# Homebridge SwitchBot Bluetooth Platform
The Homebridge SwitchBot Bluetooth Platform is a Homebridge plugin
that allows you to directly control your SwitchBot bot device from HomeKit
via BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy).
This plugin aims to provide the best performance and stability when controlling your SwitchBot bot via BLE.
[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/homebridge-switchbot-bluetooth-platform)
[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/homebridge-switchbot-bluetooth-platform)
[](https://github.com/galzo/homebridge-switchbot-bluetooth)
### Why do I need (yet another) SwitchBot plugin?
The existing SwitchBot plugins did not provide the level of stability and feature-set that I was looking for.
This plugin aims to provide the best performance (around 30% faster BLE calls than other switchbot plugins),
and best stabilty (support for retry mechanism, error handling and device details caching), assuring you that the plugin
will stay stable upon usage, and the switchbot will respond as fast as possible.
This plugin also aims to provide several new features, such as support for bot battery status, and password-protected BLE communication.
## Supported Devices
Supported Devices:
- [SwitchBot (Bot)](https://www.switch-bot.com/products/switchbot-bot)
To Be Supported Soon:
- [SwitchBot Curtain (Curtain)](https://www.switch-bot.com/products/switchbot-curtain)
- [SwitchBot Thermometer & Hygrometer (Meter)](https://www.switch-bot.com/products/switchbot-meter)
## Installation
### Installing from Homebridge Plugins Page:
1. Search for "switchbot bluetooth"
2. Find `homebridge-switchbot-bluetooth-platform`
- **NOTE:** Check noble [prerequisites](https://github.com/homebridge/noble#prerequisites) for your operating system. this is used for the bluetooth communcation.
3. Install the plugin
### Installing Directly:
1. Open Terminal
2. run command `npm install -g homebridge-switchbot-bluetooth-platform`
- **NOTE:** Check noble [prerequisites](https://github.com/homebridge/noble#prerequisites) for your operating system. this is used for the bluetooth communcation.
## Configuration
Add a new platform to your homebridge `config.json` file
```json
"platforms": [
{
"platform": "SwitchBotBluetoothPlatform",
"name": "SwitchBotBluetoothPlatform"
}
]
```
under the new platform, add `devices` field
```json
"platforms": [
{
"platform": "SwitchBotBluetoothPlatform",
"name": "SwitchBotBluetoothPlatform",
"devices": [
{
"type": "bot",
"name": "Bedroom Bot",
"address": "a4:ee:45:10:fa:5d"
},
{
"type": "bot",
"name": "Living Room Bot",
"address": "c1:fe:61:33:sd:4f",
"scanDuration": 2000,
"scanRetries": 7,
"scanRetryCooldown:": 1000,
}
]
}
]
```
## Device Configuration Properties
Upon defining a device in the `devices` list, the following properties are available:
**Mandatory Properties**
- `name` - Device name. Must be unique (no duplications).
- `type` - Type of device. (currently only `bot` is supported).
- `address` - MAC Address of the SwitchBot device. [Learn how to find MAC Address](#finding-your-switchbot-mac-address).
**Optional Properties**
- `scanDuration` - Time for scanning bluetooth devices (in miliseconds).