Use MQTT + Autodiscovery instead of a custom component for Home Assistant

[Hypfer]

To decouple the Home Assistant Host from the host with the USB Device, it might make sense to utilize the cover.mqtt integration instead of having a custom component.

The duofern.start_pairing and duofern.sync_devices custom services wouldn't be possible though.
We could probably map them to switch.mqtt entities

[gluap]

@Hypfer I have recently looked into mqtt for another project and feel that I now could implement this with relative ease. Do you have experience with how to provide the autodiscovery facilities? Looking at https://www.home-assistant.io/docs/mqtt/discovery/ it appears that a json dictionary containing hass configuration posted to the right topic is sufficient.

[Hypfer]

Yep. Exactly

Here's an example for the autoconf payload of a vaccum.mqtt device including device information

https://github.com/Hypfer/Valetudo/blob/bff36388e9aacef0e3669c904a04dbf837710b35/lib/MqttClient.js#L216-L244

And here's an older one for sensor.mqtt without device information

https://github.com/Hypfer/Cybele/blob/444bae601479b0b420f580ee3fbfd5236e264658/lib/devices/MiKettle/MiKettleMqttHandler.js#L21-L30

And another one. This time for cover.mqtt which would also be used here
I've hacked this one together to control my Schellenberg Cover

{
   "name": "Schellenberg Markisenantrieb",
   "unique_id": "schellenberg_markisenantrieb",
   "device": {
	"manufacturer": "Schellenberg",
	"model": "Funk-Markisenantrieb Premium",
	"name": "Schellenberg Markisenantrieb",
	"identifiers": ["schellenberg_markisenantrieb"]
   },
   "command_topic": "nodered/cover/schellenberg_markisenantrieb/command",
   "state_topic": "nodered/cover/schellenberg_markisenantrieb/state"
}

Topic: homeassistant/cover/schellenberg_markisenantrieb/config
It's extremely basic and works in optimistic mode but it works

[rakaandro]

Z-Wave is also currently being "converted" to MQTT. Maybe there are code examples. MQTT + autodisovery + HACS installation would be great. Unfortunately I am not a programmer, but would help testing. I have a Rademacher garage door, a switchable socket and radio cover.

[realbuxtehuder]

Hi @gluap, thanks for sharing your great work here on github!
Are you still working on the MQTT feature?
(In the past I used FHEM to connect my DuoFern Rollos via MQTT to a NodeRed installation, but since a few weeks FHEM can't establish the MQTT connection anymore. I think your pyduofern would be a much better and slender solution)
Best regards