it all looks nice, but for now we can not select velbus in openremote (using openremote to interface into domogik at the moment, so it would be cool to also interface with velbus directly)
Hello all.
The great news is that the Velbus protocol has now been passed to the integration team at OpenRemote 
They are incredibly busy working on various elements right now, along with taking time with thier families during the summer holidays.
Obviously I canāt give an exact date when the Velbus protocol will be accessible within the composer and designer sites, but I can say that it will be soon.
We have agreed that the protocol is to be available before an Auto detection function, so initially individual commands will have to be created manually, but we are looking at a solution for that too.
As soon as we have more news, weāll post it hereā¦
Hello again,
Well with another month now here, it brings with it some more news.
The release of a new Pro Controller from OpenRemote is about to be announced, in it will be the full Velbus protocol.
Iāll post the exact date here as soon as it is public knowledge.
While the controller software will contain the fully functioning Velbus protocol, the online designer will not have the import tool added for a while.
The main reasons for this is that there is a ā¬3,600 cost for the programming time that needs to be covered and everyone is a little nervous about investing more money until there is a bigger client base of Velbus users in OpenRemote.
Itās a bit chicken Vs. egg.
There are plans in place to cover the cost and get the import tool up and running, but unless you happen to believe in the union of Velbus and OpenRemote so strongly that you can spare ā¬3,600, youāll have to create any commands you need manually until the saving pot is full again.
However, to give more of an insight into the amount of commands that will be possible in OpenRemote for Velbus, this spreadsheet contains a complete list of every command for every supported Velbus module.
Velbus_Commands_OpenRemote.xlsx
mdar.eu/dl/Velbus_Commands_OpenRemote.xlsx
It is this spreadsheet that the import tool will be based on.
Any idea when the Velbus protocol available in Open Remote, I now test version 2.1.0, but there is no Velbus Protocol Available
Good morning,
I can exclusively reveal that the Velbus protocol will be released for OpenRemote Pro later this week!
Itās been a long time coming, but well worth the wait.
However, please donāt confuse OpenRemote Pro 1.3.* with OpenRemote Demo 2.*
OpenRemote Pro can be found here
OpenRemote.com
Or
designer.OpenRemote.com
Whereas various versions of the free / Demo / open source variant can be here
OpenRemote.org
It should be noted that Velbus support will only be available in Pro V1.3 and above.
As soon as we have a release date, weāll post it here.
Please keep your eyes peeled for the press release, which is due out very soon.
Hello all
We can finally announce that all of the current Velbus modules are now supported in OpenRemote Pro V1.3!
Itās been an interesting and sometimes challenging journey, but we think it has been well worth the effort.
The possibilities that OpenRemote can now offer end users and commercial installers is nothing short of amazing.
We are really looking forward to seeing what people do now that these two great technologies have been combined.
The official How To guide for Velbus in OpenRemote Pro V1.3 can be found here :-
openremote.org/display/docs/OpenRemote+2.0+How+ToĀ±+Velbus
The press release that announces the launch of Pro V1.3, with Velbus support can be found here
us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=c0ba2dda8ba343884dd2ba4dd&id=82668c5de2&e=
The only thing to be aware of it that we have been forced to cancel the plan to include the Velbus Protocol in the Demo versions.
Please feel free to post any questions here or on the OpenRemote forum
Nice to read the announcement, but Iām a bit confused/disappointedā¦
Iām new to OpenRemote, so whatās exactly the difference between OpenRemote Pro vs OpenRemote?
I canāt find the answer on the OpenRemote site about my first - quite obvious - question that comes to mind:
What exactly do I need to buy to have a decent setup with Velbus and how much will it cost?
I hope someone from OpenSource can help us further on this?
Velbus is used by a lot of DIY programmers and IoT enthousiasts. So I was hoping for a DIY- kind of perspective - with focus on open, affordable hardwareā¦
Thanks for the post Gert, you make some very valid points.
Letās first address the thorny issue of Demo / Free Vs. Pro.
You are absolutely correct when you say that there are a lot of DIY installers and programmers that enjoy using Velbus hardware.
On the flip side there is also a large number of high end professional installers that use Velbus hardware.
Really it boils down to the followingā¦
A keen and very capable DIYāer would happily spend many an hour chasing down a bug in some code, just to make their project work just how they want it, and wouldnāt dream of paying someone else to find that misplaced Semi-Colon.
