Replacing homematic cover component with MQTT Cover

Hi there,

I am having constant issues with the Homematic Cover component not properly reporting the cover’s current position, if they where manually operated. I use Homegear as Homematic BidCoS middleware and within Homegear, the current position is properly recorded.

Since Homegear is also capable of publishing and subscribing to MQTT topics, I want to replace the “native” Homematic connection with the generic MQTT Cover component. However, in the component’s documentation I do not find a way to read the current position from MQTT, only to set it.

Any hints on this are welcome.

Background: I have automations based on the cover’s position: If the window is opened (equipped with a window contact) and the cover is closed, it is automatically opened to 10% for venting. If the windows gets closed again and the cover is still at 10%, then it is closed completely. This automation fails if the cover is manually operated after it has been opened to 10%. The Homematic Cover component does not get the proper current position but still assumes the cover to be at 10%. As a result, the actually fully opened cover gets completely closed upon window close.

If you can repruduce this this may actually be a bug. I have never tested this specific situation, but what you are reporting should be working without any problem because the actor sends its state when it’s done moving the cover.
I’ll have a look at it if this has broken in the past.

I tried to reproduce it in the past, but it is difficult because not all Homematic cover controllers are affected. All are of type HM-LC-Bl1PBU-FM, but only some show this behaviour. In the past, it was temporarily fixed with disabling AES encryption for an affected device and then enable it again.

I’ll try to reproduce or at least identify differences for working devices to non-working, so I can contribute something more valuable.