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Help - Did I Buy The Wrong Device - Printable Version

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Help - Did I Buy The Wrong Device - shrub100 - 03-13-2023

Hi, I bought one of Kincony KC868-AG IR RF Transmitter / Recievers from AlliExpress hoping that it would integrate better with my Home Assistant set-up vs my current transmitter / receiver which only works via Tuya SmartLife. The adverts looked like a device that was 'ready to go' but I am starting to understand that this is not the case and that there is a reasonable amount of coding and configuration etc required to get this to work or am I missing something? Out of the box there were no instructions or any guidance on how this works. So far I managed:

1. Set-up ESP Home on Home Asistant
2. Connect to the device and load the configuration including wifi; HA api / passwords etc
3. I now have an entity for firmware updates, but that is it.

I can see some of the suggestions on setting up the Yaml to start to get the receivers to work but have had limited success and am getting multiple errors and the yaml from the post KC868-UAIR ESPHOME Config for IR and RF (kincony.com) isnt really complete and fully working as far as I can tell. Here are my errors:
  • IR Reciever - ERROR [inverted] is an invalid option for [1]. Please check the indentation. I did add some indentation and just got another error.
  • Buzzer - commented out as I have a warning about pin4 being a strapping pin
  • Entity - is not a valid domain - not sure what to select for a buzzer though!

So questions:
1. is there any way to get this working with some ready-made firmware? I want to be able to read IR / RF signals and then create some buttons to send them to my blinds; garage door; and a few other items.
2. if there is nothing out of the box... can someone just post a working YAML for this device with all the receivers/transmitters and buzzers? Equally, maybe a couple of examples of devices would be useful. Surely it is more work to continuously respond to questions about getting this working than to just write a few lines of code once and be done with it?
3. Once I have the yaml working... then what? How do I actually use this to record and transmit via home assistant? Is there another plugin or something that makes this work in HA ideally with a GUI?

Sorry for all the newb questions. I would not have bought this item if I knew that the software embedded was missing and that I would have to find / build everything myself. I get that this works for some hardcore users, and whilst I am happy tinkering I also have kids and work to worry about  Wink

My Yaml so far.

Code:
esphome:
  name: esp-remote-ir-rf-remote
  friendly_name: "ESP Remote IR / RF Remote"
esp32:
  board: esp32dev
  framework:
    type: arduino
# Enable logging
logger:
# Enable Home Assistant API
api:
  encryption:
    key: "**********"
ota:
  password: "**********"
wifi:
  ssid: !secret wifi_ssid
  password: !secret wifi_password
# Enable fallback hotspot (captive portal) in case wifi connection fails
  ap:
    ssid: "esp_remote_ir_rf_remote"
    password: !secret wifi_password
#Remote Reciver
remote_receiver:
  - id: RF_Receiver
    pin: 13
    dump:
      - rc_switch
    tolerance: 50%
    filter: 250us
    idle: 4ms
#IR Reciever - ERROR [inverted] is an invalid option for [1]. Please check the indentation.
  - id: IR_Receiver - commented out as
    pin: 23
    inverted: True
    dump: all
#Buzzer - commented out as I have a warning about pin4 being a strapping pin.
#output:
#  - platform: gpio
#    id: "buzzer"
#    pin: 4

#entity: -  Also entity isnt a valid domain apparently - what should I use for a buzzer then?
#  - platform: binary
#    output: "buzzer"
#    name: "IR-RF-Remote-Buzzer"


RE: Help - Did I Buy The Wrong Device - admin - 03-14-2023

take a photo of your box bottom, there is lable of the product model. if you can use by Tuya app. maybe you have bought the KC102, not KC868-AG. so take a photo, we will help you.

RE: Help - Did I Buy The Wrong Device - shrub100 - 03-14-2023

(03-14-2023, 12:19 AM)admin Wrote: take a photo of your box bottom, there is lable of the product model. if you can use by Tuya app. maybe you have bought the KC102, not KC868-AG. so take a photo, we will help you.

Photo

This is what I bought - LINK

Bottom Says:
Kincony
Smart Controller
Model: KC868-AG
Input DC 5v 500ma
Made for ESPHome
Made in China

I should add that I specifically wanted a device to manage some RF devices that I already have working with a different device, it just is not so well integrated to Home Assistant and it all goes via Tuya. I wanted something that runs fully locally which is what I thought I would get with a ESPHome device. I am hoping that it is just my misunderstanding and that there is some way to get this working with relative ease.

[url=https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003833775634.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.35.2b281802PCI1kE][/url]

RE: Help - Did I Buy The Wrong Device - admin - 03-14-2023

ok, this is KC868-AG , correct use for ESPHome by home assistant.
not integrate with Tuya. just config yaml file by ESPHome to use IR and RF function. on forum there are some demo config file about it.

