API Optimization¶

This guide helps you optimize AutoPi API usage for efficiency, performance, and cost management.

Understanding API Usage¶

API Call Types¶

The AutoPi integration makes different types of API calls:

Call Type	Frequency	Purpose	Impact
Vehicle Profile	Medium interval	Get vehicle information	Low frequency
Position Data	Fast interval	GPS location and movement	High frequency
Authentication	As needed	Token validation	Minimal
Bulk Positions	Fast interval	All vehicles at once	Efficient

Current Implementation¶

The integration uses optimized API patterns:

Bulk Operations¶

Single Call: Fetches all vehicle positions in one request
Efficiency: Reduces API calls from N to 1 for N vehicles
Rate Limiting: Lower chance of hitting rate limits

Smart Caching¶

Conditional Requests: Only fetch when data might have changed
Local Caching: Reduces redundant API calls
Error Handling: Graceful fallback during API issues

Connection Reuse¶

HTTP Keep-Alive: Reuses connections for multiple requests
Session Management: Maintains authentication state
Connection Pooling: Efficient network resource usage

Monitoring API Usage¶

Diagnostic Entities¶

Use these entities to monitor API health:

API Call Counters¶

Total API Calls: sensor.autopi_api_calls
Failed API Calls: sensor.autopi_failed_api_calls
Success Rate: sensor.autopi_api_success_rate

Performance Metrics¶

Update Duration: sensor.autopi_update_duration
Last Update: Check entity timestamps

Setting Up Monitoring¶

Create dashboard cards to track API usage:

# Example dashboard configuration
type: entities
title: AutoPi API Health
entities:
  - sensor.autopi_api_calls
  - sensor.autopi_failed_api_calls
  - sensor.autopi_api_success_rate
  - sensor.autopi_update_duration

Creating Alerts¶

Set up alerts for API issues:

# automation.yaml
- alias: "AutoPi API Success Rate Low"
  trigger:
    - platform: numeric_state
      entity_id: sensor.autopi_api_success_rate
      below: 90
  action:
    - service: notify.mobile_app_your_phone
      data:
        message: "AutoPi API success rate is {{ states('sensor.autopi_api_success_rate') }}%"

Optimizing Update Intervals¶

Understanding Trade-offs¶

Aspect	Frequent Updates	Infrequent Updates
Data Freshness	Real-time	Delayed
API Usage	High	Low
Responsiveness	Immediate	Slower
Battery Impact	Higher	Lower

Recommended Configurations¶

Real-time Tracking¶

For active vehicle monitoring:

Fast Updates (Position): 1-2 minutes
Medium Updates (Status): 5 minutes
Slow Updates (Future): 15 minutes

Use Cases: - Fleet management - Teen driver monitoring - Security tracking - Real-time navigation

Considerations: - Higher API usage - More responsive data - Better for automations

Balanced Usage¶

For typical home automation:

Fast Updates (Position): 5 minutes
Medium Updates (Status): 15 minutes
Slow Updates (Future): 30 minutes

Use Cases: - Arrival/departure detection - General vehicle monitoring - Family coordination

Considerations: - Good balance of freshness and efficiency - Suitable for most use cases - Reasonable API usage

Conservative Mode¶

For minimal API impact:

Fast Updates (Position): 15 minutes
Medium Updates (Status): 30 minutes
Slow Updates (Future): 60 minutes

Use Cases: - Basic presence detection - Periodic status checks - API usage concerns

Considerations: - Lower data freshness - Minimal API usage - May miss short trips

Dynamic Optimization¶

Consider varying update intervals based on:

Vehicle State¶

Moving: More frequent updates
Parked: Less frequent updates
Home: Minimal updates needed

Time of Day¶

Day: Normal intervals
Night: Reduced frequency
Work Hours: Based on usage patterns

Location Context¶

Home: Lower frequency
Away: Higher frequency
Unknown: Balanced approach

Rate Limiting and Error Handling¶

AutoPi Rate Limits¶

Understanding AutoPi API limits:

Typical Limits¶

Requests per minute: Varies by plan
Concurrent connections: Usually limited
Daily quotas: Plan-dependent

Rate Limit Response¶

When rate limited, the API returns: - HTTP 429: Too Many Requests - Retry-After header: Suggested wait time - Error details: In response body

Integration Response¶

The integration handles rate limits automatically:

Exponential Backoff¶

Initial retry: 1 second delay
Increasing delays: 2s, 4s, 8s, 16s...
Maximum delay: 300 seconds
Retry limit: Configurable

Graceful Degradation¶

Entity availability: Maintains last known state
Error logging: Records issues for debugging
User notification: Clear error messages

Recovery Strategies¶

Automatic retry: Resumes when limits reset
Circuit breaker: Temporarily stops requests if persistent failures
Health checks: Verifies API availability

Optimizing for Cost¶

Understanding Costs¶

If your AutoPi plan has API limits or costs:

