ETS and Claude Integration
It would be very useful if there was an integration between ETS and Claude or a command line tool which could modify the project. For example add or rename devices, group addresses etc. Also for example checking for missing details in the project.
In the modern world of AI I think this should be a high priority feature and could be easily implemented using a command line tool which interacts with ETS. It would surely beat manually renaming and moving devices and adding them to rooms etc.
The other option would be to develop an MCP connection to ETS. I have developed MCP's for connecting to various API's in under a day for a number of applications.
In fact you could use Claude itself to develop the integration. If you want someone to test it while in alpha or beta development phases I would be happy to do so.
Can you prioritise this feature?
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Actually this would be a perfect use case since AI assisted groups etc. would be a quick task instead of the loads of manual work.
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MCPs is now State of the Art. That is the future and KNX Assu. has to hurry. Feels like the only peace of software at the moment which is behind :(.
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Yes please! We would love to beta test.
We did our own tests with the knx project files and came pretty far but got stuck on the certificate. But an official way would be so much nicer. Or have a switch to turn of the certificate.
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+1 from my side. This would be so cool
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@Maurits Veldhuijzen van Zanten
was it possible to just let the LLM edit the knxproj files directly and with that configure devices, create groups, connect stuff, etc...? Was the limit you hit related to knx secure or what certificate are you talking about?0 -
I would also really love to see this feature. This could be a real game changer.
But honestly: Moving to an open database or file-based storage backend would solve the problem mostly. It would allow others to write their own MCP server for ETS or just use a cli agent modifying the files directly.
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It is possible currently. I've implemented my own solution of a MCP server for ETS. Its pretty abusive to ETS however. An official API or MCP server would be really helpful. As far as i can tell you can only do it if you have a dongle currently.
Basically hooking into ETS's own DLL files and signing restorepoints to edit live project data. Its a bit rough but when i can link 3000 groups in 1 operation its worth the hassle.0 -
@Thomas Kristian Hodnemyr That sounds awesome — thanks for sharing!
Unfortunately, I’m currently using a cloud licence, so I can’t test it myself. Do you know why your approach only works with dongle licences at the moment?
Also, is this something you’d be willing or able to share with the community? It could be really useful for others too.0 -
Actually it does not require the dongle on closer inspection. But it does require a license of some sort, i haven't tried using cloud license yet.
I would be willing to share it sure, i'm working out some kinks currently. Need to put up some safe guards because its a thin line between editing your project and breaking the whole thing. If you don't know what going on, you could potentially ask the LLM to do some pretty breaking stuff. Altho ETS itself has some pretty good safeguards against it.
I'll keep you posted
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Subject: [Open source] Design-time ETS review + Home Assistant export via an MCP/AI assistant — beta, testers wanted
Hi all,
I've built an open-source design-time assistant for KNX and I'd value this community's critical eye. It's an MCP server that an AI client (Claude) drives, but the important part is what it does to a project file, not the AI:
- Reads a
.knxprojread-only — no bus access at all (no KNX/IP or networking libraries in the dependency tree; it physically cannot reach an installation). - Checks naming, DPT consistency, and missing status objects, pairing command↔status primarily from ETS Function roles.
- Generates a Home Assistant KNX package and ETS-importable GA exports (XML / CSV), plus a Markdown report to review before import.
I've hardened it against public ETS 4.2 / 5.0 / 5.5 / 6 test projects (it found and I fixed several real bugs, each now covered by a regression test), and there's a full 239-GA demo project + dashboard so you can see input → output.
It is beta and I'd genuinely like it tested against real projects. It's read-only and never connects to a bus, so trying it is safe.
Repo: https://github.com/NickoScope/nickol-knx-mcp · Demo/screenshots: https://nickoscope.github.io/nickol-knx-mcp/ · MIT.
Honest, technical feedback (including "this is wrong because…") is exactly what I'm after. Thanks!
Not affiliated with the KNX Association; KNX/ETS are trademarks of the KNX Association cc.
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Hello everyone,
I've created an ETS App that does exactly what you're asking for:
https://haar-informatik.de/ets-power-editor/
(Click the British flag at the top of the page for the English version.)It's a proper ETS App built on the official Add-In API — no DLL hooking, no editing the .knxproj on the side. Through an integrated MCP connector an AI assistant works directly on the open project; analysing and renaming group addresses is just one example, and the full feature list is on the website.
