Mqtt sending several publishes of same event

mcnovy · September 28, 2021, 9:25pm

Hi,

I have an issue where the same event is being sent to home assistant several times.
The MQTT topic is retained by design, and the json within the topic is static

{
  "event": "button pressed",
  "inputId": "48402;3"
}

So it’s not a on or off message, but rather just a push of a button.

This is my trigger (Created with GUI editor)

alias: boolean Bedroom
description: ''
trigger:
  - platform: mqtt
    topic: homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event
condition: []
action:
  - service: automation.turn_off
    target:
      entity_id: automation.bedroom
    data:
      stop_actions: false
  - service: input_boolean.toggle
    target:
      entity_id: input_boolean.bedroom
  - delay:
      hours: 0
      minutes: 0
      seconds: 4
      milliseconds: 0
  - service: automation.turn_on
    target:
      entity_id: automation.bedroom
mode: single

The thing is when used, the lights just turn on and off,
so I setup an MQTT server with full debug logs, and it seems when I receive a button press from the component, I receive hundreds of published to Home Assistant.

Anyone got an idea?
I have reached out to the support, and requested them to remove the retain flag, as that doesn’t seem to make sense, but I am not sure why that would cause MQTT server to resend the same message hundred of times?
(well, at least it only sent once to mqtt-explorer )

edit
After posting this, did the component even sent retain flag as on? (r0)
but suddenly after a while, retain flag is set?

7daebb60676c4882b584bfac16e7b131 = is the component
2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio = is home assistant

2021-09-28T20:32:43: Received PUBLISH from 7daebb60676c4882b584bfac16e7b131 (d0, q1, r0, m31475, 'homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event', ... (46 bytes))
2021-09-28T20:32:43: Sending PUBLISH to 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio (d0, q0, r0, m0, 'homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event', ... (46 bytes))
2021-09-28T20:32:43: Sending PUBLISH to mqtt-explorer-3c0db0a3 (d0, q0, r0, m0, 'homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event', ... (46 bytes))
2021-09-28T20:32:44: Sending PUBLISH to 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio (d0, q0, r1, m0, 'homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event', ... (46 bytes))
2021-09-28T20:32:44: Sending PUBLISH to 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio (d0, q0, r1, m0, 'homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event', ... (46 bytes))
2021-09-28T20:32:45: Sending PUBLISH to 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio (d0, q0, r1, m0, 'homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event', ... (46 bytes))
2021-09-28T20:32:46: Sending PUBLISH to 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio (d0, q0, r1, m0, 'homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event', ... (46 bytes))
2021-09-28T20:32:47: Sending PUBLISH to 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio (d0, q0, r1, m0, 'homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event', ... (46 bytes))
2021-09-28T20:32:47: Sending PUBLISH to 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio (d0, q0, r1, m0, 'homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event', ... (46 bytes))
2021-09-28T20:32:47: Sending PUBLISH to 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio (d0, q0, r1, m0, 'homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event', ... (46 bytes))
2021-09-28T20:32:48: Sending PUBLISH to 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio (d0, q0, r1, m0, 'homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event', ... (46 bytes))
2021-09-28T20:32:48: Sending PUBLISH to 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio (d0, q0, r1, m0, 'homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event', ... (46 bytes))
2021-09-28T20:32:48: Sending PUBLISH to 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio (d0, q0, r1, m0, 'homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event', ... (46 bytes))
2021-09-28T20:32:49: Sending PUBLISH to 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio (d0, q0, r1, m0, 'homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event', ... (46 bytes))
2021-09-28T20:32:49: Sending PUBLISH to 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio (d0, q0, r1, m0, 'homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event', ... (46 bytes))
2021-09-28T20:32:50: Sending PUBLISH to 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio (d0, q0, r1, m0, 'homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event', ... (46 bytes))
2021-09-28T20:32:50: Sending PUBLISH to 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio (d0, q0, r1, m0, 'homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event', ... (46 bytes))

