Integrations and Protocols

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Domoticz can speak a lot of device languages and connect to many different interfaces. Those devices are in the world of computers techically called "protocols" and computing interfaces are called API (Application Programming Interface).

This page is about helping you summerize languages or 'protocols' which Domoticz can understand, and other ways of helping Domoticz connecting to different devices or other bridges/hubs/gateways/controllers, for example through plugins (addons).

This summery also tries mention a few examples of such devices.


Plugins (Addons)

Python Plugins (sometimes also refered to as addons, add-ons, or extensions) expand Domoticz abilties to connect to even more devices, bridges, gateways, hubs, controllers, off-line or online services, and more.

  • Plugins - A list of plugins available. New ones are rapidly being added. Look in the forum under 'python' to find the latest additions.
  • Using_Python_plugins - Details on how to install a plugin.
  • Developing a Python plugin - Details on how to develop your own plugin.

On your device

Your Domoticz server might have built-in sensors, or talk to other software on your server.

USB

Plug devices directly into your Domoticz server.

Buienradar

Your own private Buienradar Weatherstation. From Domoticz build V4.11230 and up it is possible to add native Buienradar instead of using plugin

Protocols

Below you will find a number of protcols, and details about gateways that give access to large groups of devices using those protocols. Gateways are often devices that plug into or communicate with your server, such as a bluetooth dongle or wireless receiver and transmitter.

IP (Internet Protocol) with TCP/UDP and HTTP

IP (Internet Protocol) are your everyday network protocols used on local networks and the internet. This is the basic language spoken by all servers and computers on the internet and by devices in your home network, including your WiFi.

Wired & Wireless

These are devices that have gotten an IP address on your local network. Your router hands out these IP addresses.

Web

These are services on the internet that you connect to through your internet router. Domoticz can talk to all kinds of services on the internet and get or deposit data there, such as the current weather.

MQTT

This standard, that works on top op TCP/IP, has been around for decades, but has been embraced as the Internet of Things (IoT) hype grew. Domoticz supports MQTT, and will listen on the domoticz/in topic.

Domoticz also supports platforms that use the MQTT HA Auto Discover protocol, see wiki MQTT Auto discover Gateway


LoRa

For devices that use LoRa radio technology, a TTNMQTT module is available which retrieves data using MQTT from The Things Network.

Z-Wave

The Z-Wave protocol propriatory wireless standard created especially for smart devices,

It creating its own isolated wireless network-mesh which boosts in range the more mains-powered devices you that you add your network mesh, with all mains-powered devices acting as repeater. t supports encyption, so it is harder to listen in on your devices.

Z-Wave on consist of several generations where the newer versions are back-wards compatible with the older generation however incoperating older generation devices into can sometimes lower the encryption level used in your network-mesh.

The downside of the Z-Wave protocol being propriatory is means that there are less manufacturers and devices cost more but the upside is that because it is propriatory interoperability between differet manufacturers is much better than more open protocols, so compatibility between devices and gateways/bridges/controllers is almost always better.


Zigbee

Zigbee is a suite of IEEE 802.15.4-based protocol standards some of which are designed to be used by smart devices for home automation.

It creating its own isolated wireless network-mesh which boosts in range the more mains-powered devices you that you add your network mesh, with all mains-powered devices acting as repeater. t supports encyption, so it is harder to listen in on your devices.

Zigbee protocol standards are managed by the Zigbee Alliance and they have relativly low royalty fees and allow anyone to manufacturer chips for Zigbee and Zigbee protocol stacks. Official certification of manufacturers devices by the Zigbee Alliance cost more and though it is not requires it is still recommended, which makes it possible for devices to be non cerfified devices to be cheap and certified devices to be relativly inexpensive.

The downside of the Zigbee protocol being loosley controlled by Zigbee Alliance, not even requireing certifications or quality control means that there can be interoperability issues between differet manufacturers, so compatibility between devices and gateways/bridges/controllers can not be garanteed. Because of this is recommended to preferably buy devices that are "Zigbee 3.0" cerfified by the Zigbee Alliance as that should mean that they have been independently tested to at least meet their minimum requirements of follwing the official Zigbee standards.


315 and 433 MHz

The 433MHz frequency range in Europe and Asia as well as 315 MHz radio frequency range in North America are the wild west radio spectrums of the wireless world because anyone can use it freely without any licences or permissions needed as long as the do not have too stong radios.

Because there are basically no rules all kinds of "cowboy" devices have been built with an equally big amount of different languages (protocol) being spoken.

The frequency range for the "433MHz" spectrum is actually a range from 433.05 MHz to 434.79 MHz with center frequency being 433.92 MHz (which is also the most commonly uses by most of these types of devices in Europe and Asia). The frequency range for the "315MHz" spectrum is actually a range from 315.xx MHz to 315.xx MHz with center frequency being 315.xx MHz (which is also the most commonly uses by most of these types of devices in North America).

Most of the devices in these spectrums do not support tw-way communcation and in most cases the use unencrypted communications, so in theory anyone could listen in on it, or even control your devices. So please don't buy a pacemaker with a 433Mhz remote.

Thanks to gateways/bridges like RFXcom and RFLink which speak and can translate a lot of these languages (protocols), Domoticz can interact with a lof of those type of devices.


  • Setting up RFXCom. This is a commercial product, with two versions. Please buy the newer E version.
  • Setting up RFLink. This is free (but not open source) software which you can flash on an Arduino Mega.
  • Setting up rtl_433. This is free, open source software which uses a software defined radio USB dongle to receive signals from 433MHz devices (and other frequencies like 868 Mhz are possible too).


868 and 915 MHz

A lot of more recent hardware that uses Radio Frequencies to communicate do not use the 433 Mhz anymore but the also open 868 Mhz band (including more standardized protocols like Z-Wave, Zigbee, LoRa, etc.). Not all hardware uses standardized protocols, a lot still uses their own manufacturer proprietary implementation. Like within the 433 Mhz spectrum, you need a transceiver hooked up to Domoticz to send and receive signal to- and from these devices. For example the RTL SDR dongles using the rtl_433 library (which also supports 868 Mhz and other frequencies).


WiFi 2.4 GHz

This is the same spectrum that the Wifi standard uses, but there are lots of less well known protocols that operate here too. It's also a bit of a wild west.

Bluetooth

A popular short-range wireless standard. The Raspberry Pi, the most popular platform for Domoticz, now has built in Bluetooth.

Homekit (Apple)

This is a protocol created by Apple.

1-wire

This is a standard for connecting very simple sensors.

DomBus

RS485 serial bus protocol operating at 115200bps: with a 4 wires shielded cable it's possible to carry data and 12/24V power supply to all modules.

This protocol is used by Creasol DomBus modules.

X10

It's an older standard, but it checks out.

eHouse TCP/IP & UDP

eHouse IP Controllers uses:

  • - TCP/IP for direct communication (send commands/events) implementing challenge-response algoritm for security.
  • - TCP/IP (via Internet / LAN / WiFi) via eHouse PRO server gathering all IP and NON IP controllers statuses.
  • - UDP broadcasts for distributing IP controllers status all over LAN/WiFi network without connection to device

eHouse NON IP Controllers:

Infrared

IR (I.R. = infrared or infra-red)

Unsorted

Please help sort these.


A larger list of devices that Domoticz supports can be found on the hardware overview page.

Continue to the next page of the introduction


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