Anyone using IntesisHome WiFi control of mini-split AC?

Add-ons Bindings
21

This is all local, i.e. the script communicates straight with the controller. If you’re device is not listening on port 80 (run nmap over it anyway - it might be using an alternate port) then the script will be unable to control/monitor the unit. I initially had the same problem, but a firmware build was released that enabled HTTP communication on the device. You might be able to get in touch with Intesis and see whether they simply have not (yet) enabled that firmware for deployment for your region/device/etc.

As for the REST API, that may also be an option for you. I’m rather committed to keeping all the communication on site and contained on the local network.

Do you have a means of capturing a tcpdump to/from the host when you operate it using f.e. the app?

Cheers,

PelliX

22

Yeah, I would FAR prefer direct local communicaton as well. I nmapped, and there are no open ports. The app is definitely talking to their servers, and not my local devices. I contacted Intesis about the REST API, and this was their response:

Our API is thought for professionals that want to offer AC integration into their systems. For private users, we offer an easier way to integrate the AC through IFTTT: AC Cloud Control | Intesis.

In case you want to do an open-source integration, we have another line of product that might be of your interest:
Home Automation Gateways for Air Conditioners | Intesis

These are the IntesisBox version of our IntesisHome products. They don’t go connected to our cloud system IntesisHome, rather go connected to your local WIFI and feature a simple protocol whose specification is linked in the web:
https://www.intesisbox.com/intesis/product/media/intesisbox_wmp_protocol_specs_en.pdf

open source implementations for them exist in github:

GitHub - zylantha/homebridge-intesisbox: Supports Intesisbox devices on HomeBridge Platform

GitHub - toggledbits/IntesisWMPGateway: Vera/MiOS plug-in to support Intesis Wifi Gateways using the WMP communications protocol

Can you explain us more about your project? Is it for private use or professional?

Please let us know more about the project and the automation system you have, we will do our best to help you with this integration.

I replied. I’m not happy. Their (and Fujitsu’s) marketing is terrible, and who would have known that IntesisBox even exists without already knowing it exists, let alone that home users shouldn’t be using a device branded as IntesisHome. I’ll get it working even if I have to scrape how their website works (which isn’t via the REST API), but I asked if they could do a firmware update to my IntesisHome to make it an IntesisBox (they look physically identical), or offer me an exchange.

23

Hi Cody,

I’m sorry to hear about that experience. Not that I had expected much more from them, but ‘building control’ or automation is by definition generally done locally, especially on HVAC systems to ensure there are as few single points of failure as possible. All this stuff about ‘doing it via the cloud’ makes these mechanisms more error prone if you ask me (unless their “cloud” is architecturely fault tolerant and you have multiple physical uplinks with dynamic routing, etc, etc, etc on premises). Let’s face it, it’s more about big companies being A) in control of the product for whatever reason (easy software updates with rollback options, selling usage data, whatnot) and B) getting users onboard who want to control stuff when away from home but who do not want (or have the possibility) to configure VPN or other remote access.

Right, that rant being out of the way, let’s get productive here!

There are a number of ways of approaching this issue. Your device must, in fact, ‘listen’ in some way or another to be able to receive commands from their ‘cloud’. If you have the possibility to dump the traffic between the Internet and the device at the moment that you send it a command via the cloud, the communication must become apparent, and it’s got to be UDP/TCP because nothing else would traverse a typical Internet/NAT’ed setup. What that protocol looks like and how it works is of course another matter - but you could find that out using the method above.

An alternative (if you’re handy with this sort of stuff) would be to bypass the entire ‘controller’ unit and hook up your own controller to the bus on the AC unit. I’ve only worked on this using Mitsubishi for which documentation exists (how the bus works, TTL levels, commands, etc). In theory you shouldn’t need much more than maybe a level shifter, a MAX232 or similar chip (those might well be optional) and let’s say an ATmega microcontroller. Designing a little ‘API’ on the controller or even a full blown web interface is actually very easy - the tricky part would/might be the bus interoperation itself.

