Apollo Automation PLT-1B Driver for Hubitat Elevation
This driver connects your Apollo Automation PLT-1B sensor directly to your HE hub thanks to the great work done by Jonathan Bradshaw (@jonathanb) - the ESPHome Hubitat Toolkit.
The driver can be installed using the community Hubitat Package Manager app or manually as a Bundle archive from GitHub.
No Home Assistant Needed: Direct WiFi connection to your Hubitat hub- No YAML Files to Edit: Simple IP address configuration - that's it!
- No Cloud Dependencies: Everything runs locally on your network
Easy Setup: Install this driver package from HPM (Hubitat Package Manager), connect the device to your WiFi network, configure the IP address in the driver - done.
Zero Configuration: All device features work out-of-the-box
Native Hubitat Integration: Full support for Hubitat automations, dashboards, and apps
Technical Specifications (click to expand)
- Microcontroller: ESP32 with WiFi and Bluetooth
- Power: USB-C 5V or rechargeable 18650 battery
- Battery Life: Up to 6 months with optimized sleep settings
- Temperature Accuracy: ±0.3°C (AHT20-F), ±0.5°C (DS18B20 probe)
- Humidity Accuracy: ±2% RH
- Light Sensor: LTR390 UV and ambient light sensor
- Soil Moisture: Capacitive sensor with conformal coating
- Operating Range: -40°C to +85°C (-40°F to +185°F)
- Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2
- Dimensions: Compact weatherproof enclosure for indoor plant monitoring
- Mounting: Stake design for soil insertion
Use Cases (click to expand)
The Apollo Automation PLT-1B is ideal for:
- Indoor Plant Care: Monitor soil moisture, temperature, and light for optimal plant health
- Greenhouse Monitoring: Track environmental conditions for multiple plants
- Garden Automation: Automate watering systems based on soil moisture
- Light Monitoring: Ensure plants receive adequate light exposure
- Humidity Control: Monitor air humidity for plant environments
- UV Exposure: Track ultraviolet light for plant photosynthesis
- Plant Health Alerts: Get notifications when plants need attention
Apollo Automation PLT-1B
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Apollo PLT-1(B) Features: • ESP32-based platform with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity • Battery-powered operation (rechargeable 18650 battery) • Soil Moisture: Capacitive sensor with conformal coating • Temperature: AHT20-F air sensor + optional DS18B20 soil probe • Light Monitoring: LTR390 UV and ambient light sensor • RGB LED indicator with customizable colors • Temperature Range: -40°C to +85°C (-40°F to +185°F) • Humidity Range: 0-100% RH with ±2% accuracy • Up to 6 months battery life with sleep mode |
| Plant Monitoring Features: • Soil moisture monitoring with capacitive sensor • Air temperature and humidity monitoring • Ambient light measurement (lux) • UV index monitoring for plant health • Optional soil temperature probe • Visual plant status with RGB LED • Automated watering alerts • Growth condition optimization |
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Soil Temperature Probe Features: • DS18B20 waterproof temperature sensor • Available in 20cm (~8in) and 1.5m (~5ft) lengths • Submersible and waterproof construction • Temperature Range: -55°C to +85°C (-67°F to +185°F) • ±0.5°C accuracy • OneWire protocol for reliable communication • Ideal for root zone temperature monitoring |
Apollo Automation is a local tech startup building advanced hardware and software in Lexington, KY.
Apollo Automation devices come pre-flashed with ESPHome firmware - just connect your PLT-1B to your WiFi network and add the device IP address in the Preferences tab of this driver. No additional software, bridges, or complex configurations required.
Driver Description
The Apollo Automation PLT-1B driver provides comprehensive plant monitoring and control capabilities with a dozen of available attributes. For everyday use, the driver displays only the essential attributes by default, keeping your device interface clean and focused. Advanced users can enable additional diagnostic attributes through the preferences when needed.
Main Attributes
temperature: Primary temperature reading based on selected sensor preference (Air or Soil)humidity: Relative humidity from onboard AHT20-F sensor (0-100% RH)soilMoisture: Soil moisture percentage from capacitive sensorilluminance: Ambient light level in lux from LTR390 sensorultravioletIndex: UV index measurement from LTR390 sensornetworkStatus: Connection status ['connecting', 'online', 'offline']online: Device online status from ESPHome ['true', 'false']rgbLight: RGB LED control ['on', 'off']
Advanced Attributes
These advanced attributes, disabled by default, provide additional insights and control for power users seeking enhanced functionality.
