How to set up a GPIO sensor with ha-rpi_gpio

Configuration
1

Hi all.

I’m new to Home Assistant so please be gentle.

My wish with Home Assistant was to make a simple interface to look at readings from a DS18B20 thermometer sensor that I’ve got connected to the GPIO pins on the Raspberry Pi 4 where Home Assistant OS is installed. I saw that the popular rpi_gpio integration has been depreciated so I’ve been exploring a few ways to get around that. One of them is the new alternative custom integration ha-rpi_gpio (available to be installed via HACS) that is supposed to be a spin-off from the original depreciated integration.

I set everything up as per the very limited instructions on the ha-rpi_gpio github page but the only way I can read something from the sensor is that it has the state On. I feel like I’m probably missing some basic thing about how to configure the sensor. The problem with that is that the documentation for the original depreciated rpi_gpio has seemingly also disappeared.

Can anybody share some insight on how to configure this correctly?

My config for the sensor in configuration.yaml:


binary_sensor:
  - platform: rpi_gpio
    sensors:
      - port: 4
        name: "DS18B20"
        unique_id: "DS18B20_sensor_gpio_7"
        bouncetime: 50
2

rpi gpio integration (HACS) only supports binary sensor, cover, switch.
The Dallas DS18B20 is a sensor. A binary sensor only has an on or off state.
Go to ESPhome for this sensor. It works reliably

3

Ah, of course!

I now see that the module is only for binary sensors. But how about ESPHome - can I make use of that without a separate ESP device? All the information I find is how to set the sensor up with a ESP device, but I have no use for it in my setup.

4

Yes, you need a device, for example ESP D1 mini.
It works over wifi. You can place it anywhere on your LAN. General use for many sensors and more. Simple configuration in HA.

5

That sounds great… for when I have some need for a remote ESP device. At the moment I have no need or place for it in the electric panel where the Raspberry Pi will be located. It would only be an additional point of failure for the system.

I also found this github repo; ha-onewire-sysbus. It says it’s a spin-off from the now depreciated onewire integration (that you would have needed for all 1-Wire sensors, instead of the rpi_gpio integration, if I understand it correctly). I think I’ll go with this solution, even though it also involves some hassle for those with HA OS installed and no access to the /boot/config.txt file.