Hi everyone, I’ve been diving into the world of smart home automation lately, and I wanted to share my experiences and some questions I’ve come across while setting up my system. I’ve been experimenting with ESPHome and BLE tracking to create a seamless presence detection system, and it’s been both exciting and challenging!
First, let me walk through what I’ve set up so far. I’m using an ESP32 module to scan for my Mi Band 3 as I approach my door. The goal is to have my door unlock automatically within 5 seconds of me being detected. This would be perfect for quick access without fumbling for keys. However, I’m running into some issues with the scan intervals. If I set the scan interval too short, it starts killing my Wi-Fi connection. To address this, I thought of using a motion detector (specifically a Xiaomi sensor) pointing at my elevator. The idea is that when motion is detected, Home Assistant would trigger a BLE scan on demand to confirm it’s me. This would ideally reduce unnecessary scans and preserve my Wi-Fi stability.
I’ve also been exploring how to integrate this system with Home Assistant. I’ve come across the ESPHome add-on and the ESP32 BLE RSSI sensor integration, which seem promising. However, I’m not entirely sure how to set up the automation to trigger the scan only when motion is detected. I’ve posted this on the Discord thread as well, but I thought I’d get some additional insights from the community here.
Another thing I’m curious about is how others have handled similar presence detection setups. Have you found any reliable methods to ensure quick and consistent detection without draining too much battery or causing network issues? I’d love to hear about your experiences and any tips you might have!
On a lighter note, I’ve also been working on some fun DIY projects for the holidays. For example, I created a dual curtain setup that displays the current year and a scrolling “Happy New Year!” message. It’s a simple project, but it adds a nice festive touch to my home. I’d be happy to share more details or even the code if anyone is interested!
Back to the main topic, I’m also wondering if there are any limitations or known issues with using ESPHome for BLE scanning on demand. Is this a common setup, or am I venturing into less-traveled territory? Any feedback or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
In summary, I’m excited about the potential of BLE tracking for presence detection but need some guidance to refine my setup. I’d love to hear your thoughts, experiences, or any resources that could help me achieve this seamlessly. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to your insights!