Home Assistant

Home Assistant Integrations for Meshtastic

Integrating Meshtastic into Home Assistant brings a new level of control and monitoring to your mesh network. On this page, we'll guide you through the process of creating Meshtastic MQTT sensor entities within Home Assistant. Whether you want to keep an eye on battery levels, environmental conditions, or even receive notifications from your mesh network, these integrations provide you with the tools to make it happen.

info

It is highly recommended to download MQTT Explorer for analyzing the JSON threads that come across the broker. This can be downloaded here: http://mqtt-explorer.com/

Create Meshtastic MQTT Sensor Entities

Ensure your mesh unit is connected to your MQTT broker and using JSON as an output.
Open configuration.yaml and include the following line:

mqtt: !include mqtt.yaml

Create a new text file called mqtt.yaml in the root directory of home assistant (the same folder as configuration.yaml).
Copy the following code to the mqtt.yaml file.

Default Node Telemetry Example

sensor:

# Node #1 

  - name: "Node 1 Battery Voltage"
    unique_id: "node_1__battery_voltage"
    state_topic: "msh/2/json/LongFast/!67ea9400"
    state_class: measurement
    value_template: >-
      {% if value_json.from == 4038675309 and
            value_json.payload.voltage is defined and
            value_json.payload.temperature is not defined %}
        {{ (value_json.payload.voltage | float) | round(2) }}
      {% else %}
        {{ states('sensor.node_1_battery_voltage') }}
      {% endif %}
    unit_of_measurement: "Volts"
    # Telemetry packets come in two flavors: The default node telemetry, and the I2C sensor data.
    # Both packets contain "voltage" so we check for temperature to ignore the sensor packet here.

  - name: "Node 1 Battery Percent"
    unique_id: "node_1_battery_percent"
    state_topic: "msh/2/json/LongFast/!67ea9400"
    state_class: measurement
    value_template: >-
      {% if value_json.from == 4038675309 and value_json.payload.battery_level is defined %}
        {{ (value_json.payload.battery_level | float) | round(2) }}
      {% else %}
        {{ states('sensor.node_1_battery_percent') }}
      {% endif %}
    unit_of_measurement: "%"

  - name: "Node 1 ChUtil"
    unique_id: "node_1_chutil"
    state_topic: "msh/2/json/LongFast/!67ea9400"
    state_class: measurement
    value_template: >-
      {% if value_json.from == 4038675309 and value_json.payload.channel_utilization is defined %}
        {{ (value_json.payload.channel_utilization | float) | round(2) }}
      {% else %}
        {{ states('sensor.node_1_chutil') }}
      {% endif %}
    unit_of_measurement: "%"

  - name: "Node 1 AirUtilTX"
    unique_id: "node_1_airutiltx"
    state_topic: "msh/2/json/LongFast/!67ea9400"
    state_class: measurement
    value_template: >-
      {% if value_json.from == 4038675309 and value_json.payload.air_util_tx is defined %}
        {{ (value_json.payload.air_util_tx | float) | round(2) }}
      {% else %}
        {{ states('sensor.node_1_airutiltx') }}
      {% endif %}
    unit_of_measurement: "%"

Telemetry Module Entities

If you have environmental sensors installed, create entities for these by including some or all of the following blocks:

  - name: "Node 1 Temperature"
    unique_id: "node_1_temperature"
    state_topic: "msh/2/json/LongFast/!67ea9400"
    state_class: measurement
    value_template: >-
      {% if value_json.from == 4038675309 and value_json.payload.temperature is defined %}
        {{ (((value_json.payload.temperature | float) * 1.8) +32) | round(2) }}
      {% else %}
        {{ states('sensor.node_1_temperature') }}
      {% endif %}
    unit_of_measurement: "F"
# For Celsius use:    {{ (value_json.payload.temperature | float) | round(1) }} 
# For Fahrenheit use: {{ (((value_json.payload.temperature | float) * 1.8) +32) | round(2) }}

  - name: "Node 1 Humidity"
    unique_id: "node_1_humidity"
    state_topic: "msh/2/json/LongFast/!67ea9400"
    state_class: measurement
    value_template: >-
      {% if value_json.from == 4038675309 and value_json.payload.relative_humidity is defined %}
        {{ (value_json.payload.relative_humidity | float) | round(2) }}
      {% else %}
        {{ states('sensor.node_1_humidity') }}
      {% endif %}
    unit_of_measurement: "%"

  - name: "Node 1 Pressure"
    unique_id: "node_1_pressure"
    state_topic: "msh/2/json/LongFast/!67ea9400"
    state_class: measurement
    value_template: >-
      {% if value_json.from == 4038675309 and value_json.payload.barometric_pressure is defined %}
        {{ (value_json.payload.barometric_pressure | float) | round(2) }}
      {% else %}
        {{ states('sensor.node_1_pressure') }}
      {% endif %}
    unit_of_measurement: "hPa"

  - name: "Node 1 Gas Resistance"
    unique_id: "node_1_gas_resistance"
    state_topic: "msh/2/json/LongFast/!67ea9400"
    state_class: measurement
    value_template: >-
      {% if value_json.from == 4038675309 and value_json.payload.gas_resistance is defined %}
        {{ (value_json.payload.gas_resistance | float) | round(2) }}
      {% else %}
        {{ states('sensor.node_1_gas_resistance') }}
      {% endif %}
    unit_of_measurement: "MOhms"

Message Entities

For added functionality you can create an entity for messages received from a node:

  - name: "Node 1 Messages"
    unique_id: "node_1_messages"
    state_topic: "msh/2/json/LongFast/!67ea9400"
    value_template: >-
      {% if value_json.from == 4038675309 and value_json.payload.text is defined %}
        {{ value_json.payload.text }}
      {% else %}
        {{ states('sensor.node_1_messages') }}
      {% endif %}

Additional Entities

Home Assistant entities can be created for any data type that is published to MQTT. For example: altitude, latitude_i, longitude_i, time, current, and neighbors. Use the templates above as a guide to create additional entities if desired.

