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Schlage Encode Plus


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Hi All,

I very much want to make this lock work with Control4. Does anyone know if there is a bridge or something that can get this to communicate with Control4?

I really love the idea of Apple Watch key on my garage door but it’s also important to me that when I set my alarm at night, I am able to automatically send a lock command to the door as part of the program. 

If it matters, my alarm is a DSC Neo. 

https://www.schlage.com/en/home/smart-locks/encode-plus.html

Thanks. 

J. 

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3 hours ago, RAV said:

Maybe one of the AppleHomeKit drivers can be the bridge from Control4.

I think that's backwards.  the HomeKit drivers like the Varietas Homebridge from @Veritaisallows C4 defined devices it supports to show up in the apple home app. 

I'm fairly sure It won't take devices in apple home kit and have them show up in C4. (which would be the case for Schlage). 

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3 minutes ago, ekohn00 said:

I think that's backwards.  the HomeKit drivers like the Varietas Homebridge from @Veritaisallows C4 defined devices it supports to show up in the apple home app. 

I'm fairly sure It won't take devices in apple home kit and have them show up in C4. (which would be the case for Schlage). 

Oh. Thanks for that. Anyone know for sure?

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14 hours ago, Jgoodm said:

Oh. Thanks for that. Anyone know for sure?

sorry if I wan't clear, but yes I'm sure.

Basically the c4 home bridge driver sends the control4 configured devices to the home bridge appliance. the home bridge appliance feeds Apple Home (it is your bridge between Apple and C4).

For this to work with Schlage, the Schlage lock would first need to be in C4. (or some relay that still works within C4 to Schlage).

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Here's a cheat, depending on what you want it do in Control4....

Get a KASA light dimmer, don't connect it to a load.
Add it to Apple
Add it to Control4

(If you use the Homekit driver for Contro4, you can accomplish the same with a Control4 outlet dimmer)

Apple Automations
when lock is closed - set kasa to 40
when lock is open - set kasa to 30
when kasa is 20, lock door
when kasa is 10, unlock door

Control4
when kasa is 40, set variable lock to True, set kasa to 0
when kasa is 30, set varaible lock to False, set kasa to 0
Experience button Lock - set kasa to 20
Expereince button unlock - set kasa to 10

Control4 can lock and unlock the lock, and do stuff based on lock status.

(I've used similar programming to get Ring alarm status through Alexa)

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5 hours ago, RAV said:

Here's a cheat, depending on what you want it do in Control4....

Get a KASA light dimmer, don't connect it to a load.
Add it to Apple
Add it to Control4

(If you use the Homekit driver for Contro4, you can accomplish the same with a Control4 outlet dimmer)

Apple Automations
when lock is closed - set kasa to 40
when lock is open - set kasa to 30
when kasa is 20, lock door
when kasa is 10, unlock door

Control4
when kasa is 40, set variable lock to True, set kasa to 0
when kasa is 30, set varaible lock to False, set kasa to 0
Experience button Lock - set kasa to 20
Expereince button unlock - set kasa to 10

Control4 can lock and unlock the lock, and do stuff based on lock status.

(I've used similar programming to get Ring alarm status through Alexa)

Are you saying you can just set this switch as a relay so that the lock will work within Control4 by using Homebridge commands back and forth?  All I really want is for the lock to lock itself when I set the alarm at night through the Control4 app.  Its really the only functionality I need.  My alarm is completely controlled by Control4 and the lock is HomeKit, Google or Alexa compatible natively but no Control4 support.  Otherwise, are you saying you don't even need the HomeKit and you can somehow use this light dimmer or lock or unlock directly in Control4?  

Sorry for the ignorance.  Very much a newb on this...

Thanks,

J.

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21 hours ago, RAV said:

Here's a cheat, depending on what you want it do in Control4....

Get a KASA light dimmer, don't connect it to a load.
Add it to Apple
Add it to Control4

(If you use the Homekit driver for Contro4, you can accomplish the same with a Control4 outlet dimmer)

Apple Automations
when lock is closed - set kasa to 40
when lock is open - set kasa to 30
when kasa is 20, lock door
when kasa is 10, unlock door

Control4
when kasa is 40, set variable lock to True, set kasa to 0
when kasa is 30, set varaible lock to False, set kasa to 0
Experience button Lock - set kasa to 20
Expereince button unlock - set kasa to 10

Control4 can lock and unlock the lock, and do stuff based on lock status.