edit 2
a more detailed mqtt log

2021-09-28T20:32:43: Received PUBLISH from 7daebb60676c4882b584bfac16e7b131 (d0, q1, r0, m31475, 'homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event', ... (46 bytes))
2021-09-28T20:32:43: Sending PUBLISH to 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio (d0, q0, r0, m0, 'homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event', ... (46 bytes))
2021-09-28T20:32:43: Sending PUBLISH to mqtt-explorer-3c0db0a3 (d0, q0, r0, m0, 'homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event', ... (46 bytes))
2021-09-28T20:32:43: Sending PUBACK to 7daebb60676c4882b584bfac16e7b131 (m31475, rc0)
2021-09-28T20:32:44: Received SUBSCRIBE from 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio
2021-09-28T20:32:44:    homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event (QoS 0)
2021-09-28T20:32:44: 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio 0 homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event
2021-09-28T20:32:44: Sending SUBACK to 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio
2021-09-28T20:32:44: Sending PUBLISH to 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio (d0, q0, r1, m0, 'homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event', ... (46 bytes))
2021-09-28T20:32:44: Received SUBSCRIBE from 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio
2021-09-28T20:32:44:    homeassistant/device_automation/36952_3/event (QoS 0)
2021-09-28T20:32:44: 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio 0 homeassistant/device_automation/36952_3/event
2021-09-28T20:32:44: Sending SUBACK to 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio
2021-09-28T20:32:44: Sending PUBLISH to 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio (d0, q0, r1, m0, 'homeassistant/device_automation/36952_3/event', ... (46 bytes))
2021-09-28T20:32:44: Received SUBSCRIBE from 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio
2021-09-28T20:32:44:    homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event (QoS 0)
2021-09-28T20:32:44: 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio 0 homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event
2021-09-28T20:32:44: Sending SUBACK to 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio
2021-09-28T20:32:44: Sending PUBLISH to 2UokJOjH1QOM1JMskPQOio (d0, q0, r1, m0, 'homeassistant/device_automation/48402_3/event', ... (46 bytes))

123 · September 28, 2021, 9:31pm

What is the “component” that is publishing the repeated payloads to the MQTT broker?

mcnovy · September 28, 2021, 9:36pm

it’s just a “wall push button” whatever the correct name is
I don’t want to call out the company name, as I am testing the product for them.

123 · September 28, 2021, 10:19pm

This unnamed device is responsible for publishing a stream of payloads to the broker so, given that you are testing it, you now have an issue to report to its manufacturer.

tom_l · September 28, 2021, 11:18pm

Very likely the push button needs debouncing.

mcnovy · September 29, 2021, 3:37am

I am not so sure the issue is on the device.
As if you see the logs, the device (7da…) Is only sending 1 message to mqtt, but mqtt is sending it hundreds of times to home assistant.
Or am I reading the logs wrong?

tom_l · September 29, 2021, 3:58am

Yeah looking closer you are right.

One received message from the device, one publish to HA, one publish to MqttExplorer and one acknowledge back to the device.

The rest are subscription messages and acknowledgements.

So it all looks ok to me.

mcnovy · September 29, 2021, 5:05am

But why would Home Assistant subscribe so many times?
The issue is that the automation is being triggered several times a second (Every time Home Assistant is subscribing) which doesn’t seem right to me.

tom_l · September 29, 2021, 5:18am

Hard to say without seeing the full payload.

mcnovy · September 29, 2021, 6:25am

hmm. MQTT explorer only provides the aforementioned payload,
not sure if I can increase the debugging level in Mosquitto to include payload,
will give it a go tonight when I return from work.
but still, the device only sent 1 message, so should also only be 1 payload I would assume.

tom_l · September 29, 2021, 6:36am

It could be sending a discovery payload.

koying · September 29, 2021, 7:35am

Random thought: I see automations being turned on and off.

If those are triggered by mqtt, I could imagine unsubscribe / subscribe being sent, and as messages are retained, they would be resent in a loop at each subscribe…

123 · September 29, 2021, 12:52pm

Create an automation with an MQTT Trigger that simply displays whatever it receives in a persistent notification. Now use an MQTT client, like MQTT Explorer or even Home Assistant’s own MQTT Publish service, to publish a payload to whatever topic you chose.

If there’s a systemic problem with Home Assistant’s operation with the broker, you will receive numerous notifications, just like the behavior with your unnamed device.

If you get only one notification, then the problem is limited to the unnamed device.

mcnovy · October 4, 2021, 9:04pm

you got it.
and for some reason after I “stopped” stopping the automations, the retain flag disappeared.

Thank you