RF Learning and VCD file

Devices
1

Hi

I will start to say that i´am not a coder.

I have some older motion sensors and door kontakts that say RF 433 on the back, so I thout there was some easy way to ad the divice to my Homey Pro.

I found in the developer Tool that one can record the signals and eksporte it to a .vcd file, and that seems like it works and I have also downloaded the file, and et is full with numbers.

But I have know ider what to do with the vcd file, and I can not seem to find any usefull dokumentatione about how to set a RF device op in homey.

Hope some one can explain how I get the motion sensors to funktion.

2

If you’re not a coder, it’s going to be near impossible to get your device working, because you need to write a specific app for your device.

3

Really My understanding of Homey was that everything was made easy to use and that it would be able to use anything with RF signals and so on.

So that is very disappointing.

Do you no of any good place to start learning how outher people get around that kind of issues, and can maybe give me just abit of understanding of how one gets in to the world of koding for homey pro.

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4

There used to be a tutorial on how to convert the VCD file to the type of information a Homey app requires, but I can’t find it anymore.

The way people work around these issues (not just RF, but also things like IR and Zigbee) is to actually buy other devices. I think for RF and IR, a Broadlink hub is the most common alternative. For RF there’s also the Sonoff RF Bridge, but that requires more effort because you need to flash an alternative firmware on it first.

5

Great thanks for your help on this, I probeply will look at the broardlink and see if that can hancle my needs. Thanks. :slight_smile:

6

Is this what you were looking for: GitHub - harriedegroot/Athom-Homey-RF-Signal-Analyzer: Athom Homey RF Signal Analyzer

@Dalle maybe it helps you

7

No, but I think it refers to the page I meant (“Predicts a signal definition based on this guide how to record a signal.”) Which doesn’t exist anymore :frowning:

8

Archive.org has copy from 2018: How to record a signal · athombv/node-homey-433 Wiki · GitHub (archive.org)

But I see ‘buying other devices’ was already accepted as a solution :+1:

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9

Personally I think the true solution would be to get Athom to make the 433mhz feature actually functional and useful…

I paid big money to buy my “marketed” all in one solution Homey Pro. Rather than pressure Athom to make this feature actually functional and useful many on here just recommend a “band aid” solution and you go buy add-on hardware to make your €400 hub that has 433mhz built-in functional …

Solution …mmmm , I think not .

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10

Sorry but robertklep was fast to answer me, and with all the research I have already done I have not had any luck of finding a solution where the RF-433 is useable for normal uses, so that is why I would just have to accept the fakt that I have bought the most pricy hub I could find because it sounded like that it would be abel to handle all protocols, but now I will have to buy even more equipment to make the dam thing workable. So it may not be a solution but there dos not seem to be any solution. :frowning:

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I totally agree with you, and I have been very disappointed with this homey pro being marketed as if it can do everything easily, but NO it defiantly cant if one is not I hardcore coder.

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12

There is, but it requires some effort.

Firstly email Athom and make a complaint that the 433Mhz feature that you paid for is sub-standard and is 90% useless without an effective “learning” and re-transmit feature … It probably won’t do much though as many have tried before for years and years but at least you can say that you tried .

Secondly join onto Athoms Slack channel and make some complaints. The head of Athom goes on there sometimes. Very very rarely goes on here… crazy , his own website,

Probably the most effective thing you can do though is be very vocal about it and make big stink on this forum like I’ve been doing whenever the subject of 433Mhz comes up by people that are disappointed about it after they bought one. For insight look up the keyword “433Mhz” and also a thread called “The sad IR” to get all the back history and the whole deal with it …

Surprising there are a few long time members on here that think it’s no big deal. They just pussy out and “automatically” suggest you go buy a Broadlink Pro. If you bring it up some members on here will actually attack you or anyone else that complains that the 433Mhz feature is sub-standard. Yes, actually attack you … Crazy eh… Theres abit of Stockholm Syndrome that goes on here. Don’t say bad things about the all mighty Athom … Read all the old posts. You’’ll find out,.

Ultimately the more vocal we get about it , the more noise and stink we create then Athom will eventually cave in to all the bad PR and actually get the 433mhz feature up to scratch.

All the “silence” has does nothing ,

If enough posts are made about it eventually when people go onto Google and search Homey and 433Mhz people will find out that it’s crap and Athom will be motivated to fix it …

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13

You may think that you’re the first with this great idea, but those long time members know that Athom will never create a generic RF learning solution. It’s been asked for years now, and for years Athom has dismissed the feature request. My guess is that there’s a technical reason why they won’t (can’t) implement it.

But hey, go ahead and post your gripes in every thread about this, and similar, subjects. Who knows.

