I am a retired software engineer with over 45 years of experience with a lot of programming languages (C#, C, Javascript, Typescript, Basic, Delphi, COBOL, etc.).
I don’t have a Homey Pro yet but I do own a Loxone Miniserver that runs my home. Loxone is pretty closed and hard to extend outside the interfaces it already supports. The software is proprietary and does not allow plugins or software extensions. The only programming that can be done is in a Program Module using PicoC (a Subset of the K&R C languate). Support for Matter is coming but will only be implemented when the Matter team has finished their work. That could take several year is my assessment.
Homey Pro does support third party development. I’m wondering how I should go about this. Now Loxone has an API. With this API one can download the full configuration of the Miniserver, issue commands to control devices via HTTP(S). The configuration tells me which devices are available in the Miniserver and I can control them using secure login and HTTP(S) commands.
I would like to start a project that integrates the Loxone Miniserver with Homey Pro. I’ve seen the “Hello World” video which gave me a little insight in how Homey Pro allows Apps to be created. The basic Idea I have is that the Homey App will automatically connect to the Miniserver and download the config. All devices in the config should than be made available in the Homey Pro environment with the commands to control them.
Before I buy a Homey Pro: would that be possible with the current SDK of Homey Pro?
I am playing with a Loxone system here and have interfaced it bidirectionally with many external devices but I wouldn’t say in a consistent or professional manner.
My first main need was with my C-Bus lighting system which has about 150 loads. I was not enamoured with Loxone’s lighting controller. My C-Bus is integrated via UDP in PicoC.
However just for personal choice my system is now MQTT centric and so I use Loxberry and have altered the system accordingly. Almost all of my devices now use MQTT so my ease of integration with Loxone and Homey is good.
I haven’t spent a lot of time with Homey coding recently but I suspect it will suffice, and PicoC could assist if needed. Splitting the config apart from Loxone will be the most taxing along with matching device capabilities between the two systems,
In the longer term Matter may well provide a good path especially within the switches/lights arena. 1Home are also about to release a Matter gateway for Loxone, and have already partially released a KNX version.
I don’t expect Homey can interface with C#? That would have been nice because there already is a library on GitHub that does the job of splitting the config. If I could use that it would speed up development largely. Writing that in JavaScript is going to be a daunting task indeed.
There’s also a JavaScript GitHub project that does the connection to Loxone which is not trivial either.
Bidirectionality would be a challenge too. But first things first. Get the App to be able to do a call into the Miniserver.
I also have the 1Home box that does a great job of integrating Alexa, Google Home and Apple Home Kit (the latter is now also supported in Loxone). The Matter bridge of 1Home if far from ready but a good effort although pretty expensive. I have the Loxone KNX Extension for communication with my Heat pump (also expensive) but have so far not been tempted to buy the 1Home KNX Server.
Considering your expertise and the capabilities of Homey Pro’s SDK, it seems like a feasible endeavor. However, it might be a good idea to delve deeper into the SDK documentation or reach out to the Homey Pro community for insights on feasibility and potential challenges.
By the way, if you’re into home automation projects like this, you might find the process of loxone system installation intriguing. It offers a whole new level of control and customization over your home setup.
