Garage Door Switch sync with status

Setup, Configuration and Use Scripts & Rules
1

I’m using a zwave based garage door controller. It provides the value of 0 for closed and 255 for open. This requires a number item to map to, and I’d like to create a switch to use that maps to it. This switch will be mapped to HomeKit and Hue emulation so that I can speak the commands to make it so. I also want to use the switch in some automation rules.

The problem I’ve run into, is that I can’t seem to figure a solid way to “sync” the status and the switch state. If I use the switch in OH, I can react in sending the right # to the zwave device. But I also want to be sure that if the garage door is manually operated (more often than not), that the status change of that # (0/255) flips the virtual switch item state to the correct ON/OFF state.

I’ve attempted a few options, and end up either with an infinite loop running, or end up having a switch that doesn’t actually operate correctly and resets to the state before being pressed (aka it’s off, I press it to turn on, it does for a moment, then returns to off state - and the zwave device is reported as still being in the off state).

Current rule: (ON= CLOSED, OFF = OPEN / 0=CLOSED, 255 = OPEN)

rule "Garage Switch Monitor"
when
  Item garage_door_status changed or
  Item garage_door_switch changed
then
  if(garage_door_status.state == 0 && garage_door_switch.state != ON){
    postUpdate(garage_door_switch, ON)
      logInfo("rules.automation", "Garage Switch sync - Switch Update CLOSE")
  }
  else if(garage_door_status.state == 255 && garage_door_switch.state != OFF){
    postUpdate(garage_door_switch, OFF)
      logInfo("rules.automation", "Garage Switch sync - Switch Update OPEN")
  }
  else if(garage_door_switch.state == ON && garage_door_status.state != 0){
    sendCommand(garage_door_status, 0)
      logInfo("rules.automation", "Garage Switch sync - Status Update CLOSE")
  }
  else if(garage_door_switch.state == OFF && garage_door_status.state != 255){
    sendCommand(garage_door_status, 255)
      logInfo("rules.automation", "Garage Switch sync - Status Update OPEN")
  }
  else {
      logInfo("rules.automation", "Garage switch is already in sync")
  }
end

I can’t seem to get around this loop. And my brain is failing to think through it effectively to figure out how to sync these without causing the chain reaction each time.

2

Can you show the Items? I had a similar problem and had to change some settings in the items.

Michael

3

Have you seen this thread, there are similarities. Note in particular the separation of cause and effect possible with received command and received update rule triggers.

4

This is what I’ve settled on for the time being, which is broken out into 2 separate rules, and it does leverage the postUpdate function for syncing the Virtual switches when the physical switches are pressed. Unfortunately I can’t show the items really, as they were created inside the UI. Well one was manual, but it is just a Switch item with a name, it doesn’t have any actual information as it’s just a “virtual” switch being used to control from OH the open/close actions.

rule "Garage Switch Sync"
when
  Item garage_door_status changed
then
  if(garage_door_status.state == 0 && garage_door_switch.state == OFF){
    postUpdate(garage_door_switch, ON)
      logInfo("rules.automation", "Garage Switch sync - Switch Update CLOSE")
  }
  else if(garage_door_status.state == 255 && garage_door_switch.state == ON){
    postUpdate(garage_door_switch, OFF)
      logInfo("rules.automation", "Garage Switch sync - Switch Update OPEN")
  }
  else if(garage_door_status.state != 255 && garage_door_status.state !=0){
    logInfo("rules.automation", "Garage is in motion")
  }
  else {
    logInfo("rules.automation", "Garage switch is already in sync")
  }
end

rule "Garage Switch Activation"
when
  Item garage_door_switch changed
then
  if(garage_door_switch.state == ON && garage_door_status.state == 255){
    sendCommand(garage_door_status, 0)
      logInfo("rules.automation", "Garage Switch sync - Status Update CLOSE")
  }
  else if(garage_door_switch.state == OFF && garage_door_status.state == 0){
    sendCommand(garage_door_status, 255)
      logInfo("rules.automation", "Garage Switch sync - Status Update OPEN")
  }
  else {
      logInfo("rules.automation", "Garage switch is already in sync")
  }
end