Inconsistent command processing with MQTT

[wawa79]

Hi,
I am troubleshooting inconsistent command processing on my ESP8266 (nodemcuV3)+nRF24L01 when sending commands to grouped devices using MQTT (from openHAB).
When sending a command to one group using MQTT, only some of the bulbs paired process the command properly. I need to send the command 3 to 5 times for all bulbs of the group to be in-sync.
My radio settings have been "optimized" (I went through the troubleshooting guide). The issue barely never happens when controlling the lightbulbs and groups from the web UI : all is reliable and reactive. So it does not seem to be a radio-related issue (at least not directly)

I have 7 devices arranged in groups :
1 floor lighting group using 3 milight RGB-CCT LED-strips controllers,
2 ceiling lighting group using 2 milight RGB-CCT LED-strips controllers and 1 milight RGB-CCT spotlight (that are also controlled independently)
1 RGB-CCT milight LED-strip controller for spotlights of upper furnitures

All devices are paired and grouped on relevant channels with aliases (but using the raw Ids in my commands).

I troubleshooted MQTT traffic with a MQTT sniffer as I suspected openHAB or my complex control logic to flood the device asynchroneously with multiple irrelevant MQTT commands.
But I could check that this is not the case: when sending one command to the openhab device referring to floor lighting group, one single MQTT message is sent to the channel Id of that group.
I tried various settings for parameters "MQTT state rate limit" and "MQTT debounce delay" without improvement.
Last I sent direct MQTT packets from a simple MQTT CLI and got the same erratic light behavior.

Do you have any idea of the reason of the issue and how to fix this? Feel free to suggest some additional testing, I will do it.

Thank you in advance!
Yann

/about

{"firmware":"milight-hub","version":"1.11.2","ip_address":"192.168.0.201","reset_reason":"Software/System restart","variant":"nodemcuv2","free_heap":18072,"arduino_version":"3.1.2","free_stack":912,"flash_used":48192,"flash_total":957314,"flash_pct_free":94,"queue_stats":{"length":0,"dropped_packets":0}}

/settings

{"admin_username":"","admin_password":"","ce_pin":4,"csn_pin":15,"reset_pin":0,"led_pin":-2,"radio_interface_type":"nRF24","packet_repeats":16,"http_repeat_factor":1,"auto_restart_period":0,"mqtt_server":"192.168.XXX.XXX:XXXX","mqtt_username":"XXXXX","mqtt_password":"XXXXX","mqtt_topic_pattern":"milight/commands/:device_id/:device_type/:group_id","mqtt_update_topic_pattern":"","mqtt_state_topic_pattern":"milight/states/:device_id/:device_type/:group_id","mqtt_client_status_topic":"milight/client_status","simple_mqtt_client_status":true,"discovery_port":48899,"listen_repeats":3,"state_flush_interval":10000,"mqtt_state_rate_limit":1,"mqtt_debounce_delay":0,"mqtt_retain":false,"packet_repeat_throttle_sensitivity":0,"packet_repeat_throttle_threshold":0,"packet_repeat_minimum":8,"enable_automatic_mode_switching":false,"led_mode_wifi_config":"Fast toggle","led_mode_wifi_failed":"Fast blip","led_mode_operating":"Off","led_mode_packet":"Flicker","led_mode_packet_count":3,"hostname":"milight-hub","rf24_power_level":"LOW","rf24_listen_channel":"HIGH","wifi_static_ip":"192.168.0.201","wifi_static_ip_gateway":"192.168.0.10","wifi_static_ip_netmask":"255.255.255.0","packet_repeats_per_loop":4,"home_assistant_discovery_prefix":"","wifi_mode":"n","default_transition_period":500,"rf24_channels":["MID","HIGH"],"device_ids":[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"gateway_configs":[],"group_state_fields":["state","level","hue","saturation","mode","color_temp","bulb_mode"]}```

[wawa79]

I am still fighting with the issue until any feedback is posted here.
Until then, I planned to replace MQTT control by REST API calls using curl. But controlling bulbs does not work.

Getting the state by Id works:

curl --request GET --header "Content-Type: application/json" http://192.168.XXX.XXX/gateways/0xb/rgb_cct/1
{"state":"OFF","level":0,"hue":200,"saturation":100,"bulb_mode":"color"}

But setting the level (I tried PUT / POST and various combination of JSON parameters) DOES NOT work despite the request is successful.

curl --request PUT --header "Content-Type: application/json" --data '{"state":"ON","level":100,"hue":200,"saturation":100,"bulb_mode":"color"}' http://192.168.XXX.XXX/gateways/0xb/rgb_cct/1
{"success":true}

Anyone could help me in getting a proper and simple ON / OFF syntax at least? I am certainly missing something obvious...

[DigiH]

Hi @wawa79

Just FYI from a fellow openHAB user, and since you didn't mention it along with your openHAB info.

Are you using the MQTT commands directly or are you using the openHAB EspMilightHub MQTT Binding extension?

I've been using the latter for many years now with around 36 MilIght bulbs without any real issues - admittedly with a custom esp8266_milight_hub build with an increased MILIGHT_MAX_QUEUED_PACKETS ;)

[wawa79]

Hi @wawa79

Just FYI from a fellow openHAB user, and since you didn't mention it along with your openHAB info.

Are you using the MQTT commands directly or are you using the openHAB EspMilightHub MQTT Binding extension?
Yes, I am using the MQTT binding extension and monitored the MQTT messages sent with MQTT Explorer. And nothing special there. When I send the same messages from MQTT Explorer, I get the same erratic behavior.

I've been using the latter for many years now with around 36 MilIght bulbs without any real issues - admittedly with a custom esp8266_milight_hub build with an increased MILIGHT_MAX_QUEUED_PACKETS ;)
In my case, commands are clearly not flooding the queue. I wonder if this is related to how MQTT is processed and forwarded to the radio. Quite strange that the issue only happens with MQTT and not from the Web UI of the device.

I want to confirm this so I need the REST syntax to send a command.