Motion activated LED stair lighting... without staircase modification!

[@broadcast665]

This was the coldest entrance of all time. Well done sir!!!!

[@willadams9001]

It’s all well and good until your ghosts walk up and down the stairs at night

[@ubesoldevilla]

🤣🤣🤣

[@christiancordero4060]

Tell me about it I'll shit myself , it's real badass but no thanks

[@garyphloyngam7148]

Bruhhh im dead… as a Ghost lol

[@dman3623]

So funny and true

[@dreammix9430]

Ghosts are sort of invisible so they won't trip the sensor so you're good to go

[@deadkennady]

Im sure it has been said already but this was excellent! Very creative and it looks amazing. Like a "grand entrance" sort of feel. Well done.

[@ResinChemTech]

Thanks.... even if it has been said before, I don't mind hearing it again! Thanks for taking time to comment. I really do appreciate it!

[@seanmc7128]

All it needs is it to play the song "you light up my life" every time they come on.

[@n16h7owl3]

Nice.... Creativity creates Beauty.... I'd say start putting this in a ready to go kit... Once the world lays eyes on this... Thanks for sharing with such details..

[@ResinChemTech]

Thanks! I have been asked a few times about building/selling some of the things I 've created. While I think there are possibilities there, I'm not sure I really have the time (or desire) to deal with shipping, logistics, and the physical builds themselves. It would definitely take away from what time I have to create new projects, videos, blog posts etc. My goal really isn't making a ton of money... just enough to maybe cover my expenses in sharing new projects. My primary goal is to give back to the DIY community that I learned from, promote local home automation, and to share ideas that other might adapt for their own needs. If someone really is interested in "pre-built" options, I try to direct them somewhere that they might find something similar. For example, if you want a pre-built WLED controller, Quindor and DrZZs sell pre-built controllers: quinled.info/pre-assembled-quinled-dig-uno/ (just tell them Resinchem Tech sent you!) But thanks so much for the thought and watching!

[@JMJ.516]

@@ResinChemTech I understand but there are many people that don’t want to DIY it but love your idea. You could easily find a company that will take your idea and market it for you giving you some income for more of your ideas.

[@russthebuss5]

people like you keep the world running! great job man

[@vltek]

I have found that 3m command strips are excellent for mounting those kinds of channels without using screws.

[@ResinChemTech]

Absolutely... and a good suggestion for anyone that doesn't want even the small screw holes. I tried a small screw in an inconspicuous location and felt it was acceptable in my case. And I did like the added ability to easily remove a section of the rail from the clips in the event that I needed to make a repair (fortunately hasn't happened yet). But you could absolutely use command strips or even other double-sided tape as long is it wouldn't mar the finish upon removal. Thanks for watching and passing on the suggestion!

[@sherriereeves5123]

That's a good idea for senior citizens and those with disabilities to help them see where stairs and flat floors are at night

[@ResinChemTech]

And it doesn't have to be that 'chasing lights' effect either. The lights could just gently fade on to a solid color to provide lighting and then fade back off again. Since WLED has literally hundreds of different effects (and colors), all sorts of uses are possible. I know a number of other viewers have reached out and they installed this same system along the baseboards in a long hallway to provide dimmed night lighting for those late night trips to the bathroom or kitchen! Thanks for watching and taking time to post a comment!

[@Ticonderoga12]

This has to be the coolest thing since star wars! Great job buddy

[@ResinChemTech]

Thanks! While it may seem a bit 'over the top', they actually are nice when we turn the main lights off to watch TV, as they provide plenty of light to go up and down the stairs without turning on the overhead lights. They aren't for everybody... but we like them! Thanks for watching... and taking the time to leave a comment.

[@Ticonderoga12]

@@ResinChemTech u shud definitely market it if u can, its super cool

[@MrBdogg317]

Sir you are my hero. I’ve been wanting to do something like this for years. Thanks for the video I liked and subscribed. Fellow Indy neighbor here also.

[@ResinChemTech]

Thanks! Just curious... are you a home automation/Home Assistant user? Just before the pandemic hit, I was looking for other Home Assistant/automation users in the Indy/central IN area to judge interest in some sort of users group around Home Assistant and/or automation. I had to put that on pause... so I went out and created a blog and KZbin channel instead! But the idea has hung around in my head... if we ever get back to "normal" some day! Let me know if you decide to tackle this project (or any others) and run into any questions. Thanks again for the kind words... and the sub!

[@MrBdogg317]

@@ResinChemTech no sir I’m neither home automation or assistant user. I’m a Hvac tech but I do a lot of diy to my home and always wanted to do this to my stairs but never really seen anything I like until your channel popped up.

[@ResinChemTech]

Just as an FYI... I do have another video, if you haven't seen it, with basically the same setup but doesn't require Home Assistant, automation or any other hub: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGXWkIl7qbuKj5Y Of course, it doesn't have all the effects and options that the "full" version has, but it is standalone and does offer a way to recreate the stair lighting system without the whole Home Assistant/automation code portion. I did this version by request for folks that don't have Home Assistant or any sort of home automation hub.

[@MrBdogg317]

@@ResinChemTech yes sir I just looked at it. I think I like that one

[@toddcoello6461]

I just want to make sure I'm clear. The flat usb cable is just to power the top board? If so where is the other end plugged into? Or is it cut off and wired into PS?. Another where are the wires joined to work the leds on the other side? You said they needed a sync signal which I understand but just not clear where they are actually joined together. Sorry for all the questions but thanks for responding. Nice u in Indiana I'm in Wisconsin near Milwaukee.

[@ResinChemTech]

Yes... the flat USB cable is just to power the D1 mini/motion detector at the top of the stairs. It could be wired directly into the power supply, but I needed to use a short extension cord for the PS anyway, so I just used one with USB ports and ran the USB cable to that. For the data signal, it comes out of the controller and I just split that to the two sections of the LED strips. If it helps, you can find a diagram of how I wired mine in my related blog article: resinchemtech.blogspot.com/2021/07/simple-motion-activated-led-stair.html (it's near the beginning of article, right after the parts list). Again, this is based on where my AC power was located. For me, the location and connection between the controller, power supply and other 5V components is based on where I can best tap into power and best hide those components and related wiring. For others, it might make sense to run the USB cable back to the PS, cut off the end and wire direct. But for me, it always varies from install to install. Hope that helps, let me know if you have additional questions.

[@rigobertoruiz6136]

Cleansing the surface and using 3m primer is a game changer for that adhesive backing

[@StolenJoker84]

Very interesting project. I am curious, though. You said that the lights turn on when one sensor is triggered, and off once the other is triggered. How does the system handle situations where someone might come up and go down at the same time? Is there a “minimum” amount of time needed between sensors trips?

[@ResinChemTech]

There is an inherent "cool-down" time of about 2 seconds on the motion detectors that I used. I also use input_booleans in Home Assistant to know which sensor triggered and can code around "most" situations. But it is possible that multiple people using the steps at the same time can occasionally lead to either the lights shutting off prematurely, or even running in the wrong direction for the last person to enter the stairs. Doesn't happen often (there are only two of us and we are rarely both on the stairs at the same time). There is also a 'failsafe' that automatically shuts the lights off after 15 seconds in the event that a starting motion was detected, but the ending motion never occurs. All this is handled via the Home Assistant automation and really isn't part of the controller or hardware.

[@rafarafa9428]

I sincerely appreciate your quick and precise response. Yes, you helped me a lot.

[@alphanovaomega3574]

omg i just imagined this thing detecting motion in the middle of the night when no one seems to be there, slowly walking down ..... got goosebumps now and dont want this anymore xD

[@jamescraven5001]

Now this is a fantastic idea. Now I've definitely got to do this in my house

[@davewood1653]

You wouldn’t have a link or links for the parts needed by any chance? My wife loves this, as do i 👍🏻

[@ResinChemTech]

Yep! You can find the complete parts list in my written version of this project, found here: resinchemtech.blogspot.com/2021/07/simple-motion-activated-led-stair.html Let me know if you decide to build it... or if you have any questions along the way.

[@carlofaller64]

Hi do you sell the whole kit

[@ResinChemTech]

Sorry, but I'm not able to build, ship and accept payment for any of my projects at this time. However, if you are interested in a pre-build controller with WLED, you can purchase one from Quindor over at QuinLED: quinled.info/pre-assembled-quinled-dig-uno/ Unfortunately, I do not have time with my current projects to build kits. In addition, each kit would have to be custom made for a particular set of stairs which would make it cost-prohibitive to assemble, ship and sell.

[@tonyrollin402]

Hi that is so nice so question are you interested in putting all the wiring together and will buy it from you ?

[@ResinChemTech]

Thank you. And while I appreciate the interest, many others have asked a similar question. Unfortunately, I just don't have the time or capacity to build, package, ship and all the other logistics around supplying these (or any of my other projects) for others. I understand that some many not have the desire or skill to complete these projects on their own, but the goal of my channels is to try to show others how they can do it themselves. I hope you can understand my position. Regardless, thanks for taking the time to watch.

[@tonyrollin402]

@@ResinChemTech First thank you for responding! And yes I do understand I have alot going on myself that why I ask if you can put it together for me 😂😂 but I am going to try so I hope you don't mind if I shoot you a question or 10 lol it my take me some time but I will put one together I will keep you posted .

[@ResinChemTech]

Thanks for understanding! I am always more than happy to answer questions and to try to help folks out with any of their projects. As I mentioned, my goal for my channel is to help and teach others how to do some of these things... as others helped me when I first started. Please, don't hesitate to reach out and ask me any questions along the way. If you do build it yourself, it will be much more satisfying than buying it from me! Best of luck.

