After nearly a year of stagnation, ESPHome has released a significant update, version 1.15.0, packed with exciting new features and enhancements. ESPHome, a popular platform for controlling ESP8266 and ESP32 microcontrollers, continues to evolve with this latest release. This update brings a host of new sensors, a refreshed dashboard, and numerous improvements designed to enhance user experience and functionality. In this article, we will explore the most notable changes in ESPHome 1.15.0, showcasing how these updates can benefit your projects.
Contents
Supporting Open-Source Projects
Before we delve into the updates, it's important to acknowledge the hard work behind ESPHome. This open-source project is powered by dedicated volunteers. Instead of focusing on the gaps between updates, let's celebrate each new release and the continuous improvements made by the team.
While open-source software is free to use, it often incurs various costs, including hosting, domain registration, and development tools. Financial contributions from users and sponsors help cover these expenses and ensure the project's sustainability. By donating to ESPHome, you directly support its ongoing development and maintenance, enabling the team to continue delivering high-quality updates and features.
If you appreciate the efforts behind ESPHome and want to support its development, consider contributing here. Your support, whether through code, documentation, community engagement, or financial contributions, makes a significant difference.
Dashboard Revamp
The first noticeable change is the refreshed ESPHome dashboard. While it's not a complete overhaul, the updates provide a cleaner, more streamlined interface. The node cards are now slimmer, and a new update icon signals when updates are available, simplifying node management.
The dashboard also includes a colour-coded status indicator for each node:
- Green: Node is online
- Red: Node is offline
- Yellow: Node is not responding
- Grey: Node status is unknown
Additionally, the HTML and JavaScript files have been optimised, resulting in a faster and more stable user interface. For a detailed list of changes, you can check the full changelog on GitHub.
New Sensors in ESPHome 1.15.0
ESPHome is known for its flexibility, supporting a wide range of sensors. Version 1.15.0 expands this further with several new additions:
- AHT10 Temperature and Humidity Sensor: This fully calibrated sensor features a new ASIC-specific chip, enhancing reliability and accuracy. It provides high-precision measurements of temperature and humidity, making it ideal for environmental monitoring.
- TMP117 Temperature Sensor: Known for its very low power consumption, the TMP117 minimises self-heating, ensuring accurate temperature readings. It is suited for applications requiring precise temperature control and monitoring.
- QMC5883L Magnetometer: This device measures magnetic fields or magnetic dipole moments, making it perfect for navigation and magnetic field detection. Its integration into ESPHome broadens the range of environmental data you can collect.
- INA226 Current Shunt and Power Monitor: Designed for precise current, voltage, and power measurement, the INA226 supports high-side load current measurements. It is essential for monitoring power consumption and efficiency in various systems.
- Grove – Laser PM2.5 Sensor (HM3301): This innovative dust detection sensor uses fan blades to drive air through its detection chamber, providing continuous, real-time dust monitoring. It is ideal for air quality testing and environmental monitoring.
- MAX31865 Resistance-to-Digital Converter: Optimized for use with platinum resistance temperature detectors (RTDs), the MAX31865 offers high-accuracy temperature sensing. It is commonly used in industrial, scientific, and environmental systems.
- SPS30 Particulate Matter Sensor: Utilizing laser scattering technology, the SPS30 provides high-precision measurements of particulate matter (PM) concentrations in the air. It measures various particle sizes, making it suitable for a wide range of air quality monitoring applications.
Enhanced BLE Tracking in ESPHome
The ESP32's Bluetooth capabilities have received a significant boost. With the new update, the ESP32 can now interact with RuuviTags, providing real-time data on temperature, humidity, acceleration, and battery voltage. Additionally, the ESP32 can now monitor several Xiaomi Mijia BLE Sensors, including the MiFlora, VegTrug Grow Care Garden, HHCCPOT002 FlowerPot, Mosquito Repellent Smart Version, and various temperature and humidity sensors.
New Display Components
ESPHome 1.15.0 introduces support for several new display components, expanding your options for visual output in DIY projects:
- MAX7219 Digit Display: This versatile, modular display can be used to create custom numeric displays, such as clocks or counters. Its integration into ESPHome opens up creative possibilities for makers.
- TM1637 7-Segment Display: Known for its simplicity and ease of use, the TM1637 is ideal for creating basic numeric displays. It's commonly used in digital clocks and simple readout devices.
- SSD1351 OLED Display: This high-resolution, colour OLED display offers vibrant visuals and is perfect for applications requiring detailed graphical output. It supports a wide range of colours and is suitable for complex display needs.
- ST7789V TFT LCD: A full-colour TFT LCD display, the ST7789V provides sharp, clear visuals and is ideal for projects that require a rich graphical interface. Its versatility makes it suitable for a variety of applications.
- PCD8544 Display: Famously used in Nokia 5110/3310 mobile phones, this monochrome LCD display is known for its low power consumption and ease of integration. It’s great for simple graphical displays in low-power projects.
Tuya Support in ESPHome
Tuya is a global IoT platform that connects the intelligent needs of manufacturers, brands, OEMs, and retail chains. It offers a comprehensive suite of cloud services, AI, and big data to help clients develop smart home devices quickly and affordably. Tuya-powered devices are known for their interoperability and ease of use, making them popular in the smart home market.
The latest ESPHome update also includes support for Tuya devices, integrating fans, binary sensors, dimmers, sensors, switches, and climate control into ESPHome. Tuya is a significant player in home automation, and this integration expands ESPHome's compatibility.
Covid-19 Exposure Notifications
Leveraging the BLE capabilities of the ESP32, the Exposure Notification Listener can now detect nearby COVID-19 exposure notifications sent by smartphones using the Google/Apple Exposure Notification service. This feature can be particularly useful for those who don't always carry their phones at home. However, as the global situation evolves and vaccination rates increase, this feature is likely to be deprecated at some point in the future.
Additional Updates
ESPHome 1.15.0 also brings several other updates that enhance its functionality:
- Slow PWM Output: This feature allows for smoother control of devices like LED lights and fans by providing a slow pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal. It enables finer adjustments to brightness and speed, improving the overall user experience.
- ESP32 DAC: The ESP32 Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) output allows you to generate analog signals from your ESP32 device. This can be used for applications such as audio output or controlling devices that require analog input.
- AC Dimmer Component: This component allows you to control AC-powered dimmable lights and appliances. It provides smooth and precise control over the brightness of lights or the speed of AC motors, making it ideal for home automation projects.
Conclusion
ESPHome 1.15.0 is packed with new features and improvements, making it a must-have update for enthusiasts. For a complete list of changes, visit the official changelog. Happy tinkering!
