Add "last seen" check for external température sensor

[sleveille4]

Some times ago, i and others were encountering issues with safety mode triggering because of room temp sensor not changing, wich was solved by adding a check on the "last seen" entity of sensor.

This was however not done for the external temp sensor, and this is also causing safe mode to trigger.
Exemple:

Oddly, the same external temp sensor is used for all 3 of those vt, but only on entered safety mode.

Checked the sensor and it's "last seen" was 2 minutes, although the actual temp did not vary for more than an hour (humidity did tho, so that the sensor IS working)
I think it would be an improvment to add the "last seen" settings for external température sensor

[jmcollin78]

Hello, to avoid too much complexity, I will not add a last seen for external temperature sensor. External sensor has a small influence on the result. You can totally deactivate the safety mode if external temperature sensor doesn't work. See here: https://github.com/jmcollin78/versatile_thermostat/blob/main/documentation/en/feature-advanced.md#safety-mode

Oddly, the same external temp sensor is used for all 3 of those vt, but only on entered safety mode.

Because there is heating threshold. If the heater don't need to heat, it is useless to put it into safety. See the link above.

[sleveille4]

i'll likely disable safety mode from external temp sensor, i read a lot the docs over the last months, but i missed this setting, however i do not understand the how the threshold would have made it so that the 3rd 'SDB' is not into safety mode.
it explains the chambre 2 one, that had no request for heating, but as you can see from the screenshot, SDB was heating @ 20%.

they are on 5min cycles, and they share the external temperature sensor, so logically SDB should also have entered safety mode.

[jmcollin78]

How is the Vtherm configured ? (the advanced settings). Please post the attributes (Developement Tools / States) well formatted with <> button.

[sleveille4]

will do when back home :)

edit:
here are the 2 vtherm in question (not in use at the time i post this:
elec_ch1 (the one that did go to safety mode):

hvac_modes: heat, off
min_temp: 7
max_temp: 35
target_temp_step: 0.5
friendly_name: Elec_ch1
supported_features: 401
current_temperature: 15.6
temperature: 10
hvac_action: idle
preset_modes: none, frost, eco, comfort, boost
preset_mode: frost
is_on: true
hvac_mode: heat
type: null
is_controlled_by_central_mode: false
last_central_mode: null
frost_temp: 10
eco_temp: 15
boost_temp: 19
comfort_temp: 18
frost_away_temp: 0
eco_away_temp: 0
boost_away_temp: 0
comfort_away_temp: 0
target_temperature_step: 0.5
ext_current_temperature: 8.6
ac_mode: false
saved_preset_mode: frost
saved_target_temp: 10
saved_hvac_mode: heat
last_temperature_datetime: 2025-02-12T19:34:48.975421+01:00
last_ext_temperature_datetime: 2025-02-12T18:18:55.776032+01:00
minimal_activation_delay_sec: 10
total_energy: 10613.25
last_update_datetime: 2025-02-12T19:47:39.760001+01:00
timezone: Europe/Paris
temperature_unit: °C
is_device_active: false
device_actives: 
nb_device_actives: 0
ema_temp: 15.6
is_used_by_central_boiler: false
temperature_slope: 0
hvac_off_reason: null
max_on_percent: null
have_valve_regulation: false
last_change_time_from_vtherm: 2025-02-12T19:47:39.749616+01:00
presence_sensor_entity_id: null
presence_state: unavailable
is_presence_configured: false
power_sensor_entity_id: null
max_power_sensor_entity_id: null
overpowering_state: unavailable
is_power_configured: false
device_power: 1
power_temp: null
current_power: null
current_max_power: null
mean_cycle_power: 0
motion_sensor_entity_id: null
motion_state: unavailable
is_motion_configured: false
motion_delay_sec: 0
motion_off_delay_sec: 0
motion_preset: null
no_motion_preset: null
window_state: unavailable
window_auto_state: unavailable
window_action: window_turn_off
is_window_bypass: false
window_sensor_entity_id: null
window_delay_sec: null
window_off_delay_sec: null
is_window_configured: false
is_window_auto_configured: false
window_auto_open_threshold: null
window_auto_close_threshold: null
window_auto_max_duration: null
is_safety_configured: true
safety_state: off
safety_delay_min: 40
safety_min_on_percent: 0.5
safety_default_on_percent: 0.1
is_over_switch: true
is_inversed: false
keep_alive_sec: 0
underlying_entities: switch.ch_ch1_plug
on_percent: 0
power_percent: 0
on_time_sec: 0
off_time_sec: 300
cycle_min: 5
function: tpi
tpi_coef_int: 0.8
tpi_coef_ext: 0.02
calculated_on_percent: 0
vswitch_on_commands: 
vswitch_off_commands:

