Nordic Thingy:52 Node.js Home-Assistant MQTT Sensor Script

This script will connect to Nordic's Thingy:52 IoT Sensor Kit using Bluetooth, and send the environment sensor data to Home-Assistant set up with the MQTT Sensor component.

Raspberry Pi

Prerequisites

1. A Raspberry Pi with built in Bluetooth or a Raspberry Pi and a Bluetooth USB dongle.
2. The Raspbian Jessie operating system image.
3. A Nordic Thingy:52 IoT Sensor Kit
4. Home-Assistant with MQTT Sensor component
5. Git, Node.js, npm and thingy52 lib.

Install

1. Update the package manager: sudo apt-get update.
2. Add the latest version of Node.js to package manager: curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_7.x | sudo -E bash -
3. Install Node.js and thingy52 lib dependencies: sudo apt-get install bluetooth bluez libbluetooth-dev libudev-dev git nodejs
4. Clone the repository: git clone https://github.com/joakimtoe/thingy52_hass_mqtt_sensor.git
5. Go into the thingy52_hass_mqtt_sensor folder. cd thingy52_hass_mqtt_sensor
6. Install the thingy52 lib: npm install thingy52

Configure script

1. Find your Thingy:52's bluetooth device address using. hcitool

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ sudo hcitool lescan
LE Scan ...
E2:16:3A:FD:67:46 Thingy

2. Open config.json with nano config.json
3. Remove ':' from the device address and add it (with this format e2163afd6746) to the parameter thingy_white_list in the config.json file. Or remove thingy_white_list completly to connect to all discovered Thingy:52's.
4. Change mqtt_url, mqtt_username and mqtt_password according to your MQTT Broker. See Home-Assitant configuration chapter if in doubt. If you are using Home-Assitant's embedded MQTT broker see this page.

Run

To run the script: sudo node thingy_hass_mqtt.js

Autorun

1. Create a new systemd service sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/thingy-hass-mqtt.service
2. Then copy/paste the following into the service file:

[Unit]
Description=Thingy Environment MQTT service
After=network.target ntpdate.service

[Service]
Environment=PATH=/usr/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local
ExecStart=/usr/bin/node /[path to thingy52_hass_mqtt_sensor]/thingy_hass_mqtt.js
StandardOutput=inherit
StandardError=inherit
Restart=always
User=root

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
Alias=thingy-hass-mqtt.service

3. Change the path to your thingy52_hass_mqtt_sensor folder and save.
4. Reload systemd: sudo systemctl --system daemon-reload
5. To start automatically at boot, enable the service: sudo systemctl enable thingy-hass-mqtt. Use disable to turn off.
6. To start it now use: sudo systemctl start thingy-hass-mqtt. Also supports stop, restart and status.
7. To get the log use: sudo journalctl -f -u thingy-hass-mqtt

Home-Assistant

Configuration

1. Setup MQTT and select MQTT Broker according to this page.
2. Availible data are:

{
  "temp": "25",    // Temperature in Celsius
  "press": "1000", // Air Pressure in hPa
  "humid": "30",   // Relative Humidity in %
  "eco2": "500",   // Estimated CO2 in ppm
  "tvoc": "20",    // Total Volatile Organic Compound in ppb
  "batt": "85"     // Battery level in %
}

3. Add sensors like in the following example.

# Example configuration.yaml entry
sensor:
  - platform: mqtt
    state_topic: "thingy/[lower case bluetooth device address without :]/environment"
    name: "Temperature"
    unit_of_measurement: "C"
    value_template: '{{ value_json.temp }}'

To find your Thingy:52's bluetooth device address use. sudo hcitool lescan

4. Restart Home-Assitant and the added sensors will appear in the States view.