4 switches combined to one switch/device

Configuration
1

I’ve been using Home Assistant for 3 weeks, so I am pretty rookie with this.
I have had focus on integrating all my different automation systems under HA and I have had some success even.
Now my problem is that I can’t find way to combine 4 different switches imported from Beckhoff.
I am using ADS successfully and I imported my 4 gang wireless walls switch as 4 individual switches (every button as an individual switch)
I would like to create device or switch which includes these 4 switches. This would make my automation generating a little bit easier if I just have to choose a correct wall switch and HA immediately knows correct “sub” switches.

2
3

Thanks Tom!

My next goal is to create blueprint where I first choose a group which limits my button options to 4 switches that are under that specific group.

4

Can you explain this more? Are you looking to just filter your entity list when craeting the blueprint? You’ve said that twice now but it doesn’t make sense to me, and I’m fairly sure what you expect isn’t possible.

5

To clarify, I think the functionality already exists, but you don’t know about it.

When selecting entities via the UI, you can filter the list by simply typing letters. So when the dropdown appears, at the top line, you can enter text to filter it down.

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6

I am aware of filtering by typing which is pretty handy. I just want to limit my options based on specific groups. For example I first choose Group: yk_wc and then it limits my entities to switches that are under that group.

#Groups
yk_wc:
  name: YK WC
  entities:
    - switch.yk_wc_1
    - switch.yk_wc_2
    - switch.yk_wc_3
    - switch.yk_wc_4
7

Yes, and what you want is not possible. Your only recourse to filter the list down is to use the filter. In the example you just posted, you’d simply forgo making the gorup and type yk_wc to get your 4 switches.

8

To clarify: You can’t base other fields of a blueprint off the state of another blueprint field. Which means your selecting the group to filter down isn’t possible.

9

Thanks Pedro for making this clear to me. I am just looking for something that is impossible right now.

Is there any other solutions for combining those switches to one? Now I have to create every button of the wall switch as an individual switch although in real life those are in one physical wall 4 button wall switch.
I am just looking for a solution that makes my job a little bit easier, because I have 20 different wall switches and all have 4 buttons → 80 switch entities.

10

rename your entities to something useful instead of yk_wc for all 80 of them and then just use the filter. The filter works off friendly names too. It’s a similar search engine as the search box in a windows explorer.

11

Of course I’ll try to create suitable names for the switches that are based on their location in house.
Btw: yk_wc naming comes from “2nd floor toilet” :grinning:

12

The best advice I can give you is to avoid acronyms. When you come back in 5 months, you’ll be happy you didn’t use them. While longer is more annoying, coming back to a system with acronyms everywhere usually forces you to start over because you forgot them.

13

Part of the naming comes from Beckhoff automation which I haven’t done so I am following at least something.

Is there any easier ways to add ADS entities than this:

#YK WC 10
- platform: ads
  adsvar: .arrDigitalSignalStates[37].bValue
  name: yk_wc_1
- platform: ads
  adsvar: .arrDigitalSignalStates[38].bValue
  name: yk_wc_2
- platform: ads
  adsvar: .arrDigitalSignalStates[39].bValue
  name: yk_wc_3
- platform: ads
  adsvar: .arrDigitalSignalStates[40].bValue
  name: yk_wc_4

Basically I am just setting every entity by hand based on what I have in Beckhoff automation.

14

Nope, doesn’t look like it. You’re using an integration that’s used by 18 out of (currently) 128804, ease of use probably won’t change on that either. Copy and paste shouldn’t be too bad, just fix your naming convention. For example…

- platform: ads
  adsvar: .arrDigitalSignalStates[37].bValue
  name: Second Floor Toilet 1

will produce an entity_id of switch.second_floor_toilet_1 with a freindly name of Second Floor Toilet 1

15

Good to know. Copy paste is my solution then. :ok_hand: