Hello everyone! I need some more help with rules. I have a smart switch installed for my porch light, an I am trying to simply turn the thing on at dusk and off at dawn.
The rule I have so far is:
rule "Sunset Rule"
when
Channel 'astro:sun:local:civilDuskt#event' triggered START
then
// Do what you want to do at start of sunset for example:
// Outside_Lights.sendCommand(ON)
Porch_Light.sendCommand(ON)
end
rule "Sunrise Rule"
when
Channel 'astro:sun:local:civilDawn#event' triggered START
then
// Do what you want to do at start of sunset
// Outside_Lights.sendCommand(ON)
Porch_Light.sendCommand(OFF)
end
I installed the Astro binding, and it created the channels, but I am unclear if I have to bind them to an Item or not.
The Item Porch_Light is bound to the Thing’s switch channel, and is teste working A-OK (it is a Zwave switch on Node 013). I also have my location configured in Openhab2 and I got into the thing local sun settings, it shows a location under configurations parameters (which is correct), though the location field under the name is empty.
Log wise the only thing that references the astro binding is this:
It would advise to bind the channels to Things as you may use them in other rules as well:
Switch TagNacht "Wenn Tag, dann An, Wenn Nacht, dann Aus" <time> (Home, gVar)
Switch Vormittag "An zum Sonnenaufgang, Aus zum Mittag" <time> (Home, gVar)
String Tagesanfang "Beginn der Dämmerung, Sonnenaufgang" <time> (Home, gVAR)
String Tagesende "Sonnenuntergang, Ende der Dämmerung" <time> (Home, gVAR)
String ACT_AZ_SH "Azimut / Sonnenwinkel [%s]" <sun> (Home, gVAR)
DateTime Sonnenaufgang_Anfang "Sonnenaufgang Beginn [%1$tH:%1$tM]" <sunrise> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:rise#start"}
DateTime Sonnenaufgang_Ende "Sonnenaufgang Ende [%1$tH:%1$tM]" <sunrise> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:rise#end"}
Number:Time Sonnenaufgang_Dauer "Dauer des Sonnenaufgangs [%.0f Minuten]" <sunrise> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:rise#duration"}
DateTime Sonnenuntergang_Anfang "Sonnenuntergang Beginn [%1$tH:%1$tM]" <sunset> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:set#start"}
DateTime Sonnenuntergang_Ende "Sonnenuntergang Ende [%1$tH:%1$tM]" <sunset> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:set#end"}
Number:Time Sonnenuntergang_Dauer "Dauer des Sonnenuntergangs [%.0f Minuten]" <sunset> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:set#duration"}
DateTime Mittag_Zeit_Anfang "Mittag Beginn [%1$tH:%1$tM]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:noon#start"}
DateTime Mittag_Zeit_Ende "Mittag Ende [%1$tH:%1$tM]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:noon#end"}
Number:Time Mittag_Dauer "Dauer des Mittags [%.0f Minuten]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:noon#duration"}
DateTime Nacht_Zeit_Anfang "Nacht Beginn [%1$tH:%1$tM]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:night#start"}
DateTime Nacht_Zeit_Ende "Nacht Ende [%1$tH:%1$tM]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:night#end"}
Number:Time Nacht_Dauer "Dauer der Nacht [%.0f Minuten]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:night#duration"}
DateTime Morgenliche_Nacht_Anfang "Morgenliche Nacht Beginn [%1$tH:%1$tM]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:morningNight#start"}
DateTime Morgenliche_Nacht_Ende "Morgenliche Nacht Ende [%1$tH:%1$tM]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:morningNight#end"}
Number:Time Morgenliche_Nacht_Dauer "Dauer der morgenlichen Nacht [%.0f Minuten]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:morningNight#duration"}
DateTime Astronomische_Morgendaemmerung_Anfang "Astronomische Morgendämmerung Beginn [%1$tH:%1$tM]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:astroDawn#start"}
DateTime Astronomische_Morgendaemmerung_Ende "Astronomische Morgendämmerung Ende [%1$tH:%1$tM]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:astroDawn#end"}
