It Actually Works!

Jonathjon · November 30, 2023, 2:04pm

I’m totally Nerding out right now! It Actually WORKS!!!

Ok so let me try and explain why…

So a while back @bitingmidge posted about wifi turning his dust collection on and off. And that got me thinking. I already have home assistant turn all kinds of stuff on and off. So why not the dust collection too??

I set up a relay board with a D1 Mini in the small lean too off of my garage that houses my Air Compressor and HF 2.5hp Dust Collection. One of the relays I set up turns the dust collection on and off. I was worried that it would pull more than 10 amps so I set it on a contactor I had that has a 120v coil. The relay triggers the contactor and the contactor turns on the dust collection. Has been working great. Can turn it on/off from my phone or even tell Alexa to do it. But this isn’t truly automated. So i took it a step further and ordered a CT clamp. Set it up on another D1 Mini that reads the current going into my spindle VFD. And with that I was able to make an automation to turn it on and off when the spindle turns on and off. And it actually WORKS!!! I was amazed at how little current the spindle uses (.19A @ 12,000rpm) but I’ve only read it in the air. Curious to see what it actually uses cutting.

So don’t mind me. Just excited to make something I’ve never tried before work. I had to create a circuit and all for the CT clamp lol. I’m used to just hooking sensors up and running with it.

vicious1 · November 30, 2023, 3:32pm

Ohhhhh that looks like fun. Seems like once you start, it would be hard to not keep adding sensors.

Jonathjon · November 30, 2023, 3:52pm

That is FOR SURE!!!

Only one of these was there when I got home. The HVAC Sensor. All the rest have been added in the last 3ish weeks lol. And I just got a practical sensor in that I’m going to try to get mounted in the dust filter so it will automatically turn on and off as it gets “dusty” lol. Most of its just stuff I want to mess with and learn about. And its been frustrating at times but mostly been a lot of fun.

2 of the 3 filament sensors work great… the first one has been a royal pain lol

Got this one for the propane tank on the blackstone griddle…

The one that controls the dust collection also has a series of valves on my air compressor supply lines and the bottom tank drain. I have an inline filter/dryer/decatant deal that will auto drain but only when there is no pressure on it. So I put a valve inline before that and then after I tee’d in another valve so I can close off the system and drain it down so the auto drain will work, then turn it right back on. That only has to be done once a week or so, but the bottom drain I do a few times a day if we are running the laser a lot. Got another current sensor on the way that I’m going to put on the air compressor so I can create an automation to auto drain the bottom of the tank every few cycles it runs. Also the valves are all 24vdc but I didn’t want the power supply for them running all the time so I put it on a relay as well. Its one of those 8 relay blocks so still 3 left LOL

Also added AHT20 sensors all around. Idk why but I enjoy seeing the temperature differences lol

I made a “push button” box in the garage that has buttons for the dust filter and dust collection. Want to add some LEDs to show red when they are off and green when they are on. It also has a AHT20 in it and a RCWL-0516 for motion.

So yes once you start its hard to stop. And all the D1 minis and sensors are so cheap you just want to put them everywhere lol. Most of this stuff I have had around for a while and just never got around to it. Glad I did this time home. Its been a lot of fun and has me wanting to do more LOL

jeffeb3 · November 30, 2023, 4:00pm

Esphome can really do a lot of the heavy lifting for you. It makes wifi and setup and updating really easy.

One thing I try to do when I have that closed feedback loop is to do the main logic in the esp. If your sensor and relay can both be controlled on the ESPHome, you can set the core logic up in a function (esphome calls them lambdas) and the idea that the DC turns on whenever the current is sensed, and it stays on for 10s after the current is sensed can all live in the esp. That way, you don’t need a healthy home assistant or wifi to use the CNC. It is a bit more advanced, but well worth it.

Jonathjon · November 30, 2023, 4:04pm

I looked at this when I was going to set it up but came up to a few hickups that were beyond my current grasp. The current sensor and relays are on 2 different D1 minis. One in the garage and one out in the lean to outside of the garage. Had they been on the same D1 then I could have set it up there no problem. My understanding is that it is still possible to setup the automation in esphome alone and not have to have it in HA, which I have setup on my air compressor valves/power supply and on the dust filter for high needing both low and high on at the same time. As I learn more and figure out how to automate from one ESP to another in ESPHOME I will be moving that automation there and take it off of actual HA