A third, but much less elegant method would be to set up something like the WiFi Gateway using iR (presuming your AC supports a regular style remote control). Setting up a microcontroller to send iR codes is well documented on the Internet and should be a walk in the park for anybody who’s worked with this sort of gear before. The downside is that the system becomes stateless (you have no confirmation on commands/operations and no status polling).

Although not a solution, this might be some food for thought.

Cheers,

PelliX

24

Well, this is interesting. I just got off the phone with Intesis’ Sales Director NA. They’re sending me a https://www.intesisbox.com/en/fujitsu-ascii-wifi-vrf-fj-rc-wmp-1/gateway/ to test with and integrate into OpenHAB. One thing I mentioned is that another OpenHAB community member had got it working with a Mitsubishi one, and he said there is NOT an IntesisHome version for Mitsubishi, because Mitsubishi won’t authorize one that talks to the cloud. There’s only an IntesisBox version. So… what exactly is the model number of the box you have?And is it listening on port 3310 (i.e. does it talk https://www.intesisbox.com/intesis/product/media/intesisbox_wmp_protocol_specs_en.pdf?v=2.1 )? They’re unable to do a firmware update on my IntesisHome one, because there’s actually a different processor between the two.

25

I dunno what he’s talking about. I see TWO Mitsubishi-direct models listed on IntesisHome.com

26

Hi,

It’s branded as AirconWithMe and listens on port 80, but under the hood and according to their support it’s an Intesis device. Initially, it also communicated with (among others) the Intesis servers. The vendor appears to be Spanish and the client app still relies on the cloud based control. I’ve blocked all that at network level and only use OH to control it, but that’s how it used to work. The port you mentioned is closed, but even nmap (well, the OUI database) agrees that it’s an Intesis device.

PORT     STATE  SERVICE
3310/tcp closed dyna-access
MAC Address: CC:3F:1D:01:35:68 (Intesis Software SL)

Here’s the info from the (now available) HTTP interface:

|Device Model|MH-AC-WIFI-1|
|Device Firmware Version|1.3.1; 1.2.0; 1.3; 1.0.0.9|
|Wireless Firmware Version|1.2.0|

MH stands for Mitsubishy Heavy Industries (as opposed to Mitsubishi Electric, another section of the company). Unfortunately, I’m not quite sure what kind of microcontroller is embedded in the unit. I’ll see whether I can crack it open tomorrow. I’m betting it’s either an ESP8xxx or something very similar - after all it just does Wifi w/ HTTP and some GPIO for the bus.

Also just came across this, which appears to be exactly my unit:

This is the brand I have though: https://www.airconwithme.com/

I didn’t actually get much time to pick a controller as the originally intended AC technician pulled a no-show after I bought the house and I needed it up and running before moving the server room (you’re legally obliged to have AC installed by a certified technician in the Netherlands due to insurance technicalities). This was apparently “what they always provide for network based control”. I figured for ~70 euros, on top of the cost of the split unit, it was worth a shot before I got down and dirty with the control bus. Ended up not needing to do that and solved it all at software/network level. Guess I was lucky…

Depending on the chip inside I might be able to dump the ROM, but I don’t know whether you want to blindly attempt a re-flash of your own unit. I’m pretty sure that’s not covered by warranty, hehe.

Let me know how the gateway thingy works out. What I saw back then was that they only did 1-way communication with the unit, i.e. fire-and-forget iR blasting. If that’s the approach, you might as well build it yourself and have the controller do exactly what you want it to if you ask me…

Cheers,

PelliX

27

Yup, that’s definitely an IntesisHome. I wonder if it’s because it’s just a different box entirely (for Mitsubishi), or the white-labelling for Airconwithme that gets you a locally accessible web server. And yeah, I wouldn’t try a cross-flash - my box is very different, to speak the Fujitsu wire protocol.