Number:Time Astronomische_Morgendaemmerung_Dauer "Dauer der astronomischen Morgendämmerung [%.0f Minuten]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:astroDawn#duration"}
DateTime Nautische_Morgendaemmerung_Anfang "Nautische Morgendämmerung Beginn [%1$tH:%1$tM]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:nauticDawn#start"}
DateTime Nautische_Morgendaemmerung_Ende "Nautische Morgendämmerung Ende [%1$tH:%1$tM]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:nauticDawn#end"}
Number:Time Nautische_Morgendaemmerung_Dauer "Dauer der nautischen Morgendämmerung [%.0f Minuten]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:nauticDawn#duration"}
DateTime Buergerliche_Morgendaemmerung_Anfang "Bürgerliche Morgendämmerung Beginn [%1$tH:%1$tM]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:civilDawn#start"}
DateTime Buergerliche_Morgendaemmerung_Ende "Bürgerliche Morgendämmerung Ende [%1$tH:%1$tM]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:civilDawn#end"}
Number:Time Buergerliche_Morgendaemmerung_Dauer "Dauer der bürgerlichen Morgendämmerung [%.0f Minuten]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:civilDawn#duration"}
DateTime Astronomische_Abenddaemmerung_Anfang "Astronomische Abenddämmerung Beginn [%1$tH:%1$tM]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:astroDusk#start"}
DateTime Astronomische_Abenddaemmerung_Ende "Astronomische Abenddämmerung Ende [%1$tH:%1$tM]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:astroDusk#end"}
Number:Time Astronomische_Abenddaemmerung_Dauer "Dauer der astronomischen Abenddämmerung [%.0f Minuten]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:astroDusk#duration"}
DateTime Nautische_Abenddaemmerung_Anfang "Nautische Abenddämmerung Beginn [%1$tH:%1$tM]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:nauticDusk#start"}
DateTime Nautische_Abenddaemmerung_Ende "Nautische Abenddämmerung Ende [%1$tH:%1$tM]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:nauticDusk#end"}
Number:Time Nautische_Abenddaemmerung_Dauer "Dauer der nautischen Abenddämmerung [%.0f Minuten]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:nauticDusk#duration"}
DateTime Buergerliche_Abenddaemmerung_Anfang "Bürgerliche Abenddämmerung Beginn [%1$tH:%1$tM]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:civilDusk#start"}
DateTime Buergerliche_Abenddaemmerung_Ende "Bürgerliche Abenddämmerung Ende [%1$tH:%1$tM]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:civilDusk#end"}
Number:Time Buergerliche_Abenddaemmerung_Dauer "Dauer der bürgerlichen Abenddämmerung [%.0f Minuten]" <sun> (gAstro) {channel="astro:sun:local:civilDusk#duration"}
You may then use in rules like the ones you displayed, I am using similar ones to open/close my blinds using g channel triggers as you do. Here are more examples:
rule "Zusammenfassung Daemmerung - Sonnenaufgang"
when
System started or
Item Sonnenaufgang_Anfang changed or
Item Buergerliche_Morgendaemmerung_Anfang changed
then
val String SUNA = Sonnenaufgang_Anfang.state.format("%1$tH:%1$tM")
val String BMDA = Buergerliche_Morgendaemmerung_Anfang.state.format("%1$tH:%1$tM")
var String Ausgabe_D1 = String::format("%s / %s", BMDA, SUNA)
Tagesanfang.postUpdate(Ausgabe_D1)
end
rule "Zusammenfassung Sonnenuntergang - Daemmerung"
when
System started or
Item Sonnenuntergang_Anfang changed or
Item Nautische_Abenddaemmerung_Anfang changed
then
val String SUNS = Sonnenuntergang_Anfang.state.format("%1$tH:%1$tM")
val String BADE = Nautische_Abenddaemmerung_Anfang.state.format("%1$tH:%1$tM")
var String Ausgabe_D2 = String::format("%s / %s", SUNS, BADE)
Tagesende.postUpdate(Ausgabe_D2)
end
rule "Azimut und Sonnenhoehe"
when
System started or
Item Jahreszeit changed or
Item Azimut changed or
Item Sonnenhoehe changed
then
var az = ((Azimut.state as Number).floatValue)
var sh = ((Sonnenhoehe.state as Number).floatValue)
var String ah = String::format("%1$.1f° / %2$.1f°", az, sh)
ACT_AZ_SH.postUpdate(ah)
end
No, you don’t need an Item for the event channels, this is why the channel trigger is there at first place.
