Working with Python CHIP Controller¶
The Python CHIP controller is a tool that allows to commission a Matter device into the network and to communicate with it using the Zigbee Cluster Library (ZCL) messages.
Source files¶
You can find source files of the Python CHIP Controller tool in the
src/controller/python directory.
The tool uses the generic CHIP Device Controller library, available in the
src/controller directory.
Building and installing¶
Before you can use the Python controller, you must compile it from the source on Linux (amd64 / aarch64) or macOS.
To ensure compatibility, build the Python CHIP controller and the Matter device from the same revision of the connectedhomeip repository.
To build and run the Python CHIP controller:
Install all necessary packages and prepare the build system. For more details, see the Building Matter documentation:
sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get upgrade sudo apt-get install git gcc g++ python pkg-config libssl-dev libdbus-1-dev libglib2.0-dev libavahi-client-dev ninja-build python3-venv python3-dev python3-pip unzip libgirepository1.0-dev libcairo2-dev bluez
If the Python CHIP controller is built on a Raspberry Pi, install additional packages and reboot the device:
sudo apt-get install pi-bluetooth sudo reboot
Clone the Project CHIP repository:
git clone https://github.com/project-chip/connectedhomeip.git
Enter the
connectedhomeipdirectory:cd connectedhomeip
Initialize the git submodules:
git submodule update --init
Build and install the Python CHIP controller:
scripts/build_python.sh -m platform
Note: To get more details about available build configurations, run the following command:
scripts/build_python.sh --help
Running the tool¶
Activate the Python virtual environment:
source out/python_env/bin/activate
Run the Python CHIP controller with root privileges, which is required to obtain access to the Bluetooth interface:
sudo out/python_env/bin/chip-device-ctrl
You can also select the Bluetooth LE interface using command line argument:
sudo out/python_env/bin/chip-device-ctrl --bluetooth-adapter=hci2
Using Python CHIP Controller for Matter accessory testing¶
This section describes how to use Python CHIP controller to test the Matter accessory. Below steps depend on the application clusters that you implemented on the device side and may be different for your accessory.
Step 1: Prepare the Matter accessory.¶
This tutorial is using the Matter Light Bulb example with the Bluetooth LE commissioning. However, you can adapt this procedure to other available Matter examples.
Build and program the device with the Matter accessory firmware by following the example’s documentation.
Step 2: Enable Bluetooth LE advertising on Matter accessory device.¶
Some examples are configured to advertise automatically on boot. Other examples require physical trigger, for example pushing a button. Follow the documentation of the Matter accessory example to learn how Bluetooth LE advertising is enabled for the given example.
Step 3: Discover Matter accessory device over Bluetooth LE¶
An uncommissioned accessory device advertises over Bluetooth LE. Run the following command to scan all advertised Matter devices:
chip-device-ctrl > ble-scan
Step 4: Connect to Matter accessory device over Bluetooth LE¶
The controller uses a 12-bit value called discriminator to discern between multiple commissionable device advertisements. Moreover, a 27-bit PIN code is used by the controller to authenticate in the device. You can find those values in the logging terminal of the device (for example, UART). For example:
I: 254 [DL]Device Configuration:
I: 257 [DL] Serial Number: TEST_SN
I: 260 [DL] Vendor Id: 9050 (0x235A)
I: 263 [DL] Product Id: 20043 (0x4E4B)
I: 267 [DL] Product Revision: 1
I: 270 [DL] Setup Pin Code: 20202021
I: 273 [DL] Setup Discriminator: 3840 (0xF00)
I: 278 [DL] Manufacturing Date: (not set)
I: 281 [DL] Device Type: 65535 (0xFFFF)
Run the following command to establish the secure connection over Bluetooth LE, with the following assumptions for the Matter accessory device:
The discriminator of the device is 3840
The setup pin code of the device is 20202021
The temporary Node ID is 1234
chip-device-ctrl > connect -ble 3840 20202021 1234
You can skip the last parameter, that is the Node ID. If you skip it, the controller will assign it randomly. However, note the Node ID down, because it is required later in the configuration process.
