Espcontrol

Appearance

Backlight ​

The panel automatically adjusts screen brightness based on time of day — brighter during daylight, dimmer at night.

How It Works ​

Sunrise and sunset times are calculated on-device from your selected timezone using a NOAA solar algorithm. During the day, the panel uses your Daytime Brightness; at night, it switches to Nighttime Brightness. The transition is checked every 60 seconds, and sunrise/sunset are recalculated at midnight. No internet connection or Home Assistant is required.

Settings ​

Configured in the Brightness section of the Settings tab in Setup.

  • Daytime Brightness — screen brightness during the day (10%–100%, default 100%).
  • Nighttime Brightness — screen brightness at night (10%–100%, default 75%).
  • Automatic Brightness — when enabled, EspControl applies the saved daytime or nighttime brightness automatically. Turn it off if Home Assistant should temporarily control the display brightness without EspControl changing it back at sunrise, sunset, or the next brightness refresh.

Sunrise and sunset times are derived from the timezone set in Time Settings.

Home Assistant Control ​

The panel exposes Screen: Automatic Brightness to Home Assistant. Turn this switch off before an automation sets Display Backlight brightness, then turn it back on when the automation should return control to EspControl.

For example, a TV mode automation can turn off automatic brightness, set Display Backlight to a low brightness, and leave it there until TV mode ends. When automatic brightness is turned back on, EspControl immediately reapplies the correct saved brightness for the current time of day.

Screensaver ​

When the screensaver uses Screen Dimmed, it keeps the normal screen visible at the saved dim brightness. When the screensaver clock is active, it can use separate daytime and nighttime clock brightness values based on the same sunrise and sunset times. If the screensaver is set to Display Off, the backlight turns off completely. On wake (touch or presence sensor), brightness returns to the correct level for the current time.

Screen Schedule ​

The screen schedule can turn the physical backlight off, keep the panel dimmed, or show a clock at set hours. Screen Off uses the schedule's separate When Woken brightness during a temporary wake. Screen Dimmed uses its own overnight brightness setting. Clock uses its own clock brightness setting.

Before Clock Sync ​

If the panel hasn't synced its clock yet, it defaults to daytime brightness. Once synced, sunrise and sunset are calculated immediately.