[@MsgrTeves]

Like the idea. Just wish the install was cleaner. Any ideas on how to hide the stuff?

[@ResinChemTech]

That all depends on your tolerance level for making modifications to things like the stair stringers, drywall, carpet, etc. I think the 'ugliest' part of this install is the wiring that has to run under the first tread lip to the opposite side stringer for the second side lights. It really isn't as noticeable as it appears in the video when standing and with the similarly colored Velcro holding it in place. I "could" have cut the carpet, ran the wiring underneath and then glued the carpet back in place. But that wasn't a modification that I was willing to make as my goal was to be able to remove the entire system without the need to make any repairs. There are a lot of other videos out there on making a stair lighting system similar to this... but with pretty substantial 'construction' or changes to the existing stairs. My goal here was to create something that wouldn't require any of that and could easily be removed.... with the downside of the exposed wiring. But you could definitely make this install 'neater' if you are willing to make some structural changes.

[@cheers7bigears]

This is amazing! I ordered absolutely everything for the project. My only question is that I have a landing w/ 90 degree turn at the bottom of my steps so 1 side would need more LEDs then the other. Still a way to program that to work? Could you point me in the right direction for programming help?

[@ResinChemTech]

Hi Tim. I responded to your post over in the blog, so please check there. But in short, yes, this will work with different number of pixels on each side... you just need to configure WLED with the max pixels on the "long" side of the stairs. Again, I tried to provide a little better explanation over in my blog response. Good luck with your project!

[@MicBergsma]

Amazing! Gonna make one for my future house !

[@ant64b]

Mitch? Holy crap... I haven't seen you since I left Austin!

[@yassalmo5579]

Great job sir; but why we dont use only one programmable esp and attach all inputs and outputs to it then code it to do the task ?!

[@ResinChemTech]

Primarily because the light controller is running WLED firmware. This provides over a hundred different effects... and not something I would want to rewrite or code myself. The sensors, on the other hand, are running ESPHome... same deal. Both integrate nicely into Home Assistant... which handles all the automation processes. Obviously, you cannot put two different firmware versions (WLED and ESPHome) on a single controller. I do have a standalone version that uses a single controller ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGXWkIl7qbuKj5Y ) for both the lights and the sensors, written with Arduino code. However, it does not have anywhere near the features or number of effects of WLED. No way that I wanted to try to recreate my own version of that great firmware. But in a nutshell, that's why more than one controller is used. It also simplifies the wiring that needs to run between the controller and sensors, since the sensors only need power and not an additional data line.

[@leaguekorean5824]

Hi, thanks for your great video. I really would love to build your project but unfortunately due to my lack of knowledge in this field its difficult for me to follow your steps as in your video the built part was unfortunately missing.

[@gsc01972]

This would be a nice feature to a drive way...

[@ResinChemTech]

That is an interesting idea, and it could be adapted from the stairs fairly easily. Of course, everything would have to be weatherproofed, but I could even see combining it with a distance sensor (like I did in my parking assistant vid) and have the lights indicate when the car is parked in the desired position. Thanks for the idea... might be worth investigating at some point.

[@micawoolridge7849]

This is by far the best light system I’ve seen ! Do you sell the kit? I would love to purchase one ASAP

[@ResinChemTech]

No, sorry I don't. To be honest, since everyone's stairs would be different and the location of the AC power would be different, any sort of kit really wouldn't save you much effort over creating the DIY version I showed in the video except for maybe building the controller. You can purchase a prebuilt controller from Quindor on his site if you don't want to build your own: quinled.info/pre-assembled-quinled-dig-uno/. Plus the size of the aluminum rails would make both packaging and shipping costs prohibitive. But thanks for watching and asking!

[@malucogonzo9680]

I'm just two minutes into this video And I love it already

[@seanmc7128]

Omfg I need this!!!! I can just picture my landlord now as I slowly walk down the stairs with these lights. Holy shit!!!!! Yes I MUST have these!!!

[@Paul-wx4uf]

You are amazing ,a very nice job indeed , I’ve nearly finished this project on my stairs too,I was wondering if It’s possible to operate this from a 5inch screen instead of my phone, if so could someone please help,many thanks Paul.

[@ResinChemTech]

Wow, thanks! When you say 'operate this' are you talking about WLED... or Home Assistant, or what? Either way, both WLED and Home Assistant have mobile apps that could be installed on a small tablet (Android and/or iOS). Of course, they both also work in a browser if your display has that. So, I'm happy to try to help, but I guess I need to know what it is that you'd like to control (e.g. WLED effects?) and what type of 5" screen you are talking about... and what are its capabilities/operating system?

[@Paul-wx4uf]

Thank you for your reply and time,any suggestions on which screen to get?I will be installing home assistance ,I’m building your controller but got 12V strip lights, dose this alter the build of this controller please,many thanks for your help and time, many thanks Paul from the UK.

[@ResinChemTech]

Just about any tablet will work as long as it has a web browser. I am using a couple of older Samsung tablets in different places in the house, but to be honest, Home Assistant handles most automations (like the stair lights) without any interaction, and many of the other things we interact using voice control with Google Home via Home Assistant. As far as the 12V LED strips, you will obviously need to step that voltage down to 5V for the controller via a buck converter or other means (the D1 Mini will go "poof" if you try to feed it 12V). If you use separate power sources for the LEDs and the controller, then you must have a common ground between the controller and the LED strip or things won't function normally. Otherwise, as long as you feed 5V to the controller, the build is the same. Hope that helps! Good luck with the project (and Home Assistant... I love what it can do!). Feel free to reach out again if you run into additional questions or problems.

[@americanhomebc]

I mean I love it, I want it, can you make one for me as a kit , I don't code can't code so I can't make them do the cool things , but I can install and make the wires disappear, I've been looking for this but have no way of getting them, I have a building co and would like to start using this basically everywhere, so please help

[@ResinChemTech]

Unfortunately I don't have the time or resources to build, ship, charge, etc. for any sort of stair kits. I try to design my videos for the DIY crowd. Note that this particular video shows an installation that requires the end user to have Home Assistant. If you are building for others, there is a very high chance that they may not have (or want to deal with) the Home Assistant automation system. However, I have created a version that works without Home Assistant and doesn't require any other automation system. It is a bit more basic in terms of number of effects and features, but the physical build is nearly identical and it still functions (via motion) in much the same way. You may want to take a look at this video and see if it might be a better fit in your situation: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGXWkIl7qbuKj5Y

[@lostinmyspace4910]

I'm bummed. I doon't have a skirtboard to attach the strip. My treads go directly into the drywall, so I have no way of laying out the strip in parallel to the strip. Any other ideas to accomodate me?

[@ResinChemTech]

Well, the aluminum strip and LEDs are quite light, so drywall should support them without anchors, although you may want to use slightly longer screws on the brackets. I have other LED installs, such as my garage parking assistant where the aluminum channel is attached directly to drywall. This assumes you are OK with creating small screw holes in your drywall. As far as making the strip parallel to the stairs, just measure up a fixed distance from the front edge of each step and make a small pencil mark. Then simply align the bottom of the aluminum channel with these marks. The bottom of my aluminum strip is approximately 1" above the front edge of the step, but you can adjust that as you like. If you don't want to put screws into your drywall, you could try some strong double sided tape... but to be honest, the double sided tape may cause more damage to the drywall than the small screws. Hope that gives you some ideas.

[@koprcord5338]

My cats would have a hell of a good time with those.

[@surshot9292]

Thank You for the video . I followed step by step and it's up and running on my stairs. Question when walking past the first sensor it detects my first leg and turns on the lights but sometimes it detects my trailing leg and and turns off the lights . Is there any adjustments that I could make to fix this issue ?

[@ResinChemTech]

You are using the ToF sensors and not the PIR sensors, correct? I had the same issue initially because the ToF sensors react so quickly. There are two things you can do, and it might be a combination of both that works out the best in your situation. First, you can shorten the 'trip' distance of the sensor in ESPHome to cover about 1/2 - 3/4 the width of the stairs. That way one leg would trip the sensor but the second leg would be outside that range and wouldn't trip. But this only works reliably if you always tend to step on the first step with the leg nearest the sensor. What worked best for me was to add a "for" clause to both the on and off automations in Home Assistant. In other words, you have an automation for both the the top and bottom sensor with a trigger that is: from: 'off' to: 'on' You would add a time to that so that the sensor must remain in that state for a minimum amount of time. For me, that was around 250 ms. So you just add a "for" statement to the trigger, so it looks like this: to: 'on' for: milliseconds: 250 Repeat this for the other automations that go from "on" to "off" as well, adding the 'for' statement. You may need to adjust the amount of time and/or use this in combination of changing the detection distance. It may take some trial and error, but you should be able to get it dialed in so that your second leg will rarely trip the sensor right after the first leg. Let me know if you have any follow up questions.

[@020untitled]

Amazing…perhaps you should manufacture and sell it!

[@Mrle1021]

Hi, thank you for the video. I am new for this, I was confused on the diagram system configuration. How is the two sensors (up and down stair) communicated with the WLED controller. Best regards, TC

[@ResinChemTech]

The motion detectors, and the WLED controller, are integrated into Home Assistant. Home Assistant takes the change in the motion detector and turns the LEDs on or off, and sets the proper effect up or down depending on which motion detector fired. This particular system will not work without Home Assistant. However, if you are not a Home Assistant user, I did create another version (that has a few less features and effects, but works basically just the same). This version works 'standalone' and does not require Home Assistant or any other external system. You can see a video of that system here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGXWkIl7qbuKj5Y

[@Mrle1021]

@@ResinChemTech Thank you so much for quick response. Can you post your video about the Home Assistant ? Thanks a lot for your help.

