Garage Door Opener Advice

[C4rtm4N]

I've just got myself a new garage door and there is the ability to add a wifi facility so that it can be opened using an app rather than the standard remote control see here. The wifi unit does not need to be connected to the door itself after it has been paired which indicates that it's emulating a remote.

The wifi unit is over £300 so is not worth the price for how much I'd use it, but did get me thinking whether it would be possible to replicate a remote by other means and control from within Domoticz.

SWS who make the door don't manufacture the control system for the opener themselves, they buy them in from an Italian company called Teleco Automation and looking at the manual (the control system is a TVPRP868C10SE) it uses the 868.3Mhz frequency. It seems that Teleco have a home automation system themselves called "My Hand" that can create virtual transmitters. On various websites that sell replacement remote controls they emphasise that even if an opener looks the same and runs at the same frequency that it probably won't operate a garage door unless it's specifically designed for it & I've seen one that specifically said that they sell ones using an SWS specific code that won't operate on other door manufacturer's equipment even if they use a Teleco controller.

This brings to mind several questions
1. Would it be technically possible to replicate the transmitter functionality of the remote or would I somehow need to obtain an API from Teleco? Is there any way to learn the command that is being sent in the way that universal remote controls used to work?
2. Does the warning on the website re remotes needing a specific manufacturer code ring true?
3. I'm only using Zwave and IP functionality at the moment in Domoticz - if I could solve the above, what would be best to send commands on the 868.3Mhz frequency from either my Pi or a Windows box?

I don't want to void the door warranty so won't be soldering anything into the control unit etc and the diagrams that I've found don't indicate that there's anywhere that I could screw a zwave module in to simulate a local switch press so the radio frequency looks to be my only option.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

[jvdz]

Does your opener have a wired connected switch option?
I use a wemos with relay and trigger that from domoticz for 500 ms to simulate a switch being pressed to toggle open and close actions. This is a 10 euro option.
I also added 2 switches to it to detect the closed and open positions of the door, which are also connected to the wemos. It is running on ESPEASY.

Jos

[C4rtm4N]

Does your opener have a wired connected switch option?

There are low voltage connectors but the buttons on the front of the case (Up / Down / Halt) are attached to them. I haven't taken the case apart yet but will take a look inside when I get a chance if this is going to be the only way to proceed. I had hoped that as SWS appear to be emulating a remote using their overpriced equipment that this could be relatively easy to replicate.

[jvdz]

Looking at the picture it seems that pins 19&20 will support a NC switch. you could simply test to see if that works the way I described.

Jos

[householder]

The Liftmaster 8500 is better than belt drive, it mounts to the wall and turns the jackshaft directly. Very quiet and it doesn't hang in the middle of your garage so it's not in the way of engine hoists and the like.



To learn more about another models in comparsion, check this review!

[mb695]

Hi - did you ever find a solution to this. Have the same garage door and looking for a solution also