cannot enable filters on some of the sensors

[pavelw]

seems that some sensors cannot be filtered.

text_sensor:

• platform: victron_ble victron_ble_id: MySmartShunt name: "Battery Alarm reason" state_topic: ${device}/shunt/alarm_reason type: ALARM_REASON filters:

  • throttle_average: 60s

• platform: victron_ble victron_ble_id: MySmartSolar name: "MPPT state" state_topic: ${device}/mppt/state type: DEVICE_STATE filters:

  • heartbeat: 60s
  • throttle_average: 60s

• platform: victron_ble victron_ble_id: MySmartSolar name: "MPPT Error reason" state_topic: ${device}/mppt/error_reason type: CHARGER_ERROR filters:

  • heartbeat: 60s
  • throttle_average: 60s

for other sensors it works correctly:

• platform: victron_ble victron_ble_id: MyCharger name: "charger input voltage" state_topic: ${device}/charger/input_voltage type: INPUT_VOLTAGE filters:

  • heartbeat: 60s
  • throttle_average: 60s

  • platform: victron_ble victron_ble_id: MyCharger name: "charger output voltage" state_topic: ${device}/charger/output_voltage type: OUTPUT_VOLTAGE filters:

    • heartbeat: 60s
    • throttle_average: 60s

  • platform: victron_ble victron_ble_id: MySmartShunt name: "shunt ETA" state_topic: ${device}/shunt/eta type: TIME_TO_GO
    filters:

    • heartbeat: 60s
    • throttle_average: 60s

  • platform: victron_ble victron_ble_id: MySmartShunt name: "shunt Battery voltage" state_topic: ${device}/shunt/voltage type: BATTERY_VOLTAGE filters:

    • heartbeat: 60s
    • throttle_average: 60s

---

filtering is useful to reduce amount of reported data - load on wifi and mqtt systems. if not this, then support for "update_interval" would be nice :)

==== operation info ESPHome 2023.12.9

component works for me on:

• Orion-Tr Smart DC-DC charger non-isolated
• MPPT
• Smart Shunt

all devices work flawlessly but seems that esphome needs more than basic ESP32 for BLE in my config. works ok on ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R8 module

[pavelw]

update_interval:

and the esphome docs mention it could be possible:

https://esphome.io/components/text_sensor/template.html

[pavelw]

I can make some PR with support of these functions, but I would need some example code.. started to search for that

[Fabian-Schmidt]

Hi,

The filters throttle_average and heartbeat are for sensor components and not for text_sensor. This is a function of ESP Home. See filters for sensors vs text_sensor:

• https://esphome.io/components/sensor/
• https://esphome.io/components/text_sensor/

If you want a throttle_average and heartbeat filter for text_sensor please submit a PR to the ESP Home project.

The component does not use update_interval as I don't control the communication. Whenever the Victron device submits a Bluetooth package and the ESPHome receives it an update is triggered. No reason for an update interval.

[pavelw]

Update interval is useful because it allows limiting the number of updates, reducing the amount of network traffic.

• The MQTT/Wi-Fi (in my case) does not need to store values every time the update is published.
• Humans do not need to read the values exactly at the 'BLE advertisement' frequency.

I do not expect anything, just explaining my point of view. thanks for the component, it works quite well as it is! :)

[pavelw]

Workaround to limit text_filters without update_interval implemented:

   - lambda: |-
        static std::string last;
        if (x == last)
          return {};
        last = x;
        return x;

found this at https://community.home-assistant.io/t/send-template-text-sensor-state-to-ha-only-at-change/568655/18 in current form, will not publish update if it is the same value as previous one.

seems it can be easily improved, probably "hearbeat" and "throttle_average" code can be ported from esphome filter.cpp