WLED Runner for ESPHome

High-performance WLED port for ESPHome (ESP-IDF Only)

This native C++ component brings WLED's advanced lighting effects to ESPHome. Unlike the old addressable_lambda method, this implementation runs as a proper component optimized for the ESP-IDF framework.

⚠️ Platform Compatibility:

• Framework: ESP-IDF Only (Arduino is NOT supported)
• Chips: ESP32 Classic and ESP32-S3 Only.
  • ESP32-C3 is currently not supported due to single-core limitations affecting effect smoothness.

If you want to know how and why I created this component head over here.

✨ Features

• Native C++ Performance - optimized for multi-core ESP32s
• Clean YAML Syntax - Simple addressable_wled configuration
• 11 Built-in Palettes - Easily customizable
• Smooth Transitions - Professional-grade animations
• Dynamic Controls - Speed, intensity, palette, and reverse direction

🚀 Quick Start

See QUICKSTART.md for installation and configuration instructions.

📋 Available Effects

Currently, the following core effects are fully ported and optimized:

ID	Name	Description
8	Colorloop	Solid color cycling through palette
9	Rainbow	Per-pixel rainbow with density control
38	Aurora	Northern lights animation
40	Scanner	Smooth scanning eye with fading tail (KITT/Cylon)
60	Scanner Dual	Two scanners moving in opposite directions
66	Fire 2012	Realistic fire simulation
74	Colortwinkle	Magical fairy-dust twinkles
97	Plasma	Smooth plasma animation
101	Pacifica	Gentle ocean waves

(More effects are being ported incrementally)

🎨 Available Palettes

• Default (0) - Effect-specific
• Forest (1) - Earth greens and browns
• Ocean (2) - Deep to light blues
• Rainbow (3) - Full spectrum
• Fire (4) - Red/orange/yellow
• Sunset (5) - Purple/red/orange/yellow
• Ice (6) - Cool whites and blues
• Party (7) - Vibrant mixed colors
• Lava (8) - Black/red/orange
• Pastel (9) - Soft desaturated colors
• Pacifica (10) - Deep ocean with white crests

ℹ️ Architecture & Requirements

Why ESP-IDF?

This project is built strictly for the ESP-IDF framework to leverage:

• Direct RMT Access: Precise timing for addressable LEDs without Arduino overhead.
• Multitasking: Effects run on a separate core (where available) to prevent wifi blocking.
• Memory Management: Better heap control for complex effects like Pacifica.

Note: ESP8266 is explicitly NOT supported due to hardware limitations (RAM/Floating Point speed).

🙏 Credits

• WLED by Aircoookie - Original effect algorithms
• FastLED library - Color handling and utilities
• ESPHome - Framework integration

📄 License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details.