how to get "excludedDevices" to return?

[88gts]

i have had excludedDevices for many years but i want to bring them back, if i remove them from the json, they dont appear. im using an old version of homebridge so ill have to do it through CLI. thanks!

[88gts]

fwiw, i excluded the pool and spa heaters a while back from Homebridge as they were causing issues in the setup - but i recently updated to v0.2.7 of the plugin and 2.3.0d. i have 50 other devices on Homebridge so id really like to persist those if possible.

i tried removing the iAqualink block and adding it back to no avail.

[sfeakes]

If you remove them from the json they should be back in homebridge/homekit. You can check the startup logs, homebridge-aqualinkd will post all the devices it's using.

Below is an example from mine.

[5/22/2023, 9:20:53 PM] [AqualinkD] Loading platform accessory [Filter Pump]
[5/22/2023, 9:20:53 PM] [AqualinkD] Loading platform accessory [Spa Mode]
[5/22/2023, 9:20:53 PM] [AqualinkD] Loading platform accessory [Cleaner]
[5/22/2023, 9:20:53 PM] [AqualinkD] Loading platform accessory [Waterfall]
[5/22/2023, 9:20:53 PM] [AqualinkD] Loading platform accessory [Spa Blower]
[5/22/2023, 9:20:53 PM] [AqualinkD] Loading platform accessory [Pool Light]
[5/22/2023, 9:20:53 PM] [AqualinkD] Loading platform accessory [Freeze Protection]
[5/22/2023, 9:20:53 PM] [AqualinkD] Loading platform accessory [Salt Water Generator]
[5/22/2023, 9:20:53 PM] [AqualinkD] Loading platform accessory [SWG Boost]
[5/22/2023, 9:20:53 PM] [AqualinkD] Loading platform accessory [Salt Level PPM]
[5/22/2023, 9:20:53 PM] [AqualinkD] Loading platform accessory [Pool Water Temperature]
[5/22/2023, 9:20:53 PM] [AqualinkD] Loading platform accessory [Salt Water Generator Percent]
[5/22/2023, 9:20:53 PM] [AqualinkD] Loading platform accessory [Salt Level PPM]
[5/22/2023, 9:20:53 PM] [AqualinkD] Loading platform accessory [Pool Heater]
[5/22/2023, 9:20:53 PM] [AqualinkD] Loading platform accessory [Spa Heater]

If the logs show they are created / used, then I'd check that HomeKit app hasn't put them somewhere stupid. ie newer releases of HomeKit app, when it creates them in a default room, it hides them under the climate tile at the top of the screen, and it's not until you open that climate tile that you see them. Once you select the heaters and move them to a different room, you will see them as normal. The temperature / salt water generator / salt PPM are always stuck under that climate section now. That's a "feature" of HomeKit app, nothing I can do about that.

EDIT The other thing to check is AqualinkD has also found the heaters, if it hasn't then homebridge-aqualinkd will never display them. Go to the AqualinkD web UI and make sure you have heaters displayed their.

[88gts]

thanks, sfeakes, i definitely had heaters enabled and working on HomeKit before. i am painfully aware of HomeKits UI and can guarantee that there are no controls here, just status temperature buttons and other UI elements that are working as expected.

unfortunately i dont see the platform logging the loading of accessories. do you have a key to enable that logging? i am using the -D flag to start Homebridge.

[2023-5-23 08:16:11] Loaded plugin: homebridge-aqualinkd
[2023-5-23 08:16:11] Registering platform 'homebridge-aqualinkd.aqualinkd'
[2023-5-23 08:16:15] [aqualinkd] Initializing aqualinkd platform...
[2023-5-23 08:16:16] [aqualinkd] Connecting MQTT broker to 127.0.0.1:1883 with topic aqualinkd3
[2023-5-23 08:16:16] [aqualinkd] Successfully connected to MQTT broker.

from AqualinkD

May-23-23 08:16:12 AM Notice:  Panl Prog: Starting programming thread 'Get Heater setpoints'
May-23-23 08:16:12 AM Info:    Panl Prog: Programming: Get Heater setpoints, 0
May-23-23 08:16:14 AM Info:    NetService:MQTT: Published id=56: aqualinkd3/Pool_Heater/setpoint 32.78
May-23-23 08:16:14 AM Info:    NetService:MQTT: Published id=57: aqualinkd3/Spa_Heater/setpoint 33.33

[sfeakes]

You shouldn’t have to put Homebridge into debug mode to get the output of the devices, but I do admit controlling its logging is a PITA. But to get full output you need to add debug=* to your command, that will print everything. see https://github.com/homebridge/homebridge/wiki/Basic-Troubleshooting

Do you see the heaters in AqualinkD web ui?

[88gts]

i can confirm that web UI allows me to control heater/pool temp. i also added debug mode and it still doesnt give me any more information, not even when successfully toggling lights, etc.

[sfeakes]

It sounds like the debug settings are not taking. Are you using homebridge-ui with homebridge, or homebridge on its own? If homebridge on its own how are you capturing the log? Just running from command line, using systemctl, syslog, reading log file Etc etc

[88gts]

i think i found the problem, the accessories were all in cachedAccessories and i don't think the plugin was pulling in new devices due to compatibility issues. i was able to uninstall the plugin then install 0.2.2 due to node being pinned on this system @ 11.4. once i reinstalled, i was able to load the accessories and can now i can load new accessories and hide the old ones. hopefully i will not run into the issue where it was reinitializing the heater accessories causing me to reconfigure those (that was a couple years back though). thanks for the support.