(I've used similar programming to get Ring alarm status through Alexa)

this is good out of the box thinking.

One question, as I haven't tried this... if I configure the apple automation on my phone, does it "flow" to all the other phones in the house? I do have a home hub set up.  otherwise it's only good for me....

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18 hours ago, Jgoodm said:

Are you saying you can just set this switch as a relay so that the lock will work within Control4 by using Homebridge commands back and forth?  All I really want is for the lock to lock itself when I set the alarm at night through the Control4 app.  Its really the only functionality I need.  My alarm is completely controlled by Control4 and the lock is HomeKit, Google or Alexa compatible natively but no Control4 support.  Otherwise, are you saying you don't even need the HomeKit and you can somehow use this light dimmer or lock or unlock directly in Control4?  

Sorry for the ignorance.  Very much a newb on this...

Thanks,

J.

Yes.
The Kasa dimmer becomes a messenger, passing the lock status back and forth between the two systems.
Since both systems can be made to see Kasa, no other parts are needed other the the Control4 for TPLink driver.

I developed this solution as I wanted a Ring alarm to turn off and on lighting in Control4 based on armed status.
The only thing the Ring alarm will talk to is Alexa.
Alexa can work with Control4 lighting.
So a routine in Alexa to adjust the Control4 messenger outlet dimmer, now Control4 can react to arm state.

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1 hour ago, ekohn00 said:

this is good out of the box thinking.

One question, as I haven't tried this... if I configure the apple automation on my phone, does it "flow" to all the other phones in the house? I do have a home hub set up.  otherwise it's only good for me....

Sorry, I can't help with that, I don't know Apple Automation well.
I developed the solution to work with Alexa and Ring (see post above).

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On 4/2/2022 at 7:12 AM, RAV said:

Yes.
The Kasa dimmer becomes a messenger, passing the lock status back and forth between the two systems.
Since both systems can be made to see Kasa, no other parts are needed other the the Control4 for TPLink driver.

I developed this solution as I wanted a Ring alarm to turn off and on lighting in Control4 based on armed status.
The only thing the Ring alarm will talk to is Alexa.
Alexa can work with Control4 lighting.
So a routine in Alexa to adjust the Control4 messenger outlet dimmer, now Control4 can react to arm state.

I’m sorry but I am new to this and haven’t even installed my system yet. House is due to be completed next month. 
 

Can you give some more clarity on how this works without the programming details?
 

When I tell Control4 to set the alarm and it runs it’s programs to lock all the doors and turn the alarm on, what’s the process that goes on here to make the lock lock itself?  What’s the system actually doing to get the Schlage lock to lock itself by using the dimmer status?  I don’t really understand. (I’d probably get the Control4 dimmer for extra reliability).
 

Thanks!

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18 hours ago, Jgoodm said:

I’m sorry but I am new to this and haven’t even installed my system yet. House is due to be completed next month. 
 

Can you give some more clarity on how this works without the programming details?
 

When I tell Control4 to set the alarm and it runs it’s programs to lock all the doors and turn the alarm on, what’s the process that goes on here to make the lock lock itself?  What’s the system actually doing to get the Schlage lock to lock itself by using the dimmer status?  I don’t really understand. (I’d probably get the Control4 dimmer for extra reliability).
 

Thanks!

The dimmer (Kasa) is acting as a common variable.

Both systems can see it, react to it, and change it.

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16 minutes ago, RAV said:

The dimmer (Kasa) is acting as a common variable.

Both systems can see it, react to it, and change it.

So you program the C4 to set the alarm and as part of the “alarm set program” you tell it to ‘turn on the kasa switch when the alarm is turned on’ then you program HomeKit, ‘if the kasa switch is on, lock the door?’  Is that the idea?

Then you would also program the kasa switch in HomeKit, ‘if the door is unlocked, turn off the kasa switch’ which would in effect, reset it so c4 can do the alarm program correctly next time it’s run?

If I got that right, this solution doesn’t even require a Homebridge since neither system needs to integrate for this?  They’re each operating independently and working with the switch?

It also seems to mean the kasa switch can be anywhere in the house as long as it can connect to wifi?  Does a server like an appletv need to be running or is this simple enough that just the switch and lock will work alone if installed?
 

Thanks!!

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That's exactly the idea.

But you want a dimmer not a switch.
A switch only gets you two variable states, on and off.
A dimmer gets you 101.
You need 4 states at least for two way status.