We’re definitely on the same page of our desires for integration - two-way communication, and local, direct control! It was actually quite the ordeal with my HVAC installer to get the direct-wire rather than IR-blaster style WiFi control.

I’ve already started writing my binding for the WMP/IntesisBox models. Hopefully I don’t have to change too much when mine shows up so I can actually test it.

28

Hi,

the API docs are pretty clear, so I would assume you can indeed write the binding without the hardware present, although you always end up fixing something in my experience! :smiley:

Strangely enough, the web interface on mine isn’t re-branded and uses the Intesis “style”. Unless Airconwithme actually have the source code, I doubt they could add customizations to the web UI. This, to me, seems like something developed and shipped by Intesis, but which they don’t (currently) market themselves. Maybe they’re gauging the success of the product feature by providing it to subsidiaries.

At work we use MH units in the server and patch rooms. We’ve got a touchscreen LCD panel for the control of two split units for the serverroom which I haven’t been able to find online. The company that placed them doesn’t offer anything in the way of network control. The panel appears to use the standard bus that my Wifi controller does on the units.
Some day I might get around to intercepting that bus communication and get it into the monitoring applications. We do have Ethernet based ambient temperature monitoring that I made some time ago which consists of some off-the-shelf Arduino Mega boards and DS18B20 1-wire sensors.

Maybe you could share the source for your binding when you’ve got it working? I’m not much of a Java dev, but I would gladly rewrite/reverse engineer it for the interface I have.

Cheers,

PelliX

29

Got my IntesisBox/WMP model today. And got my basic binding implementation up and running too! The docs only had a few mistakes, and I still need to get discovery working, but it’s functional.

It is frustrating that when I switched from the IntesisHome to the IntesisBox, they are literally the exact same board, same wifi chip, same everything. It is labelled with the WMP part number, but it does say IntesisHome on the inside.

30

Oh, and one more thing - AirconWithMe and Intesis Software have the same mailing address - Milà i Fontanals, 1 Bis - 1º, 08700 - Igualada (Spain). I don’t know what they’re doing with branding, but they’re the same company.

31

I have the IntensisHome as well on two of my split airco units. Keeping a close eye on this project as this is one of the few ‘smart’ things still missing from my openhab.

It’s Mitsubishi heavy industries, with a MH-AC-WIFI-1 remote module in there, branded as AirconWithMe (and a very buggy cloud app) but showing as Intensis if you go to the local web interface (firmware 1.3.1; 1.2.0; 1.3; 1.0.0.9)

33

I am in the exact same boat with AirConWithMe, really looking forward to some progress. Will do some R&D myself, too.
Btw, is there an alternative product available, which allows control of my Mitsubishi AC and is already supported in OH2?

34

I own an air conditioning company in the uk and have just ordered the Intesis’box’ For my home (3 x Mitsubishi electrics) so as soon as they arrive I’ll have a look at the binding and test.

I agree that their marketing is poor, and even within the industry here I had trouble tracking them down.

I opted for the box rather than home version as I wanted complete ‘local’ control, not via their servers.

35

Hi Cody

Any chance you can compile the binding to a jar…
I’m trying to work out how to but struggling.

Thanks

36

This is the exact jar I’m currently running on my install, that’s on a 2.5.0 snapshot from a little while ago.

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37

Many/most/all(?) Mitsubishi units has a red serial connector which is really easy to connect a ESP8266 to, and FW available here on the forum. Interfaces with OH over MQTT super reliable. But maybe you know about this?

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38

Just means another layer to my setup tho with mqqt

39

So have setup today.
Thing stays offline until reboot.
Then i get this:

2019-05-23 17:05:27.708 [ERROR] [ternal.IntesisBoxHandler$TCPListener] - TCPListener(): Message not handled by thing: null
40

yep, that’s the bug I periodically get. need to find some time to track it down.

41

Ah ok.
It was like every half a second continuously.