ESPHome definition to pick up readings from the PH-260BD water PH/EC/TDS/Temp sensor - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002707585119.html / https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001143771176.html

ph-260bd-relay.yml

esphome:
  name: ph-260bd-relay
  platform: ESP32
  board: esp32dev

# Enable logging
logger:
  logs:
    esp32_ble_tracker: INFO

# Enable Home Assistant API
api:
  password: !secret api_password

ota:
  password: !secret ota_password

wifi:
  ssid: !secret wifi_ssid
  password: !secret wifi_password
  domain: !secret wifi_domain
  fast_connect: true

captive_portal:

esp32_ble_tracker:
  scan_parameters: 
    active: false
    
# https://amperkot.ru/static/3236/uploads/datasheets/JDY-08.pdf
# [13:44:48][I][ble_client:085]: Attempting BLE connection to 7c:01:0a:43:4e:9e
# [13:44:49][D][ble_client_lambda:035]: Connected to BLE device
# [13:44:49][I][ble_client:161]: Service UUID: 0xFFE0
# [13:44:49][I][ble_client:162]:   start_handle: 0x1  end_handle: 0x9
# [13:44:49][I][ble_client:341]:  characteristic 0xFFE1, handle 0x3, properties 0x1c
# [13:44:49][I][ble_client:341]:  characteristic 0xFFE2, handle 0x7, properties 0x1c
# [13:44:49][I][ble_client:161]: Service UUID: 0x1800
# [13:44:49][I][ble_client:162]:   start_handle: 0xa  end_handle: 0x14
# [13:44:49][I][ble_client:341]:  characteristic 0x2A00, handle 0xc, properties 0x2
# [13:44:49][I][ble_client:341]:  characteristic 0x2A01, handle 0xe, properties 0x2
# [13:44:49][I][ble_client:341]:  characteristic 0x2A02, handle 0x10, properties 0xa
# [13:44:49][I][ble_client:341]:  characteristic 0x2A05, handle 0x17, properties 0x20
ble_client:
  - mac_address: 'RE:PL:AC:EM:EE'
    id: ph_260bd
    on_connect: # see https://github.com/esphome/esphome/pull/2200#issuecomment-962559276
      then:
        - wait_until: # wait until characteristic is discovered
            lambda: |-
              esphome::ble_client::BLEClient* client = id(ph_260bd);
            
              auto service_uuid = 0xFFE0; // can't get it from `sensor` because it is protected
              auto char_uuid = 0xFFE1;    // can't get it from `sensor` because it is protected
              
              esphome::ble_client::BLECharacteristic* chr = client->get_characteristic(service_uuid, char_uuid);
              
              return chr != nullptr;
        - lambda: |-
            ESP_LOGD("ble_client_lambda", "Connected to PH-260BD");
            
            //esphome::ble_client::BLESensor* sensor = id(ph_260bd_sensor);
            esphome::ble_client::BLEClient* client = id(ph_260bd);
            
            auto service_uuid = 0xFFE0; // can't get it off `sensor` because it is protected
            auto char_uuid = 0xFFE1;    // can't get it off `sensor` because it is protected
            
            esphome::ble_client::BLECharacteristic* chr = client->get_characteristic(service_uuid, char_uuid);
            
            if (chr == nullptr) {
                ESP_LOGW("ble_client", "[0xFFE1] Characteristic not found.  State update can not be written.");
            } else {
              // 0x0003000000144414 puts it into "multi-value" mode where it streams constantly
              // 0x01030000001445C5 requests a single value (for each sensor) to be emitted
              unsigned char newVal[8] = {
                0x00, 0x03,  0x00, 0x00,
                0x00, 0x14, 0x44, 0x14
              };
              int status = esp_ble_gattc_write_char(
                client->gattc_if,
                client->conn_id,
                chr->handle,
                sizeof(newVal),
                newVal,
                ESP_GATT_WRITE_TYPE_NO_RSP,
                ESP_GATT_AUTH_REQ_NONE
              );

              if (status) {
                ESP_LOGW("ble_client", "Error sending write value to BLE gattc server, status=%d", status);
              }
            }

            /*
              Debug `some_var`'s type at compile time with:
              
                  decltype(some_var)::foo = 1;
            */
            
    on_disconnect:
      then:
        - lambda: |-
            ESP_LOGD("ble_client", "Disconnected from PH-260BD");
            
sensor:
  - platform: template
    name: "PH-260BD EC"
    id: ph_260bd_ec_sensor
    unit_of_measurement: "µS/cm"
    accuracy_decimals: 0
    state_class: measurement
    icon: mdi:water-opacity
    
  - platform: template
    name: "PH-260BD Temperature"
    id: ph_260bd_temperature_sensor
    unit_of_measurement: "°C"
    accuracy_decimals: 1
    state_class: measurement
    device_class: temperature
    
