Synchronize Christmas lights

#1

1) Give a description of the problem
So, I bought these zigbee outdoor LED strings: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FK5FC64/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They work great, but I’m trying to get color changes as close to each other as possible, timing-wise. I grouped the lights as devices, so strings 1-3 will change together, and 2-4 will change together. I’m trying to figure out a way to group the two device strings in such a way that I can apply an asynchronous setting, so the second string isn’t always waiting for the first string to change.

2) What is the expected behaviour?
Even-numbered strands and odd-numbered strands should swap colors at about the same time.

3) What is happening/not happening?
There’s a half-second pause between the two groups of strands.

**4) Post a Green Snapshot of the piston![image|45x37]

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#2

I think it will be quite difficult to synchronize the lights consistently because of internet latency and running things in the cloud.

#3

Well, each pair of strings are changing well together. If I can get the two devices in the same group with running async, I’m hoping I can cut down the pause between the two devices. It’ll never be perfect, but it’s worth a try if I can figure it out.

#4

What happens if create two pistons that control the light color (toggle), then a 3rd one to start the first two? Do the two light color toggle pistons run at the same time?

Even if the color changing pistons did run at the same time, I’d suspect that the hub can only issue change commands one at a time. This might be a job for a microcontroller (arduino or similar).

#5

Not sure how it would look but can you do a fade to the new color and have the first set take a ½ second longer?

#6

in the new ST app, try the Color Coordinator smartapp… click on + in the upper right of the screen and select SmartApp and you can find it in the list of smartapps

#7

I actually found it in the classic app (thank goodness).