[@ResinChemTech]

While I utilize Home Assistant in a lot of my video projects, I don't have a video specifically on setting up and using Home Assistant. But there are a ton of videos on KZbin about the subject... just search "Home Assistant". I do have a little more information on the automations I use in Home Assistant in my related blog article... and copies of my Home Assistant automation code can be found in the related Github repo (links to both are in the video description of this video). However, this is just the automation code used in Home Assistant... not information on how to install and setup Home Assistant itself. Home Assistant is a great home automation platform that allows you to bring thousands of devices together under one application and create nice dashboards, create advanced automations, etc. However, it isn't necessarily a quick and easy undertaking. If you have other smart devices, then Home Assistant might be a good choice. But I don't think I'd install Home Assistant just for these stair lights. In that case, you'd be better off with the standalone version that I shared in my previous comment.

[@josen273]

Its all good.... but is there a way to buy it with everything already built... im embarrassed to say that im lazy.. i just want to buy stick it on and thats it

[@sandysmith9869]

My cat would enjoy that!

[@rafarafa9428]

Thank you for the informative and thorough explanation. I would like to do similar outside on my pathway from the street to the house. It is going to be 40ft long, 38 inches wide, stamped concrete with led embedded on the top of the concrete(facing the sky, not the sides) along the length. Also I would like to have motion sensors every 24 inches or so, so when someone steps in the middle of the pathway still to lit. Could you please answer several questions: 1. Can I use it without Home assistant or any other platform/server because this is a foreign language for me? If it is absolutely necessary I would educate myself, but prefer not to. 2. Can I install multiple motion sensors and also are you familiar with any waterproof that can face up since I do not want to install anything on the side and higher than the walkway so I would not trip, able to mow etc Thank you in advance for your help.

[@ResinChemTech]

There's a lot to cover with something like that... more than I can cover here in the comments, but I'll address a few basic items: With an install that big (and that many LEDs), you'd probably need to use an ESP32 instead of an ESP8266. You would also need a very substantial power supply, along with power injection along the LED strips. Naturally, all of this would have to be waterproof. I do have an LED controller that works with motion detectors and doesn't require Home Assistant (or any other system). You can see a video of that here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGXWkIl7qbuKj5Y But it currently only supports a maximum of 2 motion detectors, so you'd have to modify the code to work with more than that. Finally, there are commercial outdoor motion detectors, but I don't know of anything like you describe. You'd likely have to build something custom and figure out how to power it and make it waterproof. It sounds like a neat project, but it is also a pretty complicated one to build yourself. I hope I've provided at least a little helpful information to give you some things to consider.

[@Max317_]

How long do you think the power courd from the power supply to the led strip could be before it would be too long? 20Ft?

[@ResinChemTech]

Just the power or the data? For the power, as long as you are using adequate gauge wire, 20 feet should be OK. Of course, the longer the run, the bigger the voltage drop, and the lower the starting voltage will be and that will increase the possibility that you will need to do power injection depending on the number of your LEDs. As always, I recommend that you try it first... on the bench or even just laying everything out on the floor somewhere. It there are problems, it will be much easier to identity and address them before you complete the final installation.

[@Max317_]

@@ResinChemTech i was thinking power but you answered that question. My goal is to have the wled board and power supply hidden away about 20ft away. I suppose the board could be closer and i could intergrate a motion sensor in the same unit like you did. Im trying to hide unsightly wires and power supplys to win the wifes approval. by putting the power supply far away it would allow me to tuck the wires under the trim on the way to my stairs.

[@ResinChemTech]

Understood! The WAF is important and shouldn't be overlooked! I think if you can use the largest gauge that is practical for the power (and you can still hide it) the better off you will be. And for the controller, it's also probably fine located a distance away as long as you use some sort of logic level shifter (the I2C compatible style, the SN74ACHT125N style, or even a sacrificial pixel). Again, a bench test can be very helpful. Lights that are fading from white to pink or red (and dimming or flickering at the end of the strip) are a sure sign of a voltage drop issue, and LEDs that just misbehave in general, flickering all along the strip or showing the wrong colors/patterns are a sign of a poor or weak data signal. Good luck with your project... and a high WAF!

[@Max317_]

@@ResinChemTech Thank you so much! I’m just now starting to learn how to ise all this stuff and program it! And some of this info isnt easy to find!

[@pinhead6933]

Hello ..I love your stair lights n I want to do it toine but I have a 2 step u turn in middle..just need to know it's 27 ft total n I can only get the lights in 16.4 ft n how do I know the size of power supply to get for that...

[@ResinChemTech]

You can find answers to your question about the the turn in the stairs in my written version of this project: resinchemtech.blogspot.com/2021/07/simple-motion-activated-led-stair.html As far as attaching multiple strips together (for greater than 16 ft) and calculating the size power supply, I have both a video and blog article that talks about both of these issues (and other info you may be interested in when working with LED strips: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYvNhGhnrqeJatU Good luck with your project!

[@sherlock1895]

I do like this. It does seem complicated to me. Do you know if anyone makes a complete kit you can buy?

[@ResinChemTech]

I don't know of anything commercial. You might be able to rig something up with some commercial LED strips, a smart plug or outlet and a couple of motion detectors... but I don't now how responsive it might be. Yeah... this is a bit complicated... but sometimes that's the nature of DIY. I did do another version (and related video) on a bit more basic version that doesn't have as many effects or features, but operates standalone and doesn't require Home Assistant or any other external hub or automation system. It's not simply plug-and-play either, but it is a bit simpler than this Home Assistant version: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGXWkIl7qbuKj5Y

[@reyantonio578]

Hi sir what are the details to do this and materials, happy to know , thank you

[@ResinChemTech]

There are additional details in the video description, and you can find a step by step guide, along with the full parts list in the related blog article: resinchemtech.blogspot.com/2021/07/simple-motion-activated-led-stair.html

[@blakebowden955]

Excellent video, thank you!! Instead of stairs, I'd like to do under cabinets and shelving on each side of the vent hood - with say 6 different lines (minimum, and short runs) do you think I'd need more than one esp32? I'd ideally tie everything together in the cabinet of the vent hood... conceptually I can't visualize having a single controller

[@ResinChemTech]

Well, there would be different ways to approach this depending on how you want everything to work and function. Technically, the ESP32 can support up to 10 different channels or pins. It can get tricky in terms of setting those up and the segments to match. You can read more about how that is done on the WLED offical site here: kno.wled.ge/features/multi-strip/ A different option is to use multiple controllers and sync them together. That is how I approached my kitchen cabinets. I have a row of cabinets on each side of the kitchen. I technically have four controllers... two on each side (one for the top of the cabinets and one for the under side). All four controllers are synced. When any controller is set to a color or effect, then the same color/effect is synced to the other 3 controllers. Of course this does require more wiring and a separate power supply for each side of the kitchen. So there are different ways to approach it... using either a single controller with multiple pins/data outputs on a single ESP32... or multiple controllers that can optionally be synced to act as one. I hope that helps. Good luck with your project. My wife loves the undercabinet lighting for the additional workspace light.. and I love the ability to use colors for special occasions, entertaining, etc.

[@blakebowden955]

@ResinChem Tech Thanks for your quick reply and level of detail in your thoughts. The article was helpful in the idea that any pin can be used on the ESP32. When you say your controllers are synced, is that something you're doing in the WLED UI, or, an automation you're running in HomeAssistant (e.g. trigger: turn on lights at 1700, action: Turn on light 1,2,3,4, etc. with no sec delay built in each)?

[@ResinChemTech]

I'm using the WLED sync feature. But you could use Home Assistant automations as well. The nice feature about the WLED sync is that any individual controller can temporarily (and easily) be removed from the sync group if you want that segment or strip to be a different color and/or run a different effect. Then when you want, you can easily sync up the controllers again via WLED (or HA automation). So, for example, if your controllers are normally synced, but you want to create a special theme night, you can 'unsync' the controllers and set some of the LEDs to pink and another set to blue. Then when ready to return to 'normal' operation, just enable the sync on the controllers again.

[@blakebowden955]

@@ResinChemTech Thank you!! Much appreciated!!

[@Lolatyou332]

Looks cool, however really needs a little bit of modification IMO to make things look very nice. I'd hate to have any visible wires at all personally

[@ResinChemTech]

I hear ya... and I don't disagree! But my goal with all my smart home tech is to avoid making major modifications since we will likely sell in a few years and all the tech has to come back out. I don't want to be faced with making major repairs when things are removed. Completely hiding the wiring would have required drilling or routing the stringers, drilling through drywall, etc. I agree it would have made a more attractive install... but at the expense of making alterations to the stairs themselves. Thanks for your feedback!

[@Lolatyou332]

​@@ResinChemTech My view is almost entirely the opposite. I'd probably leave all the tech in for increasing the perceived value of the house. I bought a fixer upper house though from 1948, tore down all exterior walls to add insulation, so I don't mind if I make permanent changes as long as it looks good and adds charm to the house long-term. I can tell you know what you are talking about though, can only assume you are some level of an electrical engineer or just a tech enthusiast. EDIT: Should of read your shirt, clearly says Cyber Security lol. I'm a DevOps engineer personally.

[@elcasa6587]

Will the motion detector work on Holiday Time (LED) tape lights? They are the kind in a tube.