Usage Calculation¶

Daily API Calls = (Vehicles × 24 × 60) / Update_Interval_Minutes

Examples: - 1 vehicle, 5-minute updates: 288 calls/day - 3 vehicles, 2-minute updates: 2,160 calls/day - 1 vehicle, 15-minute updates: 96 calls/day

Cost Factors¶

Number of vehicles: Linear increase
Update frequency: Inverse relationship
Plan tier: Different rate limits/costs
Usage patterns: Peak vs. off-peak

Cost Optimization Strategies¶

Vehicle Selection¶

Active vehicles only: Only monitor vehicles in use
Seasonal adjustment: Disable during storage periods
Use-case based: Different intervals per vehicle

Smart Scheduling¶

Time-based intervals: Reduce updates during inactive hours
Presence-based: Higher frequency when away from home
Event-driven: Increase frequency during trips

Bulk Operations¶

Multi-vehicle efficiency: Single call for all vehicles
Batch processing: Group API operations
Shared resources: Coordinate between features

Advanced Optimization¶

Custom Update Logic¶

For advanced users, consider implementing:

Proximity-based Updates¶

Home zone: Minimal updates when home
Away zone: Normal updates when away
Travel detection: Increased frequency during movement

Battery-aware Updates¶

Vehicle state: Adjust based on ignition status
Power management: Reduce updates when vehicle is off
Smart intervals: Dynamic based on activity

Integration with Other Systems¶

Home Assistant Automations¶

# Reduce updates when home
- alias: "AutoPi Conservative Mode at Home"
  trigger:
    - platform: zone
      entity_id: device_tracker.my_car
      zone: zone.home
      event: enter
  action:
    # Custom service to adjust intervals
    # (This would require custom implementation)

External Systems¶

Fleet management: Coordinate with other platforms
Cost tracking: Monitor usage across systems
Analytics: Combine with other data sources

Troubleshooting Performance¶

Common Issues¶

High API Usage¶

Symptoms: - Rapid increase in API call count - Rate limiting errors - Unexpected costs

Solutions: 1. Check update intervals are reasonable 2. Verify vehicle count is correct 3. Monitor for failed requests causing retries 4. Review integration logs for issues

Slow Updates¶

Symptoms: - Long update durations - Stale data - Entity unavailability

Solutions: 1. Check network connectivity 2. Verify AutoPi service status 3. Review error logs 4. Test API access directly

Failed Requests¶

Symptoms: - Low success rate - Frequent errors - Inconsistent data

Solutions: 1. Verify API token validity 2. Check network stability 3. Review AutoPi service status 4. Consider reducing update frequency temporarily

Performance Monitoring¶

Key Metrics to Track¶

Metric	Healthy Range	Action Threshold
Success Rate	>95%	<90%
Update Duration	<5 seconds	>10 seconds
Failed Calls	<5% of total	>10% of total
API Calls/Day	As planned	50% over plan

Logging Configuration¶

Enable detailed logging for troubleshooting:

# configuration.yaml
logger:
  default: info
  logs:
    custom_components.autopi.client: debug
    custom_components.autopi.coordinator: debug

Best Practices Summary¶

Monitor Usage: Track API calls and success rates
Right-size Intervals: Balance freshness with efficiency
Use Bulk Operations: Let integration optimize calls
Handle Errors Gracefully: Don't increase frequency on failures
Plan for Growth: Consider future vehicle additions
Regular Review: Periodically assess and adjust settings

API Optimization¶

Understanding API Usage¶

API Call Types¶

Current Implementation¶

Bulk Operations¶

Smart Caching¶

Connection Reuse¶

Monitoring API Usage¶

Diagnostic Entities¶

API Call Counters¶

Performance Metrics¶

Setting Up Monitoring¶

Creating Alerts¶

Optimizing Update Intervals¶

Understanding Trade-offs¶

Recommended Configurations¶

Real-time Tracking¶

Balanced Usage¶

Conservative Mode¶

Dynamic Optimization¶

Vehicle State¶

Time of Day¶

Location Context¶

Rate Limiting and Error Handling¶

AutoPi Rate Limits¶

Typical Limits¶

Rate Limit Response¶

Integration Response¶

Exponential Backoff¶

Graceful Degradation¶

Recovery Strategies¶

Optimizing for Cost¶

Understanding Costs¶

Usage Calculation¶

Cost Factors¶

Cost Optimization Strategies¶

Vehicle Selection¶

Smart Scheduling¶

Bulk Operations¶

Advanced Optimization¶

Custom Update Logic¶

Proximity-based Updates¶

Battery-aware Updates¶

Integration with Other Systems¶

Home Assistant Automations¶

External Systems¶

Troubleshooting Performance¶

Common Issues¶

High API Usage¶

Slow Updates¶

Failed Requests¶

Performance Monitoring¶

Key Metrics to Track¶

Logging Configuration¶

Best Practices Summary¶

Future Optimizations¶

Planned Improvements¶

Intelligent Scheduling¶

Enhanced Caching¶

Advanced Error Handling¶