Hacking Velux blinds and automating them with ESPHome

Hey folks,

I recently added Velux blinds to my window but quickly learnt they can’t be integrated with home assistant.

I added and ESP32 running esphome to the remotes so I can control them via home assistant.

If you want to automate your Velux blinds you can follow my guide here: https://chiragdesai.uk/automating-velux-blinds-with-home-assistant/

C

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The only suggestion I’d make woould be to use the ESPHome Button component instead of switches.

On press toggle a GPIO output momentarily (like you are doing with the switches).

That’s a good suggestion. The switches themselves aren’t used in Home Assistant UI. They’re used to create a template cover and that has buttons on it when you use the tile card.

I haven’t tested it, but it doesn’t look like you can ‘invert’ the buttons. When I set up the switches they were acting as ‘always pressed’ when the swtich was off in the UI. Inverting them, they act as expected, not pressed. I may give it a go when I get some time and see how it goes.

They can. I have it

Could anyone help with button config example?

This is for switch:

  - platform: gpio
    name: "Blind 1 Down"
    id: blind_1_down
    icon: "mdi:window-shutter"
    pin:
      number: GPIO13
      inverted: true
    on_turn_on:
     - delay: 500ms
     - switch.turn_off: blind_1_down
    interlock: [blind_1_up, blind_1_stop]
output:
  - id: blnd_1_dn
    platform: gpio
    pin:
      number: 13
      mode:
        output: true
      inverted: true

button:
  - platform: output
    name: "Blind 1 Down"
    icon: "mdi:window-shutter"
    output: blnd_1_dn
    duration: 500ms

Note that Interlock is not supported for either of these components.

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Works like a charm. Thank to both of you, @chillerz for hacking the remote and writing the tutorial and @tom_l for helping with the ESP button config.

Very happy with the finished product :slight_smile:

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Looking good! Glad it worked for you!