zigpy-zboss library makes Nordic Semi nRF52840 Zigbee dongles compatible with Home Assistant

nRF52840 Home Assistant

zigpy-zboss is a Python library that adds support for Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 modules to zigpy open-source Python Zigbee stack project, as well as other Network Co-Processor radios that run firmware based on ZBOSS Open Initiative (ZOI). This enables integration with compatible Zigbee gateway implementations such as Home Assistant’s ZHA integration component and allows users to directly control Zigbee devices from a wide range of manufacturers such as IKEA, Philips Hue, SmartSung SmartThings, ITEAD SONOFF, Xiaomi Aqara, and others. Home Assistant’s ZHA integration already worked with Zigbee dongles based on Silicon Labs Mighty Gecko EFR32MG21 or Texas Instruments CC2652P microcontrollers, but now it’s possible to use nRF52840 dongles and development as Zigbee Coordinators thanks to the zigpy-zboss library.   The zigpy-zboss ZBOSS radio library for zigpy source code and resources can be found on GitHub, but note that this is still an unofficial and experimental port, so testers need to manually […]

SONOFF TX Ultimate Review – A smart touch wall switch with innovative features

Sonoff TX Ultimate Review

SONOFF has been producing a wide range of new products over the years, and since the beginning of the year, the company introduced various new products and features including the iHost Smart Home Hub local hub which no longer requires cloud connectivity. The one we are going to review is the Ultimate Smart Touch Wall Switch (also known as the SONOFF TX Ultimate). SONOFF stated that they wanted to provide a new experience with their smart switch. Initially, we couldn’t imagine what new experiences a smart switch could offer. When we think of SONOFF, we usually associate it with affordable smart switches that are durable and perform as expected, not stylish or feature-rich devices. However, the SONOFF TX Ultimate comes as a complete package with light, color, sound, and touch. SONOFF has also expanded the touch area, so there’s no need to worry about missing the button while pressing it. […]

AMD Versal AI Edge SoC FPGA system-on-module targets ADAS, robotics, medical imaging, and other AI applications

AMD Xilinx Versal AI Edge System-on-Module

iWave Systems iW-Rainbow-G57M is a system-on-module (SoM) based on the AMD (Xilinx) Versal AI Edge series of Cortex-A72/R5 SoC FPGAs designed to deliver AI acceleration at relatively low power for demanding applications such as ADAS, robotics, and medical imaging. The module comes with up to 8GB 64-bit LPDDR4, 16GB eMMC Flash, 256MB QSPI Flash, delivers up to 45 TOPS of AI performance, and features eight transceivers that can be used for high-speed Ethernet, PCIe, MIPI DSI/CSI interfaces, and/or others as required by the customer’s specific project. iW-Rainbow-G57M specifications: FPGA SoC – AMD Xilinx Versal AI Edge/Prime SFVA784 package (VE2302, VE2202, VE2102,  or VE2002) with Dual Arm Cortex-A72 core processor @ up to 1.6 GHz Dual-core Arm Cortex-R5F Up to 328K Logic cells & 150K LUTs Programmable Network on Chip (NoC) Up to 45 TOPS (INT4) AI compute 8x GTYP Transceivers @ 28.21 Gbps (VE2302 & VE2202 only) Memory – Up […]

$14+ Allwinner T113-S3 CPU module comes with 128MB RAM, 256MB NAND flash or 4GB eMMC flash

Allwinner T113-S3 CPU module

MYiR MYC-YT113X is a low-cost solderable CPU module powered by an Allwinner T113-S3 dual-core Cortex-A7 processor with 128MB on-chip DDR3 RAM, and fitted with either a 256MB NAND flash or a 4GB eMMC flash for storage. The industrial temperature grade module provides a lower-end alternative to the company’s earlier MYC-YT507H Allwinner T507-H Cortex-A53 CPU module, and offers various display, camera, audio, Ethernet, USB, and low-speed I/Os through a 140-pin stamp hole design. It is designed for HMI, industrial automation, as well as display and control terminals. MYiR MYC-YT113X specifications: SoC – Allwinner T113-S3 CPU – Dual-core Arm Cortex-A7 @ 1.2 GHz with 32 KB L1 I-cache + 32 KB L1 D-cache per core, and 256 KB L2 cache DSP – Single-core HiFi4 VPU – H.265/H.264 video decoding up to 1080p60 and JPEG/MJPEG video encoding up to 1080p60 Memory – 128 MB DDR3 Storage – 4GB eMMC or 256MB NAND flash, […]