At the end of the secure connection establishment, the Python controller prints the following log:
Secure Session to Device Established
This means that the PASE (Password-Authenticated Session Establishment) session using SPAKE2+ protocol is completed.
Step 5: Commission Matter accessory to the underlying network¶
The main goal of the network commissioning step is to configure the device with a network interface, such as Thread or Wi-Fi. This process provides the device with network credentials.
Commissioning a Thread device¶
Fetch and store the current Active Operational Dataset and Extended PAN ID from the Thread Border Router. Depending if Thread Border Router is running on Docker or natively on Raspberry Pi, execute the following commands:
For Docker:
sudo docker exec -it otbr sh -c "sudo ot-ctl dataset active -x" 0e080000000000010000000300001335060004001fffe002084fe76e9a8b5edaf50708fde46f999f0698e20510d47f5027a414ffeebaefa92285cc84fa030f4f70656e5468726561642d653439630102e49c0410b92f8c7fbb4f9f3e08492ee3915fbd2f0c0402a0fff8 Done sudo docker exec -it otbr sh -c "sudo ot-ctl dataset extpanid” 4fe76e9a8b5edaf5 Done
For native installation:
sudo ot-ctl dataset active -x 0e080000000000010000000300001335060004001fffe002084fe76e9a8b5edaf50708fde46f999f0698e20510d47f5027a414ffeebaefa92285cc84fa030f4f70656e5468726561642d653439630102e49c0410b92f8c7fbb4f9f3e08492ee3915fbd2f0c0402a0fff8 Done sudo ot-ctl dataset extpanid 4fe76e9a8b5edaf5 Done
Matter specifiction does not define how the Thread or Wi-Fi credentials are obtained by Controller. For example, for Thread, instead of fetching datasets directly from the Thread Border Router, you might also use a different out-of-band method.
Inject the previously obtained Active Operational Dataset as hex-encoded value using ZCL Network Commissioning cluster:
Each ZCL command has a following format:
zcl <Cluster> <Command> <Node Id> <Endpoint Id> <Group Id> [arguments]chip-device-ctrl > zcl NetworkCommissioning AddThreadNetwork 1234 0 0 operationalDataset=hex:0e080000000000010000000300001335060004001fffe002084fe76e9a8b5edaf50708fde46f999f0698e20510d47f5027a414ffeebaefa92285cc84fa030f4f70656e5468726561642d653439630102e49c0410b92f8c7fbb4f9f3e08492ee3915fbd2f0c0402a0fff8 breadcrumb=0 timeoutMs=3000
Enable Thread interface on the device by executing the following command with
networkIDequal to Extended PAN Id of the Thread network:chip-device-ctrl > zcl NetworkCommissioning EnableNetwork 1234 0 0 networkID=hex:4fe76e9a8b5edaf5 breadcrumb=0 timeoutMs=3000
Commissioning a Wi-Fi device¶
Assuming your Wi-Fi SSID is TESTSSID, and your Wi-Fi password is P455W4RD, inject the credentials to the device by excuting the following command:
chip-device-ctrl > zcl NetworkCommissioning AddWiFiNetwork 1234 0 0 ssid=str:TESTSSID credentials=str:P455W4RD breadcrumb=0 timeoutMs=1000
Enable the Wi-Fi interface on the device by executing the following command:
chip-device-ctrl > zcl NetworkCommissioning EnableNetwork 1234 0 0 networkID=str:TESTSSID breadcrumb=0 timeoutMs=1000
Step 6: Close Bluetooth LE connection.¶
After the Matter accessory device was provisioned with Thread or Wi-Fi credentials (or both), the commissioning process is finished. The Python CHIP controller is now using only the IPv6 traffic to reach the device, so you can close the Bluetooth LE connection. To close the connection, run the following command:
chip-device-ctrl > close-ble
Step 7: Discover IPv6 address of the Matter accessory.¶
The Matter controller must discover the IPv6 address of the node that it previously commissioned. Depending on the network type:
For Thread, the Matter accessory uses SRP (Service Registration Protocol) to register its presence on the Thread Border Router’s SRP Server.
