MQTT, Noob needs to take it a step further

Configuration
1

Ok, so after watching Ben’s(BRUH) video, “$15 DIY Multisensor”, I was able to build and get a couple of these Multisensors working in HA.

Now I want to start using the PIR sensor to control some lights. So what do I want to Subscribe to, in “MQTT Lens” or HA, so that I only see the value, for the PIR sensor???

The following, is the code I am using, to setup one of the sensors,

  - platform: mqtt
    state_topic: "climate/li-room"
    name: "Livingroom Humidity"
    unit_of_measurement: "%"  
    value_template: '{{ value_json.humidity | round(1) }}'
  - platform: mqtt
    state_topic: "climate/li-room"
    name: "Livingroom LDR"
    unit_of_measurement: "LUX"
    value_template: '{{ value_json.ldr }}'
  - platform: mqtt
    state_topic: "climate/li-room"
    name: "Livingroom PIR"
    value_template: '{{ value_json.motion }}'
  - platform: mqtt
    state_topic: "climate/li-room"
    name: "Livingroom Temperature"
    unit_of_measurement: "F"
    value_template: '{{ value_json.temperature | round(1) }}'
  - platform: mqtt
    state_topic: "climate/li-room"
    name: "Livingroom Real Feel"
    unit_of_measurement: "F"
    value_template: '{{ value_json.heatIndex | round(1) }}'
  - platform: mqtt
    state_topic: "climate/li-room"
    name: "Livingroom WiFi RSSI"
    unit_of_measurement: "db"  
    value_template: '{{ value_json.signal_strength }}'

On another subject, Where is Ben???

2

Looks like you’re already subscribed to the topic:

  - platform: mqtt
    state_topic: "climate/li-room"
    name: "Livingroom PIR"
    value_template: '{{ value_json.motion }}'

Now you’d need to create an automation based on the PIR value. Here is a basic example:

- alias: Switch Light On by PIR
  trigger:
    - platform: state
      entity_id: binary_sensor.livingroom_pir
      to: 'on'
  condition:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: sun.sun
        state: 'below_horizon'
  action:
  - service: light.turn_on
    data:
      entity_id: light.livingroom
      brightness: 255

Important Note: This assumes you’ve declared your PIR sensor as a binary_sensor

3

I don’t think is is a binary.sensor, when I look at it’s states list, all I see is, sensor.livingroom_pir. This is the way Ben has it setup… Can I still make it work, or do I have too rewrite the code???

4

Your code in the first post, I’m guessing all the entries would be located under sensor: in your configuration.yaml
All you’d need to do is to add a header below all these called binary_sensor: and move the PIR sensor there:

sensor:
  - platform: mqtt
    state_topic: "climate/li-room"
    name: "Livingroom Humidity"
    unit_of_measurement: "%"  
    value_template: '{{ value_json.humidity | round(1) }}'
  - platform: mqtt
    state_topic: "climate/li-room"
    name: "Livingroom LDR"
    unit_of_measurement: "LUX"
    value_template: '{{ value_json.ldr }}'
  - platform: mqtt
    state_topic: "climate/li-room"
    name: "Livingroom Temperature"
    unit_of_measurement: "F"
    value_template: '{{ value_json.temperature | round(1) }}'
  - platform: mqtt
    state_topic: "climate/li-room"
    name: "Livingroom Real Feel"
    unit_of_measurement: "F"
    value_template: '{{ value_json.heatIndex | round(1) }}'
  - platform: mqtt
    state_topic: "climate/li-room"
    name: "Livingroom WiFi RSSI"
    unit_of_measurement: "db"  
    value_template: '{{ value_json.signal_strength }}'
binary_sensor:
  - platform: mqtt
    state_topic: "climate/li-room"
    name: "Livingroom PIR"
    value_template: '{{ value_json.motion }}'
5

@lolouk44

By doing what you state above, breaks the Motion sensor, in HA. I get the following warning;

2018-06-13 17:51:00 WARNING (MainThread) [homeassistant.components.binary_sensor.mqtt] No matching payload found for entity: Kitchen PIR with state_topic: climate/ki-room

It probably because, in Ben’s Sketch for the sensor module, he uses only 1 mqtt topic to get ALL the info, for the 5 different sensors, and that is “climate/li-room”. When I put this topic into a program like “MQTT Lens”, I get the following back;

{"state":"OFF","color":{"r":255,"g":255,"b":255},"brightness":255,"humidity":"58.70","motion":"standby","ldr":"388","temperature":"77.54","heatIndex":"77.75","signal_strength":"-47"}

Unless there is another way, Looks like I may need to start learning how to rewrite Ben’s sketch.

6

It’s probably because Ben doesn’t return standard values for motion on and motion off.
Add a couple of lines to tell HA what status means motion on and what status means motion off:

binary_sensor:
  - platform: mqtt
    state_topic: "climate/li-room"
    name: "Livingroom PIR"
    value_template: '{{ value_json.motion }}'
    payload_on: "insert status representing motion detected here"
    payload_off: "standby"
7

OK, so that fixed it.

But, in HA it is now showing “ON” for Motion Detected, and “OFF” for Standby(no motion). Which I can live with, but it would be nice for HA to display Motion Detected or Standby.

Thanks for the help

8

You’ll find more info on how too personalise your sensor here

What you need is to define the device class to motion

9

Thanks again, that looks better…