Will the 5500 SHAC/NAC get native integration with HomeKit?

[psionic001]

Hi @Asli,

When will the 5500SHAC gain integration with HomeKit and other smart devices?

Schneider made an announcement some time ago about Matter integration:

https://www.se.com/ww/en/about-us/newsroom/news/press-releases/schneider-electric-to-integrate-new-%...

Thanks

[Digby_Brock]

Hi,

I've been playing around with the existing app for the KNX devices and made a few modifications to enable control with the c-bus data types. I've posted this on the c-bus forums website if you want to take a look. Note this is not official, so theres a lot not supported, just brightness, window coverings and switch at this stage, but it does work quite well.

Link to c-bus forums thread here: https://www.cbusforums.com/threads/5500ac2-nac2-firmware-v2-0-0-homekit-app.11357/ 

[Mr_C]

Hi 

The 5500AC2 and 5500NAC2  will in future have a migration of the Homekit Application ported specifically for working with the C-Bus System   

This will make its way to version 2.0 firmware for these devices,  

But it will not be made available to the  5500SHAC,  LSS5500SHAC, 5500NAC and LSS5500NAC  firmware.  

An ETA for this Application is not being provided at this time,  it is a Baclog item alogn with many other applications.  

Currently the focus is on delivering,  The Application Framework as a whole,  Cloud Connectivity to the Controller,  and Mobile Applications Supported by Manager,  

We May look to incorporate HomeKit with other functions in Manager Application,  such as the Voice Enablement for Alex and Google Home,   but we will wait and see.   

Now is however a good time for you to provide your input to what if anything you like to see done with C-Bus and HomeKit that might be different to what has been done by Logic Machine.  

[Digby_Brock]

The Attached is a quick crude mock up of something i had in mind after using the app for a while and finding it quite repetative. The following could be a faster user friendly way to implement the mapping.

On app Initialisation automatically add all the Controllers existing objects / Tags to a list and provide a refresh button to check for any new or removed tags there after. 

As C-bus only requires the one address unlike KNX which uses multiple address's for 1 bit, 1 byte and status ect, we can simplify the mapping.

list all the existing tags with a checkbox for each disabled by default so the user can choose what to pass to homekit, display the group address for information purposes, take the existing tag name by default ( can be manually edited when edit button pressed ), Type can be a dropdown list, default type to be brightness ( assuming most groups will be lighting, can be manually edited when edit button pressed ), display the corrosponding homekit Characteristic for information, provide an edit button when pressed, name can be manually edited and type can be changed by dropdown list, click edit again to save changes and lock fields. If enable is checked the mapping is added / refreshed to homekit database and controllable, if not it's hidden from homekit.  

 

 

[Mr_C]

Thanks for that Input 

I will take that on advice but also potentially mix it up with where we are going in the new firmware to make the process even simpler or faster.  

The current benefit we have with C-Bus as you point out is that there is One object only for the control of any load type,  this object contains the Control and State or current value  of the item as well.   This Simplifies things as we do not need to create a relation ship between objects. 

In addition we have added in new firmware, a function definition to the General Control Applications (control applications are what you refer to as Lighting Application) so that's any Object assigned to a Application in the address range of 42 - 127 the most common one being there by default is 56 which we title lighting.   This feature automatically then defines what is the function of the object,  such as Lighting On/Off  vs Lighting with Dimming,  or  if the Object is Fan Control  Blind Control etc.  

It will still be a little time before these functions are being defined by the project you transfer over from the commission software,  but as that falls into place we can automate the Characteristics process as well.  

Again I also see that we may make this part of the Manager Application along with other Voice control platforms,  as previously mentioned. 

To me this makes sense as Manager application,  basically defines what will be present on the customers Mobile devices,   both in our own dedicated Mobile apps,  but why not in homekit as well.   

Be interested to hear your thoughts,   but also understand that currently you may not have a great deal of experience with the Manager Application, or mobile apps,  but it is coming.  

[Digby_Brock]

I've played with the manager app a little, but no a geat deal to be honest, would be nice to see how it looks on a mobile but i havent seen the moblie app in the app store yet. Going by the PDF guide it looks quite nice on the mobile, would it be possible to have a similar look in the web view opposed to the large widget tiles?

[Digby_Brock]

As for creating the control elements on the manager app, i feel the same aproach with a list view would be handy, list all the objects similar to the suggest homekit layout described above, add extra column to select floor and room via dropdown, default the widget type to the c-bus application types as you have mentioned, or manually select an alternative via dropdown. Title name default is taken from the tag.

May be a bit trickier for the multi button widgets but certantly a lot quicker for the single element ones opposed to clicking the + icon, scrolling to select the widget, manually typing a title then saving for each one.

Event if its just a seperate page in the manager called "Bulk configure". after which the installer can manually adjust the widgets using the existing edit icon.

Personally id like the homekit app to remain indepandant, there may be instances where he manager app is not required, or instances where homekit is not required, and it may be more effective and timely to deliver seperate apps as opposed to waiting for the release of 1 app to rule them all.

[ozbridge]

Thank you for the update. Can you please explain why the 5500NAC will not get the update? The devices are almost identical - surely this isn’t a hardware limitation? 

it would be good to see at least the 5500NAC which was designed for larger applications get the 2.0 firmware features the 2.0 devices are getting.

Thank you for your consideration.

[Mr_C]

So 5500NAC and 5500SHAC, do get Firmware 2.0 but this build of firmware for these devices is primarily security fixes,  and additional features that are added to the existing configurator / visualizations + C-Bus Application support. 
 
There are some significant Hardware/Platform differences between V1 5500NAC  and V2 5500NAC2,  The environment is not being developed for 5500NAC/SHAC to support Application modules.