[@ResinChemTech]

I'm not familiar with Holiday Time LEDs, but a quick online check is enough to let me know that these will NOT work with the current application (this or the standalone version). The design and code are meant to work with 5V WS2812b or similar LEDs. Unless a product specifically states that the pixels are WS2812b (or compatible with a clockless 5V single line data signal), my version simply won't work. Now it might be possible to use some sort of commercial LED strip and something like a motion sensor to switch the power off/on via a smart switch to that strip (as commercial products are usually designed to work with 120V AC), but that is a completely different project and would involve a completely different type of automation using Home Assistant or another automation platform. Sorry.. but the hardware requirements are pretty specific for this project.

[@9374anthony]

You should build the system and sell it if you do please let me know

[@ronaldcarey5708]

A question for you sir. Does the staircase lighting work as "stand-alone", install-it-and you-are-done? I want to make one for my daughter and she does not have, nor want - Home assistant, ESPhome, or WLED. Once the controllers are flashed, does it work all by itself?

[@ResinChemTech]

This particular version requires Home Assistant to work. However, I did develop a standalone version that doesn't require Home Assistant (or any other external system). It doesn't have all the effects that WLED has, but it does have the same "chase" lights you see in this video... and a few others (although those effects were added after the video was made). You can see a video of that version here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGXWkIl7qbuKj5Y You can also find a lot more detail, along with the current lighting effects in the related blog article and Github repo. Links to those can be found in the video description of the above video.

[@ErnieOporto]

Paint those stringers white and 🤌 I would also need to hide all that wiring to meet the spouse approval factor. Fantastic project.

[@ResinChemTech]

Well... as the title of the video states, my goal was to do this "without staircase modification". I explain the reason why in one of my recent videos ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHyki6t6qbibedE ). Naturally, the wires could be much better hidden if you are willing to drill into the staircase, pull carpet or cut into drywall. My goal was to install this system without making any changes... and so that the system could be removed in just a few minutes and you'd never know it was there. But I fully understand the WAF! Luckily for me, mine is pretty lenient when it comes to the basement "man cave". Now, if I wanted to install this on our main stair case to the second floor... that would be a totally different situation (and don't think I haven't considered it... but that would have a very, very low WAF!)

[@padmanabhankrishnan2126]

Hi, could you share the code Pl. I would like to build one for my house staircase. Thanks

[@igaliandras]

Very good, that's almost exactly how I want to do it. Is it possible to make it work regardless if the Home Assistant is not working/not available? Can i use with WLED FW, 2 motion sensors and possibly a lux sensor? I would like it can work on its own, but it can also be controlled via the WLED app/Home Assistant. Can this be solved? Can you make a video and/or description about this?

[@ResinChemTech]

Well.. if you are using WLED (instead of the standalone option), then WLED has to be able to handle all of the automations if Home Assistant isn't available. While it might be possible to use a motion sensor and/or a lux sensor with the WLED controller for some basic features like turning on the lights, it doesn't have the automation engine to do the more advanced options... like a timer to turn the lights off after a set time, use two sensors in conjunction, etc. The standalone version builds in this automation engine, but doesn't have all the WLED features. So, it's more or less picking one over the other. You can use WLED, but then need a separate automation platform (like Home Assistant, NodeRed, etc.)... or you can build the automations into custom firmware (standalone), but then you cannot install both this custom firmware and WLED on the same controller. There are a number of custom user modifications available for WLED. There might be something that that you could add as custom mod to WLED that would give you close to what you want. But I haven't tried or tested any of these. You can review the list of user contributions here: github.com/Aircoookie/WLED/tree/main/usermods

[@aaaafaaaaf]

Good day to you sir, thank you some much for sharing your knowledge. I have been wanting to do this for a while now and I have all the components, and I'm ready to start assembling it. I'm waiting on a new led strip so that I can add lights to both sides. I am still having a bit of brain block, trying to understand how the two ESPHome D1 minis talk to the WLED controller..

[@ResinChemTech]

I assume you are referring to the D1 Minis that are used for the motion detection? Home Assistant and Home Assistant automations are how the devices 'talk'. The Home Assistant automation uses the motion from the motion sensors as a trigger to then turn on the LEDs via the LED controller. The latter part of the video covers that and you can find links to the entire Home Assistant automation in the video description. I hope that helps. This particular version does require Home Assistant or a similar home automation platform to work and to allow those components to 'talk' to each other.

[@aaaafaaaaf]

@@ResinChemTech thank you for the quick response, I appreciate it. Does this section need to be the same on both of the D1 minis that are running ESPHOME? binary_sensor: - name: "Breakbeam Sensor" == ??? id: breakbeam_sensor platform: template device_class: motion

[@ResinChemTech]

Are you using the new ToF sensors that I showed in this video ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIPFkKqmf9Rkd68 ) as that is the ESPHome code for these types of sensors. If you are using the PIR sensors as shown in _this_ video, then you need to use the ESPHome code from the Github repository that does NOT have _tof in the file name. The Github repo has example ESPHome for both, the ToF sensors (with _tof in the name) and the PIR sensors (without _tof in the name).

[@quaternion]

I clicked on like and subscribe the moment I realised you are making all the needed information available for free! Thank you!!! 👍 PS: I am not planning to make use of any of the information available 😇🤪

[@ResinChemTech]

Thanks! You never know... and you might be surprised! I never thought I'd be as involved in smart home tech and automation like I am now. But then you see something on KZbin and think "I could really use something like that to solve a problem I have in my house". One thing leads to another and before you know it, you have over 100 "smart" devices installed! But even if you don't go down that route, I appreciate the time you took to watch and comment! Thanks again!

[@Dormat25]

How did you do the torpedo effect at 2:45?

[@ResinChemTech]

I think the actual effect I used at that point in the video was called Fireworks 1D. It is one of over 100 different effects provided by WLED. I didn't have to do anything other than select it in the WLED interface!

[@area51xi]

Unfortunately (or fortunately) we have a newly laid hardwood floor staircase so it would be hard to hide the wiring. Need an alternative.

[@janjuag]

Hi, I like ur this project, what AWG size wire did you use to power led strip?

[@Dr.BrianBanner]

So if I was to replicate this idea I'd have to do all of this manually? I won't be able to find an all in one package to do this from you?

[@ResinChemTech]

Sorry, but the goal of my KZbin channel is to show others how to build these projects themselves, not to create or market my own products to sell. I do not have the capacity, or honestly the desire, to go into manufacturing, selling and shipping the projects that I show. I'm happy to answer questions and assist others in building their own, but I simply do not have the time or capacity to start selling something like this to others. While I appreciate your interest, these projects are a really just a hobby for me. I share them with the intent of encouraging others to learn to build their own similar projects.

[@davidayala6874]

Do you happen to have any of these lights pre made? Would love to buy some that I can have already assembled so that I can mount them to my stairs

[@ResinChemTech]

The lights themselves... no, sorry I don't. I think that the length needed might vary from staircase to staircase... and they'd be a real pain to ship! If you are talking about the controller (WLED), then Quindor sells pre-built controllers (with an integrated logic level shifter) and WLED preinstalled. You can find his store (and Dr. ZZs US store) at quinled.info/pre-assembled-quinled-dig-uno/. Of course, this doesn't include the light strips/rails nor the motion detectors that I used to activate mine. There may be some retail versions available for stair lighting, but I suspect that they will have less functionality (and be more costly) than any DIY version. They really are pretty easy to build yourself... you can even avoid soldering if you aren't comfortable with that, or don't want to take the time to do so. Let me know if I can help any further.

[@hulkzoom]

Hey i ordered all the parts from the list, I’m going thru integration right now. How did you run your home assistant is it through a raspberry pi? Not sure how your running the server .

[@ResinChemTech]

My Home Assistant server? I started with a Raspberry Pi a couple of years ago, but I'm currently running HA in Proxmox on an i5 NUC. After my home automation grew, I wanted something a bit more powerful (and reliable) than a Raspberry Pi. However, for this project, any platform that will run Home Assistant will work. You will need to add the WLED and ESPHome integrations within HA to get everything to work as I showed it. Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions!

[@EduardoGazzolini]

I'd like to buy the system, can you sell ?

[@ResinChemTech]

Unfortunately, since each installation would be specific to the length of your stairs, I think it would be very difficult to sell a "pre-built" version. Plus the cost of shipping would be prohibitive due to the size. However, I do have a related blog article that lists all of the parts that I used: resinchemtech.blogspot.com/2021/07/simple-motion-activated-led-stair.html And as I replied to in your other comment, if you wish to buy a pre-built WLED controller (it can be dropped into my install in place of building your own), I recommend the DigUno by Quindor: quinled.info/pre-assembled-quinled-dig-uno/

[@anoopgauniyal3605]

Hi, Just a quick question ❓ Do we need to flash the two D1 minis to which PIR sensors are connected,the same way we did the third one ?

[@ResinChemTech]

The PIR sensor's D1 Minis are flashed with ESPHome code, while the third controller that connects to the LEDs is flashed with WLED. You might check out my related blog which better describes adding the code to the D1 Minis and also links to Github where you can find the ESPHome code to use for the PIR sensors: resinchemtech.blogspot.com/2021/07/simple-motion-activated-led-stair.html Let me know if you run into any other issues or questions.

[@tonyrollin402]

Hi is it possible the use the same set up with a esp32 board in trying to do the same thing you did but using esp32 boards

[@ResinChemTech]

Yes... both WLED for the LED controller and ESPHome for the motion detectors both support the ESP32. There are three boards for the entire system and any of them can be either ESP8266 or ESP32.

[@tonyrollin402]

@@ResinChemTech ok question can I pay you to build this system for me or can you show me how to hook it all up using the esp32 board ?

