Help with Node Red POST request with Venstar API

[opnhab7373 (Joshua A)]

How may I properly configure the change node to POST to my Venstar thermostat via an http request node?

Here is what the Venstar API calls for:

request.post({
  url:'http://192.168.1.104/control',
  form:{
  mode:3, //setting mode to AUTO
  fan:0, //fan to AUTO
  heattemp: 75,
  cooltemp: 78
}, (e,r, body) => {
  console.log(body);
});

And here is my code working with the RadioThermostat (nodes attached)

{
“mode” : $flowContext(“tmodeUpstairsSet”),
“cooltemp” : $flowContext(“TCoolUpstairs”),
“heattemp” : $flowContext(“THeatUpstairs”)
}

nodes.txt (1.6 KB)

[rlkoshak (Rich Koshak)]

Given this is a question asking how to use NodeRed to interact with another device/service that is not openHAB it’s off topic for this forum. You should ask on a NodeRed forum.

[anonymous.one]

If I were in your position I would start off leveraging Postman and ensure their example works or at least see the outcome. Postman even has an option to output what you are working on to various tools curl, powershell, etc.

I would also not throw vars into my flows until static values returned the desired results. Also their example always has the fan setting too, is it required to be defined when sending a POST?

[opnhab7373 (Joshua A)]

I’ll add a similar post to this one that I made for for a Radio Thermostat once I have this Node Red flow working for the Venstar.

Get the most of your Radio Thermostat with this Node Red flow and MQTT

This example is for a CT-50 CT-50 Flow.txt (101.9 KB) Here’s what I did. There are multiple ways to achieve this. While in Paper UI, create a new “Generic MQTT Thing” named HVAC. Then create a “Number” Channel with MQTT state topic set to “HVAC/Upstairs/Temp” and MQTT command topic set to “HVAC/Upstairs/SetTemp”. Repeat for whatever else you want to add to OH. Notes: I use a flow named “Injection Master” that handles all my communications in and out of Node Red. i.e. MQTT, email, and other…

[opnhab7373 (Joshua A)]

I’ll look into Postman… I don’t know if fan is required… The API notes are nill.

[anonymous.one]

Postman assisted me when I recently figured out how to control Mopidy over JSON-RPC (which was maddening to obtain the correct syntax on boolean values), but now I can control bedtime brown noise (to replace old dying white noise machines) over snapcast and then stop the Mopidy when its time to get up.

From their example page I would use the single line examples and then have postman change it for you, just loaded it up and can confirm NodeJs - Request is in the drop down. To find this its on the right hand side as an icon </> when you click on the icon, it will expand.

[digitaldan (Dan Cunningham)]

FYI there is a venstar binding for OH which uses the local device api. In this case you could just use openHAB REST api and not have to talk to the thermostat directly.

Venstar Thermostat - Bindings

[opnhab7373 (Joshua A)]

Solved… After some digging on github along with some other forums, I found an API guide (attached). Mode, fan, heattemp, cooltemp must always be posted together. Additionally pin if passcode is set. Command is submitted via an HTTP POST and is URL encoded instead of JSON.

Here’s the function for Control

var mode=flow.get('TmodeUpstairs');
var fan=flow.get('FmodeUpstairs');
var heat=flow.get('THeatUpstairs');
var cool=flow.get('TCoolUpstairs');

msg.headers={ 
    'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded'
};
//msg.payload = {};
msg.payload={ 
'mode':mode,
'fan':fan,
'heattemp':heat,
'cooltemp':cool
};
return msg;

Here’s the API Guide.
vennstar-api.pdf (76.2 KB)

And to keep this an OH topic, here’s the flow for OH integration

Get the most of your Venstar Thermostat with this Node Red flow and MQTT

This example is for a T3700, but should work on all Explorer and ColorTouch models T3700.txt (69.5 KB) Here’s what I did. There are multiple ways to achieve this. While in Paper UI, create a new “Generic MQTT Thing” named HVAC. Then create a “Number” Channel with MQTT state topic set to “HVAC/Upstairs/Temp” and MQTT command topic set to “HVAC/Upstairs/SetTemp”. Repeat for whatever else you want to add to OH. Notes: I use a flow named “Injection Master” that handles all my communications in…

[digitaldan (Dan Cunningham)]

@opnhab7373

And to keep this an OH topic, here’s the flow for OH integration

Really? thats pretty thin considering we have a Venstar binding. This seems really off topic for this forum.

[opnhab7373 (Joshua A)]

Calls for Venstar Alerts, Runtimes, and Sensors are missing from the OH binding. This flow gives someone the option to pull this information into OH if they wish.