Tasmota: Feature Request: Add device config via loadable template specific file
Have you look for this feature in other issues and in the wiki?
Yes
Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
Since the growing amount of devices not all devices can be added to Tasmota code
Describe the solution you'd like
Possibility to load a config file (template) which can be loaded via webfrontend to config Tasmota.
So everyone could share working device config templates for easy setting up his device
Jason2866
All 57 comments
As the voice of the average user I wholeheartedly support this feature and it would relieve a lot of stress on the support team (github and discord) as well as making wiki entries a simple image of the device and a link to the config file
blakadder
on 9 Feb 2019
Considering.
arendst
on 9 Feb 2019
How about a command like this:
Template {"Name":"Sonoff Basic","Gpio":[17,255,255,255,255,0,0,0,21,56,255,0,0],"Flag":0x00}
With a name up to 14 characters, GPIO numbers as presented by the GPIO command and an optional flag as currently available in sonoff_template.h. The number 255 represents a user selectable configurable GPIO just as in sonoff_template.h.
No fancy upload process needed. Just a command.
arendst
on 9 Feb 2019
Nice, for advanced users!
We have in Discord Chat many users with beginner skill. So we have to explain how to handle this command. What do you think about implementing this now and let us make some experience with.
If this isnt end user friendly enough, doing it additional/alternative via file upload?
Jason2866
on 9 Feb 2019
Working on it. Might be ready by tomorrow.
arendst
on 9 Feb 2019
Awesome! It will definitely help with the flood of the new devices from Tuya convert. This is a great combination with the recent addition power monitoring pin selection via the GUI ! Easy to cover most of these plugs with Generic now and a simple Wiki page.
digiblur
on 10 Feb 2019
Takes some more time for testing as there are major changes needed to satisfy future user requests (I had a vision...).
Anyway I have it functional and am testing the final changes.
arendst
on 11 Feb 2019
Give it a chance.
Command Template usage:
Template - Show current user template
Template 0 - Copy current module to user template
Template <module number> - Copy module to user template
Template {"NAME":"GenericTheo","GPIO":[17,243,29,244,7,201,255,255,138,255,139,255,255],"FLAG":0,"BASE":18} - Set a template. Any JSON field is optional.
Choose user template using command module 0 or use web GUI and select top module name
Usage:
- Load default Generic module config to user template by executing command
template 18 - Using GUI select user module and Save
- Using GUI and make your GPIO choices and save
- To export template just execute command
templateand copy text to distribute.
Open for any minor changes suggestion.
arendst
on 11 Feb 2019
Looks good @arendst :)
@jziolkowski feature request for Tasmota Device Manager - drop downs to push the JSON? :)
andrethomas
on 11 Feb 2019
Looks great, but if I get it correctly you use this template with template jsonstring, but after you set a pin you cannot change it, because it wont be a user settable pin (USER_GPIO) anymore.
netpok
on 11 Feb 2019
Did you try it?
arendst
on 11 Feb 2019
@arendst Hope i will find time tomorrow to try!
Jason2866
on 11 Feb 2019
@arendst Yes, I tried it, but now I found out the problem was on my side, I used Blitzwolf SHP as a base, because that was the only device in reach, with Generic device as base it can be changed.
netpok
on 11 Feb 2019
I did a quick test setting a POW to generic and then template 6 - Should it behave like a POW after that?
Either that or I missed some step because its not showing the pin configs in the web ui...
andrethomas
on 11 Feb 2019
Ah no I did something wrong... so false alarm :)
andrethomas
on 12 Feb 2019
{"NAME":"Sonoff Pow","GPIO":[17,0,0,0,0,130,0,0,21,132,133,52,0],"FLAG":0,"BASE":6}
andrethomas
on 12 Feb 2019
Works as designed. :-) Big Thx Real cool new feature!
If i had a wish ;-). Could you add Template loading and activating via "Upgrade by file upload" ?
Would be easiest way to share and activate ready made Templates (from the big Tasmota community)
for users with all skill levels. -> Hosting ready made Templates on a "central place" (Community will do!)
