[SOLVED] Embedded MQTT broker works, but binding fails with strange non-integer port parameter (1883.0)

Setup, Configuration and Use Beginners
1

OK, I’ve managed to set up the embedded MQTT broker. And it works fine. I have a Sonoff S20 power outlet connected to it and I can observe and switch on/off the power with a simple MQTT app on my iPhone.

After having installed the embedded broker addon, I see it in the service configuration. Additionally, I see an entry named “MQTT system broker connection” there. When I click on manage, an empty screen with a “+” appears, when I click on the “+” a popup with a title but no further properties appears, which I can save. It then confirms that the configuration is saved. I expected something like this, as it should “know” without further information how to connect to the embedded server.

Then I have set up an item (SonoffS20.items):

Switch Sonoff_Socket "Sonoff Steckdose" { mqtt=">[broker:cmnd/sonoff/POWER:command:*:default], <[broker:stat/sonoff/POWER:state:default]" }

And I have added that item to my sitemap. When I switch on/off the item with the paper ui, I see changes in the event.log accordingly, but no reaction on behalf of mqtt.

So I manually added the “MQTT binding” (binding-mqtt - 2.4.0).

And I’ve added a mqtt.cfg to the services directory:

broker.url=tcp://192.168.1.168:1883
broker.user=DVES_USER
broker.pwd=xxxxxxx

This is the part I cannot understand fully. What exactly am I supposed to configure in case of an embedded broker? The messages I get in the openhab.log are funny (this is where the questionable 1883.0 appears).

2018-12-29 12:00:18.638 [WARN ] [me.config.core.internal.ConfigMapper] - Could not set field value for field 'port': For input string: "1883.0"
java.lang.NumberFormatException: For input string: "1883.0"

Subsequently, it fails with:

2018-12-29 12:00:18.648 [WARN ] [.MqttBrokerConnectionServiceInstance] - Ignore existing broker connection configuration for: 192.168.1.168:s

I grepped it and found it in /var/lib/openhab2/config/org/eclipse/smarthome/mqttbroker.config

host="192.168.1.168"
port="1883.0"
service.pid="org.eclipse.smarthome.mqttbroker"

Again, a bit strange (look at the trailing :s).

Where does this come from? It does not help to edit that file and get rid of the “.0” decimal places by manually editing that file.

I couldn’t get this running and I tried to read and understand various other posts, but with respect to the new embedded broker some things seem to behave a bit different!?

Does somebody have an insight into what is going wrong or what relevant documentation I might have missed?

BTW: I am running openHab 2.4.0 on raspberry 3 (upgraded from the previous version recently, caches cleared multiple times, rebooted multiple times, …).

Kind regards,
Michael

2

You are using the MQTTv2 binding
So no need for the mqtt.cfg file

You need to create a broker thing
And MQTT generic things for your sonoffs

See:

and

or

2 Likes
3

Thank you for the fast answer.

Adding the thing file worked immediately. The second link you provided was new for me, but I had read and tried to understand the first link about the new embedded broker before. I must have misunderstood something there.

I remember reading there:

A new Broker Connection appears in your Inbox. Just add it, no further configuration necessary.

But that never worked for me. I assumed that the “thing” would be an automatism and the items might suffice. But obviously, I was wrong.

Now after having set up the things file it works like a charm. I’ll buy more of these.

Best regards,
Michael

4

Please tick the solution, thanks

5

I ticked it as solved.

Unfortunately after changing only the topic name (replacing “sonoff” by “sonoff-86DF27” to prepared for more deviced), it stopped to work and I get strange NullPointerExceptions.

I’ve added the details to another thread with the NPE in the topic.

Have to find out how to link to that post in this reply…

Cheers

6
7

OK, it took me some time to get it working again and resolve the mess.
What I did:

  • Uninstall MQTT Binding
  • Uninstall MQTT Embedded Broker
  • stop Openhab
  • remove cache etc.
  • start Openhab
  • Install and configure embedded Broker
  • Install MQTT Binding
  • Deploy Bridge thing, generic mqtt thing and items in three different files

What was new (as compared to previous attempts): I uninstalled services and bindings before cleaning cache.

Hope it stays alive, thank you for your support and attention,
Michael

1 Like
8

OMG, I looked for Embedded MQTT Broker through all bindings in openHAB 2.4. People, where did you find it? Can you tell me how to install it? Thanks in advance!

9

It’s not a binding it’s a service

10

Yes, I found it. Thanks a lot. It was in Misc not in Bindings.