This is the code from all of the relays in the lean to with the automations in it…

esphome:
  name: air-compressor-moisture-drain
  friendly_name: Air Compressor Moisture Drain

esp8266:
  board: d1_mini

# Enable logging
logger:

# Enable Home Assistant API
api:
  encryption:
    key: "gqtdXR2E+lez9EPteE1yBXMNM0j7UzjsQ9cb1yLu3Tg="

ota:
  password: "f12c0fdb0b210d73789de84aa713d189"

wifi:
  ssid: !secret wifi_ssid
  password: !secret wifi_password

  # Enable fallback hotspot (captive portal) in case wifi connection fails
  ap:
    ssid: "Air-Compressor-Moisture-Drain"
    password: "EL4QBqQCeuDO"

captive_portal:

i2c:
  sda: D2
  scl: D1
  id: bus_a
  frequency: 200kHz

external_components:
  # replace 1234 with the number of the Pull Request
  - source: github://pr#5198
    components:
      # list all components modified by this Pull Request here
      - aht10

sensor:
  - platform: aht10
    variant: aht20
    i2c_id: bus_a
    id: aht_20
    address: 0x38
    temperature:
      filters:
      - lambda: return x * (9.0/5.0) + 32.0;
      unit_of_measurement: "°F"
      name: "Garage Lean-To Temperature"
    humidity:
      name: "Garage Lean-To Humitidy"
    update_interval: 5s
    
switch:
  - platform: gpio
    pin:
      number: GPIO12
      inverted: true
    name: "Air Tank Bottom Drain"
    id: bottom_drain
    on_turn_on:
    - switch.turn_on: power_supply
    on_turn_off:
    - switch.turn_off: power_supply       

  - platform: gpio
    pin:
      number: GPIO13
      inverted: true
    name: "Main Air Shutoff NO"
    id: main_off
    on_turn_on:
    - switch.turn_on: power_supply
    on_turn_off:
    - switch.turn_off: power_supply   

  - platform: gpio
    pin:
      number: GPIO14
      inverted: true
    name: "Main Air Drain NC"
    id: main_drain
    on_turn_on:
    - switch.turn_on: power_supply
    - switch.turn_on: main_off
    on_turn_off:
    - delay: 10s  
    - switch.turn_off: power_supply
    - switch.turn_off: main_off

  - platform: gpio
    pin:
      number: GPIO2
      inverted: true
    name: "24VDC Power Supply"
    id: power_supply

  - platform: gpio
    pin:
      number: GPIO15
      inverted: true
    name: Dust Collection
    id: dust_collection

binary_sensor:
  - platform: gpio
    pin:
      number: GPIO1
      inverted: true
      mode:
        input: True
        pullup: True
    name: "Air Compressor Bottom Drain Button"
    id: compressor_drain_button
    on_press:
    - switch.toggle: bottom_drain
    - delay: 30s
    - switch.toggle: bottom_drain

and for the dust filter, but I need to add another for when low is turned on it turns off high, for when you want to switch from high to low.

esphome:
  name: esphome-web-cffbb2
  friendly_name: Dust Filter

esp8266:
  board: d1_mini

# Enable logging
logger:

# Enable Home Assistant API
api:
  encryption:
    key: "uv+nYDKGoHBw6DUw6mF0PkLznaKvW6CiiEjlcJALZPQ="

ota:


wifi:
  ssid: !secret wifi_ssid
  password: !secret wifi_password

  # Enable fallback hotspot (captive portal) in case wifi connection fails
  ap:
    ssid: "Esphome-Web-Cffbb2"
    password: "xcfJBq5evJFm"

captive_portal:
    

i2c:
  sda: D2
  scl: D1
  id: bus_a
  frequency: 200kHz

external_components:
  # replace 1234 with the number of the Pull Request
  - source: github://pr#5198
    components:
      # list all components modified by this Pull Request here
      - aht10

sensor:
  - platform: aht10
    variant: aht20
    i2c_id: bus_a
    id: aht_20
    address: 0x38
    temperature:
      filters:
      - lambda: return x * (9.0/5.0) + 32.0;
      unit_of_measurement: "°F"
      name: "Dust Filter Temperature"
    humidity:
      name: "Dust Filter Humitidy"
    update_interval: 5s
    
switch:
  - platform: gpio
    pin:
      number: GPIO12
      inverted: false
    name: "Dust Filter Low"
    id: dust_low    

  - platform: gpio
    pin:
      number: GPIO13
      inverted: false
    name: "Dust Filter High"
    id: dust_high
    on_turn_on:
    - switch.turn_on: dust_low
    on_turn_off:
    - switch.turn_off: dust_low

@jeffeb3 if you see anything in here that would be better a different way I’m all ears. Trying to learn as much as I can. ESPHome has good documentation but its not always easy for my brain to follow and figure out lol. It gives you some of what you need but for me not always all of it where I get a full understanding. And if you have any tips for getting one D1 to talk to another in ESPHome I’m all ears on that as well

Michael_Melancon · November 30, 2023, 4:43pm

I have been going back and forth for a while now about setting up different things like this, but I’m always stuck on running power to them.

