Why didn't this trigger fire?

Configuration
1

I’m probably doing something stupid, but I THOUGHT I had this right.

I want the automation to trigger if any of these sensors detect motion at any time of the day:

  • binary_sensor.downstairs_motion_ecobee
  • binary_sensor.downstairs_occupancy_ecobee
  • binary_sensor.family_room_occupancy_ecobee
  • binary_sensor.dining_room_occupancy_ecobee
  • binary_sensor.hallway_motion_sensor_motion

OR it should trigger with these sensors, but only after 8 am:

  • binary_sensor.master_bedroom_occupancy_ecobee
  • binary_sensor.aarlo_motion_family_room

The automation did not fire this morning or yesterday morning before 7 am, but multiple sensors in the first group did detect motion. And yes, I am aware that ecobee sensors are occupancy sensors, but I verified in logbook that their state did change from off to on at these times. Do I have my ORs or indentation wrong?

  trigger:
    - platform: state
      to: 'on'
      entity_id:
        - binary_sensor.downstairs_motion_ecobee
        - binary_sensor.downstairs_occupancy_ecobee
        - binary_sensor.family_room_occupancy_ecobee
        - binary_sensor.dining_room_occupancy_ecobee
        - binary_sensor.hallway_motion_sensor_motion
        - binary_sensor.master_bedroom_occupancy_ecobee
        - binary_sensor.aarlo_motion_family_room
  condition:
    condition: or
    conditions:
      - condition: or  # Any one of these sensors can trigger the automation at any time of day
        conditions:
          - condition: state
            state: 'on'
            entity_id:
              - binary_sensor.downstairs_motion_ecobee
              - binary_sensor.downstairs_occupancy_ecobee
              - binary_sensor.family_room_occupancy_ecobee
              - binary_sensor.dining_room_occupancy_ecobee
              - binary_sensor.hallway_motion_sensor_motion

      - condition: and # Only triggers at certain times
        conditions:
          - condition: state
            state: 'on'
            entity_id: binary_sensor.master_bedroom_occupancy_ecobee
          - condition: time
            after: '08:00:00'  # Fires between 8:00 am and 11 pm
            before: '23:00:00'

      - condition: and # Only triggers at certain times
        conditions:
          - condition: state
            state: 'on'
            entity_id: binary_sensor.aarlo_motion_family_room
          - condition: time
            after: '08:00:00'  # Fires between 8:00 am and 11 pm
            before: '23:00:00'
2

I think if you do this you won’t even need the condition:

  trigger:
    - platform: state
      to: 'on'
      entity_id:
        - binary_sensor.downstairs_motion_ecobee
        - binary_sensor.downstairs_occupancy_ecobee
        - binary_sensor.family_room_occupancy_ecobee
        - binary_sensor.dining_room_occupancy_ecobee
        - binary_sensor.hallway_motion_sensor_motion
    - platform: template
      value_template: >
        {{ (is_state('binary_sensor.master_bedroom_occupancy_ecobee', 'on') or
            is_state('binary_sensor.aarlo_motion_family_room', 'on')) and
            8 <= now().hour <= 23 }}
3

Thanks @123! That’s an interesting way to do it. I hadn’t thought of splitting into separate trigger platforms. I’ll give that a try tonight. But out of curiosity, do you see anything wrong with my original code?

4

I don’t believe this works the way your code-comment explains it:

      - condition: or  # Any one of these sensors can trigger the automation at any time of day
        conditions:
          - condition: state
            state: 'on'
            entity_id:
              - binary_sensor.downstairs_motion_ecobee
              - binary_sensor.downstairs_occupancy_ecobee
              - binary_sensor.family_room_occupancy_ecobee
              - binary_sensor.dining_room_occupancy_ecobee
              - binary_sensor.hallway_motion_sensor_motion

It begins by indicating that the next set conditions should be logically ORed. Fine, however, there’s only one condition and it’s the state condition containing several entities. You believe that the OR applies to the entities within that single state condition. It doesn’t; it applies to that state condition ORed with … nothing, because there is no second condition.

So the way that is behaving is the way it’s described in the 2nd example in the documentation for State Condition.

It is also possible to test the condition against multiple entities at once. The condition will pass if all entities match the state.

condition:
  condition: state
  entity_id:
    - light.kitchen
    - light.living_room
  state: 'on'

So for the condition to evaluate to true in your example, all the binary_sensors in the list must be on. Not exactly a common occurrence so that’s what prevented your automation’s action from being executed.

5

Got it. So basically, an entity_id list is inherently an AND. Thank you so much for your help!!

1 Like
6

In a condition. Your own automation demonstrates it’s OR in a trigger.

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7

That’s what I meant. You just said it better. :slight_smile: