Prefer not to manually configure devices or enter commands? Let AI Assistant size hardware based on your site setup, or run one-click script deployment once ready.
Connect the E1003 e-paper panel via USB and integrate it into Home Assistant. The installer downloads and flashes the panel firmware, sets up or connects to your Home Assistant host, and automatically links the panel for smart home control.
Note: Ensure the reTerminal E1003 panel is connected via USB. The flashing step downloads and installs the firmware directly from the CDN.
Select your serial port, click Deploy, and wait for firmware installation and reboot verification to complete.
reterminal-e1003-xxxxxx hotspot shown on the panel (no password), open 192.168.4.1 and pick your 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. The panel then shows its IP and HA WAITING.6053). The panel shows HA CONNECTED. No API key or extra permission is needed.Main light command, Main light state and Main light value from this panel. Toggle the light once in Home Assistant to sync the screen. To control another light later, change it in the automation.Change Wi-Fi: tap the Wi-Fi area on the screen twice (within 8 s), then repeat step 1. Pairing is kept; if Home Assistant does not reconnect, use Reconfigure on the ESPHome entry to enter the new IP.
Green button: press once for a full refresh (clears ghosting); hold 3 s to restart.
| Issue | Action |
|---|---|
| Device serial port not found | Click Refresh; use a data-capable USB cable; close other programs using the port |
| Write failed | Check the error message and retry; do not erase NVS |
Stays at HA WAITING | Put Home Assistant on the same LAN and add ESPHome by the IP on the screen |
| Light does not respond | Make sure the automation uses the blueprint and all three entities come from this panel |
Deploy a Home Assistant instance on your local or remote Docker host. If Home Assistant is already running on port 8123, this step automatically detects it and skips.
Platform Constraint: The Home Assistant container relies on native host networking (
network_mode: host) for mDNS and LAN device discovery. Local installation is supported on Linux hosts only. On macOS or Windows environments, Docker Desktop cannot provide native host networking: please uncheck this step to skip it, or selectha_remoteto deploy to an independent Linux host (such as a Raspberry Pi or reComputer), or reuse an existing Home Assistant instance on your network.
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|
| Home Assistant is already running on port 8123 | The step detects the running instance and skips installation; continue to the next step. |
| Local install fails on macOS or Windows | The container uses host networking, which Docker Desktop does not provide. Select the remote target (a Linux host such as a Raspberry Pi or reComputer) or reuse an existing Home Assistant. |
Deploy Home Assistant on a remote host (e.g. Raspberry Pi, reComputer) over the local network.
Automatically add the E1003 ESPHome panel to Home Assistant using the native config flow API. Then import the light blueprint (Step 1, After setup).
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|
| Home Assistant login fails | Use a Home Assistant administrator account and confirm the instance is reachable from this computer. |
| E1003 panel is not found | The panel must be powered on and joined to a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network on the same LAN. Otherwise add the ESPHome integration manually in Home Assistant with the panel IP (Native API needs no key). |
Flash the SenseCAP Indicator over USB and add it to Home Assistant through the ESPHome integration. No MQTT broker is needed.
Connect the Indicator's USB-C port, select the serial port (enter it manually if it is not listed), click Deploy, and keep it connected until verification finishes.
6053. Leave the encryption key blank.Note: Without an encryption key, the connection is plaintext and anyone on the LAN can read and control the panel. Use it on a trusted network, or set a key with
native psk <base64>on the serial console and enter the same key in Home Assistant.
MQTT is optional and keeps the topics indicator/sensor, indicator/switch/set and indicator/switch/state. Set the broker under Settings → MQTT broker, or with setmqtt on the serial console.
| Issue | Action |
|---|---|
| Device serial port not found | Refresh or enter the port manually; use a data-capable USB cable |
| Device not discovered in Home Assistant | Add ESPHome manually with the Indicator's IP and port 6053 (discovery needs mDNS on the LAN) |
Deploy Home Assistant on a Docker host. If it is already running on port 8123, this step skips itself. Local install is Linux only; on macOS or Windows choose the remote target.
Deploy on a remote host (e.g. Raspberry Pi, reComputer).
Automatically add the Indicator to Home Assistant as an ESPHome device.