This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/homeassistant by /u/mfactory_osaka on 2026-02-21 09:25:59+00:00.
I’ve been working on ESPTimeCast, a small ESP32 / ESP8266-powered LED matrix clock. I recently updated it to version 1.1.1 with some major Home Assistant quality-of-life improvements.
It runs fully locally and exposes simple REST endpoints. You can send messages, control brightness, or poll the device status directly from HA - no cloud and no MQTT broker required.
The big update (v1.1.1): I’ve added a /status endpoint that returns JSON. This allows you to create template sensors in HA to monitor the clock’s uptime, current brightness, or even what message is currently being displayed!
Home Assistant Features:
- Instant Overrides: Send a message (e.g., “DOORBELL”) and it interrupts the current animation immediately.
- Smart Restoring: Automatically goes back to your persistent message once the HA notification expires.
- Flexible Expiry: Clear messages after X seconds or after it has scrolled X number of times.
- New /status Endpoint: Monitor the device state via JSON.
- Local REST API: No latency, no external dependencies.
- Device Features (shown in video): Time, date, weather, Nightscout glucose levels, many more features available through the device’s Web UI.
- Web Installer: Flash the firmware directly from your browser (Chrome/Edge) using WebSerial—no Arduino IDE or libraries to install.
🧩 Fun examples
Doorbell alert
alias: Doorbell Alert
trigger:
- platform: state
entity_id: binary_sensor.front_door
to: "on"
action:
- service: rest_command.esptimecast_message
data:
message: "Doorbell!"
seconds: 5
Instantly see the alert scroll across your ESPTimeCast display.
Morning Reminder
alias: Morning Coffee
trigger:
- platform: time
at: "07:30:00"
action:
- service: rest_command.esptimecast_message
data:
message: "Time for coffee"
seconds: 10
Wake up with a friendly scrolling reminder right on your LED matrix.
Weather Alert
alias: Rain Alert
trigger:
- platform: state
entity_id: sensor.weather_condition
to: "rain"
action:
- service: rest_command.esptimecast_message
data:
message: "Don't forget your umbrella!"
seconds: 8
Keep your day on track with weather notifications that actually catch your eye.
You can also completely turn the display off at night by sending brightness: -1.
Everything is fully open source and actively maintained. Check out the Web Installer, firmware releases, and full project details here:
👉 https://github.com/mfactory-osaka/ESPTimeCast
I’d love feedback from the community - especially on what other info you’d like to see in the /status JSON response!