposes for now and i have left it on for extended periods with no problem

yeah dalecs vid was good for flashing but i coould not see a thing happening on his phone , i would like to see the controller being controlled through the app device handler ,sliders and color picker to see how it should function normally

i do not see anything that is supposed to make the strip do color fades or blinks through the colors but that is what it does when i turn it on or hit those grey circle buttons to the left of the R G B W1 W2 sliders sometimes

i set the IGMP snooping to on and tried again and still the same thing , not detected again
so you have no idea what “error java.lang.NullPointerException: Cannot invoke method startsWith() on null object @ line 646” means in th elog during discovery?

do i have to keep the screen on on my android device while it is discovering? could it be a crapdroid issue? i see dalec saying he had problems with smart apps on android
but i have no IOS device on high enough FW (IOS9) to test it with IOS

i tried everything 100 times i deleted everything in IDE and re-added it ,i “factory” reset the controller and re-entered by wifi credentials i reset the hub and the controller 100 times i reset the router
i really do not know what else i can try
not plug N play , really you don’t say
i have only been up till like 4 am for months on end trying to make this POS work with no luck at all so far

1402

IMG_2391
IMG_23912851×2138 1.91 MB

rip me, sorry about the crappy screen its the only windows computer I have.
im gettin baudrate & chipsync errors
It has to think so its getting something and my wires are all attached correctly and securely

1403

My FTDI turns up today so I will try flashing tonight too.

Keep in touch between us hopefully we can get this new version working fine I really hope we do as this makes a VERY well priced setup and if reliable i will be buying 2-3 more minimum.

1404

Is it possible the chip being newer is a different baud rate?

Some information on the chip and how to communicate. Apparently it states about a slower Baud rate for certain oscillators.

Worth looking at. I assume this is the right data sheet. Also its a different pin number on the chip for TX and RX

1405

Can you repost that picture onto here instead of the picture hosting site , there’s a upload button at the bottom right or at the top depending on how you’re browsing.
It looks like it says 0.1 amp ? Is that correct ?I’m sure that’s far too low so maybe that’s your issue.
I would get down to the shop and buy a new power supply or 12v transformer with about 2amps.
And you confirm where did you download the firmware from there’s on there now ? Is it from the link at the top of this topic.
And can you also confirm what is the IP address showing as in the device, forget about donations for now as you’re not even getting a basic connection through the config page.
I think the problem is it’s either the wrong firmware or it’s not flashed correctly and not saved the config correctly but I could be wrong lol
You confused me when you said you tested the original firmware with that other app and it worked ok…I’m guessing that was right at the beginning before you tried flashing ?

1406

I tried all the bauds

1407

Nope the basis rate won’t change, just make sure you are using DOUT flash mode and use a decent flash tool like ESPEasy (see the comments ~100 up if not). This doesn’t apply to H801 so far but only arilux boards

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1408

yes i tried the controller when i 1st got it shipped to me with whatever FW came on it

and the nearly impossible to find app .APK LEDDimmer and the same power supply

in the pic with a 300 led 5m RGBW LED strip and it all worked as expected
just to make sure there were no hardware issues before i flashed it
,i also tried the same power supply and strip with a cheap RF RGBW LED controller with 40 button remote the strip works fine with it

the controller connected to my phone over wifi with that same power supply and controlled the strip with the FW it shipped it

i first flashed it with the firmware .bin file i got from the link in the description of dalecs video in post 360 of this thread

the IP of the controller is 192.168.50.254

i put that in my browser and i was able to update the FW from my browser , i used the FW from this link in the OP

https://github.com/erocm123/SmartThingsPublic/raw/master/devicetypes/erocm123/smartlife-rgbw-controller.src/SmartLifeRGBWController.ino.generic.bin

i tried reflashing through the browser a few times it says it was successfully updated
i was able to do the “factory” reset procedure too (switching it on and off 5 times) and it worked
and re enter my wifi credentials and get it back on my network but it still will not get detected by the smart app

when i put the IP of the controller in the browser and go to status i see this so i assume this is the FW version

{“rgb”:“000000”, “r”:“00”, “g”:“00”, “b”:“00”, “w1”:“00”, “w2”:“00”, “power”:“off”, “running”:“false”, “program”:“0”, “uptime”:“0:0:48”, “version”:“2.0.6”, “date”:“Jun 20 2017 20:47:54”}

yeah it says 0.1 amp @ 12v but on the other side it says 0.8 amps at 12v
i don’t think either one are correct
this thing came out of an old 486 PC how could it run at that kind of current?
and like i said the controller worked with it and my strip before i flashed it
and it worked with another controller
but even with no strip connected the controller is not detected by the smart app
and i keep on seeing that java error in the log when i go to discover devices in the smartlife connect smart app and nobody here has elaborated on what it means but it seems obvious that there is something wrong with the code of the smart app ,maybe
there is an issue with newer h801’s and the code like there is with newer arilux controllers?
my 1st h801 i ordered months ago from aliexpress got bricked and would not go into flash mode anymore
i just got this one from amazon a few days ago so maybe they changed something?

or maybe the ST all or the smartlife connect app does not like android i am running ti ona nexus 6p running Nougat , and i tried it on a LG vpad 410 running Lolipop it does not work on either one,
fails to detect it
i tried launching the smart app from both the marketplace and automation tabs it makes no difference the smart app does not work it does not detect the controller no matter what i do

1409

All your settings seem spot on I’ve just compared them to mine and your also on the same FW version as me.
So if you’ve successfully used the power supply before we can rule that out for now.
I also believe your firmware is up and running ok as your doing the config ok and able to reset the WiFi.
There’s one thing from what you’ve just said makes me think is the IP address off your device “192.168.50.254” that doesn’t look like a valid IP address and seems your router may not of assigned a IP to the device.
Have you tried restarting your router?
Log into your router and try and assign a static IP to the device.
Log back into your config page on the browser and goto control and move one of the coloured sliders but then you have to press the set colour at the bottom, I want sure wether you pressed the set colour last time.

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