Hello world on HomeKit

I just setup a HomeKit apps on my home, using Apple Siri to control my television.

First, need a smart home device, for example Sony Bravia TV which connected to a home WIFI. Second, requires a HomeKit Server talking HomeKit Protocol. This server will interact with other smart home device registered as accessories. Third, requires a HomeKit client installed on mobile, which talking to HomeKit Server, adding any accessories available from HomeKit server. In usual setup, HomeKit server can installed on Raspberry PI, but I don’t have, use my Mac to host it.

The following procedures will help to setup.

1) Get a Mac with Node JS installed. Get a Apple licensed developer program.

2) Download a HomeKit Demo Swift based project, run it on your mobile. Download at https://github.com/KhaosT/HomeKit-Demo.

3) Download a HomeKit Server, I am homebridge. It is a Node.JS based server. Download at https://github.com/nfarina/homebridge.

4) Download Bravia Controlled library which is also Node.JS based. Download at https://github.com/alanreid/bravia.

5) Follow instruction on how to control Bravia TV by using the library. And then, you may build a HTTP based interface around the Bravia library. And then, you may program HomeKit server apps, add a new accessories, and then send the command requests to Bravia Server via HTTP (Turn on/off TV). The last part is much more tricky, to setup HomeKit client talks to HomeKit server.

6) Important note, once you had HomeKit client installed, navigate to one of accessories, look for the service name, this is the name Siri will look and map into. Name it as “television”, or some fancy name, which you will tell Siri to look for and do the action.

7) After that, if everything goes well, you can turn on your Siri, and say “Siri, turn on television”. Then your television magically turned on. Enjoy.

Author: fyhao

Jebsen & Jessen Comms Singapore INTI University College Bsc (Hon) of Computer Science, Coventry University View all posts by fyhao