[@ResinChemTech]

Sorry... as I've told many others, I simply don't have time to build any of my projects for others. The goal of my channel is to show you how to build these things yourself and my related blog articles generally provide step-by-step instructions, parts lists, wiring diagrams and more. Besides, for something like this, by the time I bought the parts, assembled it and then shipped it, the cost would be prohibitive. But I have a couple of questions. First, why do you feel the need to use ESP32's for this project? The ESP8266 is plenty powerful (and cheaper) for what it is doing in this particular project. As designed, you need 3 separate controllers. It is not designed to work with a single controller... of any type. Next, are you a Home Assistant user? This project requires that you have Home Assistant (or another automation platform like NodeRED) configured and running in your home. It simply will not work without it. If you do not have Home Assistant, I did design a similar system that works with one controller and without Home Assistant (or any other automation platform) and only needs WiFi. It doesn't have as many lighting effects as this version, but it still does basically the same thing and is built in the same way. You might take a look at that version: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGXWkIl7qbuKj5Y I'm happy to answer any specific questions and try to help, but unfortunately I don't have the capacity to build any of my projects for others.

[@Dorff_Meister]

Neat! I may implement this on our stairs. I'm already familiar with all the pieces and am running HA, so it should be a quick weekend project.

[@ResinChemTech]

Great! Let me know how it goes. If you are going to use my YAML, just assure you grab the right version of the Gist file as recent changes in HA and WLED broke the older version. If you are comfortable with YAML, I'm sure you'll have no problems but it seems that this is where most folks have reached out to me with issues... integrating my YAML automations into their particular HA instance. Don't hesitate to reach out if you do run into any questions or problems... and good luck with your project!

[@Dorff_Meister]

@@ResinChemTech Will do! I've ordered some stuff to start the work. Primarily the channel, but also the PIR sensors and some D1s (I think I'm also nearly out of D1s - I've mostly been using ESP32 and ESP32 D1 Mini's of late, but the ESP8266s are plenty for this project). I have an extra LED strip so I'll start with one side to verify I like the channel I've chosen. I imagine I'll just create my own HA automations so they make the most sense to me - I have at least 15 or 20 that I've written so far for lots of little things around the house that are motion or time or location dependent. I've got a few ESPHome devices already and I've even written WLED plugins, so I should be good with those. I just hadn't thought about putting the strips down the side (duh!) or lighting two strips in parallel from one data line - that works well? Some of my WLED projects... I made this for our 25th anniversary (3d printed body, designed and printed by me, uses 3mm fiber optics, runs WLED) kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqTGYXmDh9KIaZo . I made this lamp for my grandson's birthday, the video shows off the plugins I made for WLED to provide on-board UI kzbin.info/www/bejne/qnq3goxuZdd8haM .

[@ResinChemTech]

Sounds like you have plenty of experience with HA and WLED, so I'm sure you'll figure that part out. Splitting the data signal worked out just fine and hasn't caused me any issues. I honestly didn't know at the very start if that would work, but I didn't want two separate controllers (knowing they'd never actually truly stay in-sync.. even if I used the WLED syncing feature). But with the single signal line.. and with the same number of pixels on both sides, they are perfectly in sync for all effects. I did have to experiment with various motion detectors. I originally tried a couple of Zigbee versions (thinking that wireless would save me from running the extra USB cable), but everything else I tried had too long of a cool down period... up to 45 seconds in some case. The ones I ended up selecting had the shortest cooldown I could find... around 5 seconds.... but it did mean I had to run USB power to the one at the top. But as I showed in the video, using the flat cable pretty much makes it hidden. Again, good luck and drop me a line when you get it done!

[@Dorff_Meister]

@@ResinChemTech Project completed yesterday. kzbin.info/www/bejne/epK4Yahrjr-aq8U for a video. The parts I used for the project (along with links) are all in my video description. Thanks for the inspiration to finally install stair lights (I'd been considering it for a year). The missus loves them.

[@mcg9573]

If I could hide a big power supply I'd do this in a heart beat. I've currently got a stairs light, that is visible from the main room that is distracting, I just don't have a good power\hide option.

[@moneypitvan6378]

Very nice. Do you know of a motion sensor that could be used as a touchless button for something like this? Something where maybe the range is very short, somewhere around 1/2" to trigger it? My idea is to "tap" it with your foot to get it go on.

[@ResinChemTech]

My first thought is to use an ultrasonic or lidar sensor (like I used in my parking assistant and car detection vid). That way, you'd be measuring distance instead of motion. When something (like your foot) moved in front of the sensor at less than a predetermined distance (say < 2"), that could trigger the lights on/off via Home Assistant. Using this method, someone passing by the sensor at a 'normal' distance would not trigger the lights. I think the challenge here might the the speed of reactivity of the sensor (how quickly it reports a distance change). But it might be worth a shot!

[@moneypitvan6378]

@@ResinChemTech Thanks, yes, that's a direction I was looking at. It might work. I found these just now also and it seems like it might be the answer: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T91JXHW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[@moneypitvan6378]

@@ResinChemTech This is interesting too. Looks like what you were talking about and it goes down to 2cm which is the feature I couldn't find in other ultrasonic sensors. I ordered this too and will see what works best. www.amazon.com/dp/B088R3V9X8?psc=1&smid=A2SNA9AH12A511&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp

[@ResinChemTech]

Great! I haven't worked with either one of those options, but let me know how it works out.

[@TennisSmith]

What happens if you don't have a 3D printer? Are there commercially available enclosures for the components?

[@ResinChemTech]

You have a few different options. First, the design files for my enclosures are available on Thingiverse: Motion Detectors: www.thingiverse.com/thing:4969716 Controller: www.thingiverse.com/thing:4969733 You can take these files and there are a number of online services that will print and ship to you. A cheaper alternative might be if you have a college or maker space in your area that might print them for you. Or you can find a number of small electronic project boxes on Amazon that you can modify to meet your needs. This is what I used (or whatever I had laying around the house) before I got a 3D printer. I've used everything from candy boxes to empty toilet paper tubes in some of my projects. 3D printed parts are not required to make this project work... they just make things a bit "neater". Technically, you could tape or glue the motion detectors directly to the stairs with no case at all.... or just be creative with what you might find around the house.

[@TennisSmith]

@@ResinChemTech Thanks!

[@dwaynebaker9817]

Thats is my next project for sure. Thanks for this video.

[@ResinChemTech]

You are most welcome! Note that I did a follow up video where I upgrade the motion sensors with a different (and in my opinion better) type of sensor that isn't as susceptible to false detections. You might want to take a peek at that, along with the full written version of this project, before starting you own build. This original video was done quite some time ago, so I have made improvements in the time since this particular video was released. Let me know how your project goes... or if you have any other questions along the way.

[@devalmehta]

Do you think that trying this with a Dig-Uno or a Dig-Quad would simplify or complicate the setup?

[@ResinChemTech]

The DigUno would basically just replace the WLED controller that I built, so it would simplify from the fact that you wouldn't have to build the controller yourself. Everything else would remain basically the same. However, the next version of WLED (currently in beta) is slated to add support for multiple buttons. With that (on either the home built controller or the DigUno), it *might* be possible to eliminate the two D1 minis that are used for the motion detection and wire the motion detectors directly the WLED controller. I won't know the answer to that until I get a chance to test it and determine the changes needed to the automation.

[@jonmayer]

If you're going to run a wire for power to the other esp units, why just run wires to the pir sensors and combine esps? 3 is overkill when only 1 is needed.

[@ResinChemTech]

There are a lot of the same ways to accomplish this. At the time, WLED only had support for one button/external switch, meaning I could have only connected a single motion sensor to the primary controller, meaning at least one additional D1 mini would be required. And in all honesty, it was just easier to hide the flat USB cable than to try to run 3 separate wires (5V, GND, signal) up the stairs and hide that. I could have used a data USB cable as that wiring run, but for the extra $3 that the D1 mini costs, this was just the easier way to do it (at least for me). Someone else commented in one of my other videos that use of a microcontroller to control LEDs was overkill in general. But again, for the low cost, often time it is just easier to use that option as opposed to soldering a bunch of individual components... especially for beginners. Or for those like me that are just lazy and looking for the easiest way to accomplish the task! Thanks for taking time to comment.

[@MrKhmara]

Hi. Great job. I'd like get one for my house. Can you make it for sale?

[@ResinChemTech]

Sorry... I don't offer any of my projects pre-built or for sale. The goal of my channel is to show you how to build your own and I simply do not have time to build, ship and manage the logistics of selling any of my projects.

[@MrKhmara]

@ResinChemTech if I build lights and sensors, can you be able to help me with code in my home assistant because I'm new in there and don't know how to make it? Thanks

[@ResinChemTech]

I'm always happy to answer questions and to try to assist. If you look in the video description for this video, you will find links to a written guide that covers a fair amount of the code and setup, as well as a link to a Github repo that has all the code I used and more information related to how to set this up and use it in Home Assistant. But if you have read that information and get stuck somewhere, just reach back out and I will do my best to help you out.

[@MrKhmara]

@@ResinChemTech thanks

[@rsinghal17]

Couldn't you have mounted the motion sensor cable inside the channel too? That way it is completely hidden.

[@ResinChemTech]

That's a good idea... and actually I wanted to do that. Unfortunately, the flat cable was just slightly too wide to fit inside the aluminum channel "vertically" without interfering with the diffuser. Turning the cable "horizontally", made it visible as it overlapped the LEDs. In theory, I could have ran the cable under the double-sided tape before putting that down, but that would have resulted in a "hump" and potentially affected the adhesion of the strips to the tape.. and the tape to the channel. In all honesty, I can't see the USB cable at all unless I actually lay down on the stairs and look for it. But with all DIY projects, there are multiple ways. I appreciate the suggestion and it might give someone else an idea of how they might build a similar project.

