Detailed help for Govee Plugin

[verkuild]

I recently upgraded my 994 system to an eisy Home and was looking forward to using the wide range of Plugins that exist in the PG3 store. I even installed new Govee Strip Light 2 Pro LED lights around my home. Very nice units that I can now control with their app and my Echo devices. So now I'm ready to add control to my eisy. But I really need some step by step help here since I've never used plugins before. I've got my app ID and completed what I understood to be expected, but I'm lost. Can anyone with some experience please help?

Thanks in advance, & Cheers!

[dbuss]

Have you looked at this information?

https://wiki.universal-devices.com/Eisy:User_Guide

[oberkc]

Are you able to access the dashboard for polyglot?  Assuming so, can you find the plugins store?  Assuming so, can you find the plugin for Govee?  Once found, do you see how to install the plugin?  

Also, in the store listing for each plugin I would expect a "more info" option.  From there you will often find some very basic instructions relevant to each plugin.  For Govee, it takes you here:

https://github.com/UniversalDevicesInc-PG3/udi-govee-nodeserver/blob/main/README.md

Once installed and set up, mine found the three Govee devices that I have and once found, the IoX showed the Govee devices as nodes, which can be used like the Insteon or zwave nodes in programs and scenes (with some limitations).

Hopefully, along with the response from @dbuss, this will get you started.

[larryllix]

IIRC there was an instruction by clicking on the NS info in PG3x. There was a parameter to install into the NS setup in PG3 and it tells you about it in that info.

Edited Monday at 04:21 PM by larryllix

[verkuild]

To DBUSS, yes I've read it, but it's pretty general and not specific to Govee. Thanks.

To LarryLLix,

Here's where I'm at so far:

1. Install Govee Plugin from Polyglot V3 Store. COMPLETE

2. Obtain API Key from Govee Home. COMPLETE

3. Configure Govee Plugin as detailed in README.md. MAYBE COMPLETE?? See below

Now what? Am I done with configuration? Is there anything else to complete while still in Polyglot?

Sorry, but even though I've worked with isy systems for years and reading all I can find, after converting to eisy, I'm kind of lost.

Thanks for taking the time to show me the ropes! Cheers!

[dbuss]

Open your Eisy admin console. You should see the "Govee" plugin in the admin console network list. Click on it and then click on discover. It should discover your Govee lights.

[verkuild]

I've got the Govee plugin, but when I hit discover, the only thing that happens is the discover button sort of fades in and out. I've waited for a long while, and nothing else seems the change. Where are the Strip Light 2 Pro supposed to show in the admin console? Here's what I'm seeing, after I hit discover.

[dbuss]

They should show up under "Govee" in the admin console. If you have one set of Govee lights, you should see two nodes in the Govee plugin. If you don't, restart the plugin.

[verkuild]

So I exited the admin console. Logged into Polyglot and restarted the plugin, then logged out of Polyglot. Restarted the admin console and selected the single Govee node, and hit discover. Nothing.... Nothing changes. Are there any settings I need to adjust within the admin console to get this working? Or is it just the api_key in Polyglot and everything should be working?

I did enable LAN control within the Govee Home app and requested a fresh API key which was different than one I had been working with, but even deleting the plugin and re-installing it with the updated API key, gives no joy.

[dbuss]

How many nodes do you see in the Govee plugin page? Where you see 9 in mine, you should see 2 in yours. One node is for the Govee controller, and one node is for your lights, with the name you gave the lights in your Govee app.

[verkuild]

I only have the controller showing. Not the Strip Light 2 Pro I just installed. I can control that with my Fire Tablet running the Govee Home app, and my Echo's as well, just can't seem to get the eisy on-board. Here's my Ployglot page: 

See, no lights. Is there some kind of naming convention I missed? My name is: "Kitchen Strip Light" in the app.

Thanks again for spending some time on this. Cheers!

 

[dbuss]

The Govee plugin controller will use the same name that you use in the app. Try pressing the restart button in the Govee plugin? Then try pressing load profile. The Govee lights must appear in the Govee plugin, or they won't appear in the admin console.

[Geddy]

23 hours ago, verkuild said:

new Govee Strip Light 2 Pro LED

It's quite possible the "old" plugin doesn't support this product. I know it's kind of old, but doubt Govee has really changed all that much with their API over the years. I know I have an older Govee "lamp" that is wifi/bluetooth that I was able to connect to the plugin. 

@dbuss what product are you using that works with this plugin? I wonder if anybody has experience with this same "Pro" model. 

[verkuild]

Good to know that I can at least only work in Polyglot to see if I'm making any progress! Still only 1 node, the controller. Is there someone who can understand a debug log, if I capture one? I think I'm seeing an error where the log is showing that it fails when it calls discover.

This might be better served if it can moved over to the Govee section under Polyglot v3.

[dbuss]

1 hour ago, Geddy said:

It's quite possible the "old" plugin doesn't support this product. I know it's kind of old, but doubt Govee has really changed all that much with their API over the years. I know I have an older Govee "lamp" that is wifi/bluetooth that I was able to connect to the plugin. 

@dbuss what product are you using that works with this plugin? I wonder if anybody has experience with this same "Pro" model. 

I'm wondering the same thing about the app not supporting the Pro models. I have two sets of curtain lights, four strip lights, an on-off switch, an LED bulb string, and a TV backlight.

[larryllix]

I have a Govee Tower Fan, a Remote BT only Thermostat, an LED Array Curtain, and a LED String.

Only one Govee devices could ever be found. I believe it found the LED Curtain initially until I installed the LED String. Then it switched over to that. I concluded the Govee NS could only handle one device at a time.

[Geddy]

13 hours ago, verkuild said:

Is there someone who can understand a debug log, if I capture one?

Probbaly some of the plugin developers can diagnose an issue. However, the developer of the "current" production plugin for Govee is no longer supporting it. The plugin hasn't been updated in a while (since 2021). That's why I wonder if the Pro is a new line and it's not supported with the old programming. I know it was converted from PG2 to PG3 by UD at the time PG3 was introduced, but I think that's all that has been done to this plugin in several years. 

There appears to be a Govee plugin in the non-production store, but not sure if it has any better/different function since it hasn't been updated in a few months. I have not tried that one.

13 hours ago, verkuild said:

This might be better served if it can moved over to the Govee section under Polyglot v3

Done. Thanks for suggesting. 

[verkuild]

I think Geddy is on to something. I also purchased a set of 4 Govee RGBWW Smart LED bulbs. I installed one and after getting it on-line with Govee Home, I restarted the Production NS, and Bingo! It see's it and it shows up in the admin console.

So the issue seems to be that the Govee Strip Light 2 Pro is not responding to the standard API calls that other Govee products do. I'll start down the path with Govee Support and see if there's anything to be learned from them.

Thanks to everyone who chimed in on this issue.

Cheers!, Doug