Confusion over types of Bluetooth proxies

ESPHome
1

Hello

I’m pretty new to ESPHome so I’m trying to understand a few things.

I have successfully used this site to flash an ESP32 into a working Bluetooth proxy in HA (as well as adopted into ESPHome): ESPHome Bluetooth Proxy
I’ve been able to control my Switchbot blinds with it successfully.

Separately I was able to create my first project using a different ESP32 and a LD2410 to create a functional presence sensor, pretty neat.

What I’m now trying to understand is if I would be able to combine the two. When I look at the config that was created by the Bluetooth proxy website it’s different than the examples I find here:
Bluetooth Proxy — ESPHome

My first question is to just understand, are these two distinctly different/separate ways of creating a Bluetooth proxy? If yes, the method I used would only be for a dedicated proxy device?

1 Like
2

From what I can see, the Bluetooth proxy portion of those two configurations are the same. The second one you linked is for a device that uses an ethernet cable instead of WiFi.

3

What’s confusing to me is the use of the word ‘just’

If you’re looking to create an ESPHome node that is just a Bluetooth Proxy, see our Bluetooth Proxy installer website.

Like I mentioned, that’s how I created my proxies and they work great. But is it supported to add additional config on those for more sensors?

The config on the page where it shows using an ESP32 with an ethernet connection just looks different to me than the config I got from the installer website. Also the use of one with ethernet seems to just be an example.

substitutions:
  name: "esp32-name"
packages:
  esphome.bluetooth-proxy: github://esphome/bluetooth-proxies/esp32-generic.yaml@main
esphome:
  name: ${name}
  name_add_mac_suffix: false

wifi:
  ssid: !secret wifi_ssid
  password: !secret wifi_password

vs

substitutions:
  name: my-bluetooth-proxy
  board: esp32-poe-iso

esphome:
  name: ${name}
  name_add_mac_suffix: true

esp32:
  board: ${board}
  framework:
    type: esp-idf

ethernet:
  type: LAN8720
  mdc_pin: GPIO23
  mdio_pin: GPIO18
  clk_mode: GPIO17_OUT
  phy_addr: 0
  power_pin: GPIO12

# Enable logging
logger:

# Enable Home Assistant API
api:

ota:

esp32_ble_tracker:
  scan_parameters:
    interval: 1100ms
    window: 1100ms
    active: true

bluetooth_proxy:
  active: true
4

When I try to copy my sensor config for the LD2410 into the preconfigured Bluetooth Proxy it tries but then fails:

combined
combined1251×175 14.4 KB

5

It says just because the configuration it provides doesn’t include much beyond the absolute necessary components for a BT Proxy.

Yes, you can add additional sensors or output components to a board you are using as a Bluetooth proxy. If you are using a Wifi-based ESP32, you need to be aware that WiFi and BT share the same radio and you may see decreased sensitivity/performance from your BT proxy as WiFi traffic to and from the device increases.