I’m a big fan of SwitchBot and glad they now support SmartThings. There is a nice use case here if unfamiliar: Under $50 simple no coding solution to power on most brands of smart TVS (Switchbot)
(There are also a few similar IR-based projects like: [RELEASE] Infrared IR Device Integration via ST Anything v1.0)
These device types show up as on/off switches in SmartThings and let you control devices that are not inherently smart. However, my one annoyance is how the on/off status can fall out of sync with the actual on/off status of the device, especially if other people in the house are using the standard remote or physical buttons (which makes sense).
It’s maybe not so much of a problem for a TV as you would generally be in the same room, but complicated for controlling devices in other rooms (e.g. coffee maker, space heater, etc) or using Automations. If you turn the device “off” while it’s already off, you risk turning it on again.
Has anyone thought about using a smart plug power meter to sync the on/off status of the device?
For my own testing purposes, I grabbed a cheap Samsung Wifi Smart Plug ($18) to put in front of my SwitchBot-controlled device. I’m only using the plug for the power meter functionality (it always stays “on”) and SwitchBot to turn the device on/off via IR.
Right now, I’m adding Automatons with multiple conditions in the SmartThings app to check if there is power meter usage before toggling the device (so I’m not toggling an already “off” device). For example:
This works, but it would be really nice (and less confusing) to have the IR/SwitchBot device type reflect the true on/off status based on the power meter.
Not sure if anyone has tried tackling this already?