DeWalt has a 433MHz wireless protocol they call Wireless Tool Control (WTC) which is used for one tool to trigger the actions of another. Generally, this would be a tool triggering a dust collector to turn on, or water supply, etc. The radio protocol was previously undocumented, this project serves as an example of how to interact with these radio messages.
Dewalt WTC for ESPhome
https://github.com/aderusha/dewalt_wtc
The BOM is simple:
With these two items, a few short leads, and a USB cable to power everything, you can now “hear” and react to WTC messages happening in your shop.
Why? Here are a few things that you could do straight away:
Tool ID cloning
A DeWalt WTC dust collector can only be paired to a single tool at a time. If you switch tools, you need to re-pair each time you reach for the next tool. With this project you can enable “multiplex” mode, learn the ID of the paired tool, and then send that ID whenever another tool stops or starts. Now all of your tools can control the dust system at the same time with no re-pairing required.
WTC-enable dumb shop vacs
Plug a shop vac into a listed smart plug rated for the vacuum’s motor and inrush current, then configure Home Assistant automation to turn the vacuum on and off when your DeWalt tools start and stop.