BlogContact
boneIO Black AppConfiguration

Remote Devices

Controlling other boneIO Black controllers, ESPHome devices and WLED lights from this controller.

The controller can control devices elsewhere on the network: other boneIO Black controllers (over MQTT), ESPHome devices (over the ESPHome API) and WLED LED controllers. Once a device is added here, its outputs, lights and covers can be used in this controller's actions.

Open Settings → Connections → Remote Devices. Changes apply without a restart.

Remote Devices

Supported protocols

ProtocolForWhat you get
MQTTOther boneIO Black controllers on the same MQTT brokerTheir outputs and covers
ESPHOME_APIESPHome devices with the native API switched onSwitches, lights (brightness, colour temperature, RGB/RGBW), covers (position, tilt), binary sensors
WLEDWLED LED controllersThe whole strip and its segments, with effects and palettes

Finding devices

The Discovered devices card at the top lists devices found on the network that are not configured yet.

  • boneIO Black controllers appear by themselves, if they use the same MQTT broker. The list refreshes every 30 seconds. The other controller must have Send boneIO Autodiscovery on, and this one Receive boneIO Autodiscovery, both in MQTT settings.
  • Scan ESPHome and Scan WLED search the local network (mDNS) for 3 seconds.
  • Scan CAN appears only when the CAN bus is on, and lists the devices that answered on the bus.

Click Add next to a device to add it. Remove from list next to a discovered boneIO clears the messages it left on the broker, so it disappears from the list.

Adding a device by hand

If a device was not found, add it yourself. Every device has:

FieldDescription
Device IDUnique identifier, used in actions, for example salon_boneio. Required.
Device NameName shown in the panel. Required.
ProtocolMQTT, ESPHOME_API or WLED. Required.
Device TypeOnly for MQTT: boneIO Black, ESPHome, WLED or Generic. For ESPHome API and WLED it is set automatically.

boneIO Black (MQTT)

For a boneIO Black, the Device ID must be that controller's serial number, for example blk8c7df0: it is used to build the MQTT topics. Under MQTT Settings you can list its Outputs (Add Output) and Covers (Add Cover), so they are offered in action dropdowns. A controller added from Discovered devices gets all of this filled in.

ESPHome device

Under ESPHome API Settings:

FieldDescription
HostAddress of the device. A hostname such as device.local is better than an IP address, which can change. Required.
PortAPI port, 6053 by default.
API PasswordOnly if the device has one.
Encryption KeyOnly if the device has one (Base64).

Click Discover Entities. The controller connects to the device and lists its Switches, Lights, Covers and Binary Sensors. Only the binary sensors you tick are monitored; use Select all / Deselect all. In the device list, the same Discover Entities button refreshes the entities later and shows how many were found.

WLED

Under WLED Settings:

FieldDescription
HostAddress of the WLED controller, for example wled-salon.local. Required.
Port80 by default.

Click Discover Segments to read the device's Segments (name and number of LEDs).

After the device is saved, Refresh effects & palettes cache appears. The controller reads the list of effects and palettes from WLED by itself when it connects. Use the button if you updated WLED or changed its effects: it reads them again without removing and re-adding the device. The panel then shows how many effects and palettes it found.

The WLED strip and its segments are then set up as remote outputs.

Example: a second boneIO Black

  1. Make sure both controllers use the same MQTT broker.
  2. The second controller appears in Discovered devices.
  3. Click Add. It is added with all its outputs and covers.
  4. Its outputs can now be chosen in this controller's actions.

Example: an ESPHome device

On the ESPHome device:

api:
  encryption:
    key: "your_encryption_key"

switch:
  - platform: gpio
    pin: GPIO5
    name: "Garage Light"
    id: garage_light

On boneIO Black:

  1. Click Scan ESPHome. The device should appear.
  2. Click Add next to it.
  3. Enter the Encryption Key.
  4. Click Discover Entities.
  5. "Garage Light" can now be chosen in actions.

Managed by

The Managed by card lists other boneIO controllers that have added this controller as a remote device and can control it. Useful when you are working out which controller switches what in a larger installation.

Using remote devices

Remote outputs and covers can be used in input actions, binary sensor actions and schedules. In the action dropdowns they carry the remote device's name.

The controller does the controlling. To control a remote device directly from Home Assistant, add it to Home Assistant on its own (MQTT or ESPHome integration).

Troubleshooting

A boneIO Black does not appear

  1. Check that both controllers use the same MQTT broker.
  2. Check Send boneIO Autodiscovery on the other controller and Receive boneIO Autodiscovery on this one.
  3. Wait: the list refreshes every 30 seconds.

An ESPHome or WLED device does not appear

  1. Make sure it is on the same local network.
  2. For ESPHome, check that api: is in its configuration.
  3. mDNS scanning does not cross routers or VLANs. Add the device by hand, with its IP address.

ESPHome API does not connect

  1. Check the API password and the encryption key.
  2. Check that port 6053 is not blocked by a firewall.
  3. Look at the ESPHome device's logs.

CAN Bus

Switching on the CAN bus and setting its speed, node ID and master/slave mode.

Remote Inputs

Use a button or sensor on another device — an ESPHome board or another boneIO — as if it were an input of this controller.

On this page

Supported protocolsFinding devicesAdding a device by handboneIO Black (MQTT)ESPHome deviceWLEDExample: a second boneIO BlackExample: an ESPHome deviceManaged byUsing remote devicesTroubleshootingA boneIO Black does not appearAn ESPHome or WLED device does not appearESPHome API does not connect