Problematic ioBroker Switchbot adapter alternative

Previously, I used the Switchbot-hub adapter to integrate my switchbot devices into iobroker, which worked well at first, but later the following problem appeared, the data points of the connected devices were not updated.

To solve this problem, I created a python script that retrieves switchbot device data using the Switchbot Utilities Switchbot API, and then forwards it to the MQTT server using Paho mqtt.

SwitchBot Hub Mini

Smart Remote – IR Blaster, Link SwitchBot to Wi-Fi (Support 2.4GHz), Control TV, Air Conditioner, Compatible with Alexa, Google Home, IFTTT

SwitchBot Hub 2 (2nd Gen)

Work as a WiFi Thermometer Hygrometer, IR Remote Control, Smart Remote and Light Sensor, Link SwitchBot to Wi-Fi (Support 2.4GHz), Compatible with Alexa&Google Assistant

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This project runs on the Ubuntu 22.04 operating system that hosts the iobroker server. Let’s see the details.

First, let’s update the package list:

Bash

sudo apt-get update

Let’s check if Python3 is installed on our machine. Enter in the command line:

Bash

python3 --version

If it returns the version number, Python3 is installed, if we get an error “bash: python3: command not found”, Python3 is not installed.

Bash

sudo apt-get install python3

If you don’t already have pip installed, install it too.

Bash

sudo apt-get install python3-pip

Let’s make a folder named switchbot for the project.

Bash

mkdir switchbot

Then navigate to the newly created switchbot folder.

Bash

cd switchbot

Here we will create a virtual environment.

Bash

python3 -m venv venv

Then we activate the virtual environment.

Bash

source venv/bin/activate

Then install the necessary libraries.

Switchbot Utility the Switchbot API.

Bash

python3 -m pip install switchbot-utility

Paho-mqtt client.

Bash

python3 -m pip install paho-mqtt

SwitchBot Smart Switch Button Pusher

Fingerbot for Automatic Light Switch, Timer and APP Bluetooth Remote Control, Works with Alexa, Google Home, IFTTT When Paired with SwitchBot Hub…

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Let’s create the Python script named switchbot-client.py.

Bash

nano switchbot-client.py

Contents of the switchbot-client.py file.

Python

#!/usr/bin/python3
import time
import subprocess
import json
from paho.mqtt import client as mqtt_client
from switchbot_utility.switchbot import Switchbot
from switchbot_utility.switchbot_meter import SwitchbotMeter
from switchbot_utility.battery_mixin import BatteryMixin
from switchbot_utility.switchbot_ir_air_conditioner import IrAirConditioner
from switchbot_utility.switchbot_ir_others import IrOthers


delay = 1   # sec

broker = '192.168.1.20' 
port = 1883
username = ''
password = ''
client_id = 'SwitchbotPyClient'

apiCallsTopic = 'Switchbot/Settings/APIcalls'
discoverTopic = 'Switchbot/Settings/Discover'

tempSensorList = []
IrAirConditionerList = []
IrOthersList = []
IrAirConditionerTopicList = []
IrOthersTopicList = []



def connect_mqtt():
    def on_connect(client, userdata, flags, rc):
        if rc == 0:
            print("Connected to ioBroker!")
        else:
            print("Failed to connect, return code %d\n", rc)

    client = mqtt_client.Client(mqtt_client.CallbackAPIVersion.VERSION1, client_id)
    client.username_pw_set(username, password)
    client.on_connect = on_connect
    client.connect(broker, port)
    return client



def publish(client, topic, payload):
    result = client.publish(topic, payload)
    status = result[0]
    if status == 0:
        print(f"Send `{payload}` to topic `{topic}`")
    else:
        print(f"Failed to send message to topic {topic}")



def on_message(client, userdata, message):
    global apiCalls
    global discover
    
    message_payload = str(message.payload.decode("utf-8"))
    message_topic = message.topic
    
    if message_topic == apiCallsTopic:
        apiCalls = message_payload
        print("apiCalls: ", message_payload)
        
    if message_topic == discoverTopic:
        discover = message_payload
        print("discover: " , message_payload)    
    
    
    a = 0
    while a < len(IrAirConditionerTopicList):
        if message_topic == IrAirConditionerTopicList[a]:
            print(message_topic + ": " + message_payload)
            
            message_json = json.loads(message_payload)
            
            temp = (message_json["temperature"])
            mode = (message_json["mode"])
            fan = (message_json["fan_speed"])
            power = (message_json["power_state"])
            
            klimaDeviceId = message_topic.replace("Switchbot/Devices/","")
            klimaDeviceId = klimaDeviceId.replace("/Command","")
            klima = IrAirConditioner(klimaDeviceId)
            klima.set_all(temp, mode, fan, power)
        a += 1
    
    
    a = 0
    while a < len(IrOthersTopicList):
        if message_topic == IrOthersTopicList[a]:
            print(message_topic + ": " + message_payload)
            otherDeviceId = message_topic.replace("Switchbot/Devices/","")
            otherDeviceId = otherDeviceId.replace("/Command","")
            otherDevice = IrOthers(otherDeviceId)
            otherDevice.customize(message_payload)
            
            publish(client,"Switchbot/Devices/" + otherDeviceId + "/Command", "null")
            
        a += 1
    a = 0


def run():
    global apiCalls
    global discover
    
    switchbot = Switchbot()
    switchbot.devicelist()
        
    client = connect_mqtt()
    client.on_message = on_message
    client.loop_start()
    
    client.subscribe('Switchbot/Settings/APIcalls')
    client.subscribe('Switchbot/Settings/Discover')
    
    f = open("deviceList.txt", "r")
    for x in f:
        devicesList = x.rsplit(", ")
        if devicesList[2] == "WoIOSensor":
            tempSensorList.append(devicesList[0])           # WoIOSensors ID list
        elif devicesList[2] == "Air Conditioner":
            IrAirConditionerList.append(devicesList[0])
        elif devicesList[2] == "Others":                    # Others
            IrOthersList.append(devicesList[0])
            
        publish(client,"Switchbot/Devices/" + devicesList[0] + "/Name", devicesList[1])
        time.sleep(delay)
        publish(client,"Switchbot/Devices/" + devicesList[0] + "/Type", devicesList[2])
        time.sleep(delay)
    f.close()
    
