Automation Flash Actions not working

Hi Guys, I have created an Automation under the Configure Automation tool to turn a light on. The items available under the ACTIONS is Flash. The light comes on when I run the Automation but does not flash. Any criteria there has to be on the Flash item ?

Thanks

The physical light has to have the ability to perform a flash action.

What kind of light/lighting technology is it?

1 Like

Thanks its normal LED bulb with a Sonoff Basic to connect to my WIFI. I did the automation and tuens on and selected the Flash option ( Fast or slow ). Ran with Light.Turn On and also tried Light.Toggle and nothing changes ?

Thanks its normal LED bulb with a Sonoff Basic to connect to my WIFI. I did the automation and turns on and selected the Flash option ( Fast or slow ). Ran with Light.Turn On and also tried Light.Toggle and nothing changes ?

“Flash” is a command transmitted to a device that natively supports the ability to flash (i.e. it is a single command and not a continuous stream of on/off commands). The actual command depends on the lighting technology but the gist is that if the device doesn’t natively support the ability to flash, the “flash” command will do nothing.

In your case, the Sonoff Basic would have to support the ability to “flash” (repeatedly toggle its connected load). Which integration are you using to control the Sonoff Basic?

1 Like

The sonoff basic is flashed with tasmota

Tasmota’s Power command does support Blink which is configured by BlinkCount and BlinkTime. It’s possible the flash command doesn’t use it so you may need to send the Power-Blink command directly (using the mqtt.publish service call).

1 Like

Thanks for the great help, need to work out to do that " power-Blink" command via MQTT , thanks for the advice, appreciate it.

Tara , so would you know which switches or lights that support the flash software. Maybe a firmware that supports it .
I want to make some of lights flash when there motion on one of my motion sensors.

If you mean firmware for flashing the Sonoff Basic, I’m only familiar with Tasmota and cannot comment on the capabilities of others (ESPHome, ESPEasy, etc).

1 Like

Anyway you can help me with automation to make my light flash if there is motion. Sonoff basic with light and motion sensor.

It amounts to publishing the value 3 to your Sonoff Basic’s command topic. It will cause the load to be turned on/off, at one-second intervals, ten times. The interval and repetitions are the default values of BlinkTime and BlinkCount.

- service: mqtt.publish
  data:
    topic: cmnd/your_sonoff/power
    payload: '3'

Modify the topic to match whatever it is you are using for your Sonoff Basic.

You can use that in an automation or a script (you can call scripts from a Button card). If you let me know how you want to activate the flashing action, I can be more specific about how to do it.

If you want to cancel the blinking action while its underway, simply publish 4 as the payload.

You can easily test it using Developer Tools > Services.

1 Like

Tara, thanks, I am able to flash the light when I use the Console and add power 3 to the console line However when I make the automation the light does not come one or flash.
I don’t see the command come into the tasmota console when I click on RUN Action ? Somehow HA is not publishing the MQTT command ? I used call service in the actions section.
Any recommendation thanks

I made the assumption that you have an operational MQTT Broker and a functional MQTT integration. Is that correct or do you not have any of that in place?

If you don’t then, instead of MQTT, you can use a the RESTful Command integration.

1 Like