However, it is a good idea to use a proxy Item to store the state, e.g. a Switch Item isNight would be set to ON from dusk till dawn but this Item the is switched by your two rules. (maybe in addition to the Item Porch_Light)
this way you can refer to the state in a rule [if(isNight.state == ON)]
Got it, setup an intermediate Item to hold the day night status. Makes sesnse.
But if this rule as written is not working, then I’d also not be able to update that Item so I am thinking to get this rule working, then I can modify it to update the intermediate Item and write a second rule for the porch light.
rule "Set to day"
when
Channel "astro:sun:local:civilDawn#event" triggered START
then
TagNacht.postUpdate(ON)
end
rule "Set to night"
when
Channel "astro:sun:local:nauticDusk#event" triggered START
then
TagNacht.postUpdate(OFF)
end
Thanks for the help, I eventually found it, but it was very hard to see. But why did you both not just tell me there was a “t” at the end if dusk instead of making me feel like a complete idiot? There is a reason we ask others to proof read stuff, and that is precisely because small errors like this are actually impossible to see (there is tons of psych research on this) and I did end my original post saying it was probably something simple.
Anyways, I will see at dusk tonight if this works, if it does, then I’ll do the proxy item, since that does make sense and grants a fair bit of flexibility down the road.
You will probably want to also add a rule to the System started event to set the dummy item (or zwave switch) to the proper value when openHab starts. Something along the lines of:
rule SystemStartUp
when System started
then
switch now {
case now.isAfter(Datetime(Sunrise.state.toString)) && now.isBefore(Datetime(Sunset.state.toString)):isNight.postUpdate(OFF)
default: isNight.postUpdate(ON)
}
end
I’m new to openHab, but I believe it is built in a Java function converting the Sunset item’s state to a Datetime variable. I’m assuming that you have that entire line of code on one line. I’ve occasionally found that closing VSCode and restarting openHab sometime helps.
I also noticed that i left the “end” off at the end of the rule, I’ve updated the original post.
rule SystemStartUp
when System started
then
var vSunrise = new DateTime(Sunrise.state.toString)
var vSunset = new DateTime(Sunset.state.toString)
switch now {
case now.isAfter(vSunrise) && now.isBefore(vSunset): isNight.postUpdate(OFF)
default: isNight.postUpdate(ON)
}
end
I create two Items Sunrise and Sunset. I linked sunrise to Civil Dawn Start and I linked sunset to Civil Dusk End. When I go to the control section I see these there, but only Sunset has a value (which looks right), Sunrise shows a - I used @JimH rule from above to get a value into these Items
I fixed the typo, and now the rule looks right (same as I posted above), but the light did not turn on at Sunset. The log shows me nothing of use.
Where do I got to work out if all these pieces are working? Is there another I need to look at to help me trouble shoot rules or the Astro binding?
I have spent and hour googling this to no avail, I read the entire wiki page on the Astro binding and found nothing there that could help.
You have to be very careful with channel linking with Astro binding, it is easy to get it wrong.
Astro channels come in two “flavours”, state channels like astro:sun:local:civilDawn#start
and trigger event channels like astro:sun:local:civilDawn#event
You cannot mix which types link to Items and which trigger rules.
Okay, that looks like a simple one to tackle.
Start by double checking the Item definition and channel.
Note this Item is not populated from rule, it is populated by binding channel.
Binding calculates values at midnight and startup time, so if you clear or create an Item inbetween it won’t get repopulated.
Makes sense, the items bound to the state channel both have data now. So that appears to be working.
I am not too sure what you mean. My rule for turning on the light uses the trigger event channel, but the rule I created (separate rule/file) uses the state channel, which is linked to my Sunrise and Sunset *Items. The rule that is not working, has nothing to do with the Sunrise/Sunset Items
This is what it looks like now
rule "Sunset Rule"
when
Channel 'astro:sun:local:civilDusk#event' triggered START
then
// Do what you want to do at start of sunset for example:
// Outside_Lights.sendCommand(ON)
Porch_Light.sendCommand(ON)
end
rule "Sunrise Rule"
when
Channel 'astro:sun:local:civilDawn#event' triggered START
then
// Do what you want to do at start of sunset
// Outside_Lights.sendCommand(ON)
Porch_Light.sendCommand(OFF)
end
but this Item the is switched by your two rules. (maybe in addition to the Item