home assistant News - CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

July 17, 2026July 16, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Olimex PICO-EVB automation board adds high-voltage terminals to Raspberry Pi Pico family

Olimex PICO-EVB board for the Raspberry Pi Pico and compatible boards is designed for high-voltage automation with four 3.3-30V DC or 110-220V AC inputs and four 15V DC/220V AC relays. It features two 20-pin headers enabling users to connect their preferred Pi Pico-compatible board, a USB-C port for power and programming, a UEXT connector for I2C, UART, and SPI expansion, and status LEDs for the high-voltage signals. Olimex PICO-EVB specifications: Compatible boards Raspberry Pi Pico, Pico 2, Pico W, Pico 2 W Olimex RP2040-PICO30 USB – 1x USB Type-C port I/Os 4x 15V DC/240V AC relays 4x optoisolated inputs taking 3.3 – 30V DC or 110-220V AC UEXT connector with I2C, UART, and SPI signals Unpopulated 18-pin GPIO header Misc 4x status LEDs for the relays 4x status LEDs for the inputs Power Supply – 5V power supply via screw connector, USB-C port, or Pico’s micro USB connector Dimensions – […]

July 16, 2026 by Debashis Das - No Comments

OpenInfrared Point is an ESP32-S3 powered universal remote hub with Infrared, BLE, NFC, audio streaming (Crowdfunding)

OpenInfrared Point is a universal remote hub built around ESP32-S3 that lets users control compatible devices from a smartphone by scanning a QR code or tapping an NFC tag, eliminating the need for dedicated remote controls. Powered via USB-C, the Point hub can learn IR codes from existing remote controls and supports infrared, IP (HTTP), and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device control, with RF support planned as a future add-on. Hardware features include an IR output for external emitters, an audio input for private TV audio streaming, built-in NFC, QR-code access, and support for controlling TVs, projectors, AV receivers, air conditioners, streaming devices, and other compatible equipment. OpenInfrared Point specifications: Wireless Module – ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3 CPU – Dual-core Tensilica LX7 up to 240 MHz with vector extension for AI/ML workloads RAM – 512KB SRAM; 8MB PSRAM Wireless – WiFi 4 and Bluetooth LE 5 Storage – 16MB […]

July 14, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

IoTLabs wM-Bus gateway – An ESP32 device with Wireless M-Bus connectivity for Home Assistant

IoTLabs wM-Bus Gateway is an ESP32 device supporting the Wireless M-Bus (wM-Bus) standard for receiving data from compatible meters and sensors, designed for full integration with Home Assistant. Wireless M-Bus (Wireless Meter Bus) is a wireless protocol specifically designed for remote reading of smart meters, generally gas, water, or electricity meters, and typically used by utilities, but the wM-Bus gateway allows you to deploy the standard for your home automation solution, meters, and sensors. wM-Bus gateway specifications: Main controller – ESP32 dual-core microcontroller with Wi-Fi and BLE connectivity Display – 1.3-inch OLED for live measurements and status wM-Bus – 868 MHz radio receiver; Semtech SX1276-based RFM95/RFM96 according to the code Supports T1 and C1 frames, compatible with the wmbusmeters library Antennas Built-in 2.4 GHz antenna for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth External SMA antenna for wireless M-Bus; important: must be connected before powering the device to avoid damage Misc Top button to […]

July 9, 2026July 9, 2026 by Debashis Das - No Comments

Makerfabs MaUWB for Home Assistant – An ESP32-S3 UWB module with PoE and enclosure

Makerfabs MaUWB for Home Assistant is an ESP32-S3-based Ultra-Wideband (UWB) module designed for indoor positioning and Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS). It runs ESPHome for Home Assistant integration, enabling it to be used as part of a UWB-based positioning system to track tagged devices in homes, offices, and other indoor environments. The module combines an ESP32-S3 with a MaUWB UWB module based on the Qorvo DW3000, featuring a PA/LNA for long-range ranging. Compared to the earlier ESP32-S3 version, it drops the OLED and adds a WIZnet W5500 Ethernet controller that supports PoE. The module also supports Wi-Fi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0, and comes in an enclosure for fixed installations. Makerfabs MaUWB for Home Assistant specifications: Wireless Module – ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3 CPU – Dual-core Tensilica LX7 up to 240 MHz with vector extension for AI/ML workloads RAM – 512KB SRAM; 8MB PSRAM Wireless – WiFi 4 and Bluetooth LE 5 […]

July 4, 2026 by Debashis Das - 2 Comments

BIGTREETECH Panda Sense Pro 8-in-1 smart air quality monitor works with Home Assistant and Klipper for 3D printers

