this post was submitted on 16 Dec 2024
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Far more than c/mildlyinfuriating

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (3 children)

I found a "smart" Wi-Fi bulb in the trash and used a throwaway phone to pair it through its app. It was adjustable white and RGB, so I put it in the bathroom and thought I'd trigger it to be dim red (cicardian rhythm, you know) whenever it was night (using a built-in RTC, NTP or light sensor, whatever it was capable of). Well, nope! It only connects to Wi-Fi when powered on (understandable) and only takes orders from an external server god-knows-where, with limited local functionality (party-light cycling, WB matching, optionally remembering the last setting). It does not notify the server when its power turns on (only when switched via app or smart button) so it cannot be configured as a "smart event". The closest I could do would be to create a time event every minute:

22:00 turn on 25% red
22:01 turn on 25% red
22:02 turn on 25% red
•••
04:29 turn on 25% red
04:30 turn on 100% warm white
04:31 turn on 100% warm white
•••
21:59 turn on 100% warm white

I'm pretty sure there is a limit to timed actions so I can't just do it this way. I guess I know why it got trashed while still working as intended.

I'll be looking into Home ~~Automation~~ *Assistant and see if there is a compatible firmware to flash on this piece of shit. Or I'll just use my electrical engineering skills to combine red and orange LEDs into another bulb and give it a separate switch. *(Edit)

[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 days ago

Maybe that’s why it was in the trash..

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 days ago

Yup, that's what it's called

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

Thanks but it will take a while before I get my hands on a Raspberry Pi or another computer to install HA on. The bulb may have been fully reverse-engineered or not at all, I have no idea yet. It's a Tapo device from TP-Link.