---
title: aREST
description: Instructions on how to integrate aREST within Home Assistant.
ha_category:
- Binary sensor
- DIY
- Sensor
- Switch
ha_iot_class: Local Polling
ha_release: 0.9
ha_domain: arest
ha_platforms:
- binary_sensor
- sensor
- switch
ha_integration_type: integration
related:
- docs: /docs/configuration/
title: Configuration file
ha_quality_scale: legacy
---
There is currently support for the following device types within Home Assistant:
- [Binary sensor](#binary-sensor)
- [Sensor](#sensor)
- [Switch](#switch)
## Binary sensor
The `arest` binary sensor platform allows you to get all data from your devices (like Arduinos with an ethernet/Wi-Fi connection, the ESP8266, and the Raspberry Pi) running the [aREST](https://arest.io/) RESTful framework.
To use your aREST binary sensor in your installation, add the following to your {% term "`configuration.yaml`" %} file.
{% include integrations/restart_ha_after_config_inclusion.md %}
```yaml
# Example configuration.yaml entry
binary_sensor:
- platform: arest
resource: http://IP_ADDRESS
pin: 8
```
{% configuration %}
resource:
description: IP address and schema of the device that is exposing an aREST API, e.g., `http://192.168.1.10`.
required: true
type: string
pin:
description: Number of the pin to monitor.
required: true
type: integer
name:
description: Let you overwrite the name of the device. By default *name* from the device is used.
required: false
type: string
{% endconfiguration %}
Accessing the URL `http://IP_ADDRESS/digital/PIN_NUMBER` should give you the state of the pin inside a JSON response as `return_value`.
```bash
$ curl -X GET http://192.168.0.5/digital/9
{"return_value": 0, "id": "office1", "name": "Office", "connected": true}
```
An example for Pin 9 inspired by the command above could look like this:
```yaml
# Example configuration.yaml entry
binary_sensor:
- platform: arest
resource: http://192.168.0.5/digital/9
pin: 9
name: Office
```
{% note %}
This sensor is not suitable for fast state changes because there is a high possibility that the change took place between two update cycle.
{% endnote %}
## Sensor
The `arest` sensor platform allows you to get all data from your devices (like Arduinos with a Ethernet/Wi-Fi connection, the ESP8266, and the Raspberry Pi) running the [aREST](https://arest.io/) RESTful framework.
To use your aREST enabled device in your installation, add the following to your {% term "`configuration.yaml`" %} file:
```yaml
# Example configuration.yaml entry
sensor:
- platform: arest
resource: https://IP_ADDRESS
monitored_variables:
temperature:
name: temperature
pins:
A0:
name: Pin 0 analog
```
{% configuration %}
resource:
description: "IP address and schema of the device that is exposing an aREST API, e.g., `https://192.168.1.10`."
required: true
type: string
name:
description: Let you overwrite the name of the device.
required: false
default: aREST sensor
type: string
pins:
description: List of pins to monitor. Analog pins need a leading **A** for the pin number.
required: false
type: list
keys:
pin:
description: Pin number to use.
required: true
type: list
keys:
name:
description: The name of the variable you wish to monitor.
required: true
type: string
unit_of_measurement:
description: Defines the unit of measurement of the sensor, if any.
required: false
type: string
value_template:
description: Defines a [template](/docs/configuration/templating/#processing-incoming-data) to extract a value from the payload.
required: false
type: template
monitored_variables:
description: List of exposed variables.
required: false
type: list
keys:
variable:
description: Name of the variable to monitor.
required: true
type: list
keys:
name:
description: The name to use for the frontend.
required: false
type: string
unit_of_measurement:
description: Defines the units of measurement of the sensor, if any.
required: false
type: string
value_template:
description: Defines a [template](/docs/configuration/templating/#processing-incoming-data) to extract a value from the payload.
required: false
type: template
{% endconfiguration %}
The variables in the `monitored_variables` array must be available in the response of the device. As a starting point you could use the one of the example sketches (eg. [Ethernet](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/marcoschwartz/aREST/master/examples/Ethernet/Ethernet.ino) for an Arduino with Ethernet shield). In those sketches are two variables (`temperature` and `humidity`) available which will act as endpoints.
Accessing one of the endpoints (eg. `http://192.168.1.10/temperature`) will give you the value inside a JSON response.
```json
{"temperature": 23, "id": "sensor01", "name": "livingroom", "connected": true}
```
The root will give you a JSON response that contains all variables and their current values along with some device details.
```json
{
"variables" : {
"temperature" : 23,
"humidity" : 82
},
"id" : "sensor01",
"name" : "livingroom",
"connected" : true
}
```
`return_value` contains the sensor's data in a JSON response for a given pin (eg. `http://192.168.1.10/analog/2/` or `http://192.168.1.10/digital/7/`).
```json
{"return_value": 34, "id": "sensor02", "name": "livingroom", "connected": true}
```
## Switch
The `arest` switch platform allows you to toggle pins of your devices (like Arduino boards with an Ethernet/Wi-Fi connection, ESP8266 based devices, and the Raspberry Pi) running the [aREST](https://arest.io/) RESTful framework.
To use your aREST enabled device with pins in your installation, add the following to your {% term "`configuration.yaml`" %} file:
```yaml
# Example configuration.yaml entry
switch:
- platform: arest
resource: http://IP_ADDRESS
pins:
11:
name: Fan
13:
name: Switch
invert: true
```
If you want to use custom functions, then add the following to your {% term "`configuration.yaml`" %} file:
```yaml
# Example configuration.yaml entry
switch:
- platform: arest
resource: http://IP_ADDRESS
name: Office
functions:
function1:
name: Light Desk
```
{% configuration %}
resource:
description: IP address and schema of the device that is exposing an aREST API, e.g., `http://192.168.1.10` (no-trailing slash)
required: true
type: string
name:
description: Let you overwrite the name of the device. By default *name* from the device is used.
required: false
type: string
pins:
description: An array with all used pins.
required: false
type: map
keys:
name:
description: The name of the pin to use in the frontend.
required: true
type: string
invert:
description: If the logic for on/off should be inverted.
required: false
type: boolean
default: false
functions:
description: An array with all used functions.
required: false
type: map
keys:
name:
description: The name to use in the frontend.
required: true
type: string
{% endconfiguration %}
You can still switch your pins with a web browser or a command line tool. Use the URL `http://192.168.1.10/digital/8/1` to set pin 8 to high/on, the JSON response will give you the feedback.
```json
{"message": "Pin D8 set to 1", "id": "sensor02", "name": "livingroom", "connected": true}
```