[@industrialnerd5535]

I did something similar but for a pantry and I ran the LEDs around the inside of the molding of the door frame so it lit the pantry from top to bottom with a single LED string just cool white and a simple motion sensor so that at the door open the lights came on

[@ResinChemTech]

I tried to add closet lights, similar to you, with the same basic controller and a door sensor. My issue was that I didn't have ready access to AC power, so I tried to run the system off of a battery pack. The batteries just didn't hold up long enough to make it worthwhile. I would need to use an ESP32 and deep sleep, but I've already experienced significant delay when doing that, because it takes time for the ESP to wake up, connect to wifi and then turn on the lights. It just wasn't feasible in my case. But I'd still like to do something like you've done with the pantry... but with AC power, it's a challenge to make it responsive enough.

[@rivkafarriel3381]

My Chihuahua weight 4 pounds. This lights will work? Thanks

[@ResinChemTech]

Do you want your dog to trigger the lights? The PIR sensors should work, but you may want to consider replacing those sensors with the upgrade I cover in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIPFkKqmf9Rkd68 These newer distance sensors should definitely work with anything that is large enough to break the distance beam.

[@markstanchin1692]

I’m going to attempt. Can different motion detectors be used possibly wireless. Zigbee or zwave?

[@ResinChemTech]

Absolutely... basically anything that acts as a trigger and can be integrated into Home Assistant (or NodeRed or whatever platform you are using) can be used as the trigger for the lights. In fact, you could use door sensors (assuming you have doors), pressure pads, etc. The one thing to note about the motion detectors though is the cool down period (time until it resets from motion to no-motion). I selected these particular PIR sensors due to the short cooldown (about 2 seconds). I have an Aqara Zigbee motion detector for another project, and it's cooldown period is over 30 seconds. Travis over at DigiblurDIY has a great video comparing wireless motion detectors, including the cooldown period (kzbin.info/www/bejne/aYaUl4KnoNBmjck) if you haven't seen it. I think anything with a cooldown period longer than it takes you to walk up or down the stairs may present some challenges and would have to be accounted for in the automation somehow (but it could be done). Good luck with the project and let me know how it goes or if you have any questions.

[@jarekwy]

Where can we purchase all needed parts

[@ResinChemTech]

You can find the complete parts list for what I used in my related blog article at: resinchemtech.blogspot.com/2021/07/simple-motion-activated-led-stair.html

[@padmanabhankrishnan2126]

Thanks sir, I found the details in the description.

[@MujtabaNazir-bq1mf]

This is amazing. 👏 May I ask if you have a video of you connecting all of this up? On to the boards?

[@ResinChemTech]

You might take a look at the written version of this project. It has wiring diagrams and shows how all the different components and parts are wired together: resinchemtech.blogspot.com/2021/07/simple-motion-activated-led-stair.html If you have any particular questions after taking a look at that, don't hesitate to reach back out and ask.

[@victormdp]

How did you hide your AC to DC Power Adaptor?

[@ResinChemTech]

It's not really "hidden"... but basically out of sight (sorta') off to the left of the stairs and next to the arcade machine. That's partially because I had power there for the arcade and slot machines. You situation will likely be different... and sometimes you just have to get creative with placement of things like the controller, power supply and wire runs.

[@MrDead1975]

I wonder if you could ditch the PIR sensors and use a mm wave radar sensor instead as you can measure distance to target so light the correct steps in real-time based on where someone is standing e.g of they change direction on the stairs

[@ResinChemTech]

Yeah... as I mentioned in this video's description, I replaced those PIR sensors with ToF sensors... and did a follow up video ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIPFkKqmf9Rkd68 ). The ToF sensors rely on distance (and have a narrower FOV), but the distance is converted to a boolean in ESPHome so that Home Assistant logs aren't flooded with continuous distance measurements. The ToF sensors have been much better than the original PIR sensors... especially for my particular staircase design and opening at the botton.

[@Balajinusa]

Hi, Good to see your videos step by step. Unfortunately I am not able to find all parts which you mentioned in your forum. Since I dont have much knowledge on Electrical side, can build one more me and ship it. Please let me know.

[@ResinChemTech]

I'm sorry that you are having some issues sourcing some of the parts. Unfortunately, I just don't have the time to build, package, ship and track the logistics of selling devices to others. But if you are interested in purchasing a pre-built controller for WLED, I always recommend the DigiUno by Quindor. You can find his controllers at: quinled.info/pre-assembled-quinled-dig-uno/

[@DamienLee69]

Curious if you know a cheap, easy "kit" that can do the same...for the lazy of us.

[@ResinChemTech]

There may be something out there, but I'm not really aware of it. You could theoretically use a 110V powered commercial LED strip and connect it to a smart outlet. Then you'd have to use some sort of automation engine (be it Home Assistant, NodeRed or maybe Amazon Alexa or Google Home). You'd set up a motion detector and have the automation engine trigger the smart switch to turn the power on or off to the commercial LED strip. I haven't tried this method, but I suspect it would be much less responsive, likely lagging behind anyone that starts up or down the stairs. And it would also likely be significantly more expensive in total than a DIY solution. If you don't have Home Assistant, I did create another version that works 'standalone' without Home Assistant or any other type of hub or system. It doesn't have as many features or effects, but can basically duplicate the 'chase' lighting that I showed in this video, without needing any external automation engine. You can see a video of that system here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGXWkIl7qbuKj5Y It also has a related blog article with more details. The link for that can be found in the description of the video. I don't know if that is at all helpful.. but it's about the best information I can provide.

[@richsadowsky8580]

Great video. I am going to take your ideas and implement in my house. In my case, I may be willing to make minor modifications to existing stairs if necessary to conceal the wiring even more fully. Thanks

[@ResinChemTech]

Thanks! There are definitely things I would have done differently if I would have considered modifications to the stairs. There are some other videos out there of some really excellent stair lighting builds... even ones with lights horizontally across each tread. But as I've mentioned in a few other videos, we will likely be selling our home in the next 3-5 years and a lot of this smart home tech won't work for the next buyers (especially those that rely on Home Assistant, like this one), so most of my project installs will need to be removed. If this was our 'forever' home or if we were going to stay here in retirement, then I would have been much more likely to make modifications to hide the wiring a bit better. I think my goal was a project that someone could do in a weekend... was easily removable if the better half didn't like it.. and it wasnt' going to leave any signs of it ever being there once was removed. Thanks again for watching and taking time to comment.

[@reddyuda]

This is cool as hell...

[@JuniorJunison]

Btw you don't need the logic level shift with the ws2812bs, they will accept a digital signal all the way down to 1.7 volts, so 3.3 is more than adequate, if you don't believe me check the datasheet for the ws2812b itself, it'll say the same thing

[@ResinChemTech]

You may be correct, but my references say: "The datasheet tells us that a logic high input will be detected at a minimum voltage of 0.7 * Vcc. If you’re running the LED at 5V, this means 5 V * 0.7 = 3.5 V will be needed for the WS2812 to detect a ‘1’ on the data line." Here is the data sheet I am referencing (cdn-shop.adafruit.com/datasheets/WS2812B.pdf) and you can see that it also notes a working voltage starting at 3.5V. While you can sometimes get away with 3.3V (or even just a bit lower), there can be signal instability that might cause random issues. Add in the fact that I sometimes place my controller a meter or more away from the first pixel and voltage drop from just the wire resistance itself is enough to cause intermittent problems. In my opinion, it is well worth the $1 cost of the logic level shifter (or even a sacrificial pixel) to boost the signal to 5V. This allows plenty of headspace for any voltage drop due to the wiring run between the controller and LED strip. Nearly all references that I see online (or from others) recommend use of a voltage shifter or sacrificial pixel. But like all DIY projects, there are many possibilities and if you can get a reliable signal without the shifter, then by all means feel free to omit it.

[@MrVnhk]

Hi there, thank you for your work. I am stuck on the yaml coding part: binary_sensor: - platform: gpio pin: D6 name: "Stair Motion Top" device_class: motion I got an error where it says "Cannot resolve pin name 'D6' for board esp01_1m." I hope you can help me out. Thank you.

[@ResinChemTech]

Are you using a Wemos D1 Mini and did you specify that board at the top of the ESPHome file (e.g. board: d1_mini)? If not or you specified a different/generic board, then the "D" pin designations are not valid. The easiest way is to just change the pin definition to use the GPIO pin designation, as this will work with any board: - platform: gpio pin: GPIO12 Note that D6 is GPIO12 on most ESP boards. Substitute the actual GPIO number for whatever pin you are using and what GPIO number that is on your board. The "D" numbers are not the same as GPIO number, so "D6" is not necessarily GPIO6 - see this guide for what GPIO numbers correspond to what D numbers for most boards: randomnerdtutorials.com/esp8266-pinout-reference-gpios/ I hope this information helps.

[@MrVnhk]

@@ResinChemTech Wow thank you so much for your help, that really solved my error there. I also noticed that my sensor is always stuck in "Detected" state, but never goes to "Clear (no detected)" even though there is no motion nearby. Is this supposed to be intended? Thank you for your response.

[@ResinChemTech]

That is not the way it should work or what is intended. Carefully check your wiring. If you are sure the wiring is correct (and you don't have any solder bridges, stray wires making contact, etc.), you may need to try a different detector. It should definitely change state from detected to clear when there is no motion. If it is stuck on detected, then that is a sign that the circuit is staying closed... again, normally due to a wiring/soldering issue or a faulty sensor.

[@nappyjim]

I'm sure it's already been asked but what WLED effect is that?

[@ResinChemTech]

It is the "Wipe" effect, with the reverse flag on for one direction and off for the other direction.

