Apple homekit integration!

This is a totally logical move. Apple is cultivating demand.

 

Wondering if anyone can help to get this to work.
Have iMac running VMware window 7 with CNI2
Cant seem to get connect to C-Gate...
i can access toolkit with no problems.
Anyone with similar setup with a guide to what i am doing wrong?

thanks



Last login: Thu Jul 6 16:26:20 on ttys000
Mick-iMac:~ mick$ HOMEBRIDGE
[7/6/2017, 4:27:46 PM] Loaded plugin: homebridge-cbus
[7/6/2017, 4:27:46 PM] Registering platform 'homebridge-cbus.CBus'
[7/6/2017, 4:27:46 PM] ---
[7/6/2017, 4:27:46 PM] Loaded config.json with 0 accessories and 1 platforms.
[7/6/2017, 4:27:46 PM] ---
[7/6/2017, 4:27:46 PM] Loading 1 platforms...
[7/6/2017, 4:27:46 PM] [CBus] Initializing homebridge-cbus.CBus platform...
cbus:client Opening connection to C-Gate… +0ms
[7/6/2017, 4:27:46 PM] Loading 0 accessories...
cbus:client C-Gate socket error: Error: connect ECONNREFUSED 127.0.0.1:20023 +5ms
cbus:client C-Gate connection could not be opened; exiting. +1ms
Mick-iMac:~ mick$

{
"bridge": {
"name": "My Home",
"username": "CC:22:3D:E3:CE:30",
"port": 51826,
"pin": "031-45-154"
},

"description": "My home HomeKit API configuration file",

"platforms": [
{
"platform": "homebridge-cbus.CBus",
"name": "CBus",
"client_ip_address": "127.0.0.1",
"client_controlport": 20023,
"client_cbusname": "mick",
"client_network": 254,
"client_application": 56,
"client_debug": true,

"platform_export": "my-platform.json",

"accessories": [
{ "type": "LIGHT", "id": 7, "name": "STUDY LIGHT" }
]
}
],
"accessories": [ ]
}

 

Hello Mick01
It is not immediately clear to me where you have CGate and homebridge running in the VM setup.
Or any networking issues that might cause.
So this is a guess.
If you open a telnet session from wherever homebridge is running and try to connect to CGate at CGate server address port 20023 should rule out any access.txt issues for a start.
Or if Toolkit can open CGate successfully then leave it running and try telnet to CGate again from where homebridge is running.

 

Hi Daryl,

I have c-gate running in window7 and homebridge in iOS
Are you saying I should be running homebridge in window7 environment also?

I have opened telnet,how do I connect to port 20023?

Thanks for you reply..

 

Hi
Telnet to CGate ip address port 20023.
I'm not sure how you would do that with the VM but someone else may be able tell you.

I'm pretty sure CGate would run nicely on the OSX side.
The software is CGate zip distribution from CIS downloads.
I'm not an Mac user but there are plenty around here.
Google CGate on OSX

 

I notice in your config.json the cgate server ip address is 127.0.0.1
It probably is correct in the VM but probably not the right address to be looking for from your mac os.
I'm not familiar with networking in the VM environment but if the VM has a different ip address for the network interface to the apple ip address then that is the one to use.
If you do that you will probably have to edit access.txt file in cgate machine to allow access.

What I think is best to do is see if you can find someone who has set it all up on Apple OS or grab a raspberry pi3

 

Thanks something to work with when I get home...

 

See if you can get it going the way you have started.
Eventually I think you want to get Homebridge and CGate on the mac or a raspberry pi.
I don't know for sure but someone here has to be all over getting CGate running native on the mac.
This is the link I used for raspberry pi.
http://addictedtopi.tumblr.com/post/96351714013/installing-c-gate-on-a-raspberry-pi

As always when changing things, make sure you have a safe backup of your projects.
I made a spreadsheet with instructions for raspberry pi.
Some of the things may help you to work through your setup.
spreadsheet link

 

I'm really happy with the instructions I put in a spreadsheet from everyone else's links to get Homebridge CBus and CGate running on raspberry Pi3.
I posted a video for people like myself who don't know too much about Linux showing the install process.
Links to files are listed.
It's really long 39 min and not too polished but it does work.

 

#cbus #c-bus #raspberry #pi #homegate #automation #lighting #siri

 

Still no luck

I tried to telnet to port 20023, the command gets rejected with a "400 Syntax Error".

Tried to search the forum for possible cause but with no luck.

noop command replies with "200 ok"

project dir command lists the projects
but when I try to "telnet localhost 20023" I get the error 400 Syntax error.

Any help will be appreciated.

 

daniel
I read that as trying to start another telnet session from within CGate session too.

The reason I asked Mick to try telnet to cgate was to make sure the pc has access.
Mick you "are" connected to CGate and clearly have access from the location you used to open the telnet session.

Back to the original issue
Whatever IP address you used to connect to CGate by telnet is the one you load into config.json
Assuming you opened the telnet session from the machine running Homebridge.

Back to the telnet session you had connected to cgate.
Open it again.
type project list
should show your project
type net list
should show your project open and running

You could read the spreadsheet in the link I sent to get some ideas.

 

Thanks guys

Added remote IP address of iOS to access.txt and still not luck.

Restart C-Gate and still have the following...

Opening connection to C-Gate… +0ms
[7/14/2017, 3:46:04 PM] Loading 0 accessories...
cbus:client C-Gate socket error: Error: connect ECONNREFUSED 127.0.0.1:20023 +4ms
cbus:client C-Gate connection could not be opened; exiting. +1ms

 

How are you running homebridge on iOS?

using Atom

Do you mean macOS?

Yes

If C-Gate is running in a Windows VM on a macOS host, how is the networking for the VM set up? Bridge? NAT?

Bridge

Did you successfully telnet to C-Gate from within macOS?

No

I think I am about to call time on this...

I can connect to Cbus via the CNI2 in the Window7 environment.

I can see the address of the CNI..

Followed the steps to setup homebridge but somehow its not connecting to cgate from the macOS environment.


Obviously I have a setting wrong but can't seem to find it.

 

It seems most likely to me that your problem is networking setup in the VM environment.
Surely you can see CGate on the Windows VM has to have a reachable ip address for Homebridge on Mac to talk to it.
Running CGate and Homebridge on Apple OS may be one way to get around that.

If you look at CIS downloads site there is a CGate zip file for OS other than Windows.
Apple OS is mentioned.
How to go about using it I don't know.

Raspberry pi is also an option you should consider.
It's a low power gadget which can just sit in a corner running full time.
Also you can muck about with it all you like without disturbing your PC or VM.
Both Homebridge and CGate have good online instructions to set it up too.

 

Thanks Daryl, I will give it a go ....failing that I will look at the raspberry option.

CGate is working on the VM. I can see the IP address. I can access toolkit using the CNI.
I tried everything I know and also the recommendations mention here but to no avail.
So it has me stumped at the moment.

 

If so I think you either need to configure C-gate to allow connections from the host IP, and configure homebridge with the external IP of the VM in order for it to find C-gate.
Thanks for that Nick but I have given that a go without any luck.