Once again thank you for this great "next big thing"
09:22:40 CMD: Template
09:22:40 MQT: stat/sonoff-D4533B3B/RESULT = {"NAME":"BlitzWolf SHP","GPIO":[57,255,56,255,0,134,0,0,131,17,132,21,0],"FLAG":0,"BASE":45}
Jason2866
on 12 Feb 2019
Will add GUI upload too as suggested by @Jason2866
arendst
on 12 Feb 2019
See https://github.com/arendst/Sonoff-Tasmota/blob/development/TEMPLATE.md for background information. Ready to be wikified by someone...
arendst
on 12 Feb 2019
@andrethomas
@jziolkowski feature request for Tasmota Device Manager - drop downs to push the JSON? :)
Definitely. I'm polling the firmware for available modules and gpios, so JSON Template output is easy-peasy.
jziolkowski
on 12 Feb 2019
@arendst Thx!
@jziolkowski @andrethomas @blakadder @digiblur Let us discuss in Discord how we can collect, provide templates and get the info to the users.
Jason2866
on 12 Feb 2019
I am following the addition of this new feature with great interest. I saw the TEMPLATE.md page... but I did not find what links to this page.
In the meantime, I added a page to outline a procedure for determining the GPIO configuration for a "new" device. I tried to put @digiblur's video tutorial into a step-by-step procedure. Please review/edit and let me know if it should link to the TEMPLATE instructions or vice versa. Right now I link to the procedure from the Initial Configuration page.
Regards.
Mike
meingraham
on 12 Feb 2019
@meingraham TEMPLATE.md outlines the implementation of https://github.com/arendst/Sonoff-Tasmota/issues/5177#issuecomment-462439713
andrethomas
on 12 Feb 2019
@andrethomas,
Yes, I am aware - this topic.
But as templates are related to configurations, it is also likely that this TEMPLATE feature will be used in conjunction with retrieving or loading the configuration of Generic modules. I thought that perhaps it would make sense for the configuration procedure page I added ought make note of this TEMPLATE feature.
Will Template be just another Command and thus a link to TEMPLATE.md needs to be added to the Commands wiki? Give the word and I am happy to make the update to the Commands page. I just did not know where this new feature should be surfaced.
Regards.
Mike
meingraham
on 12 Feb 2019
Ah I understand your question better now.
I think the best approach would be to add the template command to the commands page but reference it to a new entry in the wiki at https://github.com/arendst/Sonoff-Tasmota/wiki/Templates and add it to the bottom like we have links to Commands and Rules in the footer like
Just a suggestion as its likely to become more complex in the not so distant future.
andrethomas
on 12 Feb 2019
OK. Let's let others weigh in as well.
I definitely see that a repository of templates will be a handy addition - a page with manufacturer, device name, photo (link), model, rev level, ESP8266/8285,Tuya module etc. along with it's template. I was thinking of a table... but that formatting could get messy.
I'm making this up - just for example...
Sonoff | Basic | R1 | ESP8266 | \
Sonoff | Basic | R2 | ESP8285 | \
Gosund | WP3 | v1 | TuyaTYWE1S | \
Mike
meingraham
on 12 Feb 2019
IMHO the Sonoff devices should remain hardcoded + 18 Generic. And maybe other unique ones, which could be a base for custom templates.
Also, the whole concept opens the floodgates for people publishing templates everywhere. Therefore, the wiki page listing "official" templates shouldn't be open to edits by everyone, if that's possible. Imagine people having a template for Tuya device from someone who has one that looks similar but has different circuit. I wonder where they will come? :) My bet is here and Discord. That's why upon the release, people should be invited to share their verified and tested templates, so we can compile a list on the wiki which we can then provide support for. Just my $0.02
jziolkowski
on 13 Feb 2019
I think this can be achieved only with some kind of a migration or a major version change, since removing already existing devices will revert those to sonoff basic.
It would be a nice addition to the template repository to be accessible from the webui, it could be implemented on the client side, so it requires minimal footprint in the tasmota code. It could all be handled by javascript loaded from an external server. Since accessing the device database already requires internet (of course the current method should be available for offline configuration and for custom devices), the additional js file loading shouldn't be a problem and it can be made secure via integrity hashes.
netpok
on 13 Feb 2019
@jziolkowski,
the whole concept opens the floodgates for people publishing templates everywhere
Isn't this basically already the case? The maker community has been adding new devices to the wiki without issue. Some have made their case for adding them to the official list of templates. But many have just added a new device page and then added a link in the right-hand menu bar.