I have been having some ideas on many things I want to automate, but haven’t started on any of them.

When you get a chance, would you mind showing some pictures of how you have the devices actually run/connected/etc?

I have lots of design in my head, but maybe I’m making it more complicated than it is

Jonathjon · November 30, 2023, 4:44pm

oh god… I was afraid someone would ask this LOL. My stuff needs a LOT of tidying up but its all functional and works. And what sucks is the best one is hanging from the celling and I don’t think I took any pics of it LOL

I’ll get some and post later today

Michael_Melancon · November 30, 2023, 4:47pm

lol.

As I was typing it, I was thinking “He’s gonna hate that I’m asking to see his wires strung all over the place…I’m gonna ask anyway”

Jonathjon · November 30, 2023, 4:52pm

Yes… But at the same time I’m glad because it makes me get off my ass and go clean it up like I should LOL

Michael_Melancon · November 30, 2023, 5:07pm

That’s been my blocker…my wife wouldn’t let it stay unless I had it nicely enclosed, so I need to design a case to hold the electronics and power it properly, find places near outlets to mount things, etc.

It would be a short number of days of wires hanging everywhere before either I started hearing complaints, or someone would break something

Jonathjon · November 30, 2023, 5:11pm

Like I just did LOL. Was tidying up around the Air Compresor one and bumpped something. Now that D1 is unresponsive. Oh well I didnt like how I had wired it anyways so now I can fix it right.

This is the hard part for me because my “design” skills are very lacking. But I’m using it as an excuse to make it better lol

niget2002 · November 30, 2023, 5:31pm

When it comes to powering ESP devices…

These are your friends. I usually mount them inside the project box with the ESP in it.

https://a.co/d/5hniuh2

Jonathjon · November 30, 2023, 5:42pm

Never seen those before but will definitely put some in the cart to order and check out!! Thanks David!!

niget2002 · November 30, 2023, 5:42pm

make sure you get the right voltage. They’re not labeled very well on the device.

Jonathjon · November 30, 2023, 5:45pm

I’ll show this one because I’m Aggravated with it and want to change it to clean it up. I was able to revive the D1 so that’s good! Seems I was using a not good to use pin for the dust collection so back to the drawing board on that one lol. Always learning I guess

I really need to get better at modeling in F360 lol. I would like to have a case around that with holes for the wires to come in the bottom and for the USB to enter wherever, oh and the AHT20 mounted as well.

Michael_Melancon · November 30, 2023, 5:59pm

I rather have low voltage DC wires run from the outlet to the enclosure rather than 120V on the wire that might get kicked/pulled/etc.

So I am always thinking that for every location I need a power brick(5-12VDC), a wire with barrel plug or USB etc, and a printed case with the connector right there as a starting point. Maybe a buck converter if I have the need in there also.

Jonathjon · November 30, 2023, 6:05pm

In the end it all depends on what you are trying to accomplish. For my dust filter there is a D1 mini, 2 relays and an AHT20 (because I could) all inside the enclosure with the fan. I used a wall wart wired to the Mains wire coming in to power the D1/relays. If I had one of these things @niget2002 posted that would have been a much better installation in my opinion. What I did wont have any issues but its also in the “janky” category. In fact I will probably order one of these and change it out next time I’m home lol

Michael_Melancon · November 30, 2023, 6:11pm

Oh, definitely there’s a use case for them, I just meant for these in-house things like adding temperature sensors around my house, etc.

Like if I wanted to add one in my Living Room where there’s lots of foot traffic, I would want it to be like I described above, so that it didn’t look bad and I didn’t have to worry about anybody getting hurt.

In my shop, there’s things strewn about all over. I’m much less picky about how things are wired/displayed in there. Still safe, but I don’t care that much about how it looks in there

Jonathjon · November 30, 2023, 6:25pm

I get that completely. I wonder if there is a “wall wart” that you could easily disassemble and design a new 3d printed case for that enclosed the sensor and all in one plug in part. I’m sure someone has done it before.

jeffeb3 · November 30, 2023, 6:31pm

Then I wouldn’t put the automation in ESPHome. The only benefit is that the esp can do its function without networking. If you have to use networking, then it is easier and more flexible to do it in HA.

My thermostat, for example gets a temperature offset from HA that accounts for the difference between the thermostat temperature and the average of the house. But the core question, “should I run the heater?” Is decided on the microcontroller. If the wifi fries at 3am, the thermostat will still work, it just may not be getting the house to the right average temperature.

Your scripts look really good. My background is in C++ for desktop software. So I am dangerous in embedded C++. ESPHome makes a lot of my simple mistakes go away. But I always translate things to something in C++. If I want something ESPHome doesn’t offer, I can usually drop into writing a small C++ function. I get that isn’t for everyone.