ESPHome configuration for controlling a Jet AFS-1000C wood shop air filtration system.
You can find the complete project on my github.
This setup uses an ESP32 + 6-channel relay module to simulate button presses on the Jet’s control panel, and also acts as a Bluetooth proxy for the shop.
Back Story
I created this project to provide full automation and control capability through Home Assistant for my shop’s Jet AFS-1000C air filtration system.
The Jet unit has a built-in air quality sensor and an “auto” mode that will adjust the fan speed based on the amount of airborne particulates. One annoyance is that auto mode must be enabled on every power-on.
My initial idea, since it comes with an RF Remote operating on 315.1Mhz, was to leverage the Home Assistant Radio Frequency integration So, I purchased a CC1101 breakout board and created an ESPHome config to drive it with an ESP32. I could never get it to transmit at all, despite it receiving and decoding the remote’s signals. Turns out I’d purchased a breakout board that didn’t allow transmit at 315Mhz, even though the CC1101 chip is capable. The upside is I got a chance to use my RTL-SDR to verify what was happening on the airwaves. You can read the whole saga here: esphome/esphome#18528. I lost patience and purchased a BroadLink RM4 Pro IR/RF Universal Remote This actually functioned a little, but VERY unreliably, so I tossed that idea.
The Jet unit has a physical control panel, so I wondered if I could tap into it directly. It is an expensive unit, so I tried RF control first since it is less risky than messing with the electronics, but it was trivial to open and have a look. The button controls are on their own board, separate from the high voltage motor control board, and trivial to remove. Also, all of the buttons are the type you typically see and I’ve used many times on Arduino projects. Some mild soldering later, and boom, I have highly reliable remote control of all functions from Home Assistant. My primary automation is to put the unit in Auto mode whenever it is turned on via HA.