Devices

Devices are objects like locks, thermostats, or sensors. In the Seam API, devices have capabilities that describe the functions that they can perform, as well as online and managed status.

Seam decomposes the ensemble of features that a device provides into one or more capabilities, such as the capability to perform a remote unlock or the capability to program online access codes.

For detailed information about capabilities, see Device and System Capabilities.

Seam exposes each capability as a set of APIs that are standardized across brands for ease of integration. For example, an unlock action on a door lock always requires the same API call, regardless of the device brand.

In addition, Seam provides the following three sets of device-related features:

• Actions: Commands that you can issue to the device, such as unlock. For more information, see the Capability Guides.

• Properties: The current state of the device, such as the locked, online, and managed statuses. For details, see device Properties.

• Events: Notifications related to changes in the state of the device, such as an unlocking operation performed with an access code. For details, see Events. To help you test your app against events—like device disconnection or removal—that are difficult to orchestrate in a QA environment using real devices, Seam provides a suite of simulate endpoints that you can use in a sandbox workspace. See Testing Your App Against Device Disconnection and Removal.