I have a ducted aircon and want to make it smart but unsure on where to start.
By smart, I want it to be controlled by Smart Phone (Android) and can be paired with Google Assistance.
My gut feel is that wiring is required, so I probably will need a qualified AirCon technician.
My questions are:
Man .. sounds like experts needed.
Xiaomi smart IR remote + Gateway + Temperature humidity sensor might do what you need cheap way.
But how do you get the Aircon to talk to those 'smart' devices?
This functions by simulating the infrared remote for your aircon - it doesn't actually communicate with the aircon (e.g. you cannot tell if the command was successful, only that the command was sent).
Right, to get this working, I will need to purchase:
?
So the way it works, if my understanding is correct:
The outcome of this meaning what Infrared remote can do, Xiaomi Smart device can also do?
Can this Xiaomi Smart devices be paired with Google Home (Google Assistance)?
Yes you'll need a way to get the relevant IR commands for your aircon (as the controller can "learn" the commands). The Xiaomi IR controller has inbuilt commands for (many) products (including Daikin), but there aren't any guarantees that it'll work.
The Temperature/Humidity Sensor is only useful if you want the aircon to turn on automatically (above/below a certain temperature), or if you'd like to know the temperature remotely.
The only way to get the Xiaomi products to work with Google Assistant is through Home Assistant on a Raspberry Pi (although this is a bit of work, you're better off just using the MiHome app instead).
If you're only interested in turning the aircon on remotely - then something like a Broadlink RM Mini 3 is a cheaper solution because it doesn't require a gateway.
Does your aircon actually have IR capabilities? Because some of the ducted units that I have seen don't do this natively.
@Dumax:
I have been discussing this with Daikin Support, and although I don't have the clear answer whether my unit has IR capabilities, he advised me on 2 different solution.
solution 1: to get optional adaptor card which can accept a dry contact input from an external source for on/off control.
he said this should work when paired with smart 3rd party hub (that is compatible with Google Assistance).
solution 2: is to get optional wireless remote kit (BRC4C62) that allows me to interact via Infrared using a wireless remote (Daikin) which is part of the kit.
I'd be double checking Option #2 there, that remote looks like it's designed to control a split cycle (or multiples) as opposed to a ducted A/C and for the price you'd want to be sure ;)
Option #1 doesn't sound much better because it won't allow you to adjust the temperature, only power the unit on and off.
At this stage it's probably going to be quickest if you can grab a couple of serial / model numbers from both the wall panel and the external A/C unit itself, so we know exactly what unit you're talking about here.
What brand is your ducted system? If it's a major non Australian brand you should be ok. However if it's not, you ain't be able to connect with a 3rd party system as Australian systems are locked down with proprietary technology that the world doesn't care for (Aus is a small market).
Edit: just saw Mitsubishi & Daikan. Yes, you should be ok. I'm not sure of a solution off the top of my head though.
Daikin.
I was advised by Daikin Support that KRP405X is the optional adaptor card, which can accept a dry contact input from an external source for on/off control.
If your unit has a remote control, your estiest option is going to be to teach Google Home / Alexa to simulate the remote control functions.
The last place I lived at had a ducted Daikin system, it communicated via a single wire between the control panel and the main unit in the roof so in order to automate that you'd need to figure out what 'language' it was speaking then figure out some way to simulate it - with a Raspberry Pi or similar - which is probably going to be out of reach of a noob :)
Also - this…