Complete Attribute List (click to expand)
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
temperature |
number | Primary temperature reading (°C/°F) |
humidity |
number | Relative humidity percentage |
soilMoisture |
number | Soil moisture percentage |
illuminance |
number | Ambient light level (lux) |
ultravioletIndex |
number | UV index measurement |
networkStatus |
enum | Device connection status |
online |
enum | Device online status from ESPHome |
rgbLight |
enum | RGB LED control |
rtt |
number | Round-trip time measurement (ms) |
airTemperature |
number | AHT20-F air temperature sensor |
soilTemperature |
number | DS18B20 soil temperature probe |
airTemperatureOffset |
number | Air temperature calibration offset |
airHumidityOffset |
number | Air humidity calibration offset |
espTemperature |
number | ESP32 chip temperature |
batteryVoltage |
number | Battery voltage measurement |
soilAdc |
number | Raw soil sensor voltage |
waterVoltage100 |
number | 100% water voltage calibration |
dryVoltage |
number | Dry soil voltage calibration |
uptime |
string | Device uptime since last restart |
rssi |
number | WiFi signal strength (dBm) |
preventSleep |
enum | Sleep prevention control |
sleepDuration |
number | Sleep duration in minutes |
selectedSensor |
string | Active temperature sensor selection |
accessoryPower |
enum | Control for sensor power (PLT-1 only) |
sleepAfterConnecting |
enum | PLT-1 sleep after connection control |
firmwareUpdate |
string | Firmware update status |
Commands
initialize()- Establishes connection to the device and starts monitoring. Automatically called during device setup or manually from device commands.refresh()- Refreshes device information and clears cached data. Manually refresh device status and request updated information from the device.setRgbLight(value)- Control the RGB LED indicator. Parameters:value['off', 'on']. Usage:setRgbLight('on')orsetRgbLight('off')espReboot(value)- Restart the ESP32 device. Parameters:value['reboot']. Usage:espReboot('reboot')ping(value)- Measure network round-trip time to device. Parameters:value['ping']. Usage:ping('ping'). Updatesrttattribute with response time in milliseconds.
Preferences
Basic Settings
logEnable(false) - Enable debug logging for troubleshootingtxtEnable(true) - Enable descriptive text loggingipAddress(required) - Device IP address for ESPHome API connectiontemperaturePreference('Air') - Select primary temperature sensor ['Air', 'Soil']airTemperatureOffset(0.0) - Air temperature calibration offset (-50° to +50°)airHumidityOffset(0.0) - Air humidity calibration offset (-50% to +50%)
Advanced Options
password(optional) - Device password if requireddiagnosticsReporting(false) - Enable reporting of diagnostic attributeslogWarnEnable(true) - Enable warning and info logging
More info on this driver
Driver Features & Technical Details (click to expand)
The driver uses an intelligent entity management system that:
- Automatically discovers all available ESPHome entities
- Maps entities to appropriate Hubitat attributes
- Handles missing entities gracefully (device variants may not have all sensors)
- Provides diagnostic control - technical attributes can be hidden from main device view
- Supports calibration - offset values sync between Hubitat preferences and ESPHome
- Common Library Integration - leverages the Apollo Common Library for shared functionality across all Apollo device drivers, ensuring consistent behavior and simplified maintenance
Plant Monitoring
The driver provides comprehensive plant care monitoring:
- Multi-Sensor Integration: Combines soil, air, light, and UV sensors
- Automatic Unit Conversion: Converts between Celsius and Fahrenheit based on hub settings
- Calibration Support: Individual offset adjustments for temperature and humidity sensors
- Sleep Mode Compatibility: Optimized for battery-powered operation with sleep cycles
Environmental Monitoring
For complete plant environment tracking:
- Soil Conditions: Moisture percentage and optional soil temperature
- Air Conditions: Temperature and humidity monitoring
- Light Monitoring: Ambient light (lux) and UV index measurement
- Visual Indicators: RGB LED for plant status notifications
Battery Management
For battery-powered PLT-1B devices:
- Extended Battery Life: Up to 6 months with optimized sleep settings
- Sleep Mode Support: Configurable sleep duration to extend battery life
- Prevent Sleep Option: Keep device awake for continuous monitoring when needed
- Battery Monitoring: Battery voltage measurement and health tracking
- Power Monitoring: Battery voltage and power management features
Network Monitoring
- Connection Status: Real-time online/offline status
- Signal Strength: WiFi RSSI monitoring
- Round-Trip Time: Measure network latency with ping command
- Enhanced Status: Improved online/offline detection
- Automatic Reconnection: Built-in ESPHome API reconnection logic
Diagnostic Features
When diagnostic reporting is enabled:
- ESP32 Monitoring: Internal chip temperature and performance
- Uptime Tracking: Device restart and reliability monitoring
- Network Diagnostics: Round-trip time monitoring and connection quality
- Enhanced Status Reporting: Improved online/offline detection and reporting
- Configuration Access: View advanced device settings
- Calibration Values: View all sensor offset parameters
- Raw Sensor Data: Access to soil ADC voltage and calibration thresholds
Plant Care Automation
The device supports plant care automation:
- Watering Alerts: Automated notifications based on soil moisture levels
- Light Management: Monitor and control grow lights based on ambient conditions
- Environmental Control: Trigger HVAC and humidifier based on conditions
- Visual Status: RGB LED indicates plant health status
