Anyone tried ratgdo for Garage Door?

[zaphod]

Looks like an interesting piece of hardware, especially with MyQ being so hostile to third party integration.

https://paulwieland.github.io/ratgdo/

About ratgdo

ratgdo gives you local MQTT / ESPHome & dry contact control plus full status feedback for your Chamberlain/LiftMaster garage door opener. Security+ 2.0 uses an encrypted serial signal to control the door opener’s open/close and light functions, which makes it impossible to use Shelly One, Go Control, Insteon I/O linc or any other dry contact relay device to control the door. ratgdo supports virtually all residential garage door openers made by Chamberlain, and also supports other manufacturers through dry contact control.

ratgdo is a hardware control board that wires to your door opener’s terminals. The firmware allows you to control the door with MQTT or ESPHome over your local WiFi network which can be used to integrate directly with NodeRED or Home Assistant, eliminating the need for another “smart” device. WiFi is not required if you wish to only use the dry contact interface.

ratgdo is not a cloud device and does not require a subscription service. The firmware is open source and free for anyone to use.

 

 

[cnicholson]

I was JUST looking at this yesterday.  I have been using the HomeBridge MyQ driver for about a year (exposing MyQ devices in HomeKit and then I use a C4-HomeKit bridge to expose to C4) and it seems like the various API hacks might finally be dead for good.  It stopped working for me about a month ago.  Apparently, MyQ has implemented a new intrusion detection scheme that will shut off repeated API calls.  So any future workarounds are likely to get detected and shut down automatically for the popular hacks in use now.  So I'm losing hope / giving up.

It seems like the Home Assistant community are fans of Ratgdo, but I am also curious about how to integrate with C4.  I have nine MyQ devices so I'm not super excited about having to get nine of those gizmos and installing them cleanly with power supplies, etc.

I also saw reference to MyQ potentially offering a paid solution that integrates directly with HomeKit (which would work for me), so wonder if they are going to offer a paid API option more broadly.   I already use their (paid) Tesla integration.   Obviously, yet another subscription payment is super annoying, but I would consider it if it actually works.

 

 

[cdcllc]

I bit the bullet a long time ago when MyQ integration first failed and implemented a relay, contact sensor and garage door experience button on both doors.  Works every time and is available local and remote right from the C4 app. No cloud, no delay, etc. etc.  I wish I would have gone with that solution from the beginning when my C4 system was first installed during the house build.  I did the design and all hardware and physical connections myself from reading posts on this site.  Ari supplied the C4 I/O device; got some help with driver install and programming from Mitch.

[RAV]

Prewire - contact sensors and relays.
Retrofit - Genie Aladdin Connect (can do three doors)

The Aladdin connect is an add on WiFi button processor box for other brand garage doors, provides upto 3 relay outputs and uses wireless tilt sensors for the doors.
You'll still need a MyQ interface to go from relay outputs to MyQ security, such as garage gadget or solder your own.
Driver in the Control4 database.
https://www.geniecompany.com/aladdin-connect-/aladdin-connect

Through the Aladdin app, they also gain things like virtual guest keys, logs, auto close, time scheduling etc
$150 for a 3 door setup: Kit for first door, 2 add on sensors, and a 3 button remote to modify.
 

[eon]

On 11/15/2023 at 7:52 PM, cnicholson said:

I was JUST looking at this yesterday.  I have been using the HomeBridge MyQ driver for about a year (exposing MyQ devices in HomeKit and then I use a C4-HomeKit bridge to expose to C4) and it seems like the various API hacks might finally be dead for good.  It stopped working for me about a month ago.  Apparently, MyQ has implemented a new intrusion detection scheme that will shut off repeated API calls.  So any future workarounds are likely to get detected and shut down automatically for the popular hacks in use now.  So I'm losing hope / giving up.

It seems like the Home Assistant community are fans of Ratgdo, but I am also curious about how to integrate with C4.  I have nine MyQ devices so I'm not super excited about having to get nine of those gizmos and installing them cleanly with power supplies, etc.

I also saw reference to MyQ potentially offering a paid solution that integrates directly with HomeKit (which would work for me), so wonder if they are going to offer a paid API option more broadly.   I already use their (paid) Tesla integration.   Obviously, yet another subscription payment is super annoying, but I would consider it if it actually works.

 

 

Which driver do you use to expose homekit devices to Control 4?

[cnicholson]

15 hours ago, eon said:

Which driver do you use to expose homekit devices to Control 4?

DTI Siri Voice Module.   It's really a C4<--> HomeBridge <--> HomeKit "bridge."  Once you expose stuff in HomeKit, the "Siri" part is automatic.    Although exposing C4 devices in HomeKit is fully supported/automatic, the reverse direction needs programming.  You access HomeKit stuff in C4 indirectly via dummy devices and programming. For example, when you want to open a garage door from C4, you change a HomeKit dummy device on the C4 side (using DTI driver) and then, on HomeKit side, watch that dummy device and control the "real" door using HomeKit programming (simple If/then).  HomeKit can "see" (and control) the MyQ device by virtue of the MyQ plugin in Homebridge (at least when the MyQ API is working, which is currently isn't).   A bit kludgy, to be sure.  But, when MyQ/Homebridge API is working, it all works great!  

(As an aside, MyQ reports door status, so you can maintain two-way state so C4 knows if door is open or closed on a verified basis and not just assuming state based on last command sent).

[eon]

1 minute ago, cnicholson said:

DTI Siri Voice Module.   It's really a C4<--> HomeBridge <--> HomeKit "bridge."  Once you expose stuff in HomeKit, the "Siri" part is automatic.    Although exposing C4 devices in HomeKit is fully supported/automatic, the reverse direction needs programming.  You access HomeKit stuff in C4 indirectly via dummy devices and programming. For example, when you want to open a garage door from C4, you change a HomeKit dummy device on the C4 side (using DTI driver) and then, on HomeKit side, watch that dummy device and control the "real" door using HomeKit programming (simple If/then).  HomeKit can "see" (and control) the MyQ device by virtue of the MyQ plugin in Homebridge (at least when the MyQ API is working, which is currently isn't).   A bit kludgy, to be sure.  But, when MyQ/Homebridge API is working, it all works great!  

(As an aside, MyQ reports door status, so you can maintain two-way state so C4 knows if door is open or closed on a verified basis and not just assuming state based on last command sent).

Ok i taught that there is some driver which those this directly

[Audio Obsessions]

I think the ratgdo solution is amazing, it’s serial communication to the MyQ, extracts everything you need from 3 wires, and can even give you position of the garage by interpolating time between full open and full shut,  it sees the motion and can turn the light on and off.   It’s local control, and myQ can be mad but can’t change the existing serial protocol on units in the field, they may change their future protocol, but that would also be very difficult.  I love that there are smart people out there making stuff like this.  I ordered 5 units, I intend on learning how to make and flash them myself so I dont have to be dependent on the one source, which I think is extremely backordered.   I plan on using dry contact and relay at first but will dig into the mqqt if no one else builds a driver in the next year.