Spa pool automation for SPANET SPALINK pool controller

Juerg · July 21, 2017, 4:44am

I am looking at integrating the Australian made SPANET SPALINK spa pool controller into my home automation.

The manufacturer says there is no published API available.

Has anyone perhaps deciphered the control message protocol for SPANET, or knows what type of comms are used between their wifi app and the spa controller?

Juerg · May 29, 2018, 3:03am

Just curious whether anyone has in the meantime figured out the binding for a SPANET SPALINK spa pool interface?

It would be great to integrate this SPALINK spa pool control into home automation.

geodementia · January 19, 2019, 4:40am

Hi Juerg,

I’ve just got one of these controllers myself (SV2) but it didn’t come with the WiFi module.
I am interested also to integrate the spa into the overall house automation, so I’m going to get myself a module and see what we can do … have you had any luck yourself with the comms ?

SCUZNUTS · February 22, 2020, 11:46pm

For anyone that makes it here, the only way I have found to automate my Spanet controller is through a Google Assistant Relay. Basically all your normal automation goodness with the action to tell a command to Google to control your spa.

shaneprobinson · April 17, 2020, 10:05pm

I take it nobody much smarter then me has played with SPANET to figure out what can be done? I think there might be an input on the controller to inhibit heating which I might use as a fallback but would love all the features of the app dragged into openhab.

devbobo · June 19, 2020, 12:45am

G’day Guys,

I realise that I am digging up an old thread, but I just had my spa installed and it comes with a SpaLink.

I’ve done some initial investigation into the comms the iPhone app is using to communicate with SpaNet.

I’ve started a file over on GitHub with the details which I will keep up to date as I work out more.

gist.github.com

https://gist.github.com/devbobo/b82134291d96f384137e01f39a7f2a01

SpaNet.md

## SpaNet API and WebSockets

### 1. Logging into SpaNet

`POST` https://api.spanet.net.au/api/MemberLogin

*Request:*
```
{
	"login": [Username],

This file has been truncated. show original

I should mention that SpaNet makes use of WebSockets. I’ve been able to observe the connected WebSocket via the iPhone app, but I have been so far unsuccessful in creating my own WebSocket.

Cheers,

David

shaneprobinson · June 19, 2020, 3:37am

David - good start! I also have a SpaNet controller. I am hoping I can get to the point that I can change the spa mode to Away remotely. I have another hard wired way to do this however that is going to be a last resort. Let me know how I can help although I am more electrical engineer then software programmer…

Cheers Shane

Juerg · June 21, 2020, 8:00am

Thanks David, great start! I wish I had the expertise to help, but I will follow the findings as they come to light. Many thanks.

devbobo · June 24, 2020, 4:22am

G’day Guys,

I’ve been successful in communicating with SpaNet.

I should have made it clear when I first posted. I’m a Home Assistant user, not openHAB.

I previously use Homebridge for development, so I have taken when I have learnt from poking at the SpaNet API and have built a SpaNet homebridge plugin.

It’s mostly working but I want to let it run for a little bit before I release any code.

Here’s a screenshot of it running in Apple’s Home app.

Cheers,

David

theteedot · August 17, 2020, 9:57pm

This looks great - any plans to release yet?

shanekuz · September 15, 2020, 9:17am

Hi David are you going to publish what you have done so we can port this to openHAB?

Aldo_Balducci · January 1, 2021, 11:15am

Hi David, I’d love to be a beta tester for u.
I’m in melb Aus.

NZJon · March 29, 2021, 10:13pm

Kia ora, @devbobo

That UI looks significantly better than the SpaNet app from the Google Play Store, which presumably is very similar to the iPhone App too.

I am more of a HomeAssistant user, and would be keen to contribute (if I can) to any work that progresses integration of SpaNet there, or in OpenHAB is more applicable.

My ultimate aim would be to be able to “tell” my spa pool that, given an excess of solar-generated power, you might as well heat (or clean, etc.) as the power is effectively free, and not being used by anything else. Plus, have a funky way of control the spa from my phone

Let me know if I can help

Jon

citizenxnz · July 2, 2021, 5:36am

Hi David

Like NZJon, I would be super keen to try out the code you’ve done in Homebridge - I too have solar and would like to optimise my use of energy.

Can you please release the code?

citizenxnz · January 30, 2022, 12:08am

@NZJon
Here is a link to the Homebridge plugin for Spanet: GitHub - BlaT2512/homebridge-spanet: Homebridge plugin to control Australian/NZ SpaNET spa's with the WiFi SpaLINK plugin module

Juerg · January 30, 2022, 3:48am

Many thanks everyone involved, how great to see there IS a way to communicate with spanet other than the spanet app itself! Fabulous!

Forgive me, I am not familiar with Homebridge or Openhab, but would like to embed the spanet control commands in VBA code.
Is that possible at all?
If yes, where would I find the various commands in the homebridge plugin that spanet responds to, and the spanet responses?

shanekuz · March 3, 2022, 8:14am

I have also created a unit for people who dont have the spanet wifi controller to integrate it into openhab.

It gives a web interface with full control of the spa and MQTT access to integrate into OPENHAB.

The interface isn’t as pretty at Matts but people are welcome to make it pretty.

Git includes the WIFI unit which you can build and will cost ~$30.

I have it running and it plugs into OPENHAB well with full functionality.

johan1 · December 3, 2023, 8:32am

Hi @shanekuz. I know it’s almost 2 years ago but I’m keen to know a bit more about how you figured out the protocol of the touchpad. I’ve made a test setup using a USB RS232(TTL) chip and receiving data, however it is not ASCII as what you seem to receive judging by your code on GitHub. I’ve tried different baudrates but cannot identify any patterns in the data received (the SPANet module seems to send unsolicited data)

How did you find out to send “RF:” (which i have not tried yet). Did you snoop a connected WiFi module?

Oh. and what model SPANet did you use? I have a Spanet SV2 and SV2-T Touchpad

I’m keen to know more.

Cheers
Johan