[@nappyjim]

@@ResinChemTech how are you going about turning the reverse flag on and off depending on if your going up or down the stairs?

[@ResinChemTech]

It's all handled in the Home Assistant automations and determined by which sensor triggers and whether the lights are already on or off. If the bottom motion triggers and the lights are off, they are turned on with the wipe effect and no reverse flag. Similarly, if the top motion sensor is triggered and the lights are off, they are turned on with the reverse flag enabled. If either sensor is tripped and the lights are already on, then they are turned off (that's how the effect is stopped when exiting the stairs).

[@nappyjim]

@@ResinChemTech ahhhh ok. I see the reverse toggle now in my WLED integration.

[@Anastaecia]

Why do the other lights go out when the stair lights come on?

[@ResinChemTech]

By "other lights", are you referring to the general room lights? If so, they actually aren't changing at all. It's the camera trying to automatically adjust the exposure due to the brightness of the LEDs... LEDs are very hard to film because they tend to overwhelm the camera. So, while it might appear that the room lights are dimming or getting brighter... they actually aren't. They are staying exactly the same. It's the camera that is 'dimming' the exposure. But let me know if you are talking about something else.

[@billblast3370]

Great video....I would like to do this in my hallway...100ft what do I need how much power...would u plz give me a list of the supplies I would need to complete this project. Ty

[@ResinChemTech]

Thanks. Your power requirements will be dependent upon which LED strips your use.. 30/m, 60/m, 100/m, etc. I use a rough estimate of 0.060A per pixel, which would be the max at full bright white. So, you would need to determine the total of number of pixels in your installation then calculate the power. I talk about power requirements, and also the complete parts list that I used in my related blog article: resinchemtech.blogspot.com/2021/07/simple-motion-activated-led-stair.html You can take a look at that to see the parts you may need for your hallway installation. Good luck on your project!

[@billschannel1116]

I'm not sure what's more impressive... This video or the fact that you have a 100 foot hallway.

[@Rikz72]

Looks very cool. Thanks for showing.

[@Kai-vq6xf]

I love this project. Kudos! Can share the 3 printer enclosure file with us? I cannot find one that's cover one side like the one you have. Oh, I'm new at 3D printing.

[@ResinChemTech]

Yep... you can find links to the 3D printed parts (and much more) at the related blog article for this project: resinchemtech.blogspot.com/2021/07/simple-motion-activated-led-stair.html (you'll find the links to the 3D printed parts at the end of the article). But if you haven't seen it yet, I made an improvement to the sensors for the top and bottom of the stairs since this original video. If you are considering building these stair lights yourself, you may want to take a quick peak at the following video and decide if these new sensors might work better for you as well: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIPFkKqmf9Rkd68 Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions!

[@Kai-vq6xf]

@@ResinChemTech Thank you kindly! I already watch the improved video a few time. Outstanding!

[@georgevanvalkenburg2560]

SPOT ON......TRUE INNOVATION ....................AMERICAN INGENUITY AT ITS' FINEST! ! !

[@markvylonis]

Can this run without the home automation.?

[@ResinChemTech]

Not this particular version. However, I did create a version in another video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGXWkIl7qbuKj5Y that is standalone and does not require any home automation. This version is obviously more basic and doesn't include all the various effects and options of WLED... but it will work with two motion detectors and allows you to select color, brightness and couple of basic effects... all without any sort of home automation required.

[@BELSERVICEMAN]

Do you have any automation examples for restoring WLED to a previous running “preset” if you change the light based upon a trigger. Example, say your stairs are running a nice holiday theme you like and Dim, so the wife comes to the top of the stairs and maybe you want to light the path for the time it takes to traverse the stairs and then go back to the previous running scene. I am new to helpers and creating my own custom stuff but I imagine I want to write something that looks at the Wled light to see if it is running and store that setting somehow in a helper? Perhaps a scene? My use case is my breezeway and garage doors will be displaying themed lights at night and I want to detect motion off my doorbell camera and have the LEDs go solid white for the time it takes to enter either of the doors. Then of course restore the lights to the previous scene/playlist etc? Do you have a blog or video? My quick search didn’t show anything but I am not so used to fit hub and I did lol there too. How would you go about this?

[@ResinChemTech]

There are a lot of ways to tackle this... more than I can really cover here in the comments. But one way would be to store your holiday theme in a a WLED preset. When the PIR is triggered to turn on the lights (e.g. "light the path"), you'd run an effect (or preset) just like is currently done in the video. But instead of turning the lights off with the other sensor (or when the lights time out), you instead call for the WLED preset... which would turn the lights back to the previous "holiday theme". You could probably also, as you mentioned, store the current state of WLED (effect, preset, etc.) in helper(s) when the motion detector is tripped, and then set the WLED state back again when the lights would normally be set to 'off'... e.g. call the WLED light.turn_on and pass back the parameters stored in the helper(s). Depending upon the complexity here, it may or may not be possible with the automation UI and it might require YAML (or YAML within the UI). I haven't tried this (yet), but I can envision how I'd write it. Those are just two ways that pop into mind to accomplish what you are describing. I'm sure there are others.

[@BELSERVICEMAN]

@@ResinChemTech thanks for this advice and it helps me in several ways. I did think of the preset and do have one for the light the path” as well as a scene in HA. So your first suggestion is good for use newer folks but I would be limited a bit and the joy of HA is the power. So, I am still new to WLED and a practicing apprentice. I am pretty much using your designs exactly. I might lose some of the fascination I currently have but I enjoy picking a different scheme each night and not just one of the 5 presets I have In WLED. I think you see this points me to the direction of capturing the scene if the light is on. I just need to learn more about helpers and I see people creating sensors in Yaml which to me seem like sort of a helper. Pardon my ignorance as I am still only a few months into HA. I just wonder if I need to make a sensor in Yaml to detect if the LED is on. So then in my automation I can look for this “state”? I guess I had hoped you might’ve done something similar on your stairs and I could see your automation Yaml somewhere. Honestly, I love working with automations as much as I love tinkering! So I look forward to the challenges. Thanks again for you help!

[@ResinChemTech]

Actually, you don't need to create a sensor for the state of WLED... it's already there in Home Assistant. You can trigger an automation on the state change of any entity, including lights. So, you'd use a trigger on the light state going from off to on (or vice versa). It might be helpful (if you haven't already) to peak at the documentation for Home Assistant WLED ( www.home-assistant.io/integrations/wled/ ) as it gives some examples. Again, I'd also be happy to provide you some examples or sample YAML code if you like via email or Discord. You should have my email now in a response I sent a few days ago to your comment under my Livestream #2 video. It's no problem if you want to reach out via email. It's much easier to provide examples and more info via email as I'm limited as to what I can provide here in the comments.

[@mayurpatilish]

Please share circuit diagram

[@ResinChemTech]

You can find the overall wiring diagram in my related blog article: resinchemtech.blogspot.com/2021/07/simple-motion-activated-led-stair.html The circuit diagram for the LED controller can be found in this blog article: resinchemtech.blogspot.com/2021/01/building-your-own-led-light-strip.html

[@Jagerbryceter29]

Could this work with Zigbee motion sensors?

[@ResinChemTech]

Yeah... it could. But the issue I found with many motion detectors, especially the Zigbee ones I have (Aqara and Hue), there is a significant cool down period (up to 45 seconds) before they reset from motion to no motion. It's not that you couldn't deal with that in the automation, but the motion detectors I selected was due to the fact that they had a very short cool down (about 5 seconds). In fact, Travis over at DigiblurDIY did a thorough study of motion detectors and cool down times (kzbin.info/www/bejne/aYaUl4KnoNBmjck). It would be up to you to determine if you could live with, or code around, any extended cool down periods for different motion detectors. Actually, you could trigger on anything that works for your install. Someone else even mentioned using an ultrasonic distance sensor as a trigger... or a load cell/pressure plate, etc. Whatever would work for you to trigger the lights to come on and go off could easily be adapted from the way I did it.

[@ITStheSTEV]

Excellent video! It’s motivated me to try this. I was wondering is there a way to creat a wireless PIR sensor or even button? I was hoping maybe a battery powered separate D1 mini with PIR could link up to and control another D1 mini which is being used as the main WLED driver but is out of sight.

[@ResinChemTech]

Thanks! Glad it provided you with some motivation to try it yourself! It is certainly possible to use something wireless for the sensors at the top and bottom of the staircase. I'm not sure that a D1 Mini is the correct choice as it would probably draw too much power and quickly drain a battery (wifi devices are power hungry!). I'd look at maybe something like a Zigbee motion sensor (especially if you already have a Zigbee network). The issue with these, however, is that they generally have long cool down periods (like 30 seconds or more), which could be a challenge in terms of the automation... since the sensor would continue to show motion long after someone has exited the stairs. I believe Aqara has a new motion sensor where you can specify the cooldown, but I haven't tried or tested them. You may also have issues with the wide field of view (FOV) with a PIR sensor like this, depending on your stair configuration. I had this issue at the bottom of my stairs, and just recently released a video where I replaced these PIR sensors with TOF sensors (you can see that vid here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIPFkKqmf9Rkd68 ) - but this would also be a wired/D1 Mini solution, although it does work much better than the PIR option. You could always try a battery-operated D1 Mini... something like a LiPo battery would probably be best... but I know that from my original mailbox solution that used a battery-driven ESP32 (that even when into deep sleep when not in use), I couldn't get more than about a month out of the battery. I suspect an D1 Mini that has to constantly be awake and watch for motion would drain even faster than that... possibly within a week. If you find a good wireless solution, please pass it along! I'd love to share it with my viewers and provide that option. Also feel free to reach back out if you have any additional questions. Good luck with your project!