BIGTREETECH Panda Sense Pro 8-in-1 Air Quality Monitor for 3D Printers

BIGTREETECH (BIQU) has introduced the BIQU Panda Sense Pro, an 8-in-1 smart air quality monitor designed for 3D printing environments such as home workshops, maker spaces, and print farms. It continuously measures airborne particles, gases, temperature, and humidity, helping users monitor indoor air quality while printing. The device also integrates with Klipper-based printers and smart home platforms, making it suitable for both standalone monitoring and automated environmental control. It combines laser particle, NDIR CO₂, and electrochemical formaldehyde sensors to monitor PM2.5, PM10, CO₂, HCHO, eTVOC, AQI, temperature, and humidity in real time. The monitor features a 3.5-inch 480×320 TFT display, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi with MQTT, USB Type-C power, 24-hour and 30-day data logging, and upcoming app-based remote monitoring. It integrates with Moonraker (Fluidd/Mainsail) and Home Assistant for automation, such as controlling fans or air purifiers based on sensor readings. The enclosure files are open-source, which means you can customize and […]

July 2, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

SONOFF NSPanel Pro Gen2 touch control panel review with eWeLink and Home Assistant

SONOFF sent us a sample of the NSPanel Pro Gen2 Smart Home control panel for review. It’s a standard 86-type controller powered by a Rockchip RK3326-S SoC, equipped with 2GB RAM and 32GB eMMC flash storage, a 3.95-inch touchscreen display, and a 2-channel relay supporting up to 10A. The Android device supports dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, Zigbee 3.0, and Matter, and also includes a built-in 1.5W speaker and microphone for two-way audio. It’s an update to the NSPanel Pro we reviewed in 2024. In this review, we’ll start with an unboxing and a teardown, before going through the initial setup in standalone mode, and finally use the panel with the eWelink app and Home Assistant. We’ll connect one of the relays of the NSPanel Pro Gen2 to a ceiling LED light, test Zigbee through a SONOFF AirGuard TH (SNZB-02DR2) temperature and humidity sensor, WiFi through a SONOFF AirGuard PM2.5/PM10 air […]

June 25, 2026June 25, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments

Louder ESP32 Mini board adds WiFi and Bluetooth to old speakers for SqueezeLite, Snapclient, or ESPHome support

Sonocotta’s Louder-ESP32-Mini is a compact version of the Louder ESP32 board that converts old speakers into WiFi (and Bluetooth) connected speakers for your Smart Home. The board aims to replace the speaker terminals on your old speakers, and comes in two sizes: 42x42mm for small speakers, and 52x52mm for larger models. It’s powered by an ESP32-S3 wireless SoC with 8MB PSRAM and equipped with a high-quality TAS5805M DAC with DSP features. Louder-ESP32-Mini specifications: Wireless Module – ESP32-S3-WROOM-N8R8 SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3 CPU – Dual-core Tensilica LX7 up to 240 MHz with vector extension for AI/ML workloads RAM – 512KB SRAM, 8MB PSRAM Storage – 8MB flash Wireless – WiFi 4 and Bluetooth LE 5 Antenna – PCB antenna Audio DAC – Stereo TAS5805M I2S DAC with built-in DSP and D-Class amp DSP Features – EQ, FIR, DRC, AGL, etc… Speaker output via two WAGO connectors 4Ω, 1% THD+N 42×42 […]

June 20, 2026June 20, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

Pine64 Pinevoice – A $50 RISC-V Smart Speaker for Home Assistant based on Bouffalo Lab BL606P MCU

After over two years in the making, Pine64 has now launched the PineVoice (previously PineVox) smart speaker based on the Bouffalo Lab BL606P RISC-V wireless microcontroller with WiFi, Bluetooth, and Zigbee radio interfaces. The device also features two microphones, a speaker, a USB 2.0 OTG port, volume buttons, a mute button with LED, a start/stop button, and four RGB LEDs. The PineVoice smart speaker is mainly designed to work with Home Assistant. PineVoice specifications: SoC – Bouffalo Lab BL606P CPU D0 core – T-Head C906 64-bit RISC-V (RV64IMAFCV) CPU @ 480 MHz M0 core – T-Head E907 32-bit RISC-V (RV32IMAFCP) CPU @ 320 MHz Memory – 544KB RAM (788KB SRAM listed on the Pine64 store), 16MB embedded PSRAM Storage – 128KB ROM, 4KB eFuse Wireless 2.4 GHz 802.11 b/g/n 1T1R WiFi 4 Bluetooth 5.x Dual-mode (Classis + BLE) 802.15.4 radio (Zigbee) Storage – 128Mbit (16MB) SPI NOR flash Audio 2x […]