Still unreliable Philips Hue Dimmer Switch Events with 2.5.1?

Hi everyone,

at first i thought that the issue is gone. However in the last few weeks a lot of button presses seemed to be lost from my point of view. Initially i thought this has to do with the horrible RF scenario arround my apartment (sometimes the dimmer switch blinks red). However i just tried it in my office and as you cann see a few button presses are completely lost.

This was not the case with 2.4.

I made a video so that you can see my issue.

In this video you can see that the second and the 5th/6th/7th pressed is lost.

Maybe this is a really dumb question, however i have to ask.

Why was there a change in the first place? What features/functionallity has been added to cause this issues in the first place? From my experience there is no new functionallity exposed to the end user.

@cweitkamp: I got in mind, that you don’t any dimmer switches from you? Maybe i could purchase one for this case?

If you need any more information or logs, i am gladly provide them.

Thanks a lot for your hard work and patience.

Cheers

Andreas

Hi Andreas,

Two questions:

  1. What is your sensorPollingInterval? Default (500ms)? Or different one?

  2. It would be nice to repeat your test and observe the dimmer_switch_event together with the dimmer_switch state channel. May I ask you to do that?

The dimmer_switch_event will be filtered by a check if the “lastupdated” timestamp is between now minus 3 seconds and now. The dimmer_switch channel will be updated every time. The reason is that we want to avoid dispatching events if “lastupdated” is older than now minus 3 seconds (e.g. during restarts).

That is not correct. I have a Dimmer switch and a Smart button. I do not own a Tap switch. But thanks for offering to provide devices for testing.

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Hi Christoph,

thanks a lot for the fast response.

I did not specify the sensorPollingInterval so it should be default.

Ok, i added the dimmer_switch item.

This is the output from roughly the same experiment:

2020-02-16 15:33:39.374 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:33:39.375 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung_Status changed from 1002.0 to 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:33:41.980 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:33:45.081 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:33:47.663 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:33:50.246 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:33:52.312 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4000.0
2020-02-16 15:33:52.313 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung_Status changed from 4002.0 to 4000.0
2020-02-16 15:33:52.829 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:33:52.830 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung_Status changed from 4000.0 to 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:33:56.449 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4000.0
2020-02-16 15:33:56.450 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung_Status changed from 4002.0 to 4000.0
2020-02-16 15:33:56.967 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:33:56.968 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung_Status changed from 4000.0 to 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:33:59.036 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:34:00.591 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4000.0
2020-02-16 15:34:00.592 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung_Status changed from 4002.0 to 4000.0
2020-02-16 15:34:01.108 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:34:01.109 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung_Status changed from 4000.0 to 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:34:03.174 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4000.0
2020-02-16 15:34:03.175 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung_Status changed from 4002.0 to 4000.0
2020-02-16 15:34:03.693 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:34:03.694 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung_Status changed from 4000.0 to 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:34:05.242 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4000.0
2020-02-16 15:34:05.243 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung_Status changed from 4002.0 to 4000.0
2020-02-16 15:34:05.761 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:34:05.762 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung_Status changed from 4000.0 to 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:34:07.311 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4000.0
2020-02-16 15:34:07.312 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung_Status changed from 4002.0 to 4000.0
2020-02-16 15:34:07.828 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:34:07.829 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung_Status changed from 4000.0 to 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:34:09.912 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:34:12.003 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:34:14.069 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:34:17.169 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:34:19.237 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:34:22.855 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4002.0
2020-02-16 15:34:25.955 [vent.ChannelTriggeredEvent] - hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event triggered 4002.0

I couldn’t notice any missing button click. It seemed that every press got recognized.

I will try to add the dimmer_switch state to all Hue Dimmer Switches and will see if this makes any difference over the next few days.

Thanks again

Cheers

Andreas

Over the course of yesterday and today i ran a dozen times through the apartment and clicked every dimmer switch like a maniac. So far i saw only one or two missed button presses. These few missing presses could be explained by not pressing firmly enough.

So it looks like the declaration of the the dimmer_switch state fixes the issue – from my current experience. That could also explain why nobody else experience the issue.

Before the declaration of the item i was just using the “Channel triggered” event like that:

rule "Beleuchtung: Kueche Philips Hue Dimmer Switch wurde betätigt."
when
  Channel "hue:0820:00178827902c:Zigbee_Kueche_Fernbedienung:dimmer_switch_event" triggered
then
  switch(receivedEvent.getEvent()) {
    ...
  }
end

Today i also tried to use my Ikea Tradfri Switch, which was also not working reliable before. After creating the dimmer_switch item for the DECONZ binding the switch worked like a charm.

Number Zigbee_Flur_Tradfri_Schalter_Status "Flur Status [%.1f]" { channel="deconz:switch:bridge:Zigbee_Flur_Tradfri_Schalter:button" }

rule "Beleuchtung: Flur Tradfri Switch wurde betätigt."
when
  Channel "deconz:switch:bridge:Zigbee_Flur_Tradfri_Schalter:buttonevent" triggered
then
  switch(receivedEvent.getEvent()) {
    ...
  }
end

So i got the impression that this isn’t related to the hue binding. I think that could be an issue with the Channel triggered Event if the corresponding item is not created.

Is there a way to proof my theory?

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@regnets dont know how to prove or disprove your theory, but adding an item helped me also. I did it because of.this thread. Seems like my dimmer is more responsive now. I hadnt used the dimmer long press much because it was hit or miss now it seems to have improved.

Ok maybe this was just the placebo effect. I still think my dimmer switches are more responsive, however yesterday evening is needed to press at least 5 or 6 times before a button press was recognized by openhab.

Does anybody know how to troubleshoot these issues?

I have created a issue on github for this:


I will also add a small bounty on this issue. Feel free to contribute :wink:

I will go post over on Github also. I am now getting this error for my rule.

Only thing I changed was update from 2.5.0 to the 2.5.1 and now 2.5.2. Not sure the versions are fully correct but basicly second upgrade after the stable release. I now get this error on a rule that was working previously.

2020-02-21 07:32:34.497 [ERROR] [ntime.internal.engine.RuleEngineImpl] - Rule 'FFAgent Button pressed': An error occurred during the script execution: 
Could not invoke method: org.eclipse.xtext.xbase.lib.ObjectExtensions.operator_plus(java.lang.Object,java.lang.String) on instance: null

Doing more debug now. I will post what I find.

SO weird!!! I restarted and cleaned the cache and now it is working. I know I did this the other day after the upgrade. I am not sure exactly when the remote broke as I have not been using this feature frequently.

Just to rule it out as a potential cause: did you check the ZigBee channel used? Does it interfere with some very busy 2.4 GHz WiFi channels? If so, try finding a channel that is not as busy. It can easily be changed in the official Hue App.
You never know… ;o)

Thanks for the idea, this is something i already did in the first place. I am on a zigbee channel with not too much of traffic, however i am living in a city so there a few access points arround me.

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