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Sound System / Media Player (WHO = 16)

This guide explains how to configure and automate the BTicino / Legrand Diffusione Sonora (Sound System) in Home Assistant using the MyHOME integration.

🎵 Subsystem Architecture

In MyHOME systems, multi-room audio is managed by dedicated hardware analog matrices and room amplifiers communicating over the SCS bus using OpenWebNet WHO = 16.

Supported Hardware

  • Audio Matrix: F441, F441M (4 audio input sources, up to 8 independent stereo room amplifier outputs)
  • Room Amplifiers: 3484, 3484/1, 3487, F500
  • Audio Controls: L/N/NT4684, 3529

Important

Hardware-Only Analog Matrix: The BTicino F441 / F441M is a purely analog matrix switcher. It does not contain an Ethernet port or digital audio decoder and cannot stream IP audio by itself. It routes line-level analog signals from physical source inputs (Source 1 to Source 4) to room amplifier outputs (Zone 1 to Zone 9).

🔀 The Dynamic Proxy Architecture

To bridge modern streaming platforms (such as Music Assistant, Spotify Connect, or Squeezelite / LMS) into the analog BTicino matrix without audio artifacts, the MyHOME integration implements the Dynamic Proxy pattern.

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Home Assistant / Music Assistant (Player)   │
│  "media_player.living_room_sound"            │
└──────────────────────┬───────────────────────┘
                       │ (Proxy Layer)
                       ▼
         ┌───────────────────────────┐
         │ Decoder Pool Management   │
         │ - Dynamic claim / release │
         │ - Gain staging (+12 dB)   │
         │ - State & metadata mirror │
         └─────┬───────────────┬─────┘
               │               │
      [IP Service Call]   [OpenWebNet SCS Bus]
               │               │
               ▼               ▼
       ┌───────────────┐ ┌───────────────┐
       │ Audio Streamer│ │ F441M Matrix  │
       │ (Squeezelite /│ │ & Amplifier   │
       │  WiiM / Pi)   │ │ (Zone 1..9)   │
       └───────┬───────┘ └───────▲───────┘
               │ Analog Line-In  │
               └─────────────────┘

The "Hardware Routing First" Model

Switching matrix sources dynamically via OpenWebNet IP commands (*16*100*WHERE## to *16*103*WHERE##) on MH200/MH201/F454 gateways causes mechanical relay clicks and momentary bus noise.

Recommended Practice:

  1. Physical Cabling: Connect the analog output of your network streamer (e.g. Raspberry Pi running Squeezelite, WiiM Pro, Cambridge Audio) into physical Source 1 on the F441M matrix.
  2. Matrix Configuration: Configure your room amplifiers (or physical wall panels) to stay routed to Source 1.
  3. Automated Power Sequence: When a stream starts, the integration proxy:
  4. Claims an idle decoder from the shared Decoder Pool.
  5. Wakes the decoder if it is in standby.
  6. Powers ON the BTicino amplifier zone with a smooth *16*1*WHERE## command.
  7. Forwards the stream URL to the streaming decoder.
  8. Mirrors track metadata (title, artist, album art) and state back onto the Home Assistant room entity.
  9. Shutdown & Release: When playback stops or the zone is turned off, the amplifier powers off (*16*0*WHERE##) and the decoder is released back to the idle pool.

🎛️ Gain Staging & Bus Noise Elimination

Analog SCS audio matrices can suffer from faint ground-loop hum or bus hiss if the input signal level is too low.

The MyHOME integration features hardware gain staging: $$\text{Decoder Volume} = \text{Zone Volume} + \text{Pre-Gain Offset}$$

  • Setting pre_gain (e.g., +10% to +20%) drives the network streamer at maximum undistorted line level.
  • The room amplifier then operates at lower amplification, pushing the analog noise floor below audibility.

⚙️ Configuration via Home Assistant UI

You configure the Dynamic Proxy directly via the integration's Options Flow:

  1. Go to Settings -> Devices & Services -> MyHOME.
  2. Click Configure.
  3. Scroll to the Audio Decoder Mapping section:
  4. Decoder Slot 1 Entity: Select your backend media player (e.g. media_player.squeezelite_salon).
  5. Matrix Source Input: Set to the physical F441M input (e.g. 1 for Source 1).
  6. Pre-Gain Offset: Enter your pre-gain dB/percentage compensation (e.g. 15).
  7. (Repeat for Decoders 2 through 4 if you have multiple streaming DACs).
  8. Click Submit.

Warning

Avoid Recursive Loops: Do NOT select a Music Assistant virtual player as the backend decoder entity. The backend decoder must be the actual hardware device (e.g. media_player.squeezelite_salon, media_player.wiim_dining), while Music Assistant targets the MyHOME zone entity.

📻 Standalone Fallback Mode (No Decoders)

If you do not configure any streaming decoders in the Options Flow, the room amplifier entities operate in Native WHO = 16 Mode:

  • On / Off: Toggles the physical amplifier power.
  • Volume: Controls the hardware volume step (0 to 30) via dimension 1.
  • Source Selection: Allows switching between physical sources 1–4.
  • Track Controls: Sends OpenWebNet Next/Previous track commands (WHAT = 20 / WHAT = 21) to compatible Legrand FM/DAB tuners.

📜 OpenWebNet WHO = 16 Reference Frames

Action OpenWebNet Frame Description
Zone Turn ON *16*1*<WHERE>## Turns ON amplifier in room <WHERE> (1–9).
Zone Turn OFF *16*0*<WHERE>## Turns OFF amplifier in room <WHERE> (1–9).
Volume UP *16*10*<WHERE>## Steps amplifier volume UP.
Volume DOWN *16*11*<WHERE>## Steps amplifier volume DOWN.
Set Exact Volume *#16*<WHERE>*#1*<LEVEL>## Sets exact volume level (where <LEVEL> is 0 to 30).
Select Source 1 *16*100*<WHERE>## Routes input Source 1 to room <WHERE>.
Select Source 2 *16*101*<WHERE>## Routes input Source 2 to room <WHERE>.
Next Track / Station *16*20*<WHERE>## Skips to next preset/track on active source.
Prev Track / Station *16*21*<WHERE>## Skips to previous preset/track on active source.