ampio-mqtt

Async Python client for the Ampio Smart Home local MQTT protocol exposed by the Ampio M-SERV controller. Built to back a Home Assistant integration while staying Home Assistant agnostic itself.

Beta. Everything below 1.0.0 may break between any two releases without migration shims, so pin exact versions. 1.0.0 is reserved for the release that accompanies the home-assistant/core integration being accepted upstream.

Installation

pip install ampio-mqtt

LAN discovery (discover()) needs the discovery extra (pip install ampio-mqtt[discovery]), which pulls in zeroconf. Home Assistant ships zeroconf itself, so the integration needs no extra.

Quickstart

import asyncio

from ampio_mqtt import AmpioClient, ObjectUpdated, discover


async def main() -> None:
    found = await discover()  # mDNS lookup of ampio.local
    if found is None:
        raise SystemExit("No Ampio M-SERV found on the LAN")

    client = AmpioClient(found.address, "user", "secret")
    client.subscribe(
        lambda e: print(e.object.id, e.object.kind, e.object.state),
        of=ObjectUpdated,
    )
    await client.connect()  # connect, subscribe, run discovery

    rooms = await client.fetch_rooms()
    for obj_id, room in rooms.items():
        print(f"object {obj_id} -> {room}")

    await asyncio.sleep(30)
    await client.disconnect()


asyncio.run(main())

What it does

Each area is one page under docs/, and the docstrings carry the API detail.

• A maintained broker connection with QoS 1 on every leg, capped-backoff reconnect, and one typed event stream that includes the terminal AuthFailed and ConnectionDied signals (docs/events.md).
• Discovery of the object catalogue on either account tier (the module catalogue is admin-only), with the detected tier exposed for setup flows (docs/account-tiers.md).
• Classification of every object into a sensor, input, output, or thermostat kind with Home-Assistant-compatible hints (docs/classification.md).
• Replacement-stable identity for objects and modules, so a hardware swap keeps its entities (docs/identity.md).
• Commands for relays, dimmers, RGBW lights, covers with stop and tilt, the regulator setpoint, scenes, bus events, and the M-DOT panel buzzer on the admin tier, plus a raw escape hatch for the rest of the verb vocabulary (docs/protocol.md).
• A low-latency input bridge from the raw per-channel topics on the admin tier (docs/raw-channel-bridge.md).
• Room mapping, per-module health, eviction events for server-side deletions, and connection diagnostics for a consumer's report blob.
• LAN discovery of the M-SERV by multicast DNS, self-contained in the process (docs/discovery-flow.md).

Choosing an account

A dedicated standard account is the recommended shape for Home Assistant. It sees exactly the objects granted in the Ampio app and can command only those. An administrator account adds the module list and the low-latency raw input topics. Bus events are the exception on both tiers, since any account can raise any event number and the logic behind an event runs with full authority. docs/account-tiers.md has the capability table and the measured latency difference.

Supported M-SERV versions

The library is developed and live-tested against an M-SERV self-reporting serverVersion 1865 (serverRevision 409, mqttVersion 5.133.11). That baseline is the compatibility floor. Wire behavior documented in this repo is verified against that install unless marked otherwise in place - an open claim says exactly what is unverified. Older servers are not supported, and the library logs a warning when the connected server reports a lower or missing serverVersion. If something misbehaves on an older server, upgrade the M-SERV first.

Ampio does not guarantee the stability of these wire surfaces. A server update or a module firmware update can change or remove behavior this library depends on, without notice. Breaking changes by Ampio are a known pattern. The author of an earlier Ampio integration stopped maintenance for exactly this reason. If your install meets the baseline, works, and you are happy with it, stay on your current versions and do not chase the latest ones. If you decide to update anyway, make a full backup first - ideally a full image of the M-SERV's microSD card.

Disclaimer

This library is an independent, best-effort project and has no affiliation with Ampio. Use it at your own risk. It commands real hardware, and a wrong command moves real devices.

The M-SERV itself guarantees the safety of a standard account. The broker limits such an account to the objects granted in the Ampio app, and it denies the raw CAN surfaces on the wire. A defect in this library cannot widen that boundary. Bus events are the one exception, because any account can raise any event (see Choosing an account).

License

MIT