Home Assistant MQTT Device Tracker

[JbbDE]

Hello everbody, this is my first post here.
I just added my T-Beam to Home Assistant via MQTT to get battery and messages information.

 - name: "Node 2ed0 Battery Percent"
    unique_id: "node_2ed0_battery_percent"
    state_topic: "homeassistant/2/json/LongFast/!f71e2ed0"
    state_class: measurement
    value_template: >-
      {% if value_json.from == 4145950416 and value_json.payload.battery_level is defined %}
        {{ (value_json.payload.battery_level | float) | round(2) }}
      {% else %}
        {{ states('sensor.node_2ed0_battery_percent') }}
      {% endif %}
    unit_of_measurement: "%"

Now I want to create a device_tracker to see the location of one of my T-Beams via Lora in Home Assistant. How do I write the needed template?

[msws]

Device tracker my off-road car.
automations.yaml:

- id:"2"
alias: mesh_vitara 
description: ""
trigger:
  - platform: mqtt
    topic: msh/2/json/msws20/!1c636d3c
condition:
  - condition: state
    entity_id: sensor.mesh_vitara
    attribute: type
    state: position
  - condition: state
    entity_id: sensor.mesh_vitara
    attribute: from
    state: 84757700
action:
  - service: device_tracker.see
    data_template:
      dev_id: czerwony
      gps: >-
        {{
        (((state_attr('sensor.mesh_vitara','payload')['latitude_i'])|float(0))/10000000)
        }},{{
        (((state_attr('sensor.mesh_vitara','payload')['longitude_i'])|float(0))/10000000) 
        }}
    enabled: true
mode: single

configuration.yaml:

mqtt:
  sensor:
    - name: "mesh_vitara"
      unique_id: "sensor.mesh_vitara"
      state_topic: "msh/2/json/msws20/!1c636d3c"
      json_attributes_topic: "msh/2/json/msws20/!1c636d3c"
      json_attributes_template: '{{ value_json | tojson }}'

and on the map:

- type: map
        entities:
          - entity: device_tracker.vitara
        title: Vitara meshtastic
        dark_mode: true
        hours_to_show: 24
        default_zoom: 14

it works very well with all my 4 nodes.

[KevinKW87]

I’ve been struggling a bit getting the devices showing in the map. I already have the battery metrics coming in, so I know the MQTT path is working fine.

Here are my code blocks if anyone has ideas:

automations.yaml:

 - id: location_lcp
  alias: "Las Canchas Park"
  description: ""
  trigger:
    - platform: mqtt
      topic: msh/2/json/LongFast/!934cf8a8
  condition:
    - condition: state
      entity_id: sensor.lcp_location
      attribute: type
      state: position
    - condition: state
      entity_id: sensor.lcp_location
      attribute: from
      state: 3750913147
  action:
    - service: device_tracker.see
      data_template:
        dev_id: mt_lcp
        gps: >-
          {{
          (((state_attr('sensor.lcp_location','payload')['latitude_i'])|float(0))/10000000)
          }},{{
          (((state_attr('sensor.lcp_location','payload')['longitude_i'])|float(0))/10000000) 
          }}
      enabled: true
  mode: single

mqtt.yaml:

   - name: "Las Canchas Park Node"
    unique_id: "sensor.lcp_location"
    state_topic: "msh/2/json/LongFast/!934cf8a8"
    json_attributes_topic: "msh/2/json/LongFast/!934cf8a8"
    json_attributes_template: "{{ value_json | tojson }}"

I don’t get any “device_tracker” entities that pop up.

[ted]

@KevinKW87

Here are my code blocks if anyone has ideas:

Confirm the from field value is correct at 3750913147?

You’ve got 2 types of quotes in there - simple and fancy. Like ” versus " and ’ versus ‘. Suggest try changing those to simple unicode chars since it might be causing issues with config parsing.

[KevinKW87]

Thank you for the troubleshooting help! I re-did my code entries and I think I’m getting closer.

I can see I have good data coming in from the Logbook:

So pretty sure my automations.yaml and mqtt.yaml are set up correctly, but still not seeing anything in the map.

I tried a few entity options in the Map Editor.

[ted]

@KevinKW87

I tried a few entity options in the Map Editor.

Your tracker should be called device_tracker.mt_lcp

Open Developer Tools then click States. Start typing in the text box below Entities column label to search. You can also do this by going to Settings → Devices → Entities and filter there too. - ted

[KevinKW87]

Thanks all for your patience while I worked through this, I got it working! I had to do some data flow tracing before I understood it.

