Airthings API

[johnnyt]

I have a four Airthings Wave Plus and really like them. Would love to be able to run some ISY controlled HVAC functions (and send emails) when VOC's, or CO2 levels get a little high. I noticed recently they've made their API generally available with what looks like an API for those data https://developer.airthings.com/api-docs.html#/devices/getThresholdBreaches.

See https://developer.airthings.com/docs/api.html for overall info

Not being that deep into coding myself I'm wondering if someone can provide a reader's digest version of what one would need to do to populate ISY variables with the various sensor info?

I noticed there's also webhooks option, which is part of the solution when I connected some IFTTT apps, which works for email notifications but doesn't work for populating an ISY variable because the data returned is not an integer.  See related post below. It looks to me like it would be better overall to use the API method, including more timely/up to date data, but thoughts on this would also be appreciated.

 

 

 

 

[simplextech]

36 minutes ago, johnnyt said:

Not being that deep into coding myself I'm wondering if someone can provide a reader's digest version of what one would need to do to populate ISY variables with the various sensor info?

According to the API docs they provide a service based (three-legged) OAuth2 method and also a M2M method (preferred).  With that someone could develop a Polyglot Cloud based integration (three-legged) or the M2M method could be used for a Polisy integration without cloud. 

Options are:

1. Write a NodeServer for PGC
2. Write a NodeServer for Polisy
3. Write a NodeServer for both?
4. Pay someone to write a NodeServer

[Jimbo.Automates]

The last I heard they only allow the API to be used for business products, they do not allow it for consumer products.  Back in May they said I would be notified when beta testing was ready.  I pinged them again.

If you hit the link to "Register new app" it doesn't work for "consumers".

https://dashboard.airthings.com/integrations/api-integration

 

[simplextech]

6 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

If you hit the link to "Register new app" it doesn't work for "consumers".

I'll ping them and see what I can get from them. 

[Jimbo.Automates]

1 minute ago, simplextech said:

I'll ping them and see what I can get from them. 

This is what they say:

Quote

 

 Currently, the API is open for our Healthy Building Solution (HBS) customers although I notice that you have acquired consumer products, is that correct?

There are some major differences between our consumer products and HBS, even though the products themselves are similar. Most of the differentiation is on the software offering / Dashboard / API.

 

I don't want to purchase the HBS products, I already have the consumer products, and regret buying them because of this...

[simplextech]

4 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Most of the differentiation is on the software offering / Dashboard / API.

Their polite way of saying....we don't want to deal with end-users API support requests.

[johnnyt]

D'oh!

[johnnyt]

 

Quote

 

This is what they say:

 

  Quote

 

 Currently, the API is open for our Healthy Building Solution (HBS) customers although I notice that you have acquired consumer products, is that correct?

There are some major differences between our consumer products and HBS, even though the products themselves are similar. Most of the differentiation is on the software offering / Dashboard / API.

 

 

Can you tell is this applies to webhooks too? Is that a usable alternative?

[fahrer16]

For what it's worth there are a couple of custom Airthings integrations for Home Assistant.  It would be pretty easy to use one as an example to roll it into a node server if anyone were interested/motivated:

• The cloud version looks like it scrapes the web dashboard.  If you don't have the Airwave hub the data might not be up to date but it's really simple.
  • Danielhiversen/home_assistant_airthings_cloud: Airthings cloud (github.com)
• The local version uses BLE.  I think the Polisy has Bluetooth built in so it might actually be possible to modify that to talk to Airwave devices directly.
  • custom-components/sensor.airthings_wave: hassio support for Airthings Wave BLE environmental radon sensor. (github.com)

Until a node server is developed it'd probably be possible to use a raspberry PI to serve up the values via MQTT then use the MQTT node server to pull them into the ISY.  There's a github repo dedicated to getting the data from Airthings pushed to MQTT: stenjo/waveplus-reader: Importing data from my Airthings Wave Plus into openhab via MQTT server (github.com)

[johnnyt]

I just got this reply to my query to them about offering API for consumer products: 

Quote

Yes, we do have plans to offer API service and our product team is already working on it. What we can suggest is to subscribe to our newsletter for you to receive notifications once it is made available for all our consumers. 

I pointed out that when I got into these devices -about 6 months ago- it was in part because their website said they would be providing a public API soon and I don't recall any differentiation made between consumer and business products.

Perhaps if we all send a note showing interest they will put a higher priority on it. Go to https://help.airthings.com/en/ and ask the API question for their "Wave Plus" device saying you would buy if an API was available.  These are $US230 / $CAD300 / 269 Euro devices with a case to be made for having more than one especially if you're the kind of prosumer who would make use of an API... 

