MQTT Light

The mqtt light platform lets you control your MQTT enabled lights. It supports setting brightness, color temperature, effects, flashing, on/off, RGB colors, transitions, XY colors and white values.

In an ideal scenario, the MQTT device will have a state topic to publish state changes. If these messages are published with RETAIN flag, the MQTT light will receive an instant state update after subscription and will start with correct state. Otherwise, the initial state of the switch will be false/off.

When a state topic is not available, the light will work in optimistic mode. In this mode, the light will immediately change state after every command. Otherwise, the light will wait for state confirmation from device (message from state_topic).

Optimistic mode can be forced, even if state topic is available. Try to enable it, if experiencing incorrect light operation.

# Example configuration.yml entry
light:
  - platform: mqtt
    command_topic: "office/rgb1/light/switch"

Configuration variables:

• command_topic (Required): The MQTT topic to publish commands to change the switch state.
• brightness_command_topic (Optional): The MQTT topic to publish commands to change the light’s brightness.
• brightness_scale (Optional): Defines the maximum brightness value (i.e. 100%) of the MQTT device (defaults to 255).
• brightness_state_topic (Optional): The MQTT topic subscribed to receive brightness state updates.
• brightness_value_template (Optional): Defines a template to extract the brightness value.
• color_temp_command_topic (Optional): The MQTT topic to publish commands to change the light’s color temperature state. The color temperature command slider has a range of 157 to 500 mireds (micro reciprocal degrees).
• color_temp_state_topic (Optional): The MQTT topic subscribed to receive color temperature state updates.
• color_temp_value_template (Optional): Defines a template to extract the color temperature value.
• effect_command_topic (Optional): The MQTT topic to publish commands to change the light’s effect state.
• effect_state_topic (Optional): The MQTT topic subscribed to receive effect state updates.
• effect_value_template (Optional): Defines a template to extract the effect value.
• effect_list (Optional): The list of effects the light supports.
• name (Optional): The name of the switch. Default is ‘MQTT Switch’.
• optimistic (Optional): Flag that defines if switch works in optimistic mode. Default is true if no state topic defined, else false.
• payload_off (Optional): The payload that represents disabled state. Default is “OFF”.
• payload_on (Optional): The payload that represents enabled state. Default is “ON”.
• qos (Optional): The maximum QoS level of the state topic. Default is 0 and will also be used to publishing messages.
• retain (Optional): If the published message should have the retain flag on or not.
• rgb_command_template (Optional): Defines a template to compose message which will be sent to rgb_command_topic. Available variables: red, green and blue.
• rgb_command_topic (Optional): The MQTT topic to publish commands to change the light’s RGB state.
• rgb_state_topic (Optional): The MQTT topic subscribed to receive RGB state updates.
• rgb_value_template (Optional): Defines a template to extract the RGB value.
• state_topic (Optional): The MQTT topic subscribed to receive state updates.
• state_value_template (Optional): Defines a template to extract the state value.
• white_value_command_topic (Optional): The MQTT topic to publish commands to change the light’s white value.
• white_value_state_topic (Optional): The MQTT topic subscribed to receive white value updates.
• white_value_value_template (Optional): Defines a template to extract the white value.
• xy_command_topic (Optional): The MQTT topic to publish commands to change the light’s XY state.
• xy_state_topic (Optional): The MQTT topic subscribed to receive XY state updates.
• xy_value_template (Optional): Defines a template to extract the XY value.

Make sure that your topics match exact. some-topic/ and some-topic are different topics.

XY and RGB can not be used at the same time. If both are provided, XY overrides RGB.

Comparison of light MQTT platforms

Examples

In this section you find some real life examples of how to use this sensor.

Brightness and RGB support

To enable a light with brightness and RGB support in your installation, add the following to your configuration.yaml file:

# Example configuration.yml entry
light:
  - platform: mqtt
    name: "Office Light RGB"
    state_topic: "office/rgb1/light/status"
    command_topic: "office/rgb1/light/switch"
    brightness_state_topic: "office/rgb1/brightness/status"
    brightness_command_topic: "office/rgb1/brightness/set"
    rgb_state_topic: "office/rgb1/rgb/status"
    rgb_command_topic: "office/rgb1/rgb/set"
    state_value_template: "{{ value_json.state }}"
    brightness_value_template: "{{ value_json.brightness }}"
    rgb_value_template: "{{ value_json.rgb | join(',') }}"
    qos: 0
    payload_on: "ON"
    payload_off: "OFF"
    optimistic: false

Brightness and no RGB support

To enable a light with brightness (no RGB version) in your installation, add the following to your configuration.yaml file:

# Example configuration.yml entry
light:
  - platform: mqtt
    name: "Office light"
    state_topic: "office/rgb1/light/status"
    command_topic: "office/rgb1/light/switch"
    brightness_state_topic: 'office/rgb1/light/brightness'
    brightness_command_topic: 'office/rgb1/light/brightness/set'
    qos: 0
    payload_on: "ON"
    payload_off: "OFF"
    optimistic: false

Implementations

• A basic example using a nodeMCU board (ESP8266) to control its built-in LED (on/off).
• Another example to control a RGB LED (on/off, brightness, and colors).