Whereas a professional installer or designer wants a system / platform that just works and is very willing to pay someone to present such a solution.
In the latter case, $150 / Ā£97 / ā¬137 for a lifetime usage license, which is roughly the cost of a relay module, is considered to be fabulous value.
In fact, $150 wouldnāt cover the cost of the web hosting fees for the online designer for 10 years.
One project Iām working on right now, the cost of a stand alone PC and an OpenRemote Pro licence is less that 5% of the hardware bill.
Which is kind of the difference between OpenRemote Free and OpenRemote Pro.
The free versions are community supported in the forum, and there are plenty of like minded people who will gladly help iron out any issues, if they have time.
Many of whom have provided the fruits of their labour for free to the community.
Where as the Pro version is exactly that, its professionally supported and only protocols that have been thoughly tested are incorporated.
Which brings me nicely onto your question about hardware.
This getting started page on the OpenRemote.org site might help -openremote.org/display/docs/Get+Started
In fairness it does go into more detail about the required OS than the hardware, so let me expand on that a little.
OpenRemote (Pro or Free) runs in a Java Virtual Machine environment, so whatever computer hardware you choose to run OpenRemote on, it need only have a Java SDK installed.
There are users that run effective OpenRemote Controllers on RaspberryPiās, BeagleBone Blacks and Small netbooks.
There are also corporate users who have multiple OpenRemote Controllers running in virtual machines on huge rack servers.
The computing hardware requirement was explained to me quite simply;
The more you want OpenRemote to do, the bigger machine youāll need.
So the question to ask yourself isā¦
Just how much do you want to do?
From what I can glean, the average Free user gets very good service from the simplest of machines.
Such was the vision of James Gosling, back in the 1990ās.
Iāve got 2 Samsung N150 Netbooks running OpenRemote Pro Controllers, that both (simultaneously) look at 2 separate Velbus installations, Iām also testing a BeagleBone Black with a similar setup.
At no point have any of those machines given the slightest hint that they were over worked.
Recently I expanded the OpenRemote Pro design to cover 3 Velbus networks for a meeting, the controller I used connected remotely to the 2 original Velbus networks, via the internet, while the new 3rd network connected over USB.
Other than the internet speed, the system worked really well.
Even when I loaded up a 2 universe DMX controller and a VLC media player onto one of the Samsung Netbooks during the testing phase, it still performed very well.
So what do you need to buy to get an OpenRemote Pro Controller up and running?
If you have a fairly clean old computer knocking around, a Velbus USB or RS232 Adapter and can load a Java SDK, then really the only thing to buy would be the OpenRemote Pro account.
If you need to buy a machine to run OpenRemote on, then I can say that a BeagleBone will work well.
The real burning question is, how much would you expect to pay a programmer to write the required code to deliver the level of functionality that you get from just the Velbus element of OpenRemote Pro, let alone all the other features.
If you know someone who can complete it to an exceptional standard, within 6 months for less than ā¬10,000, can I have their phone number please?
Thanks for the in depth reply.
Looks like a very valid option.
Looking forward to see peopleās implementations!
What license is required if you want to use openremote with Velbus?
Is this enough:
openremote.com/professional-designer-buy/
Stef
Hello Stef,
Yes, that would be perfect.
If you need any help at all in getting it up and running, please do give me a shout.
I might be able to supply you with a zip of a set of commands to import and get you started.
Good luck
Stuart
Iām planning to use Velbus, but I also want to control everything with a tablet.
I also need to integrate some other hardware like a Wago PLC.
I tried openhab and openremote some months ago. I found openremote too complicated and I also disliked the cloud connection.
I preferred the openhab.
Are there any plans to support the openhab community?
Stef
Hi Stef
Iām sorry you found the OpenRemote environment too complex, once you get over the first hurdle it gets easier.
As for OpenHab, Iām sure the people who run the project will be just as supportive if you approach them regarding incorporating Velbus.
Especially now that there is a Java SDK available.
Iāll help where ever I can, just as Iām sure others on this forum will help.
It can only be a good thing for more middleware platforms to support Velbus.
Good luck,
Stuart
[quote=āStef Coeneā]Iām planning to use Velbus, but I also want to control everything with a tablet.
I also need to integrate some other hardware like a Wago PLC.
I tried openhab and openremote some months ago. I found openremote too complicated and I also disliked the cloud connection.