[@ITStheSTEV]

@@ResinChemTech yeah looks like your’re completely right. D1 mini approx 40mA draw which will soon take its toll on a battery. I will still look into other options but I’m not hopeful. I don’t have a zigbee network but assume it’s relatively cheap to set up so could be an option. Yes I had already seen your video on the PIR upgrade and intended to do that. The only thing with that side of it that I need to do now is work out how to get an ambient light sensor in so that it only come on when below a certain lighting level. I get I could use another input (probably have to be analogue) and then have a condition based statement saying “if THIS and MOTION then turn light on”. Did you bother with this yourself or just have them come on in any lighting condition? ****edit***** seen that I would need to create an automation with the trigger as either the upstairs or downstairs motion sensor and then have a condition of lux level below a certain value to achieve only lighting up in the dark. Slowly getting there. Just need to make sure that the D1 mini can cope efficiently with the three sensors.

[@ITStheSTEV]

@@ResinChemTech also, thanks for the response! And especially how quickly you got back to me.

[@ResinChemTech]

I don't use any sort of light sensor for the stairs. They come on all the time unless I toggle the input_boolean to disable the automations. I do, however, lower the brightness of the LEDs if it is after 10 pm and the overhead basement lights are off. I did this just fairly recently as I was getting blinded by the bright LED stair lights after watching TV in a dark basement and then heading up to bed. With no windows in the basement, there isn't any 'ambient' light, other than the overhead recessed lighting... which is also automated in Home Assistant... so, I can use the brightness level setting of the overhead lighting to alter the stair lights. As far as a light level sensor, of course you can just use a photoresistor. But in my new garage multisensor, I use a photosensitive light module. This uses a photoresistor as well, but had a digital binary sensor that is 'on' or 'off' based on an adjustable light level. They are only about $2 apiece, but easier to use than a photoresistor, analog level and trying to convert that to lux. You can see that in my video on an updated multisensor ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoe3mZRqac5rias ). The D1 Mini won't have a problem dealing with both a motion sensor and a light level sensor. But you are right that motion would serve as the trigger and light level as a condition in your automation. Let me know if you have additional questions or thought!

[@jungleviper]

Is it possible to wire in 3 sensors?

[@ResinChemTech]

Each sensor is an independent device and its own entity in Home Assistant, so you can add as many as you want. But it will also require some pretty substantial modification to the Home Assistant automations to account for anything more than the two sensors. Theoretically you could add a sensor for each step... although the power runs and automations would get pretty tricky with that number of sensors. So yes, you could use 3 sensors since each is a completely standalone device that is not physically connected or wired into the LED controller... assuming you can make the automations work properly in Home Assistant.

[@jungleviper]

​@@ResinChemTech How much would you charge for the 3d box for the sensor?

[@ResinChemTech]

Sorry, but I'm unable to provide printing services for others. However, you can find the design for the box on Thingiverse here: www.thingiverse.com/thing:4969716 and there are my online printing services that can take this design and print the box for you. In addition, I always recommend that if you have a maker space or maybe a University nearby, you might check and see if they offer any printing services (some libraries even have 3D printer now) where you might be able to get an item like this printed at a much lower cost than an online service.

[@miketony2069]

Very nice and straight forward. Most stair lighting has loghts going horizontal across each stair. I like the simplicity of your approach.

[@ResinChemTech]

Thanks! I try to do projects that are not impossible to recreate or require a lot of specialized equipment... and that can be removed without having to do major restoration work! As I mention in a couple of videos, we will likely sell our house in a few years and most of this smart home tech will have to come back out unless the new owners want to keep some/all of it. I like some of the other videos with the lights across the treads, but they are much more complicated and require construction to hide wires, etc. Thanks for watching and taking time to comment!

[@chrishooper9362]

Great great video! I have the stairs set up the same way but I have it hooked up to my raspberry pi system. Can I just copy paste the code from your description to my raspberry pi and it work the same? The last person who owned the home left it hooked up but it hasn’t worked since I moved in.

[@ResinChemTech]

Well, there are three parts to the "code". First is WLED, which runs on the ESP8266 controller. Then ESPHome is used on the motion detectors. Finally, there is the automation code, which is in YAML within Home Assistant. You could theoretically run the whole thing on a Pi, but not directly using the code that I used. You'd have to write something that would run on the Pi, detecting the motion via GPIO pins and then sending a signal out to the LED lights. Sorry... but the code I used is pretty much designed for ESP8266 and Home Assistant. But I'm pretty sure you could write everything in something like Python that would replicate what I've done here and run standalone on a Pi.

[@kennmossman8701]

I think the 'Pi' would not be a good choice because of the high current consumption

[@kennethharrison288]

How much would you charge to build a computer components and ship them to me.

[@ResinChemTech]

I've been asked many, many times, but unfortunately I simply do not have the time to build, ship, track and deal with all the other logistics involved with selling a product. The goal of my channel is to show others how to create and build their own projects and not to sell products. I appreciate the interest, but I just don't have the capacity to build this or any of my other projects for others.

[@originalfallinggirl]

Will this work for a smoker?

[@ResinChemTech]

Uh... are you talking about a device that you use to smoke meat, or are you talking about someone that smokes? If the former, what exactly would you want the LEDs to do with the smoker? If it is the latter, I don't think smoke would impact the motion detectors and it should work fine.

[@originalfallinggirl]

@@ResinChemTech yeah, it’s the later and that’s a relief. I love your work.

[@paulfechtmeister9893]

Ok, need a little help here. I've done all the steps but when implementing the automations that is perplexing me. If I put the, "stair_lights.yaml" under /config/automations/stair_lights.yaml how does Home Assistant know how to access it? Or if I try an use the Automations wizard how does it connect up? Confused

[@ResinChemTech]

This will depend on how you have your Home Assistant automations setup. If you have all your automations in separate yaml files under config/automations, then your configuration.yaml should have a line similar to: automation: !include_dir_merge_list ./automations If you have UI-generated in an automations.yaml (and a line in your configuration that says automation: !include automations.yaml), then you need to modify the above line to read: automation split: !include_dir_merge_list ./automations The above two variations tell Home Assistant to load your automations from the listed location(s). You need to reload automations from the conifguration menu (or restart Home Assistant) after making these changes. Finally, if you only have an automation: header within your configuration.yaml with all your automations listed under that, you would add the contents of stair_lights.yaml under this header. Sorry this is so confusing. I use a "split config" model so that my automations, scripts, helpers, etc. are all in their own files or directories and the main configuration.yaml just points to these individual files or directories. It's easier to maintain than one gigantic configuration.yaml file. If you need additional help, please feel free to reach out via email: [e-mail]

[@paulfechtmeister9893]

@@ResinChemTech Ok, I do like the splitting of the files so that we don't got a massive configuration.yaml. I am trying to test it with just the first PIR (top_stair if you will) and not sure what to add as an entity in the Home Assistant Overview screen to see if it is working. I made the WLED contoller(works great), flashed the other D1 with ESPHome(works great) , I've added all of the binary_sensor.bottom_stair_motion , binary_sensor.top_stair_motion, light.stair_lights. In what place or section in the configuration.yaml file does this go: stair_auto_leds: name: Stair Auto LEDs initial: on ? I'm not a great .yaml guy so this can be a little confusing. Then when I try an add timers: to my confuguration.yaml... .I get : Integration 'timers' not found.

[@paulfechtmeister9893]

I'll contact through email. It may go to your junk email by the way.

[@jasondraper5942]

Great video! (I landed here from the update you did later). Did you consider using one esp for all functions? Addressable lighting effects aren’t the easiest to write in esphome, but the defaults may cover what you need for this purpose. I’m considering the same project and I wonder if I could use a single esp for all 3 functions. I’m thinking maybe run a line inside the channel, behind the lights, for the sensor that is furthest from the power supply. I’m not sure about any issues with a long line between the sensor and the controller. Keeping it all in esphome could allow for automations that work without having to go to home assistant. Just wondered what your thoughts were. Thanks for sharing!

[@ResinChemTech]

Thanks! Well, you could probably do it with a single ESP but at least when I built mine, it would have meant giving up WLED on the primary controller, along with all the various effects and options that go along with it. Yeah... ESPHome has a handful of LED effects, but nothing to the extent that WLED offers. But newer versions of WLED have support for up to two 'buttons' that could likely be used for wired motion detectors but I don't believe any connected buttons are accessible in Home Assistant (yet), which would make the automations difficult, if not impossible. But if you are OK with the effects that ESPHome offers (or are smart enough to figure out how to add your own through lambas), you could probably do most of it in ESPHome and a single ESP. Of course that would mean that you'd also have to run three wires from the controller location to each of the sensors... +V, GND and signal... as opposed to just a single USB power cable. But that's a personal preference and depends on either your ability to hide the wires or deal with more exposed wiring. With the aluminum channel that I'm using, I don't think you could hide the wires anywhere other than in front of the LEDs, which would make them visible through the diffuser... I tried that method with the USB power line and could have laid the flat USB cable under the double-sided tape and the LEDs on top of that... but chose to run the flat cable on the underside of the aluminum channel. It's basically not visible unless you get down on your hands and knees and look for it! I don't know about signal drop with a long wiring run for the sensors, but I suspect it would be fine as long as you used large enough gauge wiring. But of course larger wiring makes it harder to conceal! There are probably other hybrid methods that could be used as well. For me personally, I didn't want to give up all the features and options that WLED has... so that means I need to use independent motion detectors for all the automations to work how I want. But thanks for watching and sharing a good idea that some might prefer.