ESPSomfy-RTS: Unable to set up groups

Lets start with an explanation of how this works. Any remote channel can be a group and this even includes ESPSomfy RTS channels. In the ESPSomfy RTS device it is like having 48 channels. In the Somfy it would be like a remote that you can select one of 48 channels.

Each channel on the remote is assigned an address so if it is a 5 channel remote then it will get 5 addresses. Addresses are nothing more than a unique number within the area of all the motors within range. I have read reports that Somfy has reused address numbers over time but have done this in different regions.

Typically this number is assigned at the factory for each remote that is produced. Motors do not have an address but they do have a small memory location where addresses from remotes are stored. So while there is no intelligence in a Somfy remote channel there is also no address initially assigned to the motor.

When the motors are initially shipped and after they have been factory reset. The will start waiting for the first remote when they are powered on. The first remote that sends it a prog command will get its address stored in the motor memory then the user can set the end stops.

There are up to 12 memory locations for remote addresses in each motor. So when you long press on the prog button of a remote that has been paired to the motor it will open the memory to receive a prog command from a remote. This is indicated by a short up and down movement of the motor. The time the memory remains open varies between motors but eventually it will close the memory on its own.

If a remote sends a short press prog button while the memory is open, it will first look to see if it has this address stored and if it does it will remove it from its memory. If it does not it will store it. So if you long press the prog button on a remote that is paired to two motors both of them will open their memory.

If the remote channel is currently stored in one of the motors and not the other it will pair one and unpair the other. This is why Somfy recommends removing power from all other shades when doing this process. But this is only because it is easier to tell them to do that than to explain why the consumer cannot get all their shades to pair properly.

So when a remote channel either from ESPSomfy RTS or a torpedo sends a command all it is doing is sending out a series of pulses that translate into a frame that contains its address. Every motor within range will hear this frame, decode it, and decide whether it should respond. So if the motor has the address in its memory then it will move. If it doesn’t then it ignores the frame.

In the end if you press a button in any remote and it moves a motor that you do not want it to move, then you need to remove the address for that channel (whether it is from ESPSomfy RTS or a Somfy remote) from the memory on the motor.

To do this you perform the following steps.

1. Long press the prog button on a remote until the motor jogs exactly once.
2. Short press by pressing the prog button on the remote you want to remove. In ESPSomfy RTS click on the unpair button and then press the prog button. The shade should jog exactly once.
3. Once you have exactly one jog for opening the memory and exactly one jog for removing the address you can close the memory by short pressing the prog button on the original remote channel.

Now there are some motors that do a really stupid thing. For some reason they require the transmitter to be close to the motor to perform this operation. Frankly it is the most idiotic design as all it does is induce potential frustration. So if you are having trouble getting the second jog to occur move the ESPSomfy RTS device closer to the motor temporarily.

Ok so now that you have a backgrounder on this lets get the Lounge 1 Blackout removed from Downstairs group. We will need a bit of trickery here to make this happen. Remember pairing and unpairing are actually a toggle. So perform the following steps. On step 6 we are simply sending a short press prog button to the motor.

1. Open the Lounge Blackout 1 memory with a remote by long pressing the prog button until it jogs.
2. Click on the edit pencil for the Downstairs group in ESPSomfy RTS.
3. Click on the trash can next to any of the members of the group.
4. Click the next button but DO NOT CLICK the OPEN MEMORY button.
5. Click next again.
6. Click the UNPAIR FROM GROUP button and the shade should jog.
7. When the Confirm Motor Response prompt appears click NO.
8. Click Cancel on the Remove Shade from Group dialog and you are done. The group will no longer be in the Lounge Blackout 1 memory.