From what I’ve read here SmartThings integration is on the roadmap, hopefully this quarter. Definitely happy about that and hope it happens sooner than later.
I’d like to hear more about what is planned/possible from that integration - there’s been some discussion of this in the Bond thread on SmartThings forum, folks are of course very interested (as in super-dooper interested).
The assumption is that since the fans controlled via Bond are “dumb” that the SmartThings integration will provide access to “fine” fan control (on/off, set speed, light on/off, set dimming) from SmartThings, but that ST/Bond knowing actual accurate fan status (is it on, what speed, is the light on, what level etc.) will remain out of reach since the fan isn’t reporting anything back when sent commands. ST/Bond will know the last command sent from ST/Bond, and can use that for a kind of “virtual status” but won’t know for sure it’s accurate.
What ST/Bond won’t know is if the fan was turned off via a wall switch, or if someone used an original fan remote to change speed/light, etc.
@merck - Can you confirm/correct above, and elaborate any further at this point on the Bond integration with ST? We’re all on pins and needles.
I think your description is accurate all around. Should be a very useful integration!
The only caveats are that (1) fans with press-and-hold dimmer functions will not be able to set a particular dimming level, and (2) fans with a light toggle (rather than light on/off) signal will still have the limitation where BOND does not know the true state of the light. These are limitations of the fan controllers. However, the “state remotes” will allow specific dim levels and knows what light on/off value is being set.
Thanks for confirming, and spelling out a couple of the limitations that are important to understand.
Luckily we rarely use our fans for lighting except for one in the family room, and that one has Hue lights that we control via minimotes, so the lighting limitations aren’t a problem for us. (And it’s all about my family, right?)
Oh, and I was thinking that one way around the lighting limitation would could be below - is this possible, or not?
Find a remote that provides discrete commands for light levels
Set it’s programming dip switches to control your fan
Use that remote to add your fan to Bond
Or - are fans that are sold with a remote with a single press and hold dimmer button just completely incapable of setting a specific light level, regardless of the remote used?
Unfortunately it is the latter. Many fan receivers only have a single control signal for “keep dimming”, and they internally ramp up and down in brightness. The “state” remotes with LCDs tend to be the ones that have different signals for each brightness level.
I’d like in on that beta promptly when offered. My kids keep losing their fan remotes (only major lights in their bedrooms), and turning the light off with a voice assistant when the child is already asleep can be pretty jarring. Once on ST, I can use my minimotes or other scene controllers to adjust them.
I don’t know Smart Things, and obviously BOND’s official implementation (when it comes) would be ideal… but since there is no timeline, I am wondering how feasible something like integrating SmartThings and the Local API of BOND via CoRE / WebCoRE is in the meantime.
Just curious.