The app can currently be tested before it goes live. Don't hesitate to get in touch to receive your test license in exchange for some productive feedback.
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Quick update since my earlier post — a few people here (@Maurits, @Simon, @Edmond) mentioned wanting to try AI-assisted ETS work but getting blocked on the certificate / licence. Worth noting: nickol-knx-mcp is read-only and works directly on the exported .knxproj file — it never talks to ETS or the bus, so there's no dongle, cloud-licence or certificate hurdle to just try it on a copy of your project.
Since then it's grown a fair bit: it now also validates topology & individual addressing (devices/line vs the TP1 64/256 limits, address validity/uniqueness, coupler placement) on top of naming/DPT/status/Secure, and generates the HA package + ETS exports.
@Thomas — nice work on the write-side MCP; sounds complementary: yours edits the live project, this one reviews it and produces the HA/handover output read-only. Happy to get beta testers on real projects — feedback (incl. "this rule is wrong because…") is exactly what helps.
Repo: https://github.com/NickoScope/nickol-knx-mcp · MIT
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Hi Thomas,I came across ETS Power Editor (via the KNX "ETS and Claude Integration" thread) and really admire it — the official Add-In-API route, the local-only connector with no vendor server in the middle, and the read-only-by-default / per-action-confirm safety model are exactly right.I'm building the complementary side: nickol-knx-mcp, an open-source (MIT), read-only MCP server that works on the exported .knxproj. It validates a project against the KNX standard (naming, DPTs, command↔status pairing, KNX Secure, topology), decomposes devices from their app-programs, and generates downstream artifacts — a Home Assistant package, ETS exports, and an as-built handover pack. Different axis to yours: you're the execution layer, live inside ETS; mine is a read-only quality/knowledge layer on the project file. They feel genuinely complementary.Would you be open to a mutual test-and-review? I'd gladly take you up on a test license, put ETS Power Editor through a real project, and send you honest, detailed feedback — and in return you'd have my tool (open-source, easy to try) to critique just as candidly. Peer feedback between two people building in the same space seems valuable to both.Either way — excellent work; good to see serious KNX + AI tooling emerging.Best regards,Nikolaygithub.com/NickoScope/nickol-knx-mcp0
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Quick update: the test phase is nearly over — 30 August is the last day on which I can hand out test licences.
If anyone here still works with ETS 5, I would be particularly glad to hear from you — those are the testers I am still missing.
Otherwise, just get in touch before the end of the month if you would like to try it.
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@Nikolay Congratulations on the project: This is definitely an important milestone and already looks very useful.
For me, though, the real deal is an AI/MCP integration with write access to the ETS project. Being able to describe the intended concept and then have the AI create hundreds of group addresses, link objects according to specifications, or apply consistent configurations would be a huge time saver.
I also see a lot of potential for project cleanup and maintenance: reviewing and changing group names and addresses, checking device addresses, or configuring multiple similar devices consistently without making them completely identical. Your read-only MCP looks like a great complement to that, especially for validation and review.
@Thomas Congratulations on the ETS App! This is exactly what I have been looking for. I would be very happy to participate as a beta tester and will contact you via the website right away.
I'm also very curious about the pricing model once the app goes live. Are you planning different pricing tiers, particularly something like a more affordable home/private-user license for people using ETS mainly for their own installation?
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Thanks very much, Simon — I appreciate that.
You've actually described what the read-only side already does today: reviewing and normalising group names and addresses, checking device (individual) addresses, and spotting where several "identical" devices have drifted apart in their parameters — the "consistent but not completely identical" case — are exactly the checks it runs on an exported .knxproj. It's open-source and needs no ETS write access or dongle, so you can point it at a copy of a real project and see what it flags, at zero risk. Beyond validation it also generates the parts that live downstream of ETS — a Home Assistant package and an as-built handover pack — which is the half I care most about.
I'd genuinely value your eye on it as someone who does this for real; if you try it, tell me where it gets things wrong. And I fully agree the write-into-ETS direction is powerful — the two approaches feel complementary rather than either/or.
Repo: github.com/NickoScope/nickol-knx-mcp
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@Nikolay Miroshnichenko
Looks good for sure. but i have no idea why you've made it an MCP server. a plugin is probably the correct shape for it.
Hosting a MCP server just to serve you skills is a bit overkill.0
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