Automate smart lighting using motion and light (Lux) sensors

1. Overview

Smart Light Pro V2.8 is a production-ready Quick App designed for the FIBARO Home Center  environment. Standard motion sensor scenes often suffer from lag, database overload, or fail when a user manually flips a physical wall switch. This Quick App addresses all these pain points in a single, lightweight package by simulating a multi-threaded execution model: a rapid loop for instantaneous trigger response and a slower, conservative system loop for background calculations.

2. Key Features

·         Asynchronous Dual-Loop Execution: Taps into two independent polling cycles:

ü  Fast Motion Loop (500ms): Tracks motion activity with sub-second accuracy to turn on lights instantly.

ü  Slow System Loop (3000ms): Handles heavier tasks like calculating average Lux, counting down delay timers, and syncing Z-Wave state transitions.

·         Smart Database Debounce: Every time you click UI buttons (such as adjusting time or lux limits), changes are held in RAM and only written to HC3's persistent database after a 3-second pause. This protects your gateway's internal flash memory from wear and tear.

·         Manual Override Protection: If you turn the light on/off manually via physical wall switches or the Yubii application, the app automatically detects the intervention and temporarily suspends auto-off rules to avoid leaving you in the dark.

·         Multi-Device Support & Lux Averaging: Supports lists of multiple motion sensors, light switches, and lux sensors. If multiple lux sensors are configured, it calculates their mathematical average to ensure balanced light measurements.

·         Live Status Bar Logging: Pushes immediate diagnostic states directly to the Home Center 3 dashboard view, telling you exactly when motion was last detected and what the current light level is.

3. UI Breakdown & Visuals

The user interface is meticulously structured using structured, horizontal-aligned controls for optimal touch responses on mobile devices:

Component Name	Type	Action / Visual Purpose
btnToggleAutomation	Button	Switches global automation on/off. Displays active status: 🟢 ON or 🔴 OFF.
lblOnTime	Label	Displays active start time (or reports ♾️ 24/7 mode).
lblOffTime	Label	Displays active end time (or reports ⛔ Disabled in 24/7 mode).
btnIncOnTime / btnDecOnTime	Button	Adjusts automation start time forward/backward by 15-minute intervals.
btnIncOffTime / btnDecOffTime	Button	Adjusts automation end time forward/backward by 15-minute intervals.
btnAlwaysOn	Button	Activates 24/7 mode, ignoring time-schedule checks.
lblLux	Label	Shows the required light intensity threshold for triggering lights.
btnIncLux / btnDecLux	Button	Adjusts light activation threshold by +/- 10 lux.
lblDelay	Label	Displays the turn-off delay period once motion stops.
btnIncDelay / btnDecDelay	Button	Adjusts the active light timer by +/- 1 minute.

 

4. Variables Configuration

Before running the Quick App, navigate to the Variables tab of the Quick App device and modify the values to link your physical devices:

Variable Name	Type	Default Value	Description
LightID	String	452	ID of the target light switch(es). Support list format separated by spaces or commas (e.g., 452 453).
MotionID	String	493	ID of the motion sensor(s). Can support multiple sensor IDs separated by spaces.
LuxID	String	494	ID of the light sensor(s). Leave empty if no light limits are needed.
Mode	String	Always	Operating mode: Always (24/7) or Schedule (time-restricted).
OnTime	String	17:00	Start time limit for automation if Mode is Schedule.
OffTime	String	07:00	End time limit for automation if Mode is Schedule.
DelayMinutes	String	10	Default time in minutes to keep the lights on after motion ceases.
LuxThreshold	String	160	Only trigger the lights if room brightness falls below this lux value.
AutomationActive	String	true	Persisted on/off flag state for the automation engine.

 

5. Quick Installation Guide

1.    Log in to your Fibaro Home Center 3 gateway via your web browser.

2.    Go to Settings > Devices > Add Device (+ icon).

3.    Select Other Device > Upload File and select the .fqa file of this Quick App.

4.    Once created, click on the newly created device and go to the Variables tab.

5.    Replace the default values for LightID, MotionID, and LuxID with the actual IDs of your physical Z-Wave devices.

6.    Click Save. The Quick App will automatically reload, initialize its dual-loop engine, and sync your dashboard views