SONOFF SNZB-02D review – A Zigbee temperature & humidity sensor with a 2.5-inch display

Sonoff SNZB-02D review

We’ve previously tested the SNZB-02 Zigbee temperature and humidity sensor with the SONOFF NSPanel Pro smart panel, but ITEAD has now launched the SONOFF SNZB-02D that integrated the same features plus a 2.5-inch display to visualize the data. They’ve sent us a SNZB-02 sample for review, so after listing the specifications we’ll test SONOFF’s latest Zigbee sensor with Home Assistant. SONOFF SNZB-02D specifications Display – 2.5-inch black&white display Connectivity – Zigbee 3.0 Sensors Temperature sensor with -9.9°C to 60°C range, ±0.2°C accuracy Humidity sensor with 5%—95%RH range, ±2%RH accuracy Battery – 3V CR2450 coin-cell battery good for about 2 years with a 5-second polling rate Dimensions – 62.5 x 59.5 x 18.5mm Material – PC Color: White Unboxing and first try We’ll find the sensor in the usual orange package used for Zigbee devices. The SNZB-02D sensor comes with a quick start guide and a pre-installed battery. Just pull the […]

$60 M5Stack CoreS3 ESP32-S3 IoT controller comes with 2-inch display, VGA camera, multiple sensors

M5Stack CoreS3 ESP32-S3 IoT controller

M5Stack CoreS3 is a battery-powered ESP32-S3 IoT controller with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, a 2-inch touchscreen display, a 0.3MP camera, a microSD card slot for storage, several sensors, plenty of I/Os, a USB Type-C OTG port, as well as a 9V to 24V DC input port. That’s the second ESP32-S3 IoT controller from M5Stack we’ve seen this year, as the CoreS3 follows the smaller M5Stack AtomS3 with a 0.85-inch display, only a few I/Os, and fewer features overall although it does come with an IR transmitter that’s missing from the larger CoreS3. M5Stack CoreS3 specifications: Wireless MCU – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3FN16R8 dual-core 32-bit Xtensa LX7 microcontroller with AI vector instructions up to 240MHz, RISC-V ULP co-processor, 512KB SRAM, 2.4GHz WiFi 4 (802.11b/g/n), Bluetooth 5.0 BLE + Mesh, 16MB flash, 8MB PSRAM Antenna – Internal “3D” antenna Storage – MicroSD card slot Display – 2-inch display with 320×240 resolution via ILI9342C […]

EPIC-ADS7-PUC Alder Lake-S embedded system is made for robotics, automation, healthcare imaging

AAEON EPIC-ADS7-PUC

AAEON EPIC-ADS7-PUC is an embedded system based on an up to 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700E Alder Lake-S processor and designed for robotics, automation, and healthcare imaging applications. The embedded computer supports up to 32GB DDR5 and two SATA III storage devices, offers three 4K video outputs via HDMI and DisplayPort connectors, one 2.5GbE and three Gigabit Ethernet ports,  along with Intel TCC support, up to six USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, two RS232/422/4485 COM ports, and some SKUs support Intel Time Coordinated Computing (TCC) for real-time control. Key Features: SoC – Intel Core Alder Lake-S processor, up to the 12-core (8P+4E) Core i7-12700E processor clocked at up to 4.8 GHz with Intel UHD Graphics 770; TDP: 65W Chipset – Intel 600 Series Desktop Chipset (R680E/Q670E/H610E) System Memory – Up to 32GB DDR5 4800 via 2x SODIMM socket (16GB max each) Storage – 2x SATA 3 with +5V onboard SATA […]

SONOFF iHost Review – A future-proof Smart Home Hub for local control

SONOFF iHost review

ITEAD has sent us a Sonoff iHost Smart Home Hub for review, and this device seems to be what many SONOFF fans have been waiting for, especially in terms of local control. meaning it can work without an Internet connection. SONOFF is known for its durable devices and good interoperability, but they are still catching up with other companies in terms of local control. Finally, the iHost Smart Home Hub fills the gap. In addition to local control, it also comes with privacy features as data stay local. SONOFF plans to expand its ecosystem by including devices from other brands compliant with standards such as Zigbee 3.0. Furthermore, the iHost Smart Home Hub is more like a platform than just a product, as it has add-ons to add more capability over time. In the future, it can be expanded to support the new “Matter” standard, similar to Home Assistant. The […]