VEML7700 with ESPHome

ESPHome
1

Has anyone been able to connect and manage VEML7700 Ambient Light Sensor Module with ESPHome ? If so, could you share your code please.

2

I’ve done just that. Works like a charm.
(I’m assuming that you’re using the VEML device sold by AdaFruit)
Follow the directions in the example tutorial for Custom Components.
Here’s the .h file I use. Most of it is commented-out - those are features I didn’t need.

// veml7700.h - for ESPHome, a Custom Sensor

#include <Adafruit_VEML7700.h>

#define VEML_POLL_RATE 17000 // 27000 makes a good rate
#define VEML_GAIN VEML7700_GAIN_1 // GAIN_1 is 'default'
#define VEML_IT VEML7700_IT_100MS // 100MS is 'default'
// gain 1, IT 100mS, means the max light level reported will be 3775

class MyVEML7700Sensor : public PollingComponent, public Sensor {
 protected:
  bool VEML7700Present = false, VEML7700FirstRead = true;

 public:
  Adafruit_VEML7700 veml = Adafruit_VEML7700();  // constructor

  MyVEML7700Sensor() : PollingComponent(VEML_POLL_RATE) {}
  Sensor *veml7700_lux = new Sensor();
  // Sensor *veml7700_white = new Sensor();
  // Sensor *veml7700_raw_als = new Sensor();
  // Sensor *veml7700_gain = new Sensor();
  // Sensor *veml7700_it = new Sensor();
  // Sensor *veml7700_interrupt_status = new Sensor();

  float get_setup_priority() const override { return esphome::setup_priority::DATA; }

  void setup() override {
    if (veml.begin()) {
      VEML7700Present = true;
    } else {
      return;
    }
    veml.setGain(VEML_GAIN); // in example is VEML7700_GAIN_1
    veml.setIntegrationTime(VEML_IT); // in example is VEML7700_IT_800MS
    veml.readLux(); // fetch the first entry, but discard it - it will be wrong
  }

  void update() override {    // This will be called every "update_interval" milliseconds.
    if (VEML7700Present) {
      veml7700_lux->publish_state(veml.readLux());
      // veml7700_white->publish_state(veml.readWhite());
      // veml7700_raw_als->publish_state(veml.readALS());
      // veml7700_gain->publish_state(veml.getGain());
      // veml7700_it->publish_state(veml.getIntegrationTime());
      // veml7700_interrupt_status->publish_state(veml.interruptStatus());

      // uint16_t irq = veml.interruptStatus();
      // if (irq & VEML7700_INTERRUPT_LOW) {
      //   // Serial.println("** Low threshold"); 
      // }
      // if (irq & VEML7700_INTERRUPT_HIGH) {
      //   // Serial.println("** High threshold"); 
      // }
    }
  }

  // void loop() override {   // This will be called by App.loop(), very rapidly
  // }
};

In your YAML file, you’ll need a few things, too:

sensor:
  - platform: custom
    lambda: |-
      auto my_veml7700_sensor = new MyVEML7700Sensor();
      App.register_component(my_veml7700_sensor);
      return {
        my_veml7700_sensor->veml7700_lux
          // , my_veml7700_sensor->veml7700_white
          // , my_veml7700_sensor->veml7700_raw_als
          // , my_veml7700_sensor->veml7700_gain
          // , my_veml7700_sensor->veml7700_it
          // , my_veml7700_sensor->veml7700_interrupt_status
      };

    sensors:
      - name: "${node_name} VEML7700 Lux"
        # filters:
        #   - median:
        #       # window_size: 5
        #       send_every: 1
        #       # send_first_at: 2
          # - exponential_moving_average:
          #     # window_size: 5
          #     send_every: 3
          #     # send_first_at: 5
        accuracy_decimals: 1
        unit_of_measurement: lux
        # poll_frequency: see veml7700.h, VEML_POLL_RATE
      # - name: "${node_name} VEML7700 White"
      #   accuracy_decimals: 1
      #   unit_of_measurement: lux
      # - name: "${node_name} VEML7700 raw ALS"
      #   accuracy_decimals: 1
      #   unit_of_measurement: raw

esphome:
  includes:
  - veml7700.h

  libraries:
    - "Wire"
    - "Adafruit Unified Sensor"
    - "SPI"
    - "Adafruit BusIO"
    - "Adafruit VEML7700 Library"
3

I got my unit from AliExpress. Link https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002600208149.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.0.0.21ef1802POXkwl.

They should work the same way using I2C.
I never used common components, I will investigate and give it a try.

Thanks

4

Got it to work. Thank you very much, I learn a bit more.
Took me a while, there is 2 voltage input: (VIN and 3Vo). I used VIN and ESPHOME could not find the device, giving me error at compilation time. I installed another device (BMP885) and ESPHOME was able to find it. I was then sure to have the right connection. Then I connected to 3Vo, and success.

Thank very much for providing the code.

5

I am trying to get this same sensor working with my ESPHOME/HA. I had to switch to the ESP-IDF framework for another reason and this VEML7700 is written for Arduino so it is throwing errors. Has anyone seen an ESP-IDF implementation? Mainly the includes right now but I think other errors will follow. like #include and the Wire and others.

6

I’m also interested in this. First, because of the aforementioned incompatibility with ESP-IDF; and second, because trying to use custom_components is deprecated.

It’s quite frustrating that both VEML7700 support issues (Support for VEML7700 High range (0-120k) Lux Sensor · Issue #218 · esphome/feature-requests · GitHub and Support for Adafruit VEML7700 light sensor. · Issue #1915 · esphome/feature-requests · GitHub) were closed as a “workaround” is available, especially since the workaround is both incompatible and deprecated.

7

For what it’s worth, I opened a new feature request since the old ones were locked:

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