ESP32 control panel button presser - can you convert dumb appliances for use in home assistant?
I’ve struggled to find much because AI and other search engines just give me examples of using buttons with esp or making an esp ir blaster etc!
Here’s what I’m actually looking for information about and the question I’m asking:
Let’s say I have a dumb applicance - for example, I have a simple AC unit. It has buttons on the unit itself as well as an IR remote. No WiFi or anything.
Does anyone know of and could point me in the direction of an ESPHome project that takes an ESP32, that get’s wired to the appliances buttons (I would imagine via opto-isoloator or something would do) that means I can convert the dumb appliance into something that I can add to ESPHome and then control via Home Assistant? Essentially adding WiFi control via HA to a dumb appliance with buttons/a control panel
EDIT: Just to add - in the use cases I personally want, the few dumb applicance, their buttons are simple press/touch to change a function button. They’re not power switches so very low current (if any) and only pressed for half a second, they don’t need to be held in position hence why I figured a transistor or optocoupler would work, don’t need relays as they’ll increase the size of the PCB with no need for them over a more simple optocoupler or transistor etc
I would go for the ir blaster route. You don’t have to build one you can buy them cheap, I bought mine from athom.tech for 15€ and re-flashed it with esphome.
Then just start learning all the codes being sent from the AC remote and add them to ir blaster. That way you can sent same codes from HA. It’s a bit of work, but no soldering needed, or disassembly of your appliances.
The problem with this is that you get zero feedback. You simply send a code and hope it did what was expected. For a complex machine this is not enough.
That is true. Personally I only found this to be an issue with devices/buttons that use the same button/code for on/off like my tv and stereo. So I can send the key, but I can’t see if it’s on or off…
You can always do both, IR and making binary sensors from the physical buttons and then there’s no compromise and you get the best of both worlds. As long as opening whatever this is, it isnt like cracking a safe and not a pain in my a55 then id do it.
Persionally I have a Broadlink RM4mini, which simulates a number of remote controls. It is well integrated into HA and is easy to set up. It does need the device to be facing the RM4, and has the above limitation of no feedback … but the same applies to wiring an ESP32 to the buttons.
The OP would need sensors to show the status (such as GPIO pins connected to the LEDs) as well as the switch GPIO pins connected to the buttons.
Yep! Gotta learn sometime if OP ever wants to do some personal modifications or DIY his own stuff. There wont always be some over the counter product that can be ordered from Amazon that solves all of somebody’s problems and they’ll have to make it themselves or forever be limited by the same online products others are limited to.
I have a few of the older RM3mini IR blasters and they work great, but my only feedback is power monitoring for an ON/OFF status with anything else being guesswork / hopes and dreams.
The OP mentioned an ESP so I was trying to continue along that avenue.
Yep, which is very easy to do using opto-isolation to not mess with the equipment’s original circuitry.
I wasn’t expecting over the counter, I eventually found this GitHub - PricelessToolkit/ESPClicker which is pretty much what I want except I don’t really need relays. I may make my own alternative using PC847 4CH optocoupler.
Just to state too, I don’t want an IR blaster, that’s the whole point - I have an IR blaster, but there’s other dumb devices that don’t have IR, that’s why I mentioned I get results for IR blasters but it’s not what I want
I was hoping by now someone would have already done somerthing and perhaps had gerbers or a hackaday guide I could go off (like the ESPClicker I found), but think I’ll have to DIY it a bit. Potentially using 2 x PC847 (8 channels total) OR 8 G6K-2P-Y-3VDC relays but I find relays take up larger footprint BUT they do obviously have the ability to hold a load whereas PC847 won’t hold a high load, that’s not it’s purpose so to speak but it is fine for triggering the press of a physical touch button on the control panel (rather than a power switch or similar with large current)
A different take on basic AC control I’ve been working on is with HA monitoring a power plug that reports energy usage.
After some testing I can tell if it’s Off, Idle, or Cooling. I have an external temp sensor and some automation that turns the plug on and off depending on whether the requested temp is below the actual temp. Automation waits for AC to be “Idle” before shutting off the plug so it’s gentle to the compressor.
Since the window AC seems to take a break periodically I’m able to set it slightly lower than the range that I’d requested cooling to (eg 64°f) and HA can shut it on and off depending on what I have it set to (68-74°).
It’s still in testing, but I’m hoping to make a climate template that controls the whole thing. Seemed simpler than getting into direct control, but does lack directly controlling temp and fan speed on the unit itself. Happy to share code, but it’s not fully where I want it to be.
Edit (I don’t see why you couldn’t use this for any type of window/free standing AC)
So I’ve designed my own PCB in the end using 8 relays (90mm x 40mm). For my use case scenario - on multiple dumb device I plan to make smart, all functions are simple button presses, practically zero current so I’ve not bothered with full isolation of the relay connections so to speak. Some devices already have 3.3v and/or 5v - although in some instance I may need to use a tiny 220v to 3.3v power supply. <700ma should be plenty so they’re cheap, cheerful and tiny