RE: Help - Did I Buy The Wrong Device - shrub100 - 03-15-2023

(03-14-2023, 11:15 PM)admin Wrote: ok, this is KC868-AG , correct use for ESPHome by home assistant.
not integrate with Tuya. just config yaml file by ESPHome to use IR and RF function. on forum there are some demo config file about it.

So the device does not really work out the box and needs coding? I feel like the advert is quite misleading on AliExpress which makes me sad.

Can you please help me further by reviewing my original post? In my post you can see, I have been through all the posts on this forum to do my best to construct a working YAML. However, it has errors that I have no idea how to resolve.

I understand that you say that building a working Yaml is very easy and I am sure you have tested this device before manufacturing it..... therefore, would you be able to post a complete working YAML from your device? If you don't have one, could you take my attempt and complete it, maybe with a couple of examples of IR / RF buttons by way of an example that I and others can copy?

I spent about 5 hours getting to where I am now, but have exhausted my knowledge and ability to resolve the issues. I have no idea what a strapping pin error is for the buzzer or the issue with an indentation for the invert function of the IR receiver.

Thanks for your time, and help here, I am sure that this device is really useful, but a bit of energy to make it easier for people to use would hopefully reduce requests like mine, and make the device more successful for future orders.

RE: Help - Did I Buy The Wrong Device - admin - 03-15-2023

if you want directly to use, without any config and setting. you can chose KC102, that use by Tuya app.
here is video tour: https://youtu.be/G-o2piyGoiU
if you want, we can send you this KC102. play with it.

RE: Help - Did I Buy The Wrong Device - shrub100 - 03-15-2023

(03-15-2023, 11:44 AM)admin Wrote: if you want directly to use, without any config and setting. you can chose KC102, that use by Tuya app.
here is video tour: https://youtu.be/G-o2piyGoiU
if you want, we can send you this KC102. play with it.

Thanks for the offer but KC102 does not have RF and I need RF. I already have one of these: LINK but every button of my devices appears in home assistant as a scene, plus it is reliant on the web to operate and I would prefer something within my own network.

With regard to the KC868-AG are you being overly polite and maybe i just need to be told that this device is really for advanced users who understand coding of hardware like this? I guess if it was easy to get working you would have provided a YAML conifg and maybe some instructions to get it working....but it seems like you think this is too much of an undertaking for someone like me who is familiar with coding, but by no means an expert in esphome conifguration.

I did have another go - but dont seem to have the rc_switch library installed and have no idea how to get it installed.

Code:
esphome:
  name: esp-remote-ir-rf-remote
  friendly_name: "ESP Remote IR / RF Remote"
  libraries:
    - name: rc-switch
      version: "2.0.0"

esp32:
  board: esp32dev
  framework:
    type: arduino

# Enable logging
logger:

# Enable Home Assistant API
api:
  encryption:
    key: "Xx"

ota:
  password: "xx"

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

  # Enable fallback hotspot (captive portal) in case wifi connection fails
  ap:
    ssid: "esp_remote_ir_rf_remote"
    password: !secret wifi_password

# Configure the IR receiver
remote_receiver:
  pin:
    number: GPIO23
    inverted: True
  dump: all
  tolerance: 50%
  filter: 250us
  idle: 4ms

# Configure the IR sender
remote_transmitter:
  pin:
    number: GPIO2
    inverted: True
  carrier_duty_percent: 50%

# Configure the 433MHz receiver
rc_switch:
  pin:
    number: GPIO13
    inverted: True
  protocol: 1
  pulselength: 350
  tolerance: 50%
  filter: 250us
  idle: 4ms

# Configure the 433MHz sender
rc_switch_transmitter:
  pin:
    number: GPIO22
    inverted: True
  protocol: 1
  pulselength: 350

# Configure the buzzer
output:
  - platform: gpio
    pin:
      number: GPIO4
      inverted: True
    id: buzzer


RE: Help - Did I Buy The Wrong Device - admin - 03-16-2023

1. i think you not need to use "buzzer", you can remove these code.
2. now you have define gpio for IR and RF. if you want to make buttons on home assistant for these function. you need to create:

a. such as if you want to control your air conditioner by IR, you can use esphome "IR Remote Climate"
such as these code:

# Example configuration entry
remote_transmitter:
pin: GPIO32
carrier_duty_percent: 50%

climate:
- platform: coolix # adjust to match your AC unit!
name: "Living Room AC"

here is details with eshpome: https://esphome.io/components/climate/climate_ir.html
here is video tour: https://www.kincony.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1827 the config way as same as KC868-AG

b. such as you want to create a RF button to remote control your RF device.
you need see your esphome log output check your remote button's "key code", then use this "key code" make an action, such as when remote button-A is pressed then what action need to do. i don't know whether you want to receive a RF signal or need send your customsize RF code.

esphome is for DIYer, so need config, not directly to use. this i want tell you. you can think whether is suitable for you to use.