It goes beyond that. For example, with the advent of Tuya OTA, many new devices are flooding in. Since those methods are using TASMOTA as the custom firmware of choice (at least for the initial OTA), there are many in the user base that are providing their configurations for others to leverage.
Of course it can all be abused. But my sense is that users are honorable and want to be helpful in providing their configurations. I think they will view adding templates in the same light.
people should be invited to share their verified and tested templates, so _we_ can compile a list on the wiki which _we_ can then provide support for
Who is _we_? With the volume of ESP based devices coming to market almost by the minute, it would be nigh impossible to have templates be moderated and yet keep up with new devices. If templates cannot be kept "up to date", the TEMPLATE feature becomes _much_ less valuable.
Regards.
Mike
meingraham
on 13 Feb 2019
Works great!
template {"NAME":"SP201","GPIO":[56,0,0,131,17,134,0,0,21,18,132,22,0],"FLAG":0,"BASE":18}
balvant813
on 13 Feb 2019
I like the suggestion from @andrethomas in compliance with the notes from @meingraham
Imho, configuration of device(s) should be possible without the need of internet access.
Complicates the set up process...
Jason2866
on 13 Feb 2019
As I implied this would be an optional thing, by default the manual setup is always available, if the device is connected to the internet this should display as an additional field, where the user could select the template to use, if needed I could make a proof of concept solution on the weekend.
Not related to this, I suggest to make a base profile where IO pins are not settable and use that as base profile for any power meter device (As I saw the point of closing my ticket #5134), of course the users still can change the base profile to general, but it should discourage the use of those pins for those who lacks the basic understanding of the firmware.
netpok
on 13 Feb 2019
@netpok PoC would be cool.
Important point!
Not related to this, I suggest to make a base profile where IO pins are not settable and use that as base profile for any power meter device (As I saw the point of closing my ticket #5134), of course the users still can change the base profile to general, but it should discourage the use of those pins for those who lacks the basic understanding of the firmware.
Jason2866
on 13 Feb 2019
As templates can be uploaded using serial, http, mqtt and even GUI I see no reason to add overhead for a webpage allowing to upload a template.
The current version provides enough hooks for external tools like TasmoAdmin to change the template just like any other setting.
arendst
on 13 Feb 2019
Oh and the already present templates will stay as removing any will defeat backward compatibility and some templates still need extra coding anyway. I like to stop adding templates that are just a deviation of the already available templates like many energy monitoring ones. They will need to use the new template feature.
I agree with @meingraham and @andrethomas to have an open repository of templates as there is just no possibility to test them all. Let the user decide what works best. The proposed layout is fine but it doesn't look good in a webpage I guess. Adding a picture will add a lot of space between single entries making the list a very long webpage.
arendst
on 13 Feb 2019
if it is a table layour then it is possible to use pictures, since using names is a fruitless endeavour with all the mushroom brands derived from tuya based products
like this
stolen from esphomeyaml docs
blakadder
on 13 Feb 2019
My idea of the repository includes an interface to add new devices with two features:
- When there are pins defined as power metering, it sets the base module to an unchangable one
- It doesn't allow adding new devices with the same pin configurations thus limits the infinite crap
netpok
on 13 Feb 2019
@arendst The main goal of my proposal is to not add overhead to the project (okay there is a minimal overhead of including it like 25-50 characters in the html code), it should use already existing endpoints and any required elements are loaded externally, if there are network connection available on the browser, the "sonoff" doesn't even need to have access to the internet.
netpok
on 13 Feb 2019
@netpok You'll get 52 bytes of code space ;-)
arendst
on 13 Feb 2019
Adding a picture will add a lot of space between single entries making the list a very long webpage.
I was proposing a link to a photo, not an img... because I agree that the page would get unruly quickly... Although this suggestion from @blakadder looks "tidy". Nevertheless, once you get dozens of devices, it'll probably be too unruly.