Configure With Your Topic & Node ID's

In every entity, replace msh/2/json/LongFast/!67ea9400 with the topic your node publishes to. In this example, !67ea9400 refers to the node that has mqtt enabled on the mesh and is publishing to the broker.
In every entity replace 4038675309 with the node number of the radio you wish to monitor. In this example 4038675309 is the node on the mesh with environment sensors and telemetry that I wish to observe. Node numbers can be found by monitoring the output in MQTT Explorer, listening with the MQTT addon or by using the Python CLI with meshtastic --info.

Additional Nodes

Copy and paste these entities then change name, unique_id, from, and states to create entities from any additional nodes' parameters:

  - name: "Node 2 Messages"
    unique_id: "node_2_messages"
    state_topic: "msh/2/json/LongFast/!67ea9400"
    value_template: >-
      {% if value_json.from == 695318008 and value_json.payload.text is defined %}
        {{ value_json.payload.text }}
      {% else %}
        {{ states('sensor.node_2_messages') }}
      {% endif %}

Check Configuration & Reload YAML

In Home Assistant, run CHECK CONFIGURATION in the developer tools section and then reload all yaml configuration.

warning

Always Check Configuration before reloading YAML or restarting Home Assistant to identify errors.

HA Developer Tools

Create Dashboard Cards

Entities Card for Telemetry

Create a new Entities Card and select the entities you have created.

HA Entities Card

Logbook Card for Messaging

The logbook card is useful to keep a record of incoming messages from the mesh. Below is an example of how the logbook card would be set up.

HA Logbook Card

Trigger HA Automations

It is possible to have Home Assistant trigger automations based on messages or events on your mesh.

Notifications

This example waits for a message containing @Tropho and then sends a pop-up notification to his flip phone with the message. Optionally you can have ALL messages from the mesh sent as HA notifications to your phone.

HA At Tropho Message

Add the following code to your automations.yaml file. Be sure to modify the topic, regex_search, and service for your configuration.

- alias: Meshtastic - New notification
  description: any message with an @Tropho will send to mobile device
  trigger:
    - platform: mqtt
      topic: msh/2/json/LongFast/!67ea9400
  condition:
    - condition: template
      value_template: "{{ trigger.payload_json.payload.text | regex_search('@Tropho') }}"
    # or send ALL messages from the mesh to HA notifications (except for range tests)
    # value_template: "{{ trigger.payload_json.payload.text is defined and "seq " not in trigger.payload_json.payload.text}}"
      enabled: true
  action:
    - service: notify.mobile_app_trophos_galaxy_z_flip5
      data:
      # show the message as coming from "Meshtastic": 
        message: "Meshtastic: {{ trigger.payload_json.payload.text }}"
      # or show the device id instead:  
      # message: "{{ trigger.payload_json.from }}: {{ trigger.payload_json.payload.text }}"
    - delay:
        hours: 0
        minutes: 0
        seconds: 30
        milliseconds: 0
  mode: single

This same type of automation is very useful to trigger other actions in Home Assistant. For example, you could turn on a fan when the temperature reaches a certain value, or a play a sound on a speaker when a new message is received.

Create a Send Message Entity

It is possible to create an input text box to send messages to your mesh from within Home Assistant.

Input Text Helper Entity

First, create an input text helper entity. The preferred way to configure an input text is via the HA interface at Settings > Devices & Services > Helpers. Click the add button and then choose the Text option. Make a text input helper with a max length of 190 to be on the safe side. See example below:

HA Input Text Helper

Create a Send Message Automation

This automation will check the send box for changes. After typing a message, either hit enter or click off the box and the automation will send a text string in JSON to the mqtt broker. Make sure to update the channel name and device ID in the example below.

- alias: Meshtastic - Send Automation
  description: ""
  trigger:
    - platform: state
      entity_id:
        - input_text.meshtastic_send_box
  condition: []
  action:
    - delay:
        hours: 0
        minutes: 0
        seconds: 1
        milliseconds: 0
    - service: mqtt.publish
      data:
        qos: 0
        retain: false
        topic: msh/2/json/LongFast/!67ea9400
        payload: >-
          {"channel":"0","sender":"broker","type":"sendtext","payload":"{{    
          states('input_text.meshtastic_send_box') }}"}
    - delay:
        hours: 0
        minutes: 0
        seconds: 1
        milliseconds: 0
    - service: input_text.set_value
      data:
        value: " "
      target:
        entity_id: input_text.meshtastic_send_box
    - delay:
        hours: 0
        minutes: 0
        seconds: 2
        milliseconds: 0
  mode: single

Add this card to your dashboard by going to Edit Dashboard -> + ADD CARD. Then search BY ENTITY for Meshtastic Send Box and check the box next to the entry. Click CONTINUE, then ADD TO DASHBOARD.

Home Assistant Integrations for Meshtastic​

Create Meshtastic MQTT Sensor Entities​

Default Node Telemetry Example​

Telemetry Module Entities​

Message Entities​

Additional Entities​

Configure With Your Topic & Node ID's​

Additional Nodes​

Check Configuration & Reload YAML​

Create Dashboard Cards​

Entities Card for Telemetry​

Logbook Card for Messaging​

Trigger HA Automations​

Notifications​

Create a Send Message Entity​

Input Text Helper Entity​

Create a Send Message Automation​