Here are my code blocks for those interested:

First start with mqtt.yaml

  - name: "mt_messages"
    unique_id: "sensor.mt_messages"
    state_topic: "msh/2/json/LongFast/!934cf8a8"
    json_attributes_topic: "msh/2/json/LongFast/!934cf8a8"
    json_attributes_template: "{{ value_json | tojson }}"

automations.yaml:

- id: "LCP"
  alias: LCP
  description: ""
  trigger:
    - platform: mqtt
      topic: msh/2/json/LongFast/!934cf8a8
  condition:
    - condition: state
      entity_id: sensor.mt_messages
      attribute: type
      state: position
    - condition: state
      entity_id: sensor.mt_messages
      attribute: from
      state: 3750913147
  action:
    - service: device_tracker.see
      data_template:
        dev_id: lcp
        gps: >-
          {{
          (((state_attr('sensor.mt_messages','payload')['latitude_i'])|float(0))/10000000)
          }},{{
          (((state_attr('sensor.mt_messages','payload')['longitude_i'])|float(0))/10000000) 
          }}
      enabled: true
  mode: single

map card on the dashboard:

type: map
entities:
  - entity: zone.home
  - entity: device_tracker.lcp
title: Meshtastic Nodes
dark_mode: true
hours_to_show: 24

[zfed]

Hello, may i ask to make it clear… noob level questiion?

At HA I should add mqtt.mestastic.org server, right and then pick up topic with my node id?
I want to take environment data from BME280 that is cnnected to TTGO board.

code example: msh/2/json/msws20/![here my node id] right?
[msh/2/json/msws20] remains constant or I have to edit/adjust it as well?

My setup is TTGO on premises where I want to see temp/RH data and at home I have T-Boeam as client-router role (connected to wi-fi) TTGO cant be connected to wifi so I think Environemnt data should go thru mesh network and I should pick it up somehow from mqtt.meshtastic.org server, right?

+how to encrypt messgaes, I see something happening on MQTT Explored, but data is " not readable" and on Home assistant I have " unknown values"

Thanks in advance!

@msws

msh/2/json/msws20/!1c636d3c

[msws]

“msws20” is my channel name. You have to edit it.

[zfed]

yes, pardon, I used mine, but output is some random numbers, seems it is encrypted, but I dont know how todecrypt, see this ost where I shared screens-

Home Assistant via MQTT

Hello! I also killed my Friday with reated project, stucked at mqtt from broker (dridged with local broked +msh) I see messages on MQTT explored as such: " Z ��������*0�1��j��I�L��vH� 爺�5s��f��:m_�0-ڸ�\7y��5V�6’=(m�eE�@H`���������LongFast " to me is it related to encryption if yes, how to decrypt? [msh_2023-12-31_15-34] +in documentation it say to use such format: state_topic: “msh/2/json/LongFast/!67ea9400” why tere is /json/ there? in explores I dont see such prefix. tried both, in …

[ted]

do you see this topic? #/mesh/2/json

the message tree should look like this

if you don’t see the json topic, and are getting messages, then enable JSON output: MQTT Module Configuration | Meshtastic

[zfed]

Hello, Ted!

I see sensor date from my device with role client-router that has connected to wifi.

msh/EU_433/2/json/LongFast/!xxxxx

{"channel":0,"from":4184516416,"id":1598144019,"payload":{"air_util_tx":0.085999995470047,"battery_level":100,"channel_utilization":10.3316669464111,"voltage":4.15700006484985},"sender":"!fxxxxx","timestamp":1708710718,"to":4294967295,"type":"telemetry"}

but client with no wifi, only BT- iOS app it shows nothing today
but with proxy funcion enablet it posts encrypted info…
I cant replicate anymore that it show just =online.
setup is folowing, see pic →

if I kill iOS app, then no new posts, seems it does not brodcast anything trhu mest, but I tested iOS app without “network” just BT enabled and then i can chat with my other clinet that has wifi… strange

[ted]

What firmware and hardware is your device? There have been issues with MQTT in recent versions. Try latest BETA firmware if you’re not already using it.

Suggest you create a new thread and post link here; I’ll help you there.- ted

[zfed]

Hi, Ted!

Thanks for replay, OK, I made topic, but normally I try to join existing conversation, to not spam forum… I thoght it will be short question, but leaded to longer conversation. here is link - https://meshtastic.discourse.group/t/sensor-data-over-msh-take-out-reading-from-mqtt/10514

[womble1]

@KevinKW87

state: 3750913147

Thanks for the write up.

If i understand this, you are filtering on a node with ID 3750913147. What would be the right approach to see all the nodes on the mesh on a map? Should i repeat the automation step to create new entities?

Thanks…

[KevinKW87]

Yeah to see all the other nodes on a HA map, you would have to repeat the automation for each node. That’s a bit painful if there are a lot of nodes in the area.

I use HA just to monitor my placed nodes because they are all solar. I’d recommend just using https://meshmap.net/ if you want to check the other nodes around you that are just on the map.

[CamFlyerCH]

I had issues implementing this, because the “import” with the MQTT sensor failed many times.

My Sensor us now:

    - name: "MeshMQTT Positions"
      unique_id: "meshmqtt_positions"
      state_topic: "msh/CH/2/json/LongFast/!da112233"
      value_template: >-
        {% if value_json.type == "position" and
              value_json.payload.latitude_i is defined %}
          {{ (value_json.timestamp | float) | round(1) }}
        {% else %}
          {{ states('sensor.meshmqtt_positions') }}
        {% endif %}
      json_attributes_topic: "msh/CH/2/json/LongFast/!da112233"

You could also filter the address of your device in there. But I want to track more than one device and and so I need only one sensor, but more than one automation. It probably depends how busy your MQTT topic is.

Also I excluded sensor.meshmqtt_positions from the recorder