TCS/Koch Intercom Component

The tcs_intercom Component allows you to easily communicate on a TCS:Bus and Koch TC:Bus with ESPHome and Home Assistant.

Minimal ESPHome Configuration:

external_components:
  - source: github://AzonInc/ESPHome_tcs_intercom

tcs_intercom:

Example of a Configuration, which generates a binary_sensor entity that goes to on when receiving the Apartment Doorbell Command (in this case 0x1c30ba41), and a button entity that when pressed sends the command to open entrance door:

external_components:
  - source: github://AzonInc/ESPHome_tcs_intercom

tcs_intercom:

binary_sensor:
  - platform: tcs_intercom
    name: "Apartment Doorbell"
    command: 0x1c30ba41

button:
  - platform: template
    name: Open Door
    on_press:
      - tcs_intercom.send:
          command: 0x1100

Full Configuration:

external_components:
  - source: github://AzonInc/ESPHome_tcs_intercom

tcs_intercom:
  rx_pin: GPIO9
  tx_pin: GPIO8
  event: "tcs"
  bus_command:
    name: "Last Bus Command"

binary_sensor:
  - platform: tcs_intercom
    name: "Apartment Doorbell"
    command: 0x1c30ba41
    auto_off: 5s

button:
  - platform: template
    name: Open Door
    on_press:
      - tcs_intercom.send:
          command: 0x1100

Configuration variables:

• rx_pin (Optional, pin): The pin used to receive commands. Defaults to GPIO9.

• tx_pin (Optional, pin): The pin used to transmitt commands. Defaults to GPIO8.

• event (Optional, string): The name of the event that will be generated on home assistant when receiving a command from the bus. For example, if set to tcs, the event generated will be "esphome.tcs". Read more about how to use it in the event section Default to tcs. If this parameter is set to none no event will be generated.

• bus_command (Optional, text_sensor): A Text Sensor which shows the last received Bus Command.

Binary sensor

You can configure binary sensors that go on when a particular command is received from the bus.

Configuration examples:

binary_sensor:
  - platform: tcs_intercom
    name: Apartment Doorbell
    command: 0x1c30ba41

  - platform: tcs_intercom
    command: 0x0c30ba80
    name: Entrance Doorbell
    auto_off: 5s

• command (Required, int): The command that when received sets the sensor to on.

• auto_off (Optional, Time): The time after which the sensor returns to off. If set to 0s the sensor once it goes on, it stays there until it is turned off by an automation. Defaults to 3s.

• icon (Optional, icon): Manually set the icon to use for the sensor in the frontend. Default to mdi:doorbell.

• id (Optional, string): Manually specify the ID for code generation.

• name (Optional, string): The name for the sensor. Default to Doorbell.

  Note: If you have friendly_name set for your device and you want the sensor to use that name, you can set name: None.

Event

If the event parameter is not set to none, an event will be generated each time a command is received.

You can intercept events on home assistant on the page "developer tools -> event"

Each time a command is received, an event like this will be generated:

event_type: esphome.tcs
data:
  device_id: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  command: "0x00002480"
origin: LOCAL
time_fired: "2024-01-01T00:00:00.000000+00:00"
context:
  id: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  parent_id: null
  user_id: null

To intercept this event to trigger an home assistant automation, you can use a trigger of type "event."

The trigger configuration will look like this:

platform: event
event_type: esphome.tcs
event_data:
  command: "0x00002480"

You have to change the command and the name of the event you have chosen, if you have set a different one.

Transmit a command

To send commands to the bus, the following action is available:

on_...:
  - tcs_intercom.send:
      command: 0x1100

• command (Required, int)

Button:

The action can be easily inserted into a button type entity:

button:
  - platform: template
    name: Open Door
    on_press:
      - tcs_intercom.send:
          command: 0x1100

Service:

You can create a home assistant service, which can easily be invoked by an automation or script:

api:
  encryption:
    key: "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
    services:
      - service: open_door
    then:
      - tcs_intercom.send:
          command: 0x1100

Sending multiple commands:

There are some special configurations that require sending 2 or more commands consecutively on the bus. In this case, a delay of at least 90ms must be inserted between the commands (one command takes about 70ms to be sent)

on_...:
  - tcs_intercom.send:
      command: 0x1100
  - delay: 90ms
  - tcs_intercom.send:
      command: 0x2100

Credits

TCSIntercomArduino
Different Methods to read from and write to the TCS/TC Bus.
Feel free to watch the Reverse Engineering Video if you're interested.

tcs-monitor
An mqtt monitor for listening to the TCS/TC Bus.
You can find more information in this Blog Post.

Doorman
A custom Firmware for ESP8266 / ESP32 to control a TCS/Koch Intercom.