For Wi-Fi or Ethernet devices, the Matter accessory uses the mDNS (Multicast Domain Name System) protocol.
Assuming your Fabric ID is 5544332211 and Node ID is 1234 (use the Node ID you noted down when you established the secure connection over Bluetooth LE)), run the following command:
chip-device-ctrl > resolve 5544332211 1234
A notification in the log indicates that the node address has been updated. The IPv6 address of the device is cached in the controller for later usage.
Step 8: Control application ZCL clusters.¶
For the light bulb example, execute the following command to toggle the LED state:
chip-device-ctrl > zcl OnOff Toggle 1234 1 0
To change the brightness of the LED, use the following command, with the level value somewhere between 0 and 255.
chip-device-ctrl > zcl LevelControl MoveToLevel 1234 1 0 level=50
Step 9: Read basic information out of the accessory.¶
Every Matter accessory device supports a Basic Cluster, which maintains
collection of attributes that a controller can obtain from a device, such as the
vendor name, the product name, or software version. Use zclread command to
read those values from the device:
chip-device-ctrl > zclread Basic VendorName 1234 1 0
chip-device-ctrl > zclread Basic ProductName 1234 1 0
chip-device-ctrl > zclread Basic SoftwareVersion 1234 1 0
Use the
zcl ? Basiccommand to list all available commands for Basic Cluster.
List of commands¶
ble-adapter-print¶
Print the available Bluetooth adapters on device. Takes no arguments:
chip-device-ctrl > ble-adapter-print
2021-03-04 16:09:40,930 ChipBLEMgr INFO AdapterName: hci0 AdapterAddress: 00:AA:01:00:00:23
ble-scan [-t <timeout>] [identifier]¶
Start a scan action to search for valid CHIP devices over Bluetooth LE (for at most timeout seconds). Stop when the device is matching the identifier or the counter times out.
chip-device-ctrl > ble-scan
2021-05-29 22:28:05,461 ChipBLEMgr INFO scanning started
2021-05-29 22:28:07,206 ChipBLEMgr INFO Name = ChipLight
2021-05-29 22:28:07,206 ChipBLEMgr INFO ID = f016e23d-0d00-35d5-93e7-588acdbc7e54
2021-05-29 22:28:07,207 ChipBLEMgr INFO RSSI = -79
2021-05-29 22:28:07,207 ChipBLEMgr INFO Address = E0:4D:84:3C:BB:C3
2021-05-29 22:28:07,209 ChipBLEMgr INFO Pairing State = 0
2021-05-29 22:28:07,209 ChipBLEMgr INFO Discriminator = 3840
2021-05-29 22:28:07,209 ChipBLEMgr INFO Vendor Id = 9050
2021-05-29 22:28:07,209 ChipBLEMgr INFO Product Id = 20044
2021-05-29 22:28:07,210 ChipBLEMgr INFO Adv UUID = 0000fff6-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb
2021-05-29 22:28:07,210 ChipBLEMgr INFO Adv Data = 00000f5a234c4e
2021-05-29 22:28:07,210 ChipBLEMgr INFO
2021-05-29 22:28:16,246 ChipBLEMgr INFO scanning stopped
connect -ip <address> <SetUpPinCode> [<nodeid>]¶
Do key exchange and establish a secure session between controller and device using IP transport.
The Node ID will be used by controller to distinguish multiple devices. This does not match the spec and will be removed later. The nodeid will not be persisted by controller / device.
If no nodeid given, a random Node ID will be used.
connect -ble <discriminator> <SetUpPinCode> [<nodeid>]¶
Do key exchange and establish a secure session between controller and device using Bluetooth LE transport.
The Node ID will be used by controller to distinguish multiple devices. This does not match the spec and will be removed later. The nodeid will not be persisted by controller / device.
