ESPHome WLED combination?

Hi everybody,

I am controlling multiple WS2811 and WS2812 led strips with both ESPHome and WLED. Unfortunately, ESPHome has very few “out of the box” light effects; while WLED has many more great light effects, it can only control those leds… ESPHome, however, can also control other things.

Is there a way to combine both projects in one controller? I assume the answer is no, but perhaps somebody knows a way or an alternative that might work for what I am trying to do.

For example, in my living room, I have an ESPHome with a light sensor and a WS2812. Automation goes something like this: if living room door is open and light sensor value is below between 11:00 and 20:45, then turn on . In this scenario, is connected to the same ESPHome that also measures the lux via sensor. is just another light inn the same room.
Then, in the bedroom, I have a WLED connected to a WS2811. This can obviously not measure lux, but instead only control the WS2811. This is totally fine, as I use different automations in my bedroom that don’t necessarily need to rely on an actual lux value (for example, when sun is below horizon and tv is turned on, toggle <wled_bedroom>).

But here is my “problem” or the reason I am looking for a combination of those two projects in one device: I want to build a controller with a lux sensor and an led strip (WS2811) for my parents. The do not have a Home Assistant (nor any other smarthome controller), which means the device itself would have to do all the “work”. By that, I mean that it should both be able to measure lux value and control the led strip but controlling the led strip should be done by WLED (as it has many more effects out of the box).

I am aware that I could just set up Home Assistant on a pi for them, then build on ESPHome for measuring light and a WLED for controlling the led strip, but if there was some way to have it all done by one single device, it’d be much nicer. I am pretty sure that there is no way to run two separate programs on one device (in this case, btw., I am using a nodeMCU v3 as controller and nodeMCU board as power supply), but I have seen so many great projects and ideas in the Home Assistant forums that I could imagine somebody having build something like this and might be able to help :slight_smile:

Thank you for your ideas

2 Likes

I agree that WLED is your best option in a stand-alone application since it has the superior web/app interface of the two options (and much more effects as you mentioned).

While it is not possible to combine ESPHome and WLED, nor is it (at this moment) possible to directly add a brightness sensor to WLED. WLED does however support input from a push button, it might be possible to use one of those “Photosensitive Light Sensors” that have a digital output (aliexpress.com/item/32571120284.html) and hook that up instead of the push button.

A more advanced option would be to add the functionality to WLED yourself: https://github.com/Aircoookie/WLED/wiki/Add-own-functionality.

1 Like

Thank you! Using one of those photosensitive light sensors is a great idea.

Unfortunately, I do not have the skills to add any functionalities to it myself.

But as a satisfying solution I will resort to setting up a pi running Home Assistant, then have it control everything in their house that I can integrate. I’ll have to maintain it for them, but many things (motion sensors, light control, etc) are set and forget anyway, so it should not be too much of a hassle =)