[KAKU] dimmer question

Qx5

hi there!

I started adding my kaku devices in homey (which is really easy! Nice!). 
The problem is that Kaku dimmers start the dimming mode when switching them on while they are already on. So when a flow is started which also tries to switch on a Kaku light that is already on I have a disco at home  
Is Kaku also capable of sending an on signal that will not engage dimming mode?

I understand this is a Kaku flaw and not homey. And that I should switch to zwave.... But budgets..  

PeterGroeneweg

My experiences with the KAKU dimmer is very positive. I turned my dimmer of before I paired Homey to the dimmer. Later when I tried to adjust the brightness via the components window it worked perfectly. I could set the brightness without the lamp going to fade in and out.
I think you need to think about the status of the dimmer before you are going to controll it. One option maybe is to send an off-command before your on-command. That way you are always sure of the state of your dimmer. Maybe you need to set a delay between the off and on-command. 
I didn't try this out myself. It's just theoratical thinking of me.

TheoDeKoning

You have to overcome that 2nd command by using, I think, a variable.
For now I can't work things out because Homey is in the box for unbricking.

Qx5

Thanks for the ideas. I might try the turning off trick first but it seems quite hacky and might add some unwanted delay. 
I think Homey already tries to keep track of the light states internally but from what I read this is just buggy with 433mhz.

I would imagine there is some "secret api" to send a on-only(no-dimming) signal to the dimmer. Since you can also send dim-levels directly and that sounds more advanced than what I am asking  

TheoDeKoning

You can look on the dimmer device card in the ...then column if you can send a percentage.

Qx5

TheoDeKoning said:

You can look on the dimmer device card in the ...then column if you can send a percentage.

Ah you mean instead of sending an on-signal to my light I send a dimming-percentage. That's actually a clever trick. Let me try  

PeterGroeneweg

Sounds good indeed! Just put it to 99%

Qx5

I actually think this should be embedded in the KAKU Dimmer driver. Because the default Homey commands still send an on signal to KAKU dimmers.

Just casually mentioning @Emile  and hoping this maybe reaches a to-do list during this time of crisis bug fixing  

DennisH

@Qx5 ;
I will test this tomorrow and add it to the driver if it doesn't make a big delay.

PeterGroeneweg

Cool! Great to hear you pick this up so fast!

Qx5

DennisH said:

@Qx5 ;
I will test this tomorrow and add it to the driver if it doesn't make a big delay.

Nice thanks Dennis! I tested it here in some flows and I don't see a noticeable delay.

Would it be possible to set a default dimmer percentage as "on"? Or have this a request for in future development? (I have some 60W Kooldraadlampen that you don't want to see at 100%  )

  

DennisH

@Qx5 ;
A KaKu dimmer should remember it's last dimpercentage and go to that percentage when it's turned on 

bvdbos

@DennisH Not if you choose to set a percentage instead of sending "on" as Qx5 proposes

Qx5

DennisH said:

@Qx5 ;
A KaKu dimmer should remember it's last dimpercentage and go to that percentage when it's turned on 

Haha yes I know but I understood that you would change the dimmer-on command to dimmer-set_dim_level(100%) command. But if it will switch on to the last remembered dimming percentage in the new driver and still avoid the annoying dimming(high-low-high-low) disco mode I'm 100% happy  

DennisH

Ah you're right, i'll just send the last remembered dim level