Add ESPHome post.

_posts/2024-12-01-esp32c6-and-home-assistant.md

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+---
+title: "Running ESPHome on a ESP32C6 device for Home Assistant"
+last_modified_at: 20241201T200000-0800
+header:
+  image: /assets/uploads/2024/esp32.jpg
+  image_description: "Futuristic image of an ESP32 (AI generated)"
+---
+
+# ESP32C6 boards are not native supported by ESPHome
+
+The [ESPHome](https://esphome.io/) project provides a way to use ESP32-based microcontrollers
+with [Home Assistant]https://www.home-assistant.io/). Recently I have been experimenting with
+the [Seeed Studio Xiao ESP32C6](https://wiki.seeedstudio.com/xiao_esp32c6_getting_started/)
+microcontrollers, which come are packaged as a tiny PCB with a USB-C connector to power or
+program them. These devices include WiFi and Bluetooth support.
+
+I came across the ESPHome project but unfortunately discovered that ESP32C6 boards are not
+supported natively. Neverthless, I found that some people had managed to get them to work,
+although there wasn't one place with all the instructions.
+
+# Building firmware for ESP32C6 using Docker
+
+I have Docker installed and ESPHome supports running its setup software using a Docker
+container. First, you need to create a skeleton configuration file.
+
+```bash
+docker run --rm -it -v /home/user:/config ghcr.io/esphome/esphome wizard esp32c6.yaml
+```
+
+This command will create `esp32c6.yaml` in the `/user/home` folder. You answer the questions
+for things like the name of the device and the WiFi network it will connect to.
+
+Next, edit the file to support compiling for ESP32C6 and also add whatever support you
+want from your controller according to the ESPHome documentation. I wanted to use my device
+as a Bluetooth repeater. Here is the edited configuration file:
+
+## esp32c6.yaml
+
+```yaml
+esphome:
+  name: esp32c6
+  platformio_options:
+    platform: https://github.com/mnowak32/platform-espressif32.git#boards/seeed_xiao_esp32c6
+
+esp32:
+  board: seeed_xiao_esp32c6
+  flash_size: 4MB
+  variant: esp32c6
+  framework:
+    type: esp-idf
+    version: 5.2.1
+    sdkconfig_options:
+      CONFIG_ESPTOOLPY_FLASHSIZE_4MB: y
+
+# Enable logging
+logger:
+
+# Enable Home Assistant API
+api:
+  password: ""
+
+ota:
+  - platform: esphome
+    password: ""
+
+wifi:
+  ssid: "SSID"
+  password: "wifi-password"
+
+  # Enable fallback hotspot (captive portal) in case wifi connection fails
+  ap:
+    ssid: "Esp32C6 Fallback Hotspot"
+    password: "012345678999"
+
+captive_portal:
+
+bluetooth_proxy:
+  active: true
+```
+
+Note 1: change `SSID` and `wifi-password` for your network. I also chose to start without passwords.
+
+Note 2: I used v5.2.1 of ESP-IDF just because that was used in a few sample files I found from
+people who got this to work. I will experiment with the more recent versions v5.2.3 and v5.3.1,
+which are currently the latest versions.
+
+## Build the firmware
+
+Next, you need to build the firmware for the device using the following command:
+
+```bash
+docker run --rm -v /home/user:/config -it ghcr.io/esphome/esphome compile esp32c6.yaml
+```
+
+This will take a little while to download all the build tools in the Docker container and then
+compile the code. Eventually, it will complete having built the firmware binary.
+
+You can find the firmware located in `/home/user/.esphome/build/esp32wart/.pioenvs/esp32wart/firmware.factory.bin`.
+
+# Flashing the firmware
+
+I used `esptool.py` to flash the firmware onto the device, which I already had installed from
+previously installing the [ESP-IDF tools](https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp-idf). I think if
+you have a recent version of Python installed, you can just install this with `pip install esptool`
+but I haven't tried this.
+
+To flash the firmware, I used the following command:
+
+```bash
+esptool.py -p COM6 --before default_reset --after hard_reset --chip esp32c6 write_flash --flash_mode dio --flash_size detect --flash_freq 40m 0x0 firmware.factory.bin
+```
+
+This is on Windows (hence the COM6), but I imagine it works with other platforms by changing the
+port as appropriate. Most of the options are probably not necessary, but I created this command
+based on the ESP-IDF documentation.
+
+I think the important parts are the port, `--chip esp32c6`, and using 0x0 as the start address.
+
+This should write the firmware and restart the device, where it will attempt to connect to
+the network.
+
+# Accessing microcontroller from Home Assistant
+
+If you have installed the ESPHome integration in Home Assistant, then the microcontroller
+should soon be detected as a new device by Home Assistant. If you add the device, then you can
+start to use it with Home Assistant. I had configure my device as a Bluetooth Repeater, and
+shortly after adding it to Home Assistant, all the Bluetooth devices it could see were also
+made available in Home Assistant.