Iron gate sensor

jolly · February 8, 2019, 10:05am

Hello everyone … I would like to apply a magnetic sensor to detect if the automatic gate (iron) closes or if it remains open (since sometimes I find it open when I return home …grrr) and then let me notify sensor status on the cell … my doubt is: which magnetic contact sensor could I use considering that it will be outside and therefore must be waterproof and manageable by homeassistant?
thank you all!!

tom_l · February 8, 2019, 11:09am

jolly · February 8, 2019, 12:31pm

thank you so much Tom!! … could you help me explaining exactly how and what you did? I’m a real beginner

tom_l · February 8, 2019, 12:34pm

Bit more info here:

jolly · February 8, 2019, 12:38pm

the power supply is not a problem … recovery from the line that feeds the gate motor … what I can not do is how to use the various tools that I need and how to implement them on hass.io

tom_l · February 8, 2019, 12:48pm

Well to start with have a read of the getting started and GPIO binary sensor here:

Using a simple YAML config file you can build a wifi sensor using an ESP board. With the (default) discovery enabled you don’t even have to configure anything in Home assistant for the switches or sensors to show up.

Example config file:

esphomeyaml:
  name: lane_gate
  platform: ESP32
  board: nodemcu-32s

wifi:
  ssid: 'WAPDI'
  password: !secret wifi_pwd
  manual_ip:
    static_ip: 10.1.1.80
    gateway: 10.1.1.1
    subnet: 255.255.255.0

mqtt:  ### using the api: method you dont even need this mqtt broker bit
  broker: '10.1.1.100'
  username: !secret mqtt_usr
  password: !secret mqtt_pwd

logger:
  level: WARN

ota:
  password: !secret esp_pwd

deep_sleep:
  run_duration: 2min
  sleep_duration: 720min
  wakeup_pin_mode: INVERT_WAKEUP
  wakeup_pin: GPIO12

sensor:
  - platform: wifi_signal
    name: "Laneway Gate WiFi Signal"
    update_interval: 4s
    filters:
      - sliding_window_moving_average:
          window_size: 15
          send_every: 15

  - platform: adc
    pin: GPIO36
    name: "Laneway Gate Battery"
    attenuation: 6db
    unit_of_measurement: "V"
    update_interval: 4s
    filters:
      - multiply: 1.88
      - sliding_window_moving_average:
          window_size: 15
          send_every: 15

binary_sensor:
  - platform: status
    name: "Laneway Gate Status"
  - platform: gpio
    pin:
      number: GPIO25
    name: "Laneway Gate"
    device_class: door
    filters:
      - delayed_on: 100ms
      - delayed_off: 10s
  - platform: gpio
    pin:
      number: 12
      mode: INPUT_PULLDOWN
    name: "Laneway Gate Wake Pin"

jolly · February 8, 2019, 12:59pm

ok … I’m not practical to esphome (I have several sonoff with tasmota and some nodeMCU with espeasy) but I do not think it’s a problem … what material do I have to get?

tom_l · February 8, 2019, 1:14pm

A Wemos D1 mini ESP2866 board or NodeMCU-32S board (more inputs and better deep sleep but not needed for this project as you have power available and we only need one input)
A ME-8166 limit switch (ebay)
A suitable water resistant enclosure, a cable gland (GN12) and outdoor cat5 cable or similar.

What is the power supply to your gate?

I assume you have a programming cable from your tasmota flashing.

jolly · February 8, 2019, 1:17pm

OK, perfect! gate supply 220V … yes, to program tasmota I have a FTDI module …

tom_l · February 8, 2019, 2:55pm

Ok so you’ll need a 220V AC to 5V DC @1A (or 3.3V but these are less common) power supply as well.

jolly · February 9, 2019, 10:29am

ok, so I have to get these things

sparkydave · February 9, 2019, 10:49am

ESPhome now has API integration with Home Assistant so you don’t actually have to use MQTT anymore.

If you were to use a NodeMCU, you can plug it into your HA server (eg: rPi) via USB and program it directly from a HassIO add-on… Assuming that you are running HassIO… If you are running straight Home Assistant, you won’t have that luxury.

Another good thing about the NodeMCU is that it can be powered by the USB socket so you can simply use a cheap phone charger as the power supply for example. Otherwise, cheap 5v power supplies are easy to come by for hard-wiring into a circuit

tom_l · February 9, 2019, 11:02am

I keep forgetting this. So yeah no programming cable required just a USB-A to USB mini cable if running Hassio.

jolly · February 9, 2019, 12:11pm

it seems a lot more comfortable even though unfortunately I have no idea how to do it

sparkydave · February 9, 2019, 7:50pm

Are you running HassIO? If so, install the ESPhome add-on, it has a wizard to guide you through flashing the NodeMCU which will make it nice and easy for you

jolly · February 9, 2019, 10:08pm

Yes, i have HassIO…do you intend to install from this repository? ( https://esphome.io/guides/getting_started_hassio.html ) …if yes, which of the three add-ons?

sparkydave · February 9, 2019, 10:14pm

Just install the standard version. The others are beta’s

sparkydave · February 9, 2019, 10:15pm

Once installed and you plug the NodeMCU in to the RPi, you may have to restart the add-on to get the device to be detected. I think the wizard might actually tell you this anyway

guyy · December 24, 2020, 5:29am

Hi i am a beginner with esp can you send a link of which module to buy from aliexpress or other .
There are lots of models

sparkydave · December 24, 2020, 5:52am

If it’s far from your wifi then it’s sometimes handy to get the Wemos D1 mini Pro as it has an external antenna (you do need to move a soldered resistor to enable the external antenna).

Otherwise I generally use these ones because they have mounting holes.

Unfortunately I haven’t yet seen a Pro version with mounting holes, but you just have to figure a way to mount it.