Yes, you need an AppleTV, iPad or HomePod setup in the house to act as a HUB for Apple Homekit.
You do not need the Control4 to Homekit driver, or the associated Pi or other computer running the bridging server.

This is a simple way to bridge two systems that may not want to talk to each other, for programming a couple of simple state changes.

This method will work with anything that can set a lighting percent and react to a percent with Kasa.
Alexa, Google, Smart Things, Apple ...

 

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On 4/4/2022 at 12:12 PM, RAV said:

That's exactly the idea.

But you want a dimmer not a switch.
A switch only gets you two variable states, on and off.
A dimmer gets you 101.
You need 4 states at least for two way status.

Yes, you need an AppleTV, iPad or HomePod setup in the house to act as a HUB for Apple Homekit.
You do not need the Control4 to Homekit driver, or the associated Pi or other computer running the bridging server.

This is a simple way to bridge two systems that may not want to talk to each other, for programming a couple of simple state changes.

This method will work with anything that can set a lighting percent and react to a percent with Kasa.
Alexa, Google, Smart Things, Apple ...

 

I so appreciate this!  Very helpful!  Any other good tricks you picked up for other items or use with this?

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  • 2 months later...
On 4/4/2022 at 12:12 PM, RAV said:

That's exactly the idea.

But you want a dimmer not a switch.
A switch only gets you two variable states, on and off.
A dimmer gets you 101.
You need 4 states at least for two way status.

Yes, you need an AppleTV, iPad or HomePod setup in the house to act as a HUB for Apple Homekit.
You do not need the Control4 to Homekit driver, or the associated Pi or other computer running the bridging server.

This is a simple way to bridge two systems that may not want to talk to each other, for programming a couple of simple state changes.

This method will work with anything that can set a lighting percent and react to a percent with Kasa.
Alexa, Google, Smart Things, Apple ...

 

 

Hi, sorry to bring this one back up but...  How are you getting the Control4 to see the Kasa dimmer?  I don't see how to make that compatible?

Thanks,

J

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On 6/21/2022 at 5:54 PM, Jgoodm said:

 

Hi, sorry to bring this one back up but...  How are you getting the Control4 to see the Kasa dimmer?  I don't see how to make that compatible?

Thanks,

J

Buy a driver for it, Chowmain, and others have one.

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54 minutes ago, RAV said:

Buy a driver for it, Chowmain, and others have one.

Got it.  And if I buy their driver and have a HomeBridge (Hoobs) set up, the HomeKit will see it via Control4 as well, right?  Thanks!

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  • 3 months later...

I’ve installed the Lock and the Kasa dimmers and drivers. Now the dimmers appear in my HomeKit (auto found) but they say accessory is not responding in my HomeKit. Also, the Kasa drivers seem to be for switches but not dimmers. Any advice on this how to get the dimmers working?  Thanks. 

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9 minutes ago, Jgoodm said:

I’ve installed the Lock and the Kasa dimmers and drivers. Now the dimmers appear in my HomeKit (auto found) but they say accessory is not responding in my HomeKit. Also, the Kasa drivers seem to be for switches but not dimmers. Any advice on this how to get the dimmers working?  Thanks. 

G'day, if you're referring to the chowmain drivers, you must be running OS3.3. Then simply install the agent and auto setup, and it will configure everything properly 

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8 minutes ago, Andrew luecke said:

G'day, if you're referring to the chowmain drivers, you must be running OS3.3. Then simply install the agent and auto setup, and it will configure everything properly 

To clarify, I think I have the control4 side working. It’s the apple side that does not work. The driver says it’s for switches not dimmers and they show as accessory not available (with an exclamation point) in my HomeKit app. 

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On 9/26/2022 at 12:23 PM, Jgoodm said:

To clarify, I think I have the control4 side working. It’s the apple side that does not work. The driver says it’s for switches not dimmers and they show as accessory not available (with an exclamation point) in my HomeKit app. 

Any thoughts?  Thanks. 

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  • 11 months later...

I realize it's been a while,but now that the Encode Plus has been out a while, has anyone figured out a workaround to get it to work with Control4? I started down the road of a Kasa dimmer plug but the only one I could find is the KP405 outdoor dimmer plug, and its not natively HomeKit, and the Homebridge driver doesnt seem to support it either....

 

Thanks for any insights 

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