Ha-bridge: Use Homebridge and/or Apple HomeKit devices

[koraysels]

You know what would be awesome ?
If we could use all our Homekit accesories (native or via Homebridge) with alexa!

That way we can use all the available homebridge plugins (which are many many many !) so we can comfortably add devices without knowing all the specific udp packets or API calls, relay them to ha-bridge and control them via Alexa!

[bwssytems]

Have a look at issue #159 and see if this has any information you may need.

[koraysels]

Nope already read that.
What i mean is the other way around... because Ha-bridge requires you to manually find the udp and/or tcp commands for every accesorie you want to control in contrast to homebridge where we use plugins that detect that stuff automatically...

[bwssytems]

Would need to take a look at those. I have some other plugins that would be ahead of this for development.

[koraysels]

well that would be great! Is there a way others can write plugins for Ha-bridge ? then maybe I could try to port those homebridge plugins to ha-bridge... (homebridge is written in nodejs but maybe it has a Plugin API of some sorts.. ) Or I could freshen up my java-game :-p

[bwssytems]

I have started refactoring the connectors and they are now in the package com.bwssystems.HABridge.plugins

[Matt8119]

How do we find and implement and the plugins that you guys are mentioning?

[bwssytems]

The classes that are in that package are the examples for implementing other connectors

[koraysels]

Cool I'll look into that when i find the time! Thanks for this awesome project @bwssytems !

@Matt8119: do you mean "where can i find homebrigde plugins?" like these?) Or do you mean "where can I find Plugins for ha-bridge? -> I guess they are none except the ones included already in the project.

[Matt8119]

That's exactly what I was talking about. I misunderstood and thought these were already inside the jar, located inside its own folder.. that answered my question. Thanks!

[bwssytems]

Is your question answered?

[koraysels]

No .. the highjacked question was answered but not my original question:) anyway looking forward to 4.0

[pponce]

+1 for being able to leverage homebridge plugins

[bwssytems]

So, won't be able to implement plugins from homebridge since it is written in javascript and we are pure Java, also that is a specific interface set for homebridge. I'm looking into being able to call the homebridge (it may allow it ti call apple homekit, but may not either) and deal with it that way. It is very intensive reverse engineer the client side (Homebridge and it's libraries are the server side) as all of the info that was written had to be taken down due to an Apple lawsuit. The code is all that is left to decipher.

[Hedda]

Apple have now opened HomeKit protocol specification to all developers for non-commercial use:

https://www.appleworld.today/blog/2017/6/7/apple-opens-homekit-protocol-specification-to-all-developers

"HomeKit protocol spec is now open to all devs! Can build a smart device using Arduino and control it via HomeKit without getting MFi license."

https://developer.apple.com/homekit/specification/

That is, this is the Apple official HomeKit protocol specifications, and Apple want third-parties to use it.

[bwssytems]

Great! Now I can figure out my issues with session security handshake!

[Hedda]

Won't be possible until iOS11 though:

https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/8/15761800/apple-homekit-updates-ios-11-easier-build-requirements-wwdc-2017

"Apple is also making one other big change to simplify development: it's no longer requiring that every HomeKit device contain a specific security chip. Instead, it'll allow companies to authenticate their devices entirely using software. Smart home devices out on that market that don’t already support HomeKit will even be able to use this method to add HomeKit support after iOS 11 launches this fall.

That should make life easier for HomeKit device manufacturers in general. HomeKit is mostly unique among smart home systems by requiring all devices to contain a specific chip, complicating hardware development. By allowing manufacturers to do it all through software, HomeKit should now be much easier to implement alongside compatibility with services like Alexa, SmartThings, and Wink."

HomeKit for iOS 11 will have a few new features too, as summerized here:

"On top of these updates to make building HomeKit devices easier, Apple is also expanding what HomeKit can do in ways that consumers will notice. It's adding two new categories of supported products, sprinklers and faucets, and it's adding a bunch of new ways to trigger actions at home.

One of the simpler updates, but a favorite of mine, is an enhancement to the sunrise and sunset triggers. Those can now be offset by some amount of time, so you could, for instance, have the lamps in your home turn on shortly before the sun goes down at night.

Apple is adding temperature triggers, too, so that events can be kicked off when the temperature goes above or below a certain point. And it's getting better at tracking when people are in the house. It'll now track specific people, instead of individual devices, and use that to better tell you when someone leaves or arrives home. In iOS 11, that'll allow HomeKit users to set things to happen when the last person leaves the house or when someone's arriving home to an empty house.

There will also be a way to temporarily turn on certain devices. Apple gave the example of opening a door at night and having outside lights turn on for just a few minutes, instead of turning on and staying on as they’d have to currently."

[dmoos777]

Would be so wonderful if this would work with Apple Homekit. This would allow me to have everything in one place.

[bwssytems]

This is also mentioned in #822

[bwssytems]

With the implementation of Mozilla IOT, Which has homebridge connectivity, I will suggest that is the path to implement this.

See https://iot.mozilla.org/