CO2 sensors, readme rework

👉 Changes to the integration itself:

• added CO₂ sensors:
  Presence of sensor 1..5, raw readings, converted ppm values
  Thanks @suutatim for the idea and testing!

👉 Changes to the example dashboard:

• none, no updating required

👉 Internal changes:

• reworked readme.md for better displaying in HACS

Bug fixes, rH sensors, improved example dashboard

👉 Changes to the integration itself:

• fixed wrong temperature balance calculation (switched sides in subtraction),
• fixed wrong efficiency value at equal temperatures (0→100),
• fixed boost mode not starting again if cancelled before,
• preparations for future config flow + options flow setup,
• reworked major parts of the Wiki (especially installation guides),
• added rH sensors (both raw and real values - thanks to @ragg987),

👉 Changes to the example dashboard:

• Please go through the dashboard installation guide again to update your YAML.
• complete rework of the dashboard,
• improved displaying on smartphones,
• merged the two separated 'remote controls' into one,
• remote control now auto-detects browser language (en, de, nl, dk, sk, no, fi),
• plots are now linked (all 3 are zooming / scrolling together),
• new temperature balance display.

👉 Internal changes:

• added Github action and settings to protect the :main branch from PR's,
• added new input_number ventilation_display_select for new remote control buttons,
• re-arranged / cleaned Github file structure,
• moved old, unused files to zz_old_or_deprecated.

Official HACS listing; dashboard cards have arrived!

Please note that this version comes with 🔴 breaking changes 🔴. Please read these notes carefully.

What has changed?

• YAY! The integration is now officially listed on HACS. No more custom installations.
• Added a new file user_conf.yaml for calculations through templates (only 'real' RS485 items left in vent_conf.yaml).
• Introduced additional / optional parameters in secrets.yaml.
• Created new entities based on those parameters (current airflow, current power consumtion etc).
• Created lovelace cards for visualizing the ventilation unit (including a 1:1 'soft version' of your wand-mounted remote).
• Updated tinkerer's corner with further repair information.
• Updated basic explanations on RS485 and the protocol in use by these devices.
• Introduced some additional dimensioning explanations so people know how to interpret values on the new cards.
• Cleaned up code for better readability and robustness.
• Furher improved logging (but not done yet).

Making a fresh / new installation

A step-by-step installation guide can be found here.

Updating an existing installation 🔴 breaking changes 🔴

At first: Please apologize for the additional work, I tried to keep the necessary adjustments to a minimum.

Step 1: Edit your secrets.yaml (HA root directory) to implement the new additional parameters:

Add this to the file (copy/paste; you can adjust the values at any later time):

# ventilation: new optional settings for dasboard cards; these are for my house and a Helios EC300Pro, adjust as needed
helios_vallox_house_area: 143              # your house in m²
helios_vallox_house_volume: 384            # your house in m³
helios_vallox_isolation_factor: 0.3        # 0.3 = insulated house, 0.4 = not insulated
helios_vallox_airflow_per_mode: '0,105,165,195,240,270,305,335,360'  # airflow in m³/h according to manual / ventilator curves
helios_vallox_max_airflow: 360             # max airflow m³/h
helios_vallox_power_per_mode: '0,20,36,50,72,92,130,160,194'  # power consumption in W according to manual
helios_vallox_max_power: 194               # max power W
helios_vallox_heating_power: 1000          # power consumption of pre-/post heating if switched on W

Step 2: Add the new user_conf.yaml to your configuration.yaml (HA root directory), so the templates and calculations are loaded at startup:

homeassistant:      # watch out - in most cases, this key already exists!
  packages:
    helios_vallox:  !include custom_components/helios_vallox_ventilation/user_conf.yaml

Step 3: Restart HA to load the new configuration.

You are now ready to use the new features and cards of the integration.

Future plans and upcoming changes in next release

• make the old, ugly registers table in const.py obsolete,
• rework the error handling in case of connection breakdowns (currently it will spam your log files),
• use ESP32 instead of a commercial serial adaptor, create a Wiki entry on wiring and setup,
• learn about translations and workflows in HA, so users can configure everything in their native language in the UI instead of YAML,
• probably I'll merge both new 'remote controls' into just one for improved displaying on smartphones (by tabbing the pic).

Feel free to request additional changes in the discussions section

Code cleanup and optimizations (see comments); 1 breaking change!

What has changed?

This release is all about internal optimizations, code cleanup and better readability / traceability.

🔴 Breaking change 🔴

Please edit your configuration.yamlin the HA root and rename / shorten the logger:

before:

logger:
  logs:
    custom_components.helios_vallox_ventilation: error   # could be also: info, debug (=more logs)

after (new format):

logger:
  logs:
    helios_vallox: error

Other changes

• cleaned up code for better readability and robustness
• centralized functionality and removed obsolete methods
• restructured order of methods for better traceability
• removed obsolete async_update() from switches
• removed optional entity attributes with state 'None' (=not set in yaml config)
• optimized validity check for write service, min/max value is now considered
• renamed 'default_value' attribute to 'factory_setting' to avoid confusion
• changed connection handling: connect/disconnect for each run now instead of a permanent connection
• improved socket robustness by adding / optimizing socket settings
• finalized first version of the Wiki after including lots of background information
• included a bus sniffer in tools/sniffer.py (use with care - you may trigger huge logs when running it for a long time)

Upcoming changes for next release (planned)

• include more information on the device in vent_conf.yaml
• make the old, ugly registers table in const.pyobsolete
• further improve logging
• rework error handling in case of connection breakdowns (currently it spams log files)
• fine-tune tools/sniffer
• feel free to request additional changes in the discussions section

Improve switch behaviour and move binary_sensors to switches

This update is all about switches - the on/off methods have been reworked and are rock solid now.
Also, many former binary_sensors are switches now. Hopefully the last 'breaking change' for a while.

Please note: If updating from 2024.xx.x, please make sure to update your configuration.yaml as per this document.

Major rework - now using HA data update coordinator

This is a major code rework.

If you are updating, please read the following file carefully:
https://github.com/Tom-Bom-badil/home-assistant_helios-vallox/blob/main/2025.01.1_update_notes.md
You will need to change 2 lines in your current configuration.yaml.

I tested this code carefully in 2 independent VM's; however, please report back in the discussions if you run into any issues.
Thank you!

Use standardized ISO names for temperatures

Please note: Some sensors in the configuration.yaml needed to be renamed for this.
You might need to adjust your references to it in your templates and the front end.

Add new sensors with calculations

Included sensors for temperature reduction, temperature gain, temperature (dis-)balance and efficiency of the heat recovery.

Extra release as required by HACS

No changes, just for HACS listing.

v2024.12.6 - IP/port bugfix, refactoring of files

Merge pull request #4 from Tom-Bom-badil/prepare-2024.12.6

Prepare 2024.12.6