HestiaPi showing connected Anavi Thermometer

When I started setting up my home automation project, I gave myself the goal of using only open hardware and software. But, I wasn’t sure I could accomplish it until I found two amazing open projects: HestiaPi and Anavi Thermometer.

The first thing I needed to do was install the HestiaPi
and get it connected to my existing central heating system. After some minor technical challenges, I got the HestiaPi online and working well with my system. Having root access to your thermostat is pretty cool! Besides the capabilities of OpenHAB, the touch screen has built-in HTML and Javascript, so I can customize it further.

While the system was working well, I needed it to be able to respond to conditions in different rooms, not just the living room where the HestiaPi is located. So, the next step was to add a second thermometer in the bedroom that could send data to drive the thermostat. I was lucky to discover Leon Anavi’s open thermometer project.

I modified the Hestia Pi’s UI and logic to integrate with ANAVI Thermometer and I set up the thermometer for use in the bedroom. Namely, I changed the OLED display to white, modified the display layout, added a light sensor, and programmed the ANAVI thermometer display to fade out and turn off when the bedroom lights turn off. To mount the thermometer, I 3D-printed a nifty case I found in another Field Report.

Anavi thermometer in its 3D-printed case

I am grateful to these two great open projects. I have played a lot with them and learned many things. Customizing my own setup gave me a real feeling of accomplishment. Please visit my blog for more details, links to code, etc.