Blog

FloatOutput Power Scaling Fields Gated Behind USE_OUTPUT_FLOAT_POWER_SCALING

May 14, 2026

The min_power_ / max_power_ / zero_means_zero_ fields and their setters on FloatOutput are now gated behind a new USE_OUTPUT_FLOAT_POWER_SCALING build flag. The codegen turns the flag on automatically whenever a YAML config references the feature. Lambdas that call id(out).set_min_power(...) / set_max_power(...) / set_zero_means_zero(...) without any matching YAML key or action will now fail to compile with a clear static_assert pointing at the one-line YAML fix.

This is a breaking change for external components and YAML configs that drive power scaling exclusively from lambdas in ESPHome 2026.5.0 and later.

Main Loop Cadence Decoupled from Scheduler Wake Timing

May 14, 2026

J. Nick Koston

ESPHome Maintainer

Every component’s loop() now runs at the configured loop_interval_ (default ~62 Hz). Previously, when other scheduler activity was running — set_interval / set_timeout / PollingComponent updates with sub-loop_interval_ cadences — the component phase got pulled forward up to ~128 Hz; quiet configs with no such scheduler entries were unaffected and always ran at the documented rate. Background events (MQTT RX, USB RX, BLE events, ESPNOW, camera, micro_wake_word, speaker, USB host/CDC, lwIP socket) still wake their component within one tick via the existing wake_loop_* paths. App.set_loop_interval() — the documented knob for power savings — finally works.

This is a behavior change in ESPHome 2026.5.0 and later with no API break, but it affects every component whose loop() implicitly depended on running at ~2× the configured rate when scheduler activity was driving the pull-forward.

Modbus Server Split Out of modbus_controller

May 14, 2026

J. Nick Koston

ESPHome Maintainer

Modbus server mode has been split out of modbus_controller into a new dedicated modbus_server component. Configurations that used modbus_controller as a Modbus server (the role: server setting lives on the modbus: bus, not on modbus_controller) must move their server_registers: and server_courtesy_response: blocks under a new top-level modbus_server: entry.

This is a breaking change for YAML configurations using server mode in ESPHome 2026.5.0 and later.

RingBuffer Moved Out of Core Into ring_buffer Helper Component

May 14, 2026

J. Nick Koston

ESPHome Maintainer

RingBuffer has moved from esphome/core/ring_buffer.h into a new ring_buffer helper component at esphome/components/ring_buffer/ring_buffer.h under the esphome::ring_buffer namespace. The old location is deprecated and will be removed in ESPHome 2026.11.0.

This is a breaking change for external components in ESPHome 2026.5.0 and later.

BLE Event Handler Dispatch Devirtualized

Apr 9, 2026

J. Nick Koston

ESPHome Maintainer

Virtual handler interfaces (GAPEventHandler, GAPScanEventHandler, GATTcEventHandler, GATTsEventHandler, BLEStatusEventHandler) have been replaced with callback-based dispatch. External components that inherit from these interfaces must update their registration approach.

This is a developer breaking change for external components in ESPHome 2026.4.0 and later.