Can't pair the blinds

[miczlo]

I wanted to start by saying thanks for doing this as I think it's an amazing project. So far I have had an ESP just shorting correct DI on the remotes to have my blinds controlled in HA but this would be a game changer for me. Unfortunately I'm struggling with pairing process. I have quintuple checked my wiring and tried swapping RX/TX without changing them in the configuration and swapping RX/TX and then also swapping them in the config. Basically I put my blinds into pairing by holding the button on the back, they jog and blink green but then nothing ever happens when I try to pair them from ESPSomfy. I do see all the commands I send from my remote and I do see them regardless of the RX/TX situation. Strangely (for me) I'm still seeing the commands sent in the logs even if I swap the TX/RX without changing them in the config I'm using the blue E07-M1101D with a Wifi ESP32-WROOM-32. It's a 56 bit motor. I have tried 2 different blinds - same results. I've tried using other pins on the ESP for TX/RX but same thing still Any solutions for debugging/diagnosing?

[FlaMike]

Just installed it. I now have one device in it--the blind we both know & love to death. I'll get the others going & switch my node red automation targets for opening & closing the shades as well as the entities in the UI to your system. Then the ZRTSIs shall be history. Can't imagine who else could use the bloody things. Ugh!

[rstrouse]

After you add and pair up the motors you can simply click reload on the integration and it will pick all those up as well.

[rstrouse]

@binu02 I went through your timing pulses and they are amazingly consistent with those put out by ESPSomfy RTS. There must be something else going on here. Can you take a couple of pics of your connections for me? Also, just to be sure you did not reassign the shade address to the same address as your remote.

[FlaMike]

I want to let you know I got everything going, paired, linked, integrated and automated in HA! So cool! ZRTSIs are going away forever shortly!!!!!

I am even able to control a shade in an out-building a short distance from the house. Truly amazing because both buildings are concrete & rebar throughout. And that's with the not nearly as good as Amazon transceiver! Wow! Everything is in HA and automated except for the one un-paird bad boy. So fun!

Many thanks! Have a super holiday& weekend!

[rstrouse]

I just published v1.4.6. This includes some bit changes to the transmit protocol that may allow some troublesome shades to pair.

[FlaMike]

Even got the bad boy blind working late yesterday. It's the only blind with a different (smaller) motor because the window & shade are so small. It uses the same remote as the others in the room. I'm guessing it has a weaker radio than the other shades--often sketchy reception with the ZRTSI.

I moved the ESPSomfy-RTS to the location where I expect it will hang out forever; closer to the center of the house than my office. Bad boy paired up immediately from there & linked without a problem as well. All shades & HA automatons working as planned. Solid performance, even for bad boy! ZRTSIs are history--even offered them to the installer, 'cause I don't ever care to see them again :-)

I will migrate the ESP & transceiver to a PCB as in your "More Polished Version" in the hardware section. Project box should be here early next week & everything else is ready & waiting for me to do some soldering. I hope to be extra careful with the wiring layout since it's a mirror image of the top of the board, as you noted in the Wiki.

Were there any changes from the most recent beta I was playing with (update files that were in the main repo a couple of days ago)? My ESP is showing 1.4.6, but I don't know if the packaged version differed from the beta.

Thanks again (and again!) for a killer & incredibly well-supported project!!! Happy Easter!

[rstrouse]

Yes there were some tweaking of the transmit bits and a fix for the My favorite setting. How many shades did you pair? Also, if you have any remotes where you grouped up the shades do not forget to link these as well. ESPSomfy RTS will keep track of that as well.

[FlaMike]

I have a total of 8 shades paired up & fully integrated in HA, complete with Node Red automatons & in the HA UI too. 7 shades are in the main house & 1 in the pool house. All appear to be working perfectly. I have not controlled any as groups within the RTS world, but will keep your suggestion in mind. Thee only "double" shades are on the same channel, courtesy of the installer. (Really, why mess with the remotes once your system has been installed? Your system and HA are so much better & easier to deal with. Remotes are going into drawers except for the guest rooms.)

I will pull the 1.4.6 update files. I thought you might have made a few more mods since I uploaded the repo updates, but wanted to confirm.

Update to the release 1.4.6 has been completed without a hitch :-)

[FlaMike]

FYI/A, I soldered mine up using the same perf board as you used & put it in the same project box you used in your "More Polished Version." Working like a charm with the slow boat transceiver. Cancelled the Amazon order--I have a spare slow boat one if needed. Here's a slightly blurry picture of it living in its new home in a cabinet near the center of the house.

To say the least, I'm a very happy camper! Thanks for sharing this superb project & for all of your help & support to help me get it going!!

[rstrouse]

Congratulations! I bought one of these antennas to check it out and it increased by receive range by 30%. Now all you need to do is get your pool chemistry automated.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072Q7319V/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[FlaMike]

Cool! Thanks--just ordered the antenna. Not sure I need the extra range, but a little bit of wiggle room never hurts. May add to reliability.

Did you "re-tune" the transceiver after attaching it or just leave things as they were?

[rstrouse]

I didn't need the extra range either but that is why monster trucks exist. I did mess around with the tuning but it is very close to where it was.

[FlaMike]

👍. Cool! It should be here later this week. I'll let you know how the monster antenna compares in my setup.

Have a super day!

On Tue, Apr 11, 2023, 10:09 AM rstrouse @.***> wrote:

I didn't need the extra range either but that is why monster trucks exist. I did mess around with the tuning but it is very close to where it was.

— Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/rstrouse/ESPSomfy-RTS/issues/15#issuecomment-1503567724, or unsubscribe https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AJ3NIBDJ5U5ZGRE3O55KOMTXAVXZRANCNFSM6AAAAAAWT5ST5Y . You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: @.***>

[FlaMike]

Just added the "Monster Truck" antenna & without any additional tuning the signal went from -86dBm to -81 dBm. Not a monster improvement, but half an order of magnitude--log scale, right? Anyway, my build now looks like the John Holmes of the RTS world :-)

I may play with tuning later, but even at the current tuning I can reach all of the blinds in the house & the pool house, so I'm a happy camper.

Have a super afternoon (still morning in your world, I think.

[rstrouse]

Yep still morning for a couple more hours. That increase in performance while less than the improvement I got, is still respectable with a 3dbi gain. Before adding the antenna I had to put my device in my office but after adding it I can push it back to my server rack with no dropped frames.

[FlaMike]

I actually have a 5 dBm improvement--almost 1 dB per dollar spent :-)  EZ PZ improvement & I'll take however many fewer dropped frames I can get.  The Monster antenna was a superb suggestion!

Thanks!  I think now you're on the verge of being able to enjoy the afternoon.  1:40 in the FL Panhandle--we're on CST, an open secret.

On 4/13/23 12:06 PM, rstrouse wrote:

Yep still morning for a couple more hours. That increase in performance while less than the improvement I got, is still respectable with a 3dbi gain. Before adding the antenna I had to put my device in my office but after adding it I can push it back to my server rack with no dropped frames.

— Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/rstrouse/ESPSomfy-RTS/issues/15#issuecomment-1507309477, or unsubscribe https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AJ3NIBGU4RDNHC5TPIU6R73XBAXBRANCNFSM6AAAAAAWT5ST5Y. You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: @.***>

[rstrouse]

Spent a week in Destin last year and almost didn't come back. Money, sanity, and general goodwill goes a lot further there.

[rstrouse]

I think we have gotten everyone paired in this issue. Open a new issue if this is not the case.