Mike
meingraham
on 13 Feb 2019
@arendst minor detail: can the JSON reply for the command "template" have a less ambiguous name? I'd suggest "TemplateName" instead of "NAME". Makes it easier for developers of external tools ;)
jziolkowski
on 13 Feb 2019
@arendst minor detail: can the JSON reply for the command "template" have a less ambiguous name? I'd suggest "TemplateName" instead of "NAME". Makes it easier for developers of external tools ;)
Is this being considered? Would be good to know before a lot of documentation is made!
blakadder
on 14 Feb 2019
I want to keep it as small as possible so for now I won't change it.
arendst
on 14 Feb 2019
TplName? :)
jziolkowski
on 14 Feb 2019
Kind questions: What is the need for this name change? When is it a problem it is called NAME instead of TPLNAME?
arendst
on 14 Feb 2019
Ok, meanwhile @blakadder over discord pointed me to template.md. I see that the keywords have meaning, so now it makes sense. As long as there will be no other /RESULT reply with JSON key NAME inside, then it's fine I guess. I'm just used to other key names in Tasmota to be more self-explanatory, that's all.
jziolkowski
on 14 Feb 2019
You can change the /RESULT with SetOption4 1 to, in this case /TEMPLATE if that makes sense.
arendst
on 14 Feb 2019
It makes, yes. But doesn't solve my "issue" because I assume 99% of users will have it the standard way. But ok, it's all clear now, thx.
jziolkowski
on 14 Feb 2019
As promised I created a proof of concept implementation of the device database integration. As it is not meant to be merged I did not create a pull request from it, should I?
It is currently available at my fork: https://github.com/netpok/Sonoff-Tasmota/tree/online-device-database
I have made it available as a precompiled version with ota update support at: http://netpok.ga/sonoff/sonoff.bin
Currently it doesn't have any fancy features like searchable selects and the database behind it, but it has two device configs for testing based on the blitzwolf SHP smartplugs.
Here's a screenshot:
And last but not least it currently does not comply with the 52 byte code limit, but it's managable I think.
netpok
on 16 Feb 2019
As POC I see you managed to integrate a complete jQuery example with just one line of code! This opens up a whole new kind of client / server functionality (and can of worms).
Nice idea and could even lead to much smaller web code in the device but it will depend on a (local or remote) server.
For now I go for the new, local template menu but am open to this non-local server idea.
arendst
on 17 Feb 2019
I never intended to offload any part of the existing code to an external server as it would lead to loss of functionality without internet. jQuery was included to speed up the development, in the final version it could be replaced with native code if required.
The can of worms of course should be locked away behind SRI and HSTS, so they can't come out :)
I like this local template menu, but I was not able to find it, is it still work in progress?
netpok
on 17 Feb 2019
Yes it is WIP but I hope to release today.
I need to tune the Ajax part in the near future as currently it uses functionality based on my then simple knowledge of updating pages without rewrites.
arendst
on 17 Feb 2019
Okay, also the required JS code on the device can be further reduced by using ES6, but this would lead to the requirement for modern web browsers. Here is a compatibility table (but probably the basic functions are supported in some of the earlier versions too):
netpok
on 17 Feb 2019
TBPH if the webui configuration is structures this way there's really no need to include the web downloading component. This is perfectly straightforward, it is in continuation with the existing gpio configuration so almost no learning curve and it leaves the user free to experiment and change the template according to his needs
blakadder
on 17 Feb 2019
@arendst let's discuss the JSON template you have in mind in a client-server scenario. I could write a standalone one (to the tune of tasmota ota fw-server.py) or integrate it into https://github.com/jziolkowski/tdm
EDIT: or expand the fw-server to become ota-template-server.py
jziolkowski
on 17 Feb 2019
@jziolkowski too early. It was just a brainwave after seeing the possibilities provided by @netpok.
If regarding the current template functionality it would be just that. The released JSON message as provided by the template command.
arendst
on 17 Feb 2019
Got it. But in case you decide it's a plausible idea, I'm up for the task.
jziolkowski
on 17 Feb 2019
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Most helpful comment
Will add GUI upload too as suggested by @Jason2866