Update home assistant integration to support ESPHome

[JayNewstrom]

I have ESPHome Bluetooth Proxies in ideal locations connected via ethernet, throughout my house. I'd like to use them for my BLE ESLs.

Describe the solution you'd like
Update the home assistant integration to not need an openepaperlink AP.

I think the existing code from BLE should be able to be ported to python/homeassistant.

• https://github.com/OpenEPaperLink/OpenEPaperLink/blob/master/ESP32_AP-Flasher/src/ble_filter.cpp
• https://github.com/OpenEPaperLink/OpenEPaperLink/blob/master/ESP32_AP-Flasher/src/ble_writer.cpp

Describe alternatives you've considered
The main alternative is just using another ESP32S3 running the AP code for handling the BLE messages.

Additional context

[Misiu]

@JayNewstrom I think it's not that easy, the support should be added to ESPHome, so that the ESPHome flashed device can connect to ESL and send generated images to the ESL. This way you could use the same device as BT Proxy and with ESL's.

ESPHome has many graphics-related components, so this probably can be reused.
I think the issue should be moved/created in the ESPHome organization: https://github.com/esphome/feature-requests/issues

[Misiu]

@JayNewstrom did you create the issue in the ESPHome repo?
I use OpenEpaperLink and ESPHome and it requires two ESP's, it would be awesome to control ESL's via ESPHome, especially since ESPHome supports several types of displays, including Epaper.

[JayNewstrom]

I haven't created any feature requests in ESPHome or HomeAssistant.

That being said, with an ESPHome device acting as a bluetooth proxy, I think the feature request belongs in HomeAssistant. Which is where the net new code could need to live.

[Misiu]

I'm not that technical to say where the code needs to live, but in my opinion, ESL is just a display, so one could create the displayed image in ESPHome (like drawcustom), and ESPHome would be responsible for communicating with the display.
Not sure if Bluetooth proxy functionality would help.

If the support could be added to ESPHome, then OpenEpaperLink and the HA integration wouldn't be needed.

[JayNewstrom]

Yeah, ESPHome already supports raw e ink displays, and you can hook that up today.

If you want to use bluetooth to communicate with the ESLs, then that would live in home assistant.

I think the thing from OpenEpaperLink that couldn't be moved outside of the project is the integration with non bluetooth ESLs.

[Misiu]

I'm already familiar with ESPHome and did some projects with displays, so my personal preference would be to configure everything in ESPHome, but I agree that with multiple Bluetooth proxies around the house, it would be best to have a central place to manage display content, so when you move the display from kitchen to garage it will still work (because of Bluetooth Proxy)

Ref: esphome/feature-requests#2782

[nagyrobi]

It's very unlikely that it would ever be possible to use Bluetooth Proxy to talk directly to the tags. At least, not with WiFi proxies.
Maybe, if there would exist an ESP32-C6 board with Ethernet.