feat: multi-device support via ESPHome packages#22
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This is a discussion proposal — not a merge request for the current
single-device configuration.yaml.
## Context
I'm running 8 Smart Plant boards at home. With the current flat
configuration.yaml, maintaining 8 copies means:
- every bug fix or improvement must be applied 8 times
- calibration values are scattered across 8 files
- inconsistencies creep in over time
## Proposed structure
examples/multi-device/
├── packages/
│ └── smart_plant_base.yaml # all shared config (~250 lines)
└── my-lemon-tree.yaml # per-plant overrides (~20 lines)
The base package contains everything that is currently in
configuration.yaml. Each device file only defines its substitutions
(name, timezone, label image, soil calibration, gauge ranges) and
includes the package with a single !include.
Benefits:
- A bug fix in smart_plant_base.yaml propagates to all devices on the
next OTA — no copy-paste
- Soil calibration is clearly visible per device, not buried in a
shared file
- New plant = 15-line file, not a 400-line copy
Also included in the base:
- All fixes from PRs JGAguado#18 (SNTP), JGAguado#19 (power_save_mode / timezone)
- draw_gauge refactored as a C++ lambda to eliminate the 4×50-line
repeated block
- device_class: battery on the battery_level sensor
## Questions for @JGAguado
1. Would you consider adding this as an `examples/` directory rather
than replacing configuration.yaml? The single-file config would
remain the default for users with one plant; this would be an
opt-in for multi-plant setups.
2. The draw_gauge lambda refactor inside the display lambda — is that
acceptable in terms of ESPHome compatibility across versions?
3. Are there plans to migrate the project to esp-idf framework? That
would affect some of the deep sleep optimisations.
Note: I've been working on this refactoring with AI assistance
(Claude Code) for my personal multi-plant setup. The PRs in this
series are the result of a careful diff between the upstream config
and my production setup. Happy to iterate on any of this.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
- Replace api: with mqtt: (MQTT required for deep-sleep compatibility) - Add substitutions: device_comment, mqtt_topic_prefix, ota_password, ap_ssid — all previously hardcoded per-device - Improve on_boot: Wire.begin() + wait for mqtt.connected + wait for valid SNTP time (replaces fixed 20s delay, fixes 1970 display bug) - Update my-lemon-tree.yaml to show static IP override pattern and github:// package URL for zero-local-copy deployment Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
… init Wire is not in scope in ESPHome lambdas without explicit include; the i2c: component already initializes the bus before on_boot runs. Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Bypasses mDNS resolution (which fails with name_add_mac_suffix: true). Device files set use_address to their static IP; default falls back to device_name for setups without static IP. Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Removes the 30s blocking wait for SNTP in on_boot — display already handles the missing-time case gracefully with dashes. Adds on_time_sync callback instead: display refreshes immediately the moment SNTP syncs, regardless of network latency. Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
pool.ntp.org alone can be slow on some networks (ESP32 UDP stack init latency + retry cycles). Adding cloudflare and google as fallbacks increases the chance of a fast first sync without any local IP dependency. Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
DNS resolution can fail on ESP32 depending on router/DHCP config. Using Cloudflare (162.159.200.1) and Google (216.239.35.0) stable anycast IPs as primary servers with pool.ntp.org as hostname fallback. Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
ESP32-S2 default changed to 240MHz in ESPHome 2026.4 — cap at 160MHz to avoid ~3 mAh/day extra drain during wake windows on battery devices. Add power_save_mode: LIGHT during wake for additional WiFi savings. Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Both api: and mqtt: can coexist — MQTT keeps deep-sleep retained values, api: adds mDNS advertisement (_esphomelib._tcp.local.) so the ESPHome dashboard discovers devices via mDNS instead of ping only. Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
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Summary
Implements the multi-device architecture proposed in #21, now validated in production on 8 devices.
examples/multi-device/packages/smart_plant_base.yaml— shared base package (~320 lines): all firmware in one place, every OTA push propagates to all devices automaticallyexamples/multi-device/my-lemon-tree.yaml— minimal per-device file (~20 lines): plant-specific substitutions onlyIncludes all fixes accumulated since the RFC:
on_time_sync: display refreshes as soon as time is available, nowait_untiluse_addresssubstitution: reliable OTA/log connections with static IP overridecpu_frequency: 160MHz: prevents ~3 mAh/day extra drain from ESPHome 2026.4 new 240MHz defaultpower_save_mode: LIGHT: WiFi savings during wake windowtopic_prefixsubstitution,log_topicdisabled (bandwidth), birth/will disabled (no "unavailable" flash on wake)No changes to existing
docs/source/files/configuration.yaml— fully additive.Validation
Running on 8 ESP32-S2 Saola boards in production for 2+ days:
Closes #21