Error configuring new MQTT-group in HA (Zigbee2MQTT-group) [solved]

Hi guys,

I try to add a group of Hue Zigbee lights to HA according to example page Zigbee2MQTT HA-integration
HA thrown an error Configuration not valid;

Invalid config for [group]: expected a dictionary for dictionary vale @data[‘group’]. Got [OrderDict([‘platform’, 'mqtt and so on

I’ve got a specific group.yaml which is included in configuration.yaml. This is contents of group.yaml;

- platform: mqtt
  name: lights_ceiling_small_bedroom
  schema: json
  command_topic: "zigbee2mqtt/lights_ceiling_small_bedroom/set"
  state_topic: "zigbee2mqtt/lights_ceiling_small_bedroom"
  color_temp: true
  brightness: true

zigbee2mqtt-group;

'1':
  friendly_name: lights_ceiling_small_bedroom
  retain: false
  optimistic: true
  transition: 2
  devices:
    - '0x0017880104fffffff'
    - '0x0017880104eeeeee'

‘group-topic’ set “on” from dev-tools tab MQTT, Zigbee2MQTT set state to ON for independent lights. So that’s fine.

As a HA-newbie I can’t debug the vague error message. What’s wrong with the syntax?

Bump; anyone?

Just guessing, since I don’t zigbee2mqtt groups, but I think your HA configuration should not be in groups.yaml, but in light.yaml.

@francisp your right! I’ve tried to change that. Like in configuration.yaml > group: !include_dir_list groups. In groups-folder a lights_ceiling_small_bedroom.yaml. It just throws the same error. Fiddling with settings and include-types at a certain point HA wasn’t complaining, but I never saw the group under entities.

Okay I figured it out. A zigbee2mqtt-group isn’t a group in HA. For example my 2 Philips Hue lights paired in zigbee2mqtt shall be configured as a light. Even though z2m-docs mention a section about group. Minor detail :face_with_thermometer: Took me 3 days to figure out.

groups.yaml zigbee2mqtt;

'1':
  friendly_name: lights_ceiling_small_bedroom
  retain: false
  optimistic: true
  transition: 2
  devices:
    - '0x001888010526af6a'
    - '0x00188801053019eb'

manual light entity HA:

light:
- platform: mqtt
  name: "lights_ceiling_small_bedroom"
  schema: json
  command_topic: "zigbee2mqtt/lights_ceiling_small_bedroom/set"
  state_topic: "zigbee2mqtt/lights_ceiling_small_bedroom"
  color_temp: true
  brightness: true

Basic automation will be;

- alias: Toggle_lights_ceiling_small_bedroom
  initial_state: true
  trigger:
  - platform: state
    entity_id: sensor.switch_single_small_bedroom_click
    to: 'single'
  action:
    - service: light.toggle
      data_template:
        entity_id: light.lights_ceiling_small_bedroom
        brightness: 125

zigbee2mqtt docs groups: https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/integration/home_assistant.html#groups (I asked Koen to add some extra explanation after posting solution over here)
Home Assistant docs adding entities (general): https://www.home-assistant.io/docs/configuration/devices/

2 Likes

Thank you for this example!!

I’m trying to add the “transition” setting to one device, do I add it in devices.yaml under the device?

If you could give me an example, that would be great
Thank you!

EDIT; It’s a offtopic. Yep you do! I can’t access the config but search for your device in devices.yaml. Add at bottom of entry. Pretty straight forward. https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/information/configuration.html#device-specific-configuration, https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/information/supported_devices.html

Thanks, sorry I probably should’ve mentioned this before but I have already tried this but it isn’t working for me.

This is what I have in devices.yaml

'0x001788010415f21c':
  friendly_name: 'Office Hue Bulb'
  retain: false
  transition: 10

It should. Which device? Do a search in here and also Z2M-forum. Else open up new topic. Cheers!

Thank you so much!!!

You helped me out after searching for this for months now ^^

In the end and with your hint it was super easy to find the official guidance to this group topic ^^
haha - of course

May you please update your solution post #5 with this link to the official guidance:
https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/integration/home_assistant.html#groups
there is also the rgb feature enabled! absolutely useful for hue and other rgb friends :slight_smile:

Done :grinning:

I think as a newbie to understand the concept. Bit of a learning curve but he that’s the way you learn, right. Making mistakes and find out what goes wrong.

When you find out yourself it makes sense HA can’t look into a crystal ball when it subscribes to and publish messages from/to a MQTT-topic it actually is a group of devices in Z2M.