I preferred the openhab.
Are there any plans to support the openhab community?
Stef[/quote]
Steff i added support into domogik domogik.org its almost the same as openhab but much faster
I just bought the designer pro license and have a Velbus tcp/ip server up and running.
Iām new to OpenRemote, so what is the next step I need to do to start with OpenRemote?
How can I import my modules or manually add commands?
Thank you
Hello Niels,
That is excellent news.
Iām happy to help wherever I can.
The first big questions areā¦
Have you read the Velbus how to? openremote.org/display/docs/OpenRemote+2.0+How+ToĀ±+Velbus
And the command building how to?
openremote.org/display/docs/OpenRemote+2.0+Building+Objects
Once youāve read those, there are a number of paths you can take, depending on your personal situation.
Path one is to go it alone and ask questions along the way.
Path two is to give me a list of your modules and their base addresses, which I might be able to create a set of commands from for you to import, before you create anything else, as the project import process wipes everything else.
Path Three is to invite people to help you with your design by adding them to your Pro account.
But please remember that only 1 person should view your design at any one time.
Unfortunately the Module import wizard isnāt available yet.
Whichever path you take, may I suggest that before you create any commands, you just create device groups for each module in the OpenRemote modeller section.
This will make life easier when you come to create your user interface.
Itās also useful to know that the sensors, switches and sliders you create in the modeller section will be presented in the order you create them, rather than be grouped by module or listed alphabetically.
If you want to test your set up without doing too much work, may I suggest that you build a read command for a dimmer channel (Dimmer_Status) and a write command (Dimmer_Level) for example 1:50:5
You could then create a sensor to show the dimmer value by linking it to the (Dimmer_Status) command.
Then create a slider which will be linked to both the sensor you created and the write command.
In the user interface design section, you could create a new panel and screen, and place a āLabelā which could be linked to the Dimmer_Status sensor, which will show the current Dim %.
And a slider which can be linked to the dimmer slider.
You could also place a button on that screen and link it to the write command.
Because of the ā5ā at the end of the dimmer_level command, whatever value you set the slider to when youāre using it live, via an app or the web console, will take 5 seconds to execute.
During this time, the slider will jump to reflect the actual state of the dimmer channel, as will the label with the Dimmer_Status sensor.
Good luck.
Please feel free to post specific OpenRemote questions in the OpenRemote user forum.
openremote.org/display/forums/OpenRemote+Forums
Like the people here, they are very helpful.
Hi,
iām using the OpenRemote now and it works great with velbus.
Only one question. I want to put 4 buttons on my screen to choose the Temp mode. (heat_comfort, heat_day, heat_night & heat_safe)
When I click on one of the buttons the mode should change, the presses button should turn āONā and the other three should turn āOFFā. Like radio buttons.
How can I create this?
Thanks
Hello Niels,
Iām delighted to hear that youāre getting good results with your OpenRemote and Velbus design.
There are surprisingly few questions being asked by all the people who I know to have purchased an OpenRemote Pro account, which can only mean that itās working well.
As it happens Iāve been working on a bank of presets for a client that could be used in a similar way to what youāre asking.
Itās not straight forward, but itās completely possible.
My solution is to use āOpenRemote / In- Memory virtual comnandsā to hold the state for each mode switch, then a set of rules to keep them all in sync and send the heat_comfort etc commands.
Using this solution would mean that multiple glass panels could be held in sync, by simply adding commands to the rules for each virtual switch.
As this is more of an OpenRemote question, would you be kind enough to post a question in the OpenRemote forum?
openremote.org/display/forums/User+Forum
Best wishes,
Stuart
Hi
Iāve created the rules within OpenRemote to achieve the radial button feature.
http://www.mdar.eu/images/OR_Screenshots/Temp_Mode_Radial.gif
The plain buttons at the bottom enabled me to check that if the glass panelās temperature mode is changed (as if by a Velbus event) the radials will keep in sync.
The (read only) forum topic that goes into detail about how this is achieved can be found here :-
Hereās some news that Iām sure will be welcomed.
It has been decided to incorporate the free and demo versions of OpenRemote with the Pro version, in order to streamline the product.
As a result, OpenRemote Pro version 2.5.0 is now completely free for all to use for private and not for profit situations.
Commercial users will continue to enjoy a priority support service, direct from myself regarding Velbus integration and the OpenRemote team for any other issues.