💬 FAQ

When trying to flash the Smart Powermeter with ESPHome Web , I get a spinning ring with “connecting” for a few seconds and then it errors out with “Failed to initialize”.

This is an issue related to ESPHome Web when trying to flash ESP32-S2 modules and (at the moment of writing this guide) is still unsolved. Please check alternative ways (on the esphome programming section) of flashing the Smart Powermeter.

Can I upload ESPHome directly from the Home Assistance setup running on my Raspberry Pi?

Yes you can, and actually this is one of the simplest and more effective way to upload ESPHome.

Can I upload firmware through the USB-C?

Yes, the ESP32-S2 includes a full-speed USB On-The-Go (OTG) interface to enable USB communication.

Can I upload firmware through the Serial bus?

Yes you can, however this is only recommended if you have troubles using the USB port and you are familiar with the procedure.

I have CT clamps that gives me the output in voltage instead of current (100A:1V), is it still compatible?

Yes, you just have to desolder the burden resistor close to the connector of the channel you want to use.

Am I obtaining the accurate measure of power consumption?

Strictly speaking, no; what you’re obtaining is the apparent power. The real or true power of a circuit considers the phase (power factor). As we are solely monitoring the current and assuming a constant voltage, we cannot factor in the phase shift between voltage and current. Consequently, what we can calculate is the apparent power. Nevertheless, unless you have robust inductive loads at home, such as powerful motors, the power factor tends to be close to unity, resulting in a very close alignment between the measurement of apparent power and real power. If you want to understand more about the differences between True, Apparent and Reactive power have a look at this article

I want to use the IIC port for expanding the possibilities, how can I do it?

Once you have located the sensor that you want to connect to the IIC port, check that is compatible with the 3.3V power supply from the Smart Powermeter. If this is the case, just connect it directly, power the board and update the firmware!

When I try to compile the given YAML and upload it into the board I get some error messages saying that I miss some files (Audiowide.ttf, icon-map.h, etc). How to fix it?

Just the configuration YAML file isn’t enough and you might get an error asking for missing items (the fonts and the images). The reason is because on the configuration we are asking for some files (the fonts that you want for the digits or the icons and the background image with the gauge, for example).

Therefore you need to upload into the folder with the configuration YAML file the required files. I strongly suggest to use Visual studio code and just drag and drop the items according to the structure mentioned on the esphome programming section.