External temperature reading

[archaon]

I am still really new to the Faikin modules (thank you for the most excellent 100% local control, btw), and I've been really struggling to understand how the Faikin can/will handle an external temperature reading, as well as the full extent of how Faikin Auto mode works.
My current understanding is that there is no way to override the indoor head unit's internal temperature sensor, even using a supported ble sensor.
Does pushing the room temperature via MQTT (for a non-ble sensor) only "do something" if Faikin Auto Mode is enabled?

[revk]

If you are sending only the temp via MQTT it will only do something if faikin auto mode is on.

If you also send the target via MQTT that takes over.

No it can't tell the Daikin the temp. It controls the set point high/low - the advanced section in the manual has more on how that works now.

[MartynasZilinskas]

Hey @revk, thank you for your amazing work. I have made a virtual device project and I am wondering if it's possible to see values that faikin sees from the MQTT commands? Like in BLE:

The app aggregates various mqtt temperature sensors in the room and sends average to faikin AC as control command:

Example payload to command/faikin-ac/control:

{ 
    "env": 25.6, 
    "target": [25,27] 
}

[revk]

I am sure we have that in MQTT already!

[MartynasZilinskas]

Yes, you're correct. Some why I was inspecting MQTT messages, not going directly to the web page.

[MartynasZilinskas]

With tcontrol we can set how long does the message is valid? Is the unit of the tcontrol value is seconds?

[revk]

Looks like seconds, yes

[snova69]

makes sense to me. thank you for your excellent work. The temperature setting in the A/C itself isn't really that important if the home automation code is the one responsible for telling the A/C to turn on or off. I'll just implement a negative delta in my home automation code to compensate to make sure the a/c doesn't stop cooling until the home automation system decides that is is cool enough.

[rug1024]

Do I understand this right: For Faikin Auto Mode I do not need a BLE temperature sensor when I
can supply room temperature via MQTT (e.g. from my ioBroker) to the Faikin device?

[revk]

You need to send the MQTT regularly, a control message, but correct. I do this with my own environmental monitoring sensors.

[44616E]

@rug1024 you don't need an external temperature sensor at all for auto mode as it can use the AC temp. But it is an option if you want to.

[rug1024]

Understood. But I have an external Zigbee-Sensor which reports to my ioBroker, so I can send the value to the Faikin every minute.
Just could not figure out how exactly the message must be formatted. In the Faikin UI there only shows up "Env: ---".

[revk]

It is in the manual, honest, off the top of my head a control message with JSON payload like {"env":22.5} etc. But check the manual.

[rug1024]

maybe i forgot the {}. will try again. thanks!