 

[simplextech]

39 minutes ago, johnnyt said:

Perhaps if we all send a note showing interest they will put a higher priority on it. Go to https://help.airthings.com/en/ and ask the API question for their "Wave Plus" device saying you would buy if an API was available.  These are $US230 / $CAD300 / 269 Euro devices with a case to be made for having more than one especially if you're the kind of prosumer who would make use of an API... 

I've sent them a note.  Also informing them that customers are wanting to integrate these devices and if they can't they WILL look for and find alternative devices.

 

[Jimbo.Automates]

Response from Airthings

Thanks for following-up. Currently there is still no API available for our consumer products yet. However I still have you on the beta tester list if that should become available [https://ci3] 

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

[simplextech]

On 12/31/2020 at 11:40 AM, johnnyt said:

I pointed out that when I got into these devices -about 6 months ago- it was in part because their website said they would be providing a public API soon and I don't recall any differentiation made between consumer and business products.

If you have any "poof" of this or communications with AirThings about any company promises about the API please provide it to me.

[TechnoV]

I'm very interested in having an Airthings node server.  What can i do to help?  I understand from reading this trail there is no consumer API?  Is the REST API only for the business GUI?

[Goose66]

All this technology built into these things and no Wi-Fi? $229 for the sensor and you have to pay another $80 for a hub to connect it to the Internet and use it outside of the Bluetooth range of your phone? If I had a tiny house over a fracking site, maybe, but I wouldn't buy this for my home on the engineering principles alone!

[TechnoV]

I disagree, but do wish the sensors had wifi instead of bluetooth to hub to internet (to save costs on the hub).  The high cost is the radon sensor and great accuracy over 7 days (<7%).  The IAQ is also a decent Bosch sensor and with radon well worth it - not mention CO2 or humidity - all relevant to maintaining a healthy indoor environment even if don't live on a dump.  

I would like to use the radon specifically to trigger devices in my ISY and are asking if someone is able to create a node server, but CO@ or humidity could be used to also trigger ventilation.

 

 

[Jimbo.Automates]

If it was powered then WiFi would make sense, but WiFi would significantly reduce battery life. I appreciate not having to change batteries.

As soon as they open the API I'll write the nodeserver... Or will eventually give up and try the Bluetooth.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

[TechnoV]

I tried putting pressure on Airthings but unfortunately still not coming:

Thank you for contacting Airthings. 

To answer your question, I can't assure you yet if the API will be available for consumers anytime soon. 

But, I will make sure that your feedback will be relayed to our Development Team.

If you have questions, please let us know. In the meantime, have a nice day! 

 

[Goose66]

I have Wi-Fi temp sensors that last over a year with batteries. I change the batteries in my wired smoke detectors every year. I'll do a lot to save $80.  

Hopefully Wi-fi 6 will move Wi-fi for lower power IoT devices forward.

[johnnyt]

2 hours ago, TechnoV said:

I disagree, but do wish the sensors had wifi instead of bluetooth to hub to internet (to save costs on the hub).  The high cost is the radon sensor and great accuracy over 7 days (<7%).  The IAQ is also a decent Bosch sensor and with radon well worth it. 

I would like to use the radon specifically to trigger devices in my ISY and are asking if someone is able to create a node server.

 

The hub is cool as a way to centrally connect multiple units spread out in the house and to allow real time updates to dashboard as well as for API updates if/when they come. Aside from radon readings, you can (with ISY) run your HVAC or get a nudge to open the windows, etc., whenever the humidity is high (or low), CO2 or VOC's levels are high (that new item you just bought, cooking smells, mold levels, etc.). CO2 and VOCs can cause headaches and are bad for you at high levels and you don't even realize it.

Hopefully they get enough people bugging them that they put some priority on getting the API done...

 

[TechnoV]

13 hours ago, Jimbo said:

If it was powered then WiFi would make sense, but WiFi would significantly reduce battery life. I appreciate not having to change batteries.

As soon as they open the API I'll write the nodeserver... Or will eventually give up and try the Bluetooth.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk


 

Thanks Jimbo I would really appreciate the nodeserver.  Using the IFTTT route is not reliable and I'm now limited to 3 applets.  I've seen the steps to reprogram a RPi for bluetooth on Airthings website but I'm not sure what the next steps are to get data into ISY.  

[TechnoV]

https://help.airthings.com/en/articles/4510990-integrations-api

Latest status of API for Airthings.  Only business available.