If no nodeid given, a random Node ID will be used.
close-session <nodeid>¶
If case there eixsts an open session (PASE or CASE) to the device with a given Node ID, mark it as expired.
resolve <fabric_id> <node_id>¶
Resolve DNS-SD name corresponding with the given fabric and Node IDs and update address of the node in the device controller:
chip-device-ctrl > resolve 5544332211 1234
setup-payload generate [-v <Vendor ID>] [-p <Product ID>] [-cf <Custom Flow>] [-dc <Discovery Capabilities>] [-dv <Discriminator Value>] [-ps <Passcode>]¶
Print the generated Onboarding Payload Contents in human-readable (Manual Pairing Code) and machine-readable (QR Code) format:
chip-device-ctrl > setup-payload generate -v 9050 -p 65279 -cf 0 -dc 2 -dv 2976 -ps 34567890
Manual pairing code: [26318621095]
SetupQRCode: [MT:YNJV7VSC00CMVH7SR00]
setup-payload parse-manual <manual-pairing-code>¶
Print the commissioning information encoded in the Manual Pairing Code:
chip-device-ctrl > setup-payload parse-manual 34970112332
Version: 0
VendorID: 0
ProductID: 0
CommissioningFlow: 0
RendezvousInformation: 0
Discriminator: 3840
SetUpPINCode: 20202021
setup-payload parse-qr <qr-code>¶
Print the commissioning information encoded in the QR Code payload:
chip-device-ctrl > setup-payload parse-qr "VP:vendorpayload%MT:W0GU2OTB00KA0648G00"
Version: 0
VendorID: 9050
ProductID: 20043
CommissioningFlow: 0
RendezvousInformation: 2 [BLE]
Discriminator: 3840
SetUpPINCode: 20202021
zcl <Cluster> <Command> <NodeId> <EndpointId> <GroupId> [arguments]¶
Send a ZCL command to the device. For example:
chip-device-ctrl > zcl LevelControl MoveWithOnOff 12344321 1 0 moveMode=1 rate=2
Format of arguments
For any integer and char string (null terminated) types, just use key=value,
for example: rate=2, string=123, string_2="123 456"
For byte string type, use key=encoding:value, currectly, we support str and
hex encoding, the str encoding will encode a NULL terminated string. For
example, networkId=hex:0123456789abcdef (for
[0x01, 0x23, 0x45, 0x67, 0x89, 0xab, 0xcd, 0xef]), ssid=str:Test (for
['T', 'e', 's', 't', 0x00]).
zcl ?¶
List available clusters:
chip-device-ctrl > zcl ?
AccountLogin
ApplicationBasic
ApplicationLauncher
AudioOutput
BarrierControl
Basic
Binding
BridgedDeviceBasic
ColorControl
ContentLaunch
Descriptor
DoorLock
EthernetNetworkDiagnostics
FixedLabel
GeneralCommissioning
GeneralDiagnostics
GroupKeyManagement
Groups
Identify
KeypadInput
LevelControl
LowPower
MediaInput
MediaPlayback
NetworkCommissioning
OnOff
OperationalCredentials
PumpConfigurationAndControl
RelativeHumidityMeasurement
Scenes
SoftwareDiagnostics
Switch
TvChannel
TargetNavigator
TemperatureMeasurement
TestCluster
Thermostat
TrustedRootCertificates
WakeOnLan
WindowCovering
zcl ? <Cluster>¶
List available commands in cluster. For example, for Basic cluster:
chip-device-ctrl > zcl ? Basic
InteractionModelVersion
VendorName
VendorID
ProductName
ProductID
UserLabel
Location
HardwareVersion
HardwareVersionString
SoftwareVersion
SoftwareVersionString
ManufacturingDate
PartNumber
ProductURL
ProductLabel
SerialNumber
LocalConfigDisabled
ClusterRevision
zclread <Cluster> <Attribute> <NodeId> <EndpointId> <GroupId> [arguments]¶
Read the value of ZCL attribute. For example:
chip-device-ctrl > zclread Basic VendorName 1234 1 0
zclconfigure <Cluster> <Attribute> <Nodeid> <Endpoint> <MinInterval> <MaxInterval> <Change>¶
Configure ZCL attribute reporting settings. For example:
chip-device-ctrl > zclconfigure OccupancySensing Occupancy 1234 1 0 1000 2000 1