1. What is Homebridge?
Homebridge is a lightweight NodeJS server you can run on your home network that emulates the iOS HomeKit API. It supports Plugins, which are community-contributed modules that provide a basic bridge from HomeKit to various 3rd-party APIs provided by manufacturers of "smart home" devices.
Since Siri supports devices added through HomeKit, this means that with Homebridge you can ask Siri to control devices that don't have any support for HomeKit at all. For instance, using just some of the available plugins, you can say:
- Siri, unlock the back door.
- Siri, open the garage door.
- Siri, turn on the coffee maker.
- Siri, turn on the living room lights.
- Siri, good morning!
2. Getting started
- Prerequisites:
- Raspberry Pi - list of homebridge-compatible Raspberry Pis (MClimate’s preferred choice is Raspberry Zero)
- A 4GB or larger SD card (Class 10 - 40Mb/s or faster is recommended)
- An iOS device to act as a Home Hub, which should remain at home and powered constantly (e.g. iPad, iPhone, Apple TV)
- A Windows, macOS, or Linux computer with an SD card reader
- If you are new to Homebridge (easiest way):
- Step 1: Download the MClimate-Homebridge image from here
- Step 2: Flash it on the SD card using Etcher
- Step 3: While powered off, insert the SD card in the Raspberry
- Step 4: Connect to “MClimate-Homebridge” Wi-Fi network with your smartphone/laptop
- Step 5: Open address 10.0.0.1 in your browser
- Step 6: Select your Wi-Fi network, input password, and your email and password from your MClimate account and click submit. The page will reload and not load successfully. The Wi-Fi network “MClimate-Homebridge” will disappear. Wait for 2-3 minutes.
- Step 7: Open the Home App on iOS device
- Step 8: Click + on the right top corner. Select Add Accessory and then select “Don’t have a code”
- Step 9: On the top, you will find “Nearby Accessories”. Click on the “Homebridge-XXXX” accessory. If it’s not displayed, then click “Enter code…”
- Step 10: Enter code 031-45-154
- Step 11: Wait for the accessories to load and select the desired MClimate devices to add.
- If you are using Homebridge already or you want to start from scratch, here are links link to:
3. Troubleshooting
If your MClimate devices don’t show once you enter the code from Step 9:
- Open the Home app, click the home icon on the top-left corner and then select “Home Settings…”
- Select your home and then click on “Hubs and bridges”
- If a “Homebridge” appears, click on it and then select “Remove Bridge from Home”
- Reflash the image on the SD card again and this time:
- Make sure you enter the correct Wi-Fi password.
- Make sure you enter the email and password of your MClimate account correctly (remove all white spaces from the end in case you are using auto-complete)
- Make sure you have an iOS device (iPad, Apple TV, etc) powered on and in the same Wi-Fi Network
- If you are still having difficulties, please reach out to us and we’ll help resolve the issue. Email us at support@mclimate.eu
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