I own a couple of LED ceiling lights that have a IR remote to control color temperature und brightness. I hate remotes, though. That is why I want to use a esp8266 to spoof the signal and control it via Home Assistant.
I have build a working prototype on a breadboard, but I have never build something like this before. I would like to know what kind of issues I might be facing, that I might not be thinking of.
For example, I’d like to know if I might have problem with heat, either from the lamp or the PSU for esp8266.
If you have some experience you could share, I would appreciate the input.
Short summary of the project:
ESP8266 with a IR transmitter soldered on a protoboard
In my opinion there are too many variables to answer your concerns reliably.
I know you didn’t ask for recommendations, but for your specific problem there exists cheap hardware that can mimic IR calls and connect through to HA; like the Broadlink Mini (or Pro)
If it is inside (so not very hot) and the led (and it’s own supply) don’t add excessive heat to your install area, then I don’t see why it would fail. Of course there are a lot of potentially unmentioned variables that could cause problems with heat or signal.
Does it hey hot where you plan to install everything? If you have the fixtures, you could climb a chair or ladder after they have been on 20min or so and feel of they are hot. Better yet get a non contact ir thermometer to measure temps of your enclosure. Your power supply is likely to be the first to succumb to heat. I have shelly devices (also esp8266), and those take 180C without problems. Look your supply’s specs, investigate the environment, and make an informed decision about heat.
Also, if the area you plan to install the esp is surrounded in metal (most light enclosures are), you won’t get any wifi signal. OTOH if there is attic space above, you could install it up and away from a metal light.
If those lights run too hot to do this or metal foils the signal, maybe another fixture w/ standard sockets and zwave bulbs?
I have five lamps in five different rooms. I do not want to find a power socket or a stand to place the Broadlink Mini. Therefore that’s not going to work for me :-/
I do agree that my question is a little hard to answer and I am thankful for all suggestions and considerations.
The enclosure is plastic. Usually LEDs don’t run that hot, but these run von 360V DC which kind of troubles me. I will check that before I install anything. I do worry about air circulation, because the cover closes over the LED strips. But the fixture is not that tight. I will need to measure the heat, though, your are right.
What I have done to control some IR devices is use various Esp8266 (Esp01, D1 min, D1 min pro with external antenna) with Esphome firmware. You would need enough room for the AC/DC transformer to feed the Esp Esp8266. The D1 mini has an IR shield so you will not have to create your own for simplicity.
