lutronpi-server

LutronPi Server connecting Lutron bridges to SmartThings hub - Node.js

LutronPi 2.x Server is derived from Nate Schwartz' LutronPro 1.x package for Node.js and SmartThings.
Due to essential divergences, LutronPi Server is not backwards compatible with Nate's earlier work, and will work only with the corresponding LutronPi device handlers and service manager running on the SmartThings platform.
(See FORM #2, below. This application's SmartThings namespace is: lutronpi)

FUNCTION:

The LutronPi application serves to connect Lutron lighting bridges (SmartBridge, SmartBridge Pro, RA2/Select repeater) to a local hub of the Samsung SmartThings home automation platform. There is an 'official' Lutron-to-SmartThings integration, which unfortunately does not integrate the Lutron Pico remote button fobs into SmartThings. LutronPi does connect the Pico buttons to SmartThings and allows those buttons to trigger SmartThings actions as well as native Lutron actions.

N.B. Pico button integration only works when the Picos are paired to a Lutron SmartBridge Pro or RA2/Select repeater, not to a standard retail SmartBridge. Dimmer fading also only works for dimmers on such bridges.

FORM:

The LutronPi application comprises two elements:

1. A server application running under Node.js on an independent computer (e.g. a Raspberry Pi or the like, or a desktop computer, or laptop, or potentially a NAS drive, etc.). The server must be on the same local Ethernet subnet as the Lutron bridge(s) and the SmartThings hub.
   See: https://github.com/billhinkle/lutronpi-server
2. A SmartThings "SmartApp" service manager application, along with its associated device handlers. These Groovy modules all run on the Samsung SmartThings platform, both local to the hub and in "the cloud."
   See: https://github.com/billhinkle/lutronpi-smartthings

INSTALLATION:

• Install Node.js for your host computer platform; see https://nodejs.org/en/download/
• Make a directory/folder for LutronPi Server; e.g. mkdir lutronpi
• Copy the contents of the lutronpi-server GitHub repository https://github.com/billhinkle/lutronpi-server into that directory/folder, with all files and the subdirectory structure (bridges/ and lib/).
  You may download the repository as a ZIP file and extract it within that directory, or use
  git clone https://github.com/billhinkle/lutronpi-server lutronpi
  or create the subdirectories and copy the files manually, or any other method you prefer. The installation directory should now contain
  package.json, lutronpi.js, LutronPiServer.js, some other files, and subdirectories bridges and lib, both of which contain additional files.
• From within that directory (i.e. cd lutronpi first), run
  npm install
  This command to the Node Package Manager (npm) will download and install the necessary Node.js modules for LutronPi Server, into a node_modules subdirectory. If you have some more elaborate Node.js setup, install accordingly.

It is most convenient to install and start the SmartThings SmartApp service manager and device handlers before running the LutronPi server on your node.js platform.

N.B. Neither LutronPi Server nor Node.js provides automatic restart of the server application when its host computer shuts down, power-fails, reboots, or otherwise restarts. This restart capability must be set up separately on your host platform. The PM2 process manager is one of several viable tools for this purpose (see https://www.npmjs.com/package/pm2 ), another is Forever (see https://www.npmjs.com/package/forever ).

OPERATION:

Assuming installation in a lutronpi directory,
node lutronpi/lutronpi will start the LutronPi Server with automatic Lutron and SmartThings discovery
node lutronpi/LutronPiServer will start the LutronPi Server with customized Lutron/St specifications

Bridge authentication .key files will be stored in (and expected in) the current directory from which the application was started, regardless of where the LutronPi Server files are installed. Running lutronpi.js directly, as above, will provide automatic discovery of Lutron bridges and the SmartThings hub. If (Bonjour/mDNS) discovery does not work on your platform, modify LutronPiServer.js as required for manual specification of your bridge and/or hub connections (details within that file).

UPDATES (v 2.0.0):

Beyond the original LutronPro 1.x package and its support of Lutron dimmers, switches and 3BRL Picos:

• Connects to multiple Lutron bridges simultaneously, including: standard SmartBridge, SmartBridge Pro, & RA2/Select repeater
• Supports all (almost all?) Pico models: 2B, 2BRL, 3B, 3BRL, 4B
• Supports Lutron shades (only partially tested, feedback solicited!)
• Interactive authentication of Lutron bridges, so user/password info need not be stored in the clear
• Automatically enable Telnet interface on Pro and RA2/Select to allow Pico interface to SmartThings
• Maintains and automatically restores connections to bridges and hub over a variety of communications disruptions, including temporary disconnections, loss of bridge/hub power, change of IP address
• Automatically discovers Lutron bridges and SmartThings hub on the local network, with manual overrides
• Notification to SmartThings service manager of server restart and/or change of IP address, with automatic restoration of configurations and device status refresh (e.g. light levels)
• Pico button handling modified to reliably handle multiple simultaneous Pico events
• All Pico configuration is maintained in the SmartThings service manager and Pico device handlers; no configuration is required at the (node.js) server for push-to-hold times, hold-to-repeat, or timeouts.
• Pico buttons transmit press and release events to SmartThings in addition to push and hold events
• Pico buttons will (optionally) time out push/hold after 6 seconds
• SmartThings can (optionally) trigger Pico-associated events on the Lutron bridge(s)
• SmartThings representation of Lutron scenes can also trigger other SmartThings events
• Dimmers now support level raise/lower commands from SmartThings
• Dimmers now support fade-over-time (on and/or off) - only on Pro and RA2/Select
• Supervisory and bridge-related functions divided into separate modules and heavily refactored
• Infrastructure for plug-in modules to allow connection of other 'bridge' types alongside Lutron

A WARNING!

Lutron has been known to change their bridge authentication scheme without warning or recourse. If that happens in the future, LutronPi operation may be disrupted until some smart person figures out the new authentication scheme, and any necessary software changes are made to this package.