Venetian Blinds with Somfy Lift+Tilt 25 - only no tilt

Add-ons Bindings
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OK - here’s the setup:

Using an RFXTRX433e + OH2 + A venetian blind operated by a lift and tilt 25 somfy motor.

Using the remote control (a Telis 4 with a scrollwheel) - the scrollwheel happily tilts the blind. The up and down buttons on the remote also move the blind to full extension and back again.

I’m not entirely sure what I’m about to describe is an OH problem - but I’m not sure of a better place to start asking (so if someone can direct me - that’d be welcome).

When I try and use the up/down commands in OH - that works fine. According to the RFXMGR - using a long command (>2 seconds) should result in a tilt … it doesn’t. It results in a gradual lift or drop depending on position. You can’t stop it (using the stop command) it just goes up or down for ~2 seconds.

Note: I achieved this by adding a second item through paperUI, configuring it as a dimmer, then setting up a rule which reacted to a switch being pressed and transmitted the ‘increase’ command to the blind.

Now - when I replicate using RFXMGR - I get the same results (hence why I’m don’t think it’s necessarily OH). But I’m at a loss as to how to configure the communication so to get the motor to tilt.

I’ve found references to US and EU mode and switching between them (which made me wonder if I was simply in the wrong mode) - but the instructions talk about an LED flashing to indicate mode (which the L+T25 doesn’t have!) - following the instructions and ignoring the comment about an LED simply erased all the remotes.

As I said - the remote is functioning fine. Although, notably, pushing and holding Up/Down on the remote doesn’t result in the short movement I get when sending using RFXCom - it just does the ‘move to end position’ motion.

I’ve only got one more possible thought (which involves getting the blind down - yet again - so I’m loathed to do it unless it’s my last chance) which is to erase all the remotes and to not add the telis 4 back into it as maybe it’s doing some 2 channel binding thing which is then causing confusion for all future non-telis 4 remotes.

Anyone come across this setup before? Anyone got it working? What am I missing?

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So - an update for anyone who comes across this topic subsequent to this.

The Telis 4 remote is using an extended version of the RTS protocol which is a) encrypted and b) patented so can’t be controlled using the RFXTRX433e. Hence how it is able to do small gradual movements that the RFXTRX cannot.

It also seems it is NOT possible to change the mode of the T+L25 to be EU rather than US which might have resolved it.

So instead I’ve looked at my use case and approached it differently.

Primarily what I wanted to do was a) open the tilt on the blinds to half way in the morning and b) close it at night. Also put that on an Alexa control. I also wanted to be able to control the blinds to full open and full close if required.

So here’s what I’ve done.

I’ve adjusted the blind so the ‘my’ position is down with the tilt at half way. E.g. my default ‘open’ position.

I’ve created a new switch item called ‘blind’. And I’ve added an item to the rfy actuator against the ‘shutter’ channel.

I’ve added a rule which captures on and sends the ‘stop’ command (also known as ‘my’ in Somfy language) to the shutter channel item. I’ve added a second rule which captures off and sends the down command to the shutter channel item.

I’ve then installed the hue emulation and added the ‘switchable’ tag to the blind item.

That has resulted in being able to say to Alexa “Open the blind” and have it tilt and then “close the blind” shutting it.

I’m thinking to fulfil my second criteria - I will add a second switchable item called ‘blind full’ which traps the on command and sends ‘up’ and similarly ‘down’ for the off command. That will result in ‘Alexa Open the Blind Full’ being raising it up high.

Not perfect - but pretty good.