Discussion
Does anyone have a recommendation (from their own, personal, experience) for an IR blaster, which:
* is available in the UK
* integrates easily with HomeAssistant without needing an app (e.g. can be flashed over Wi-Fi/Ethernet with / comes with Tasmota)
* works with Daikin air conditioning units (even if just "on" and "off")
please?
@neil I was thinking of making one, if that helps :-)
@revk Absolutely! Although I really should just get to grips with installing a Faikout, as that is really what I need here. But taking apart the AC doesn't fill me with joy.
@neil I have a blog post about this in my drafts, which I need to finish off...
Is there another, implicit, requirement "does not require soldering to get it working"?
Basically I couldn't find anything that exactly fit the bill, so I bought an IR blaster that didn't support Tasmota and transplanted the wifi/control module for one that did. Fiddly one-time setup, but has worked really well since.
If that might be of interest I'll see about finishing off that draft!
@neil I was looking for something similar this time last year (LG not Daikin, ESPHome not Tasmota): Found nothing that fit the bill exactly, but I did find a compromise I could work with.
The Broadlink RM4 series (both Mini and Pro versions)
It's the wrong microcontroller, so it can't be reflashed, but first-time setup can be performed without the app (by using a small Python package), and there is an integration in HA that works well, if not as user friendly as it could be.
@Seen_Canary @neil maybe I'm off here, but couldn't you just use any ESPHome compatible MCU and solder a IR LED to it? At least thats what I did to get the TV and Soundsystem going. Not sure where the specific "IR Blaster" comes into play here
I'm looking more for a "box that I can plug in and use" here, than a project, really - that's all the difference is!
@neil @Seen_Canary ok, totally get that point. I also have way too much side quests too.
I just wanted to make clear that the DIY version is a possible option, since sometimes people aren't aware.
@Seen_Canary Thanks! I had looked at one of these, but I wasn't sure.
@neil that said, if there was an equivalent of the Faikout for my AC units (I have 3, all from different vendors, plus some floor standing fans, that the Broadlink devices control) I'd go for that option in a heartbeat:
The biggest downside of IR control of AC units is the lack of confirmation that your request has been received, let alone acted upon.
The number of times I've tried to control the LG unit (the most difficult) and it's just ignored one of the steps in the middle is ridiculous.
> The biggest downside of IR control of AC units is the lack of confirmation that your request has been received, let alone acted upon.
Yes, exactly.
Install Fedizen
Get the full app experience
@neil I picked up one of these recently: https://www.seeedstudio.com/XIAO-Smart-IR-Mate-p-6492.html
- I'm not entirely sure it meets your availability needs; they have a German shipping warehouse
- comes with ESPHome firmware and I know it works great with HA
- I don't know about your specific AC model but it's a "learning" IR blaster, so you can program it with whatever you want if you already have an IR remote
XIAO Smart IR Mate: Smart Wi-Fi Infrared Proxy for Home Assistant (ESPHome Ready-Made Project)