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14

yeps thats a shame but thanks for your respons, I did think that I was getting a all in one hub, but it turns out that it was to good to be true. :wink:

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15

Well, I never really counted but I have my suspicions about Homey having support for 50.000+ devices too :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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16

Wow that is a shame to hear that it sounds like there not responding to the complaints on this topic. I will email homey and I will be making a lot of noise it sounds like that will be the only chance to get the top of homey to take this seriously, it is a big shame because it could have been the perfect smart home hub.

17

Thanks ,

Yeah , I’m aware that this big hole with system has existed for a few years if you recall from other posts that I’ve made. I’ve spent hours going through many old posts and archives. Some which I found via Google …

If you recall Athom have been on record saying that they were going implement “learning” about 2 years ago so one could assume that it’s technically possible. If not, why would they promise it if it’s not possible? :thinking:

If you also recall from that discussion we had few months ago on another thread a few of us went through all possible technicalities of 433hmz RF learning . From that discussion it looked to me like there should be no technical reason for the Homey Pro to not be able to learn and re-transmit 433Mhz RF codes…

So we know that Homey Pro has the ability to record raw RF code. We know that without doubt … There is plenty of open source code out there that is freely and easily available on the internet that is able to deal with the modulation and decoding or most consumer grade 433Mhz devices, except ones that are either highly proprietary or are “rolling codes”. This open source code should in theory be able to be incorporated into Homey Pro .

We know that Homey is able to transmit RF code , so then why not ?

Unless the Homey Pro’s was so “badly” coded or designed from the start in such away that it fundamentally prevents the Homey Pro’s from having these open source modules and libraries incorporated then why not … ?

To make a very simplistic comparison like I did in that last discussion …

I have a cheap $7 universal 433Mhz learning Key chain remote control which I purchased off AliExpress which is attached to my set of car keys. It can learn thousands of 433Mhz remote controls. Press a button it plays it back, It’s worked with everything I have here .

The mighty €400 Homey Pro can’t do what a $7 Chinese universal remote can do… ??? It raises questions…:smirk:

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This cheap $7 Chinese device can do what a €400 European device can’t do . :roll_eyes:

AU $2.44 35％ Off | kebidu 433MHZ Remote Control 4 Channe Garage Gate Door Opener Remote Control Duplicator Clone Cloning Code Car Key

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Because things change. Perhaps initially they were planning on RF learning but the people involved in the RF controller firmware have since moved on and no one presently dares touch the code. Or it was just to keep everyone happy.

First of all, any generic solution (that is, not implemented in a specific app) goes against Homey’s design philosophy.

Second, most of those open source libraries usually limited to specific RF chips (like the EV1527). Those chips are used in a lot of cheap devices, so yes, if that code were to be implemented in Homey, those devices could be supported.

But that covers only one class of device, so what about other devices? How many libraries would need to be implemented to cover a decent amount of RF devices out there? What actually is a decent amount?

If you look at dedicated devices that actually support a decent amount of RF devices, like the RFXcom, you’re paying €100+ for a single device. That still isn’t a generic device, it has specific code for en-/decoding the protocols for every device it supports.

And no, “just transmit back what it received” isn’t going to work either. Most of the time a signal needs (extensive) cleaning up before it’s an actual signal that can be retransmitted.

Yeah, I have similar devices. They can only learn one or two code types.

20

Yep…

But those long time members position is to “now” either remain silent, dish out the whole “nothing to see here” routine , or attack new Homey Pro users that join onto the forum who raise a reasonable and genuine complaint about the 433Mhz feature, and essentially tell the new users… hey shut up, what are you complaining about , shut up and eat the €400 sh@t sandwich that you just purchased and go buy more 3rd party hardware to make it work…

If those long time users continue hide all the issues, bury all the issues, attack those that raise genuine issues then things will NEVER change or get fixed … Hence why they aren’t :woozy_face:

It’s time for a big attitude change …

This issue plus many others will never get fixed if users end up accepting the sh@t sandwich that was served to them…

For change and improvements to occur we must all be…

Vocal

Vocal

Vocal

No silence , no defending of Athom , no ahhh what can you do …:woozy_face:

Be vocalllllllll…

Bad PR will catch up with Athom . All companies eventually re-act to bad PR when it piles up on them…

It does works . You just have to do it …

The next time a new user joins onto the forum asking why can’t their new Homey Pro learn RF codes , just say that this feature was promised by Athom two years ago but they never implemented it. Also say from “credible” evidence it appears that Athom do not have any “actual” interest in implementing it and that its been requested for 6 years now… (lots of threads can be quoted on this) . And that’s it …

If the new user replies back and says “that sux” then just reply back and say , yes , I totally agree, it does suck , it’s not a good. . (which is true) and make a complaint…

If everyone responds with the default position, “errrm go buy a Broadlink “ then nothing will “ever” get fixed …

Silence = No results

Being publicly vocal = Results

It’s crazy that I have to be a “complain bot” about all this …

It really shouldn’t be a thing to start with … …:roll_eyes:

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