Automations

An automation is a rule: when a field on one device crosses a value, set fields on other devices. nn compiles your rules and pushes them to the devices. The sensors then run them themselves, over the mesh. A button press lights a lamp in another room without the hub being in the loop, and the rules survive a device reboot.

This page builds the classic demo: press the button on c6-s1, and the LEDs on all three sensors light up. Press it again, and they turn off.

1. Write the rule

Open Automation › Modify rules. You can build rules with the Helper on the left, or write them directly in the editor on the right. The editor is automations.yaml, which is what actually runs on the fleet.

Paste this in the editor:

automations:
  - id: s1_btn_all_leds
    trigger:
      - device: c6-s1
        field: button
        above: 0.5
    action:
      - device: c6-s1
        field: led
        value: 1
      - device: c6-s2
        field: led
        value: 1
      - device: c6-s3
        field: led
        value: 1

  - id: s1_btn_all_leds_off
    trigger:
      - device: c6-s1
        field: button
        below: 0.5
    action:
      - device: c6-s1
        field: led
        value: 0
      - device: c6-s2
        field: led
        value: 0
      - device: c6-s3
        field: led
        value: 0

A trigger condition is one of above, below, equals or not_equals.

To use the Helper instead, fill in the rule id, the trigger device, field, condition and threshold, add each action with + action, and press Add rule to editor.

2. Compile and push

  1. Press Save & Compile. The hub checks the rules and makes a small program for each device involved. The Console under the editor shows the result.

  2. Press Push to devices. Each device confirms it received its rules.

  3. Open On devices. Every device shows the same rules version and compiled time.

Photo needed: Automation page after a push

Screenshot of Automation › Modify rules with the rule in the editor and the Console showing a successful push, and a second one of the On devices table.

3. Try it

Press BOOT on c6-s1. All three LEDs turn green. Press it again, and they turn off.

Photo needed: Three sensors lighting together

Photo (or a short video) of three ESP32-C6 boards on a desk with their LEDs lit after one button press.

On the Devices page each card follows along. A card shows turning on… while the hub waits for a device to confirm, then the new value.

The failsafe

Radio messages on a mesh can be lost. The hub watches for that: when a rule fired but a device it should have changed did not report the new value within a few seconds, the hub sets that value itself, with retries. It is on by default, with a 3-second delay.

There is no switch for it in the web app yet. You can read and change it through the API:

$ curl http://192.168.1.50:8769/api/v1/auto/failsafe
$ curl -X PUT -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"enabled": true, "delay_s": 3}' \
      http://192.168.1.50:8769/api/v1/auto/failsafe

Next: Update sensors over the air.