Philips Hue Binding doesn't find all channels

Add-ons Bindings
1

Hi,

the Philips Hue binding only finds the channels “brightness” and “color temperature”. I tried serveral times. Made clean installations. I tried everything. It is absolutley impossible to get the On/Off switch, etc. Why? Is this a known bug in the latest stable versions of openHAB 2.1.0 or Hue Binding 2.1.0 ? My Philips Hue system is working great with any other app and smart home system. It is the 2nd Generation (square) with latest firmware 1707040932.

Any ideas?

2

Brightness channel can also be used as a switch. Just create a switch item for that channel.

3

Ok, but this would be workaround then? Or is this the official way and the documentation is wrong?

4

I just checked the documentation and it looks mostly correct.
With the single exception that “capability” != “channel”.

I guess this is what misleaded (wrong part is striked-out):

The following matrix lists the capabilities (channels) for each type

The correct channel table is a bit below.
http://docs.openhab.org/addons/bindings/hue/readme.html#channels

5

And how to get “effect”, “alert”,etc ?

It still seems to be totally wrong…

I only get “brightness” and “color_temperature” for a default “Color Temperature Light” and for an “Extended Color Light” I only get “Color” and “Color Temperature”. “brightness” is missing there. “effect”, “alert”, etc. is missing for all lights. And “switch” too, and “Switch” is what I am looking for instead of using a workaround to switch the light on/off with brightness. How I switch on/of an Extended Color Light then? With Color?

6

Yes. :smiley:

you’re right, although the documentation is not wrong, it is also not that clear.

To view the effect and alert channels you need to press “show more”.

I let PaperUI discover all my things, but afterwards i use files to create the items.

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7

The Item type defines the function. have a look at my config:

Switch	MiDL_Toggle "Licht Ein/Aus" { channel="hue:0210:0017884f6873:24:color" } 
Dimmer  MiDL_Dimmer "Licht Dim"  { channel="hue:0210:0017884f6873:24:color" }
Color 	MiDL_Color	 "Licht " ["Lighting"] { channel="hue:0210:0017884f6873:24:color" }
Dimmer 	MiDL_ColorTemp	"Licht Farbtemperatur" { channel="hue:0210:0017884f6873:24:color_temperature" }
Switch 	MiDL_Effect	"Licht Effect"  { channel="hue:0210:0017884f6873:24:effect" }
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8

The concept is, the more complex functionality inherits the less complex.

  • A simple on/off light/switch has a switch channel.
  • if you are able to control brightness, it inherits the switch capability
  • if you are able to control color, it inherits the brightness with switch capabilty

Using this concept allows for more simple configuration. You just need to put one colorpicker into the UI to give full functionality. (A colorpicker is able to control brightness and (with that) on off as well).

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