KNX - Rollershutter - What am I missing

Setup, Configuration and Use Beginners
1

I am currently trying to use OpenHAB to interface 2 Velux roof windows using the KLF200 from Velux (homematic io). I would like to operate them using a Berker KNX Switch.
I have two identical setups, but currently none is working - I think I am missing an important piece here. This is my setup

knx.things:

Bridge knx:ip:bridge [ 
    ipAddress="10.18.11.51", 
    portNumber=3671,  
    type="TUNNEL", 
    readingPause=50, 
    responseTimeout=10, 
    readRetriesLimit=3, 
    autoReconnectPeriod=1,
    localSourceAddr="0.0.0"
] {
    Thing device aktor1[
        address="1.1.2",
        fetch=false,
        pingInterval=300,
        readInterval=0
    ] {

    Type rollershutter-control : veluxDgGang "Velux Gang" [ upDown="14/1/4",stopMove="14/1/5",position="14/1/6+<14/1/7",autoupdate="false" ]
    Type rollershutter-control : veluxDgBad "Velux Badezimmer" [ upDown="14/1/0",stopMove="14/1/1",position="14/1/2+<14/1/3",autoupdate="false" ]

    }


    Bridge velux:klf200:c8e59992 [ ipAddress="10.18.11.67", tcpPort=51200, password="ZNQ3nR98zA" ] {
        Thing rollershutter DGGang [ serial="53:2A:59:5A:13:16:02:CE" ]
        Thing rollershutter DGBad [ serial="53:2A:59:5A:13:16:02:E3" ]
    }

velux.items:

Rollershutter	DGGangRS	"DG Gang [%d]"    	{ channel="velux:rollershutter:c8e59992:DGGang:position" }
Rollershutter   DGBadRS  "DG Badezimmer [%d]"    { channel="velux:rollershutter:c8e59992:DGBad:position" }

Both of them appear in the PaperUI, and I can operate them from there - so the OpenHAB connection to the KLF200 seems to be working.

As you can see, I have setup 4 group addresses for each rollershutter whereas only 2 are actually in use (Up/Down + Stop). When I press the button, I can see the group address for each action arriving at OpenHAB in the log:

14:31:20.574 [DEBUG] [x.internal.handler.DeviceThingHandler] - onGroupWrite Thing ‘knx:device:bridge:aktor1’ received a GroupValueWrite telegram from ‘1.1.19’ for destination ‘14/1/4’
14:31:27.304 [DEBUG] [x.internal.handler.DeviceThingHandler] - onGroupWrite Thing ‘knx:device:bridge:aktor1’ received a GroupValueWrite telegram from ‘1.1.19’ for destination ‘14/1/4’

Am I correct in assuming that I need a rule which will control them?

The reason why I am asking is that previously I had them setup in the Paper UI and didn’t have to add a rule or similar - everything worked automatically. So the main question appears to be: Should this work out of the box with the current configuration channel or do I need to setup a rule manually? How would such a rule look like?

2

First, please DON’T set an autoReconnectPeriod less than 30 (in fact openHAB will ignore a value less than 30…)
Second, a rollershutter-control channel will never ask for a state, as openHAB per definition IS the actuator, so openHAB holds the status itself. Please don’t set a < GA for *-control channels.
Third, there is no such parameter like autoupdate="false" within the channel definition (but there is in the item definition).
Fourth, do you have a visualization of rollershutter position in your wall switch? If not, I doubt you will need the position parameter at all.
Fifth, you won’t need a rule but only a link:

Rollershutter DGGangRS "DG Gang [%d]"       { channel="velux:rollershutter:c8e59992:DGGang:position", channel="knx:device:bridge:aktor1:veluxDgGang" }
Rollershutter DGBadRS  "DG Badezimmer [%d]" { channel="velux:rollershutter:c8e59992:DGBad:position", channel="knx:device:bridge:aktor1:veluxDgBad" }
3

It took a little while for the weather to get better (the windows won’t open when it’s raining) but I finally found the time to to test it and - short version: it worked out of the box.

What I did:

  • set autoReconnectPeriod to 60
  • I made it a rollershutter because I want the status to be available even if there is currently no indication
  • I removed the autoupdate=false statement
  • I added the link you mentioned (actually that was the missing piece of information I needed)

I am really somewhat overwhelmed by things, items, links, channels and so on … it’s a concept which is for me very hard to grasp.

Thank you for you help.

4

?
There is a status, but it’s from velux, not from knx. knx2 is able to send the status to knx bus, but you have to use rollershutter-control for that purpose. That control-part is is a special knx2 feature, and it’s hard to get :wink:

5

The status is from Velux (the KLF200) but I want it posted to the KNX bus for a future visualization.

I don’t quite get the difference between Item-Control and just Item. As far as I understood, the current state is tracked somewhere. In one case (-control) it is in OpenHAB, in another case (without the -control part) it is handled directly in the KNX system.

Would it be correct to use a rollershutter-control and post updates on the status to the KNX bus? Because you mentioned that one shouldn’t use the <GA when it’s a -control item.

6

Looked at from the openHAB point of view:

An OH Item / channel / binding ordinarily takes commands generated by rules or UI user, and sends them to devices.
A device reporting its condition is normally interpreted into an Item state.
This applies to “ordinary” KNX channels, e.g a light dimmer actuator.

a KNX xxx-control type channel acts in the unusual reverse direction.
Incoming device activity is interpreted as a command to an openHAB Item.
That’s intended for devices like wall glass panels, so that operating it mirrors the action of using an openHAB UI.
I believe the Item state is also passed out to KNX so that e.g. an indicator on a panel can follow it.

It’s in keeping wth the OH paradigm of command = instruction to act, state = report of condition.