Display sensor data and graphs on 1.54" ePaper display tags, the kind that is commonly used as price tags in stores:
This blueprint is meant for use with the OpenEPaperLink integration by Jonas Niesner. You can use it to display and periodically update various sensor data on ePaper tags, such as the common 1.54" ST‐GR16000 price tags.
What you need
- A price tag running the OpenEPaperLink custom firmware
- An OpenEPaperLink access point that you can build yourself or buy from places like this Tindie store.
- The OpenEPaperLink integration running on your HA instance.
What the blueprint does
The blueprint puts together a call to open_epaper_link.drawcustom with formatting instructions to draw a new image with the data you want. You can then set up triggers so that the tag content gets updated periodically.
The 152x152 pixels of a 1.54" display don’t give a lot of screen real estate to work with. The automation lets you show up to six values at the same time. Two numerical sensor values are shown at the top; each of them can be displayed in red if it is above and/or below a certain threshold. Two line graphs are shown in the middle and at the bottom; each graph shows a black line with the values of a sensor over a past time period (by default 24h), and in addition the graph can display a second, thin red line with the values from a second sensor over the same time period.
Fonts and icons are customizable.
As usual, ePaper tags are slow, so this is best used for data that doesn’t update all that often.
Blueprint
blueprint:
name: OpenEPaperLink 1.54-inch Sensor Data Display
description: 'Display sensor data and graphs on 1.54" ePaper display tags.
This blueprint is meant for use with the
[OpenEPaperLink integration](https://github.com/jonasniesner/open_epaper_link_homeassistant)
by Jonas Niesner. With this, you can set up automations to use the common
1.54" ST‐GR16000 price tags to display various sensor data.
The display can show up to six values at the same time, in the following
arrangement:
* Two numerical sensor values at the top. By default these are shown in black.
Each of them can be displayed in red if it is above and/or below a certain threshold.
* Two line graphs in the middle and bottom. Each graph shows a black line
with the values of a sensor over a past time period (by default 24h).
In addition, the graph can display a thin red line with the values from a
second sensor over the same time period.
'
domain: automation
input:
tag_entity:
name: Target display
description: >
Data will be displayed on this ePaper tag. The blueprint assumes a
1.54" tag with 152x152 pixels.
selector:
# Unfortunately we cannot use a `target` selector here, because
# the OpenEPaperLink integration throws an error when calling `drawcustom`
# with a `device_id`.
entity:
multiple: false
triggers:
name: When to initiate update
description: >
This will send new data to the access point. Keep in mind that the tags
are refreshed only when they check in with the access point, so it may
take some time until the display itself is updated.
selector:
trigger:
sensor1:
name: Top left - Sensor
description: Values from this sensor will be displayed at the top left.
selector:
entity:
field1_icon:
name: Top left - Icon
description: This icon will be displayed next to the data at the top left.
selector:
icon:
field1_warn_above:
name: Top left - Upper warning threshold
description: Values above this number will be displayed in red.
default: 1000
selector:
number:
min: -100000000000.0
max: 100000000000.0
mode: box
step: any
field1_warn_below:
name: Top left - Lower warning threshold
description: Values below this number will be displayed in red.
default: -1000
selector:
number:
min: -100000000000.0
max: 100000000000.0
mode: box
step: any
sensor2:
name: Top right - Sensor
description: Values from this sensor will be displayed at the top right.
selector:
entity:
field2_icon:
name: Top right - Icon
description: This icon will be displayed next to the data at the top right.
selector:
icon:
field2_warn_above:
name: Top right - Upper warning threshold
description: Values above this number will be displayed in red.
default: 1000
selector:
number:
min: -100000000000.0
max: 100000000000.0
mode: box
step: any
field2_warn_below:
name: Top right - Lower warning threshold
description: Values below this number will be displayed in red.
default: -1000
selector:
number:
min: -100000000000.0
max: 100000000000.0
mode: box
step: any
sensor3:
name: Middle graph - Sensor
description: Values from this sensor will be displayed as a black line in the middle graph.
selector:
entity:
field3_icon:
name: Middle graph - Icon
description: This icon will be displayed next to the middle graph.
selector:
icon:
field3_duration:
name: Middle graph - Duration
description: >
Total duration (in seconds) of the data shown on the middle graph.
The default is 86400 seconds (24 hours).
default: 86400
selector:
number:
min: 60
max: 31622400 # 1 year (366 days)
mode: box
step: 1
unit_of_measurement: seconds
sensor4:
name: Middle graph - Second sensor
description: If a sensor is selected here, values will be displayed as a thin red line in the middle graph.
default: ""
selector:
entity:
sensor5:
name: Bottom graph - Sensor
description: Values from this sensor will be displayed as a black line in the bottom graph.
selector:
entity:
field4_icon:
name: Bottom graph - Icon
description: This icon will be displayed next to the bottom graph.
selector:
icon:
field4_duration:
name: Bottom graph - Duration
description: >
Total duration (in seconds) of the data shown on the bottom graph.
