How can I get the status of a device through Harmony?

#1

I need to test whether or not my TV is actually turned on… not if an activity is selected.

Can webCoRE do this through the Harmony Hub? I see what looks to be a device status function, but no idea how to implement it.

#2

No… you can only see if the activity is on or not… maybe try KuKu for more functionality:

#3

Note to @ady624

Harmony API integration :innocent:

#4

Would make a lot of people VERY happy :smiley:

#5

This. SO much this!

Or at least… that checking the status of a device thing I mentioned. :grin:

#6

Power the TV through a power monitoring outlet and check the current draw.

Anyway, Harmony API or not… you can’t check the actual state of an IR device any more than the activity can… if the IR signal failed to reach the device then Harmony won’t know about it, there’s no feedback

If you’re getting regular failures to respond, try repositioning the IR blasters, add waits to the activity and maybe have it send on / off commands multiple times as part of the activity.

#7

I’m basically just playing with some workarounds for Logitech’s incredibly hokey way of doing things. Why they can’t just implement macros like everyone else is beyond me.

You can’t disable a power off command? Can’t add a power on or off command except where they want you too, and can’t disable or delete those, can’t repeat an activity, etc. It’s all just goofy.

The only way I’ve found to guarantee a power off, given an unknown state of activity and any virtual switches… is to first send a power on command and then turn it back off. It works ok, but just seems clunky to have to do that.

#8

You can disable the power off in an activity, but it will still show up as the last command… It just won’t be executed. I guess Logitech’s way of making a potentially great tool clumsy and difficult to customize.

Did you see my post in your other harmony thread? Any luck trying that?

#9

Not yet. I moved on to other issues for the time being. :slight_smile:

I’ll revisit it in a couple days when I get tired of fighting other things. lol

#10

I think a possible solution to the problem is to try and keep devices in sync.

Is there a way to force a device ‘off’ in harmony even if harmony bel Ives the activity is off?

This way you can create a piston that will, at least, sync the device to off.

#11

Harmony activities will not send off commands if they think the activity is already off… I know of no native way to do this.

But I understand the KuKu handler I posted above can access individual remote commands so with that you could send power off commands repeatedly, assuming your TV has seperate on / off buttons available (some do, some just have the 1/0 toggle button)

#12

But don’t you have to be running your own server or some weird foo to use his DTH? I seem to recall reading something about that somewhere.

#13

I’m not sure, don’t use it myself, but others have it working so I’m sure it’s doable…

If it is needed… running a server is no big deal, doesn’t have to be a standalone machine, could just be running in the background of an existing computer you have or a Ras-Pi

#14

I will tell you personally I gave up on this… it was simply too difficult to navigate.

I tried @Robin’s suggestion of monitoring the device (ie. the TV) to keep the items in sync but that has unintended consequences as occasionally a delay in the piston process would create a loop of the harmony activity starting/stopping.

That being said, I have no pistons that depend on harmony.

#15

Hi, someone mentioned you can get the status of harmony activities, can I get some pointers (I’m afraid I can’t figure it out)

I’m using Webcore and the aim is to have a motion sensor above the door, if this is triggered and (any of the lights are off OR all of the harmony activities are off) then switch on the lights and harmony activity TV on.

The rest is working but not the checking of the status.

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#16

Choose switch instead of status