    IrAirConditionerIndex = 0
    while IrAirConditionerIndex < len(IrAirConditionerList):
        client.subscribe("Switchbot/Devices/" + IrAirConditionerList[IrAirConditionerIndex] + "/Command")
        IrAirConditionerTopicList.append("Switchbot/Devices/" + IrAirConditionerList[IrAirConditionerIndex] + "/Command")
        IrAirConditionerIndex += 1
        
    IrOthersIndex = 0
    while IrOthersIndex < len(IrOthersList):
        client.subscribe("Switchbot/Devices/" + IrOthersList[IrOthersIndex] + "/Command")
        IrOthersTopicList.append("Switchbot/Devices/" + IrOthersList[IrOthersIndex] + "/Command")
        IrOthersIndex += 1
        
    i = int(apiCalls)
        
    while(1):
        if(discover == "true"):
            f = open("deviceList.txt", "r")
            for x in f:
                devicesList = x.rsplit(", ")
                if devicesList[2] == "WoIOSensor":
                    tempSensorList.append(devicesList[0])           # WoIOSensors ID list
                elif devicesList[2] == "Air Conditioner":
                    IrAirConditionerList.append(devicesList[0])
                elif devicesList[2] == "Others":                    # Others
                    IrOthersList.append(devicesList[0])
                    
                publish(client,"Switchbot/Devices/" + devicesList[0] + "/Name", devicesList[1])
                time.sleep(delay)
                publish(client,"Switchbot/Devices/" + devicesList[0] + "/Type", devicesList[2])
                time.sleep(delay)
            f.close()
            
            IrAirConditionerIndex = 0
            while IrAirConditionerIndex < len(IrAirConditionerList):
                client.subscribe("Switchbot/Devices/" + IrAirConditionerList[IrAirConditionerIndex] + "/Command")
                IrAirConditionerTopicList.append("Switchbot/Devices/" + IrAirConditionerList[IrAirConditionerIndex] + "/Command")
                IrAirConditionerIndex += 1
                
            IrOthersIndex = 0
            while IrOthersIndex < len(IrOthersList):
                client.subscribe("Switchbot/Devices/" + IrOthersList[IrOthersIndex] + "/Command")
                IrOthersTopicList.append("Switchbot/Devices/" + IrOthersList[IrOthersIndex] + "/Command")
                IrOthersIndex += 1
            
            discover = "false"
            publish(client, "Switchbot/Settings/Discover", "false")
            time.sleep(delay)
        
        i += 1
        time.sleep(delay)
            
        if i > int(apiCalls):
            i = 0
            tempSensorIndex = 0
            while tempSensorIndex < len(tempSensorList):
                meter = SwitchbotMeter(tempSensorList[tempSensorIndex])
                
                publish(client,"Switchbot/Devices/" + tempSensorList[tempSensorIndex] + "/Temperature", meter.get_temperature())
                time.sleep(delay)
                
                publish(client,"Switchbot/Devices/" + tempSensorList[tempSensorIndex] + "/Humidity", meter.get_humidity())
                time.sleep(delay)
                
                publish(client,"Switchbot/Devices/" + tempSensorList[tempSensorIndex] + "/Battery", meter.get_battery())
                time.sleep(delay)
                tempSensorIndex += 1
    
    client.loop_stop()


if __name__ == '__main__':
    run()

Let’s create the settings.json file.

Bash

nano settings.json

We store ‘token’ and ‘secret key’ keys in the settings.json file, which can be obtained from the SwitchBot Application.

JSON

{
    "token": "b43a******************************************************************9a0",
    "secret": "840***********************1d2c86"
}

To get the above keys, open the SwitchBot application on your phone and tap the “Profile” item in the bottom menu. Here, select the “Preferences” submenu. Now tap on the “App Version” menu item 10 times, then a new menu item “DeveloperOptions” will appear.This menu item contains the token and secret key we need.

SwitchBot application - Preferences submenu - touch the App Version menu item 10 times

SwitchBot alkalmazás - Preferences almenüben megjelent új menüelem, a DeveloperOptions

SwitchBot alkalmazás - DeveloperOptions menüben található token az ioBroker SwitchBot-Hub adapter beállításához

Now we need to get our project to start automatically when the system starts. For this we need another file.

Bash

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/switchbot-client.service

Copy the following few lines into the file. Don’t forget to enter the file path correctly!

Bash

[Unit]
Description="switchbot-client-service"
After=network.target network-online.target

[Service]
Restart=always
WorkingDirectory=/home/[USER]/switchbot/
ExecStart=/home/[USER]/switchbot/venv/bin/python3 /home/[USER]/switchbot/switchbot-client.py
ExecStop=deactivate

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Set the permissions as follows.

Bash

sudo chmod 644 /etc/systemd/system/switchbot-client.service

Let’s restart the systemctl background service.

Bash

sudo systemctl daemon-reload

Enable switchbot-client.service.

Bash

sudo systemctl enable inverter.service

Thus, switchbot-client.py will run every time the system is started and the read data will be sent to the mqtt server.

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