Alternative firmware for Arilux AL-LC03 for use with MQTT and Home Assistant (RGB light strip controller)

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41

Yeah it’s a pain. They’re not really designed for hand soldering. I doubt you fried it. I have done so much to them and they still work.

42

Just to be clear, there is no support for the RGBW or RGBWW versions, correct?

43

Have you successfully updated this device using the Arduino IDE and OTA updates?

44

I have flashed this firmware and once its on managed with ease done OTA updates (just make sure you have python 2.7 installed).

The pins to solder to are of a reasonable size to solder. They are in fact test points used to flash the units on a bed of nails at the factory. Here is mine.
I done it with a £3 USB powered soldering iron from china.

At the moment the firmware will work on all the units and with rgbw led strip, but it will not use the white until the author can make the changes to the code.

45

I cannot update this unit via OTA that’s why I ask. I have the right ver of Python installed on both MAC & WIN and neither allows me to upgrade the firmware.

46

Have you flashed the device with the firmware using a FTDI? You can only do OTA updates once you have a OTA compatible firmware running on the device.

If you have can you elaborate on what happens when you try and what errors you get.

When you do OTA updates it does push out some debug information via the serial interface which might be helpful.

47

YES

I understand that.

Sketch uses 250,031 bytes (23%) of program storage space. Maximum is 1,044,464 bytes.
Global variables use 34,128 bytes (41%) of dynamic memory, leaving 47,792 bytes for local variables. Maximum is 81,920 bytes.
11:05:33 [ERROR]: No response from device
11:05:33 [ERROR]: No response from device

Not helpful when it’s mounted behind my 65" TV on the wall.

48

You’re trying to do OTA with the Arduino IDE right? I have another project that supports OTA that works fine for me with the IDE (on Mac).

49

Once I get this loaded onto one of my boards I plan to add RGBW support if it doesn’t already exist (cc @Res2cpu)

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50

Hey Robbie

Yep in particular needs to be an Arduino sketch for an ESP8266. If your is, can I get a copy of the code. I need to see why some will work and some won’t. I have tried everything here, on both MAC and WIN and neither will update any OTA ESP8266 based device who says their device is OTA compatible. In fact I can even update the standard example code for OTA that comes with the IDE. It’s frustrating because I’d like to incorporate it in some of the stuff I do.

TIA

51

I just added it to my fan controller project the other day. Here’s the commit.

52

Yep so the basic setup for OTA. Well it has to be my environment because I cannot get it to work here. As I said, I’v tried firmware from a few different people who say it supports OTA and it just don’t work. Now if that is the case for me it must also happen to others. That’s why I find OTA flaky at best.

BTW is that a NodeMCU based board because it does work on them. I believe they use ESP-12’s

53

Yup it’s a NodeMCU 1.0.

54

I wonder if there’s some limitation with the chip itself…

55

My first thought would be firewall maybe.
Do you have another device you can try to OTA from? That would give you a more definitive answer to if its you machine.

Make sure your arduino is upto date ect.

If no OTA scripts work at all it might be worth asking on the esp8266 arduino forums.

56

I’ve done a lot of reading. Let me ask you a question, what are your settings in the IDE when you upload to the unit specifically “Flash Size”.

Which model Arilux do you have exactly and do you know what type of ESP module is being used in it.

57
  • @aneisch: The support for RGBW is planned for April.
  • @KmanOz: I’ve included the code for OTA updates, but I didn’t have mentioned it as a feature. I’m also unable to update the firmware Over-The-Air (Mac, is working for my NodeMCUs 1.0).
58

Well it seems I have it going on my Sonoff Code but only on the Mac. Same ver of IDE & Python on both yet only 1 works. It’s very unpredictable to be honest.

EDIT: For anyone having issues with OTA, my Windows machine thought it was connected to a Public Network for some reason and the firewall was blocking the port. Once I changed it to Private Network, OTA just worked fine.

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59

I’ve just flashed this to a LC03. Great work on this project, many thanks! WOrks great with emultated_hue with Amazon Echo too,

One quick question on security, if I am not using the TLS option with the MQTT, what are the risks to me/my network?

Thanks.

60

Hi all,

I’ve been playing with this again today, and had an idea to buy several units and then group all of them in HA for control. The problem is, however, if I establish all of my units into a HA group, I am just given a single on/off switch, I loose the small bulb icon that exposes the colour and brightness sub-menu.

Does anyone know, please, if here is any way to set up multiple units up so that I can control brightness and colour on them simultaneously?

Thanks in advance.

EDIT: I had imagined I would set up each light with its own mqtt state and command topics thereby giving them all their own identity. I since been wondering - if I use the Arduino sketch as-is, and don’t edit it for each light, will they then be all pub/sub to the same topic, but I’m guessing this will lead to conflicts in mqtt when 6 lights are all simultaneously publishing states.