The default is 86400 seconds (24 hours).
default: 86400
selector:
number:
min: 60
max: 31622400 # 1 year (366 days)
mode: box
step: 1
unit_of_measurement: seconds
sensor6:
name: Bottom graph - Second sensor
description: If a sensor is selected here, values will be displayed as a thin red line in the bottom graph.
default: ""
selector:
entity:
font_data:
name: Font - Data values
description: >
This font will be used to display the numerical data values.
OpenEPaperLink has `ppb.ttf` and `rbm.ttf` built in.
If you want custom fonts, upload them to `/media` on HA, then specify
e.g. `/media/Bahnschrift.ttf`.
default: ppb.ttf
font_unit:
name: Font - Units
description: >
This font will be used to display the units.
default: ppb.ttf
font_legend:
name: Font - Graph legend
description: >
This font will be used to display the small legend next to the graphs.
default: ppb.ttf
frame_color:
name: Frame color
description: Optionally draw a red or black frame around each display.
default: white
selector:
select:
options:
- white
- red
- black
mode: dropdown
trigger:
!input triggers
condition: []
variables:
tag: !input tag_entity
field1_icon: !input field1_icon
sensor1: !input sensor1
field1_warn_above: !input field1_warn_above
field1_warn_below: !input field1_warn_below
field2_icon: !input field2_icon
sensor2: !input sensor2
field2_warn_above: !input field2_warn_above
field2_warn_below: !input field2_warn_below
field3_icon: !input field3_icon
sensor3: !input sensor3
field3_duration: !input field3_duration
sensor4: !input sensor4
field4_icon: !input field4_icon
sensor5: !input sensor5
field4_duration: !input field4_duration
sensor6: !input sensor6
font_data: !input font_data
font_unit: !input font_unit
font_legend: !input font_legend
frame_color: !input frame_color
# Some processing to get sensor data and coloring
field1_value: "{{states(''''~sensor1)}}"
field1_unit: "{{state_attr(''''~sensor1,'unit_of_measurement')}}"
field2_value: "{{states(''''~sensor2)}}"
field2_unit: "{{state_attr(''''~sensor2,'unit_of_measurement')}}"
field1_color: >
{% if is_number(float(field1_value,"")) and ((is_number(float(field1_warn_above,"")) and (float(field1_value) > float(field1_warn_above)))
or (is_number(float(field1_warn_below,"")) and (float(field1_value) < float(field1_warn_below)))) -%}
red
{%- else -%}
black
{%- endif %}
field2_color: >
{% if is_number(float(field2_value,"")) and ((is_number(float(field2_warn_above,"")) and (float(field2_value) > float(field2_warn_above)))
or (is_number(float(field2_warn_below,"")) and (float(field2_value) < float(field2_warn_below)))) -%}
red
{%- else -%}
black
{%- endif %}
# Building blocks for the various UI components of the display
building_blocks:
- &frame
type: rectangle
outline: !input frame_color
fill: white
width: 1
- &icon
type: icon
size: 32
color: black
- &value
type: text
font: !input font_data
size: 24
color: black
anchor: mm
- &unit
type: text
font: !input font_unit
y_padding: 14
size: 18
color: black
anchor: mm
- &plot
type: plot
font: !input font_legend
size: 12
ylegend:
position: right
color: red
yaxis: null
# Top left value
- &frame1
<<: *frame
x_start: 0
y_start: 0
x_end: 75
y_end: 49
- &icon1
<<: *icon
color: "{{ field1_color }}"
value: !input field1_icon
x: 1
"y": 8
- &value1
<<: *value
color: "{{ field1_color }}"
value: "{{ field1_value }}"
x: 52
"y": 14
- &unit1
<<: *unit
color: "{{ field1_color }}"
value: "{{ field1_unit }}"
x: 52
# Top right value
- &frame2
<<: *frame
x_start: 77
y_start: 0
x_end: 151
y_end: 49
- &icon2
<<: *icon
color: "{{ field2_color }}"
value: !input field2_icon
x: 77
"y": 8
- &value2
<<: *value
color: "{{ field2_color }}"
value: "{{ field2_value }}"
x: 128
"y": 14
- &unit2
<<: *unit
color: "{{ field2_color }}"
value: "{{ field2_unit }}"
x: 128
# Middle graph
- &frame3
<<: *frame
x_start: 0
y_start: 51
x_end: 151
y_end: 100
- &icon3
<<: *icon
x: 1
"y": 59
value: !input field3_icon
# Version with one line
- &plot3
<<: *plot
x_start: 34
y_start: 52
x_end: 149
y_end: 99
duration: !input field3_duration
data:
- entity: !input sensor3
width: 3
joint: curve
# Version with two lines
- &plot3_2
<<: *plot3
data:
- entity: !input sensor3
width: 3
joint: curve
color: black
- entity: !input sensor4
width: 1
joint: curve
color: red
# Bottom graph
- &frame4
<<: *frame
x_start: 0
y_start: 102
x_end: 151
y_end: 151
- &icon4
<<: *icon
x: 1
"y": 110
value: !input field4_icon
# Version with one line
- &plot4
<<: *plot
x_start: 34
y_start: 103
x_end: 149
y_end: 150
duration: !input field4_duration
data:
- entity: !input sensor5
width: 3
joint: curve
# Version with two lines
- &plot4_2
<<: *plot4
data:
- entity: !input sensor5
width: 3
joint: curve
color: black
- entity: !input sensor6
width: 1
joint: curve
color: red
mode: single
action:
