How to add my Abode Light Bulbs?

Configuration
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Hello all!

This is my first post and I’m very new here and with HA. I’ve been doing a lot of reading and experimenting with configurations, integrations, and have broken my HA twice and had to start over :sweat_smile:

However, I’m trying to do this right now. I started my smart home efforts with Abode, which turned out to be lacking in the full functionality that I want when it comes to automations. There were also a great deal of glitches and errors, I think due to the way their cloud-based automations work.

I’ve moved on to HA. I integrated my Abode system into HA, and have been able to figure out how to fully use the HA integration. The one thing I am missing is actually adding the Abode Bulbs as devices. HA has not added them as separate devices, but has almost every other device added (except the smoke alarm detector).

I would love to fully control the bulbs with HA. The way that I have to do it now is to set up automations within the abode system, followed by having HA call the abode:trigger_automation service in my HA automations. It’s a clunky and slow way of controlling the lights and is very limited and, at times, comically glitchy. My goal is to complete rid myself of Abode’s automations (and stop paying for their useless service) and only use the devices that I’ve already bought. Can anyone help?

2

Do you have a number of light. entities for the abode light bulbs?

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I do not. The only thing I can find through the integration is the automations that I set up inside of the abode app. These appear as switch entities within HA.

4

Go to templates in developer tools. Here Open your Home Assistant instance and show your template developer tools.

Enter this template

{{ integration_entities('abode') }}

Tell us what it outputs.

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['binary_sensor.driveway_door', 'binary_sensor.mudroom_occupancy', 'binary_sensor.hallway_1sr_flr_motion', 'binary_sensor.kitchen_multi', 'binary_sensor.dining_room_multi', 'binary_sensor.living_room_multi', 'binary_sensor.steve_key', 'binary_sensor.living_dining_glass_break', 'binary_sensor.front_door', 'binary_sensor.basement_door', 'binary_sensor.main_keypad', 'sensor.living_room_enviro_temperature', 'sensor.living_room_enviro_humidity', 'sensor.living_room_enviro_lux', 'sensor.kitchen_enviro_temperature', 'sensor.kitchen_enviro_humidity', 'sensor.kitchen_enviro_lux', 'sensor.dining_room_enviro_temperature', 'sensor.dining_room_enviro_humidity', 'sensor.dining_room_enviro_lux', 'lock.driveway_door_lock', 'alarm_control_panel.abode_alarm', 'switch.light_on_lr_day', 'switch.light_off_lr', 'switch.light_on_lr_night', 'switch.light_on_lr_sleep', 'switch.scene_lights_tv_8a', 'switch.light_on_mr_night', 'switch.light_off_mr', 'switch.light_on_mr_sleep', 'switch.light_on_porch_night', 'switch.light_off_porch', 'switch.warning_system_armed', 'switch.arm_pm', 'switch.light_on_dr_day', 'switch.light_off_dr', 'switch.scene_lights_tv_1', 'switch.scene_lights_tv_2', 'switch.light_on_dr_night', 'switch.light_on_dr_sleep', 'switch.scene_lights_tv_3', 'switch.scene_lights_tv_4', 'switch.scene_lights_tv_5', 'switch.scene_lights_tv_6', 'switch.scene_lights_tv_7', 'switch.scene_lights_tv_8b', 'switch.light_on_1h_night', 'switch.light_off_1h', 'switch.light_on_1h_sleep', 'switch.light_on_k_day', 'switch.disarm_am_at_home', 'switch.light_off_k', 'switch.light_on_alarm', 'switch.lights_off_all', 'switch.light_on_k_night', 'switch.light_on_k_sleep', 'switch.alarm_co', 'switch.alarm_smoke']
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Hello, just bumping this thread. Still looking for a solution to this. According to HA docs, these bulbs should show as entities within HA.

8

Sorry missed your last response. What do the switch.light… entities do?

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Those are the Abode automations (abode calls them quick actions). They show up in HA as switch.entity.
Without those I currently have no other way to control my Abode bulbs. What I’ve had to do is:

  1. Create a “quick action” (automation) in the Abode interface that sets the light the way I want it. - Each setting needs a different automation, hence why there are so many.
  2. Refresh the integration in HA to detect any new Abode automations, or the switch.entity entities.
  3. Set up my automations in HA to utilize a call_service → Abode:Trigger_Automation → (switch.entity)

This is a finicky, slow, but currently working solution to control the bulbs. However, it’s still mainly leaning on Abode’s automation which is the finicky and slow piece, sometimes taking up to 30 seconds for the lights to respond to the switch.entity input. I believe Abode is 100% cloud based and that this is the reason for that.

I also still have to pay a recurring fee for Abode to use their automations.

HA docs say that the Abode bulbs should be visible as light entities in HA.

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Actually it says

  • Light: Reports on Dimmer lights and can be used to dim or turn the light on and off.

Are they Dimmer lights?

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They are the only abode light bulbs that exist, and they’re dimmable. if that’s what that means, then yes.

12

Logs might help, but if they don’t, I suggest an issue on github Issues · home-assistant/core · GitHub

13

I think that I might be able to flash the bulbs with Tasmota or ESPHome. Should I start a separate issue about that?

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@StevejF did flashing them work? or did you find a workaround? Running into the same issue.

15

I have no been able to flash them. I don’t know what chip they have onboard, hoping it’s just an esp8266, but abode would not disclose that information.

I think that I might just pop one open. For now I’ve bought a set of Kauf bulbs, and those work incredible. Complete local control, integrated straight into HA through ESPHome.

If you, or anyone, figures out how to flash these bulbs and release them of their cloud-based bonds, let me know. If I figure it out, I plan on sharing that process for anyone that’s made this same mistake.

16

Following up on this earlier thread that appears not to have been resolved. I’m also new here and interested in controlling my abode bulbs through HA It looks like the bulbs can also be paired directly to alexa or google home instead of through the abode system. I don’t really want to use either alexa or google home hardware due to privacy concerns, but am wondering if I could use home assistant to impersonate their commands to control the lights that way? Appreciate any insights.

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Maybe with the Google Assistant SDK? I haven’t tried myself; my Abode bulbs are still sitting in their box due to lack of HA integration. Seems like Abode should really expose them through their integration directly.