MQTT automation light control to template automation

Configuration
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1

I currently have the following automation in order to switch on and off a double_garage light in Home Assistant when an on/off message is received via MQTT hub.

automation:
  - id: '11'
    alias: turn on lights
    trigger:
      platform: mqtt
      topic: 'light/double_garage'
      payload: "on"
      encoding: "utf-8"
    action:
      - service: light.turn_on
        data:
          entity_id:
            - light.double_garage
  - id: '12'
    alias: turn off lights
    trigger:
      platform: mqtt
      topic: 'light/double_garage'
      payload: "off"
      encoding: "utf-8"
    action:
      - service: light.turn_off
        data:
          entity_id:
            - light.double_garage

That’s a lot of code for one single light! any way to template the above for any light matching for instance a regex??

2

Why do you not use an MQTT light?

3

I actually have it in my configuration.yml:

light:
  - platform: mqtt
    command_topic: 'light/double_garage'
    name: Double Garage
    optimistic: true

however the mqtt light only sends correct ON and OFF messages to the topic “light/double_garage” but when I do send an ON or OFF message myself through either mosquitto_publish or the HA console the light does not respond.

4

Did you publish to the same topic when you did it manually? This should work. The MQTT light doesn’t care where the command comes from.

5

yes… sent the same message and subscribing from another host and listening to #topic shows the same identical messages as received by the MQTT hub.
Yet lights only respond when clicked not through MQTT messages.

mosquitto_sub -v -P Dxxxxxx -t # -p 1883
Warning: Not using password since username not set.
light/double_garage OFF
light/double_garage ON

6

you’re sending “on” and “off” from home assistant and “ON” and “OFF” in your example. Maybe it’s case sensitive?

7

nope, tried uppercase, lowercase, 0, 1 nothing.
Beyond that, if I could parametrize the automation it would not be a problem for me, but currently it is too verbose to specify two rules for each switch! any idea?

8

You could try a template light

  - platform: template
    lights:
     double_garage:
        turn_on:
          - service: mqtt.publish
            data:
              payload: 'on'
              topic: 'light/double_garage'
        turn_off:
          - service: mqtt.publish
            data:
              payload: 'off'
              topic: light/double_garage
9

I don’t understand how this is possible, the MQTT light doesn’t check where the message came from.

10

Ok, here’s a question. Why are you supplying a password without specifying the username?

11

Yeah good point, I left the parameter there to remember in the future to enable authentication but since I specify no username apparently the option is ignored. from the manual:

Provide a password to be used for authenticating with the broker. Using this argument without also specifying a username is invalid. This requires a broker that supports MQTT v3.1. See also the --username option.

probably I’ll be better to remove it even though I think it isn’t causing any issues at the moment.