# Check whether the two graphs have 1 or 2 data sources each
# Unfortunately we currently need 4 different code paths for this
#
# Todo: check if the OpenEPaperLink integration's `Plot` payload of the
# `drawcustom` service can be made to ignore entities with invalid
# sensors, then we can pass just "None" or pass the same entity twice.
- choose:
- conditions:
- condition: and
conditions:
- "{{ states(sensor4) not in ['unavailable', 'unknown', 'none'] }}"
- "{{ states(sensor6) in ['unavailable', 'unknown', 'none'] }}"
alias: Draw tag, top graph with 2 sensors, bottom with 1 sensor
sequence:
- service: open_epaper_link.drawcustom
target:
entity_id: !input tag_entity
data:
background: white
rotate: 0
ttl: 300
payload:
- <<: *frame1
- <<: *icon1
- <<: *value1
- <<: *unit1
- <<: *frame2
- <<: *icon2
- <<: *value2
- <<: *unit2
- <<: *frame3
- <<: *icon3
- <<: *plot3_2
- <<: *frame4
- <<: *icon4
- <<: *plot4
- conditions:
- condition: and
conditions:
- "{{ states(sensor4) in ['unavailable', 'unknown', 'none'] }}"
- "{{ states(sensor6) not in ['unavailable', 'unknown', 'none'] }}"
alias: Draw tag, top graph with 1 sensor, bottom with 2 sensors
sequence:
- service: open_epaper_link.drawcustom
target:
entity_id: !input tag_entity
data:
background: white
rotate: 0
ttl: 300
payload:
- <<: *frame1
- <<: *icon1
- <<: *value1
- <<: *unit1
- <<: *frame2
- <<: *icon2
- <<: *value2
- <<: *unit2
- <<: *frame3
- <<: *icon3
- <<: *plot3
- <<: *frame4
- <<: *icon4
- <<: *plot4_2
- conditions:
- condition: and
conditions:
- "{{ states(sensor4) not in ['unavailable', 'unknown', 'none'] }}"
- "{{ states(sensor6) not in ['unavailable', 'unknown', 'none'] }}"
alias: Top and bottom graphs with 2 sensors each
sequence:
- service: open_epaper_link.drawcustom
target:
entity_id: !input tag_entity
data:
background: white
rotate: 0
ttl: 300
payload:
- <<: *frame1
- <<: *icon1
- <<: *value1
- <<: *unit1
- <<: *frame2
- <<: *icon2
- <<: *value2
- <<: *unit2
- <<: *frame3
- <<: *icon3
- <<: *plot3_2
- <<: *frame4
- <<: *icon4
- <<: *plot4_2
default:
- service: open_epaper_link.drawcustom
target:
entity_id: !input tag_entity
data:
background: white
rotate: 0
ttl: 300
payload:
- <<: *frame1
- <<: *icon1
- <<: *value1
- <<: *unit1
- <<: *frame2
- <<: *icon2
- <<: *value2
- <<: *unit2
- <<: *frame3
- <<: *icon3
- <<: *plot3
- <<: *frame4
- <<: *icon4
- <<: *plot4
Debugging
The displays are very slow to update. As you set it up the way you want, you usually don’t want to wait for the tag to update, or your turnaround will be slow. It’s much quicker to set up a preview card with OpenEPaperLink’s built-in camera entity, like this:
type: horizontal-stack
cards:
- type: entities
entities:
- entity: sensor.0000021efa1e3411_battery
name: Batterie
- entity: sensor.0000021efa1e3411_last_seen
name: Wann
- entity: sensor.0000021efa1e3411_rssi
name: Signal
title: 02:1e:fa:1e:34:11
- show_state: false
show_name: false
camera_view: auto
type: picture-entity
entity: camera.0000021efa1e3411_content