Zigbee vs BLE temperature sensors for Home Assistant

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Zigbee vs BLE temperature sensors for Home Assistant - which is most reliable?

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timmmay

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#2964019 6-Sep-2022 21:02

Yeah I think a lot of things are more difficult when you use HA Core, as opposed to the HA OS. I did that as I wanted to run multiple things on my Pi. I'll try the commands out some time. It is probably similar to what you said Handle9, you can connect to an existing service, or you can run the service within HA - I'd like to do the latter.

eluSiveNZ

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#2964021 6-Sep-2022 21:19

If ESPHome is installed it runs it own web interface so try the HA IP on port 6052
What your screenshot shows is adding a preconfigured ESP device (which you don’t need to do either)
As you say, running Core makes things a bit trickier.

eonsim

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#2964028 6-Sep-2022 22:42

To run ESPhome on the pi you just need to install it on the commandline using the pip command from there website, then startup the Web interface.

PANiCnz

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#2964535 8-Sep-2022 09:06

@timmmay looks like the latest HA release has new BLE functionality, and allows you to use a ESP32 and a Bluetooth proxy.

timmmay

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#2964540 8-Sep-2022 09:11

HA 2022.09 adds explicit support for ESP32 as a bluetooth relay :)

Batwing

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#2964548 8-Sep-2022 09:27

So we can effectively use native Bluetooth support and ditch the individual configs for each esp32?

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timmmay

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#2964553 8-Sep-2022 09:34

I guess - ask me in a week or so, I'll give it a shot :)

openmedia

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#2964616 8-Sep-2022 11:49

timmmay:

HA 2022.09 adds explicit support for ESP32 as a bluetooth relay :)

Nice. I already use ESP32 devices so I can have a play with this.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

timmmay

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#2964866 8-Sep-2022 22:28

Installation is easy from the HA ESP32 Bluetooth Relay website. Just follow the wizard, including installing the drivers, in my case it was the 210 drivers. It even added it to HA to me, though I don't have ESP integration running yet. I'll try it tomorrow, though the range of the Bluetooth adapter on the R.Pi4 means it could be a bit tricky to test as it's in the same place as the router.

PANiCnz

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#2965084 9-Sep-2022 12:56

Just tried the new bluetooth proxy feature and works great. Reflashed a ESP32 using the web installer, it was quickly detected and configured in HA, then HA detected my LYWSDCGQ automatically. Pretty slick experience. Already had ESPHome installed for some smart plugs, ESPH detected the ESP32 and allowed me to adopt it.

timmmay

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#2965139 9-Sep-2022 15:16

I've gotten the BLE relay working as well. The BLE device in my fridge can't always contact the R.Pi directly as the fridge is a big metal box, almost a faraday cage. As a test I turned the BLE device transmit power down, validated for an hour it doesn't update in HA, then put it next to the ESP32 BLE relay. Five mins later the temperatures starting showing up again.

I'm not finding it's helping as much as I hoped. The little ESP32 isn't all that sensitive, whereas the USB stick with an antenna attached to my R.Pi is quite sensitive. I'm still experimenting a bit to see if it's worthwhile bothering to use the ESP32 for this. If you have multiple WiFi access points it would probably be quite useful, but my R.Pi with Bluetooth is in the same cupboard as our single WAP. I have another router I can use as a WAP, but I haven't bothered as the 7590 is fine by itself.

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nic.wise

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#2965165 9-Sep-2022 16:46

Bit late, but I had a bunch of Xaiomi (sp?) BTLE Temp+Humidity sensors and 2 Raspberry Pi's to collect the data and expose it to Home Assistant. Worked ok, mostly.

I just got a bunch of the (sadly larger, but nice otherwise) Shelly Plus H+T units. they work over wifi, have an eink display, and at present talk via MQTT with a shelly plugin coming later.

https://shelly.cloud/shelly_plus_h-t/

So far so good. They are chonks tho. I have 6 of them around the property - 4 indoors, 2 outdoors but not in "weather" (a shed and stuck to the wall outside on the porch)

Nic Wise - fastchicken.co.nz

timmmay

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#2965228 9-Sep-2022 21:57

Shelly looks to make nice stuff :)

The ESP32 as a BLE relay is easy to get going, but for me largely pointless. The USB dongle with an antenna 5m away through three walls is just as sensitive as the ESP32 at 1m - through the fridge. I guess the lack of antenna does it. If you have a good WiFi network but a distance HA instance then it could be useful. I'll find something else to do with the ESP32 - not sure what yet, I'll think of something :) Maybe I'll try an external antenna just for a laugh.

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