Zwave/Zigbee keypad

WebThings
#1

Hi all

Does anybody know anything about these people and even this kit ( pls see below), will work with the pi WebThings server with a conbee Zigbee II stick. Can it be integrated with WebThings?

Plus can anybody tell me where I can find a Zwave / Zigbee keypad for any exit/entry home security alarm. Indeed, if anyone has seen any basic instructions on how to put together a home security system using either of these to
systems, I’d be very grateful indeed.

Thanks again and sorry for all the postings there just seems a lack of “general” info out there, or at least the topics I’m looking for. Alex

#2

Not to be a debbie-downer, but support for the WebThings project transitioned from Mozilla, to WebThings, and soon to a true open-sourced and supported tool.

Support by the many legacy developers trickle in, but I speculate that no real development is being performed other than by a few with personal add-on needs. There is no talk about support for Thread/Matter to my knowledge.

Personally, I have installed and started porting/learning Home Assistant. Not sure I like it as it requires too much manual configuration and the lack of examples/documentation is just a sparse.

I like WebThings as I’ve invested time learning and it works reliably on my PI. Hopefully as the project transitions there will be new support moving forward to keep up with the required changes as home IOT standards and products change.

Good luck in your search for devices supported by WebThings. If it’s not already in the WebThings addon repository it’s probably not supported…

#3

Hi again Eric

And thanks again for your time and your advice, it is very much appreciated.

I fully get your point albeit when I read about HA, there seemed to be a bit more discourse about it than WT.
But there again maybe people are more aware of HA via the Pi forums. Have to say, I’m big into max2play and I have a few Cayenne projects plus other pi projects since it first came out. But… and this is the weird thing. I never came across WT until a couple of weeks back and I was blown away with it. Indeed, I put a bit on the forum telling people Amazon were selling Zwave ( devolo) rad smart stats for just under £10. They have now gone up to just under £40. So, hence my barrage of questions as I’m really getting into this. Sadly as you said, documentation is the issue which is certainly not a dig at anyone quite the opposite as I think WT is marvelous from what little I know about it.

So I’m not sure how I can contribute yet as I feel I should offer some way of been thankful but I’m just not up to speed with things.

But I’m expecting a CONBEE II arriving today so hopefully I’ll learn a bit more there. So I’m progressing it’s just a bit slow😀.

But thanks for your help…great bit of kit.
Alex

#4

These devices look like Zigbee but are untested with WebThings Gateway, so proceed at your own risk. If you do find that they work please update the wiki.

I use SmartThings & Develco motion sensors, door sensors, leak sensors and smoke detectors for my home system, but haven’t tried a keypad. (SmartThings are unfortunately discontinuing their hardware products, but there are alternatives available). There’s currently no keypad capability for the gateway so monitoring/controlling that from the web UI would also be tricky. If you wanted to buy and test one we could work together on a new UI for that.

Please see https://github.com/WebThingsIO/addon-list/issues/1037

We’re really still waiting for general availability of the specifications.

Contributions to documentation would certainly be helpful. On the wiki and docs repo (https://webthings.io/docs/).

#5

Hi again
Thanks again for that and yes I’ll update the wiki it if I go down that route. But my Conbee has just arrived, so hopefully it’s a plug and play and I’ll be up and running Zigbee shortly. That said I’ve never been that lucky :open_mouth:
Thanks all.

#6

Hi Ben

Just realised I didn’t answer a part of your email about the doing something with a keypad.

So my apologies as I just forgot as I’ve been trying to teach myself how to work these WT devices now my system seems to be working after reflashing my SD card.

I’d say yes, I’d be happy to help but I’d be more of a hindrance than a help as my background is electronics and programming is way above my comfort zone. But I appreciate your offer.

That said, I am considering getting a “cheap” keypad which will then interface with a Zigbee device, (a basic switch that would arm/disarm the alarm albeit I’ve not fully thought that out but I’m sure it’s doable. Trouble with that is you have two devices to do one job. But it would be useful as other household member would be able to use it more easier than using the WT UI.

That said, how do you activate your alarm, turn it on/off etc

The other thing I’m considering is to put a Zigbee or Zwave switch on the central heating boiler feed but in parallel with my current controller turning it on for a set period of time, like a boost say for 30 mins but not temperature at this stage.

Anyhow I need the alarm set up more than the heating at the moment.

So, I’d appreciate to know how you or others have done theirs.

Thanks

Alex