  - platform: template
    name: "PH-260BD pH"
    id: ph_260bd_ph_sensor
    unit_of_measurement: "pH"
    accuracy_decimals: 2
    state_class: measurement
    icon: mdi:ph
    filters:
      - filter_out: nan
      - or:
        - throttle_average: 60s
        - delta: 0.2
    
  - platform: ble_client
    ble_client_id: ph_260bd
    id: ph_260bd_sensor
    internal: true
    service_uuid: FFE0
    characteristic_uuid: FFE1
    notify: true
    # on_notify: 
    #   then:
    #     - lambda: |-
    #         // `x` is only a single byte here :(
    #         ESP_LOGD("ble_client_lambda", "got notify");
    
    
    # The PH-260BD puts bytes onto the characteristic value which needs to be treated as text:
    #
    #     [1] pry(main)> ['372e35312070480d0a32312e372020e284830d0a'].pack('H*')
    #     => "7.51 pH\r\n21.7  \xE2\x84\x83\r\n"
    #     [2] pry(main)> puts ['372e35312070480d0a32312e372020e284830d0a'].pack('H*')
    #     7.51 pH
    #     21.7  ℃
    #
    # It alternates between putting the EC/TDS value alone (as a string, with units) and the pH and 
    # temperature together. Perhaps it can't fit all three in a single buffer.
    #
    # All values follow: number(s)/dot, space(s), unit, carriage return, new line
    #
    # This lambda parses the string and publishes each value+unit to the appropriate template sensor on each newline.
    lambda: |-
      if (x.size() == 0) return NAN;
      
      std::string val_str = "";
      std::string val_unit = "";
      
      ESP_LOGD("ble_client.receive", "value received with %d bytes: [%.*s]", x.size(), x.size(), &x[0]);

      // https://git.faked.org/jan/ph-260bd/-/blob/master/src/main.cpp#L7
      static int factorMsToPpm = 700; // US: 500, EU: 640, AU: 700 (= device default)
      
      for (int i = 0; i < x.size(); i++) {
        auto c = x[i];
        switch(c) {
          case '\x30': // "0"
          case '\x31': // "1"
          case '\x32': // "2"
          case '\x33': // "3"
          case '\x34': // "4"
          case '\x35': // "5"
          case '\x36': // "6"
          case '\x37': // "7"
          case '\x38': // "8"
          case '\x39': // "9"
          case '\x2E': // "."
            val_str += c;
            break;
          case '\x20': // " "
            break; // proceed until we hit units
          case '\x0d': // '\r'
            break; // ignore
          case '\x0a': // '\n'
            /* TODO: 
             
               * the ph-260bd is just publishing the display chars, and so the accuracy is not constant.
                 - account for the accuracy/resolution mentioned in the pamphlet
               * the ph-260bd only pushes the EC unit which is displayed on the screen
                 - publish ESP sensors for all EC units by cross-calculating all of them from whichever we receive
            
            */
            
            if (auto val = parse_number<float>(val_str)) {
              auto ec = id(ph_260bd_ec_sensor);
              
              if (val_unit == "pH") {
                id(ph_260bd_ph_sensor).publish_state(*val);
              } else if (val_unit == "\xE2\x84\x83") { // ℃ char
                id(ph_260bd_temperature_sensor).publish_state(*val);
              } else if (val_unit == "uS") { // microsiemens
                ec->publish_state(*val);
              } else if (val_unit == "mS") { // millisiemens
                ec->publish_state(*val * 1000);
              } else if (val_unit == "ppt") { // TDS parts per thousand
                ec->publish_state(*val / factorMsToPpm * 1000 * 1000);
              } else if (val_unit == "ppm") { // TDS parts per million
                ec->publish_state(*val / factorMsToPpm * 1000);
              } else {
                ESP_LOGW("ble_client.receive", "value received with unknown unit: [%s]", val_unit.c_str());
              }
            } else {
              ESP_LOGW("ble_client.receive", "value could not be parsed as float: [%s]", val_str.c_str());
            }

            val_unit = "";
            val_str = "";
            break;
          default:
            val_unit += c;
        }
      }
      return 0.0; // this sensor isn't actually used other than to hook into raw value and publish to template sensors

It’s possible the newer devices have different firmware and so a slightly different measurement string than mine. It’s worth logging it out and inspecting the bytes.

@caliKev @bjeanes
I started to do some checks and couldnt really find any changes in the byte stream, in the process of putting some more verbose logging I recompiled the code using the latest version of ESPhome in Home Assistant i.e. 2023.4.0 and it started working. I suspect it is something to do with the parse_number(val_str) statement as the parse_number() syntax changed a while ago methinks it may have been further 'tweaked'. Anyway it all really works 100% now!

Great! Thanks for the update :).

Thank you for the original work!