and elec_sdb, the one that did not

hvac_modes: heat, off
min_temp: 4
max_temp: 35
target_temp_step: 0.5
friendly_name: Elec_sdb
supported_features: 401
current_temperature: 14.6
temperature: 7
hvac_action: idle
preset_modes: none, frost, eco, comfort, boost
preset_mode: frost
is_on: true
hvac_mode: heat
type: null
is_controlled_by_central_mode: false
last_central_mode: null
frost_temp: 7
eco_temp: 13
boost_temp: 18
comfort_temp: 16
frost_away_temp: 0
eco_away_temp: 0
boost_away_temp: 0
comfort_away_temp: 0
target_temperature_step: 0.5
ext_current_temperature: 8.6
ac_mode: false
saved_preset_mode: frost
saved_target_temp: 7
saved_hvac_mode: off
last_temperature_datetime: 2025-02-12T19:48:01.217612+01:00
last_ext_temperature_datetime: 2025-02-12T18:18:55.776032+01:00
minimal_activation_delay_sec: 20
total_energy: 43.79
last_update_datetime: 2025-02-12T19:48:01.220286+01:00
timezone: Europe/Paris
temperature_unit: °C
is_device_active: false
device_actives: 
nb_device_actives: 0
ema_temp: 14.65
is_used_by_central_boiler: false
temperature_slope: -0.6
hvac_off_reason: null
max_on_percent: null
have_valve_regulation: false
last_change_time_from_vtherm: 2025-02-12T19:47:50.502127+01:00
presence_sensor_entity_id: null
presence_state: unavailable
is_presence_configured: false
power_sensor_entity_id: null
max_power_sensor_entity_id: null
overpowering_state: unavailable
is_power_configured: false
device_power: 1
power_temp: null
current_power: null
current_max_power: null
mean_cycle_power: 0
motion_sensor_entity_id: null
motion_state: unavailable
is_motion_configured: false
motion_delay_sec: 0
motion_off_delay_sec: 0
motion_preset: null
no_motion_preset: null
window_state: unavailable
window_auto_state: unavailable
window_action: window_turn_off
is_window_bypass: false
window_sensor_entity_id: null
window_delay_sec: null
window_off_delay_sec: null
is_window_configured: false
is_window_auto_configured: false
window_auto_open_threshold: null
window_auto_close_threshold: null
window_auto_max_duration: null
is_safety_configured: true
safety_state: off
safety_delay_min: 40
safety_min_on_percent: 0.5
safety_default_on_percent: 0.1
is_over_switch: true
is_inversed: false
keep_alive_sec: 0
underlying_entities: switch.ch_sdb_plug
on_percent: 0
power_percent: 0
on_time_sec: 0
off_time_sec: 300
cycle_min: 5
function: tpi
tpi_coef_int: 0.85
tpi_coef_ext: 0.03
calculated_on_percent: 0
vswitch_on_commands: 
vswitch_off_commands:

note that this is the first time i noticed the issue happening due to ext temp sensor tho, maybe the "luck" of checking HA at the wrong time, as i did not had noticeable issues with those "over switch" vtherm since the "last seen" for room temperature is implemented (so at least since september, as far as the SDB one is concerned)

[jmcollin78]

Both are not in safety mode so there is nothing to see yet.
When it will reproduce, please post the attributes of the both.

One difference are the TPI coefs which are not the same. So the second should heat more and then be more subject to safety mode.

[sleveille4]

Yes, the tpi are différent as they are in different rooms, with different power, i fine tuned the tpi paramètres as per your doc to get the fastest heating, without overheating and proper régulation, wich is achieved 👍