Aqualin BLE Python control rev 0.1
Description: Lightweight aqualin BLE mqtt deamon controller
All rights of the device are owned by Aqualin
This is a reverse engeneered Bluetooth Low Energy control of the aqualin BLE solenoid valve device without custumizations on the device itself.
Usage of this project is on your own risk.
2 months ago I created a solution to switch a aqualin BLE controled selenoid valve on and off via bash.
See this repository https://github.com/RoyOltmans/aqualin
This project lacked the automation needs I have to combine this solution for example with Home-assistant. Therefor I started with a MQTT deamon that publishes the battery state of one or more valve's and based on the business rules executed via MQTT controles the valve state on or off.
This makes further automation and control via for instance home assistant easy.
This project has been build on linux raspbian on a Raspberry Pi Zero W.
- Upgrade and update all repositories:
$ sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
- Firstly install necessay utils
Install the required tool and libraries to support BLE:
$ sudo apt-get install git bluetooth bluez
sudo apt-get install python
sudo apt-get install python-pip
- A MQTT bus is needed install a MQTT bus (for example mosquitto)
$ sudo apt-get install mosquitto mosquitto-clients python-mosquitto
Detailed description can be found here:
- Install necessary supporting libraries for the project
$ sudo pip install paho-mqtt
sudo pip install schedule
sudo pip install mercurial
- Install aqualin mqtt deamon
$ git clone https://github.com/RoyOltmans/aqualin-mqtt-deamon.git /opt/aqualin-mqtt-deamon
- We will need the MAC address(es) of the valve's, you can identify these by the following command:
$ sudo hcitool lescan
write down the mac address of the valve(s) eg 01:02:03:04:05:06
Normally the address starts with 01:02:03:04:[XX]:[XX]
A example line would be
01:02:03:04:09:B6 Spray-Mist 09B6
Afterwards try connecting by using the following command:
sudo gatttool -b [01:02:03:04:09:B6 exmaple max] -I
Afterwards you get into a prompt, execute the following command:
char-desc
This should give a long list of ID's, if this works it should be "ok".
- Configure the config.ini
Edit the config.ini via your favorite text editor (e.g. nano, vi etc). Change the mac address if you have one valve remove the whole line of mac addresses and the ','. Also change the MQTThost to the IP address or DNS name of the host running the MQTT bus (offcourse with extra details if needed).
Set execution for the script
$ sudo chmod +x /opt/aqualin-mqtt-deamon/aqualin-mqtt-deamon.py
Execute the script
$ cd /opt/aqualin-mqtt-deamon
./aqualin-mqtt-deamon.py
Start a new bash instance and follow MQTT publications, use the following command below to follow the MQTT output
$ mosquitto_sub -h [MQTT Host] -t '#' -v
To change the state of an aqualin device fill in the correct mac address (sranned with hcitool) and switch it on/of -m is the payload how long the valve will be openend before it closes again. The message for the off state does not have any functional affect.
$ mosquitto_pub -h [MQTT Host] -t home/aqualin/[Aquilin BLE MAC]/status/on -m [payload, timer in minutes]
mosquitto_pub -h [MQTT Host] -t home/aqualin/[Aquilin BLE MAC]/status/off -m [payload, timer in minutes]
Hope this project helps with your garden automation. Offcourse this could be combined with miflora to control the valves via home-automation.