esphome News - CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

January 24, 2024January 23, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

FOSDEM 2024 schedule – Open-source embedded, mobile, IoT, robotics, RISC-V, etc..

FOSDEM – which stands for Free and Open Source Software Developers’ European Meeting – is a free-to-participate event where thousands of developers meet in Brussels on the first week-end of February to discuss open-source software & hardware projects. FOSDEM 2024 will take place on February 3-4 with 880 speakers, 818 events, and 66 tracks. Although I won’t attend, I’ve created a virtual schedule like every year with sessions most relevant to the topics covered on CNX Software from the “Embedded, Mobile and Automotive” and “Open Hardware and CAD/CAM” devrooms, but also other devrooms including “FOSS Mobile Devices”, “ Energy: Reimagining this Ecosystem through Open Source”, “RISC-V”, and others. FOSDEM Day 1 – Saturday, February 3, 2024 10:30 – 10:55 – Screen Sharing on Raspberry Pi 5 Using VNC in Weston and Wayland with the Yocto Project and OpenEmbedded by Leon Anavi In 2023, embedded Linux developers received eagerly awaited news: […]

January 22, 2024January 22, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 10 Comments

Zigbee Home is an ESPHome-like firmware project for Zigbee devices

Zigbee Home firmware project aims to provide similar functionality to ESPHome open-source firmware, but for Zigbee devices based on Nordic Semi nRF52 wireless microcontrollers, and later on the newer nRF53 MCUs.

The firmware relies on Nordic Semi ZBOSS for Zigbee 3.0 stack and should eventually enable a range of Zigbee devices to be flashed with open-source firmware and facilitate integration with Home Assistant open-source home automation framework through ZHA integration, and support for Zigbee2MQTT is also being worked on.

January 7, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 15 Comments

ESPHome compatible “Smart Powermeter” supports up to 6 CT clamps

J.G.Aguado’s “Smart Powermeter” is an ESP32-S2 board with a 2.9-inch e-paper display designed to measure power consumption through up to six CT clamps, or Current Transformer clamps, that are each attached to one of the AC lines of a house or appliance. I used an MT87 Digital Clamp Multimeter nearly 10 years ago to easily and safely measure the power consumption of a whole house by simply clamping it on one of the cables outside and reading the results on the display. The Smart Powermeter works in the same way but can perform measurements for up to six devices, and besides seeing the results on the display the ESP32-S2 can also send the data to the cloud or local server for data gathering and analysis using ESPHome or Arduino firmware. Smart Powermeter specifications: Wireless module – ESP32-S2-MINI-1-N4R2 SoC – Espressif ESP32-S2FH4 CPU Single-core 32-bit LX7 microcontroller @ up to 240 […]

December 19, 2023December 19, 2023 by Supachai Vorapojpisut - 9 Comments

Seeed Studio mmWave sensor kit – Part 1: unboxing and first impression with ESPHome and Home Assistant

mmWave Human Detection Sensor Kit Review Home Assistant

Excited to share my first review, written for CNX Software! This time, we’re diving into the Seeed Studio mmWave Human Detection Sensor Kit, which harnesses the power of mmWave radar. The technology I’m particularly interested in for its smart home potential. Therefore, I jumped at the chance when CNX Software offered a product review opportunity. The kit arrived promptly at my doorstep just one week after accepting CNX Software’s offer. Here are my initial findings of the product and its capabilities to replace existing motion detection products. Unboxing the mmWave sensor kit I opened the DHL box and found the neatly bubble-wrapped mmWave Human Detection Sensor Kit. Alongside the kit, I discovered a bonus: the MR60FDA1 60GHz mmWave Sensor – Fall Detection Module Pro. This higher-frequency module boasts better resolution and even adds a fall detection feature compared to the kit’s included module, the MR24HPC1. However, the MR24HPC1 24GHz mmWave Sensor […]

December 15, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Silicon Labs partners with Nabu Casa to support Home Assistant development

Silicon Labs has entered an official partnership with Nabu Casa, the company behind the popular Home Assistant home automation software, to support the development of Home Assistant open-source software and Silicon Labs-based hardware platforms. Most open-source embedded software projects start as a one-person (or a small team) effort as the vendor-provided firmware and related software may not have the features set needed by this user or group of users. So they hack existing hardware to build something that better fits their requirements often without input/help from the silicon vendor or product manufacturer. But sometimes the project becomes popular enough that large companies start to help it with support and funding. That’s apparently the case for Home Assistant project with Silicon Lans and Nabu Case entering an official partnership. The announcement does not provide details about the partnership but explains this should lead to better support and improvements for both Home […]

November 30, 2023November 30, 2023 by Paisit Wongsongsarn - 13 Comments

Review of SONOFF BASICR4 Smart Switch and S-MATE2 Smart Remote Control

Sonoff SMATE-2 + BASICR4 automation demo

We’ve received two new devices from SONOFF for testing, namely the BASICR4 Smart Switch and the S-MATE2 Smart Remote Control. For those familiar with SONOFF devices, the Basic series is well-known as it was one of the initial products SONOFF introduced to the Smart Home market. It’s a Wi-Fi switch that can be used for various purposes, including controlling lights, fans, and other electrical devices. The BASICR4 model enhances capabilities while reducing costs compared to its predecessor. The S-MATE2, on the other hand, is the second version of a simple Remote Controller powered by batteries. It wirelessly connects to other SONOFF devices that support the eWeLink Remote Gateway feature, enabling full control within the same ecosystem. This expands its usability across different devices. Let’s delve into the details. SONOFF BASICR4 Introduction The Basic series has been a long-standing Wi-Fi Switch family allowing control of electrical devices through the eWeLink app […]

October 4, 2023October 3, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Inkplate 4 TEMPERA ePaper display supports ESPHome, Arduino, and MicroPython (Crowdfunding)

Years after years, Soldered Electronics keeps on churning out new ESP32-powered ePaper displays and the latest model is the Inkplate 4 TEMPERA with a recycled 3.8-inch e-paper touchscreen with 600×600 resolution and plenty of sensors and features for a device of that size. The InkPlate 4 TEMPERA comes with a frontlight, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, temperature, humidity, air quality, and gesture sensors, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, a built-in battery, and a low-power operating mode. Inkplate 4 TEMPERA specifications: Wireless module – ESP32-WROVER-E with ESP32 dual-core microcontroller with Wi-Fi 4 & Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity Memory – 8MB PSRAM Storage – 4MB flash PCB antenna Storage – MicroSD card slot Display (ED038TH2) 3.8-inch 3-bit grayscale (black, white, and six shades of gray) ePaper display with 600 x 600 pixels resolution Refresh rate 0.18s partial refresh rate in 1-bit (B&W) mode 0.86s full refresh mode in either 1-bit or 3-bit modes Multi-point touchscreen […]

August 15, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Privacy-focused DIY video doorbell leverages ESP32-CAM board, ESPHome firmware, Home Assistant

Seeing the lack of privacy-focused video doorbells on the market, Tristam (aka ThatGuy) decided to design his own doorbell with an ESP32-CAM board purchased from Amazon and flashed with ESPHome open-source firmware for easy integration with Home Assistant so there’s no need to rely on third-party cloud services. The DIY design also comes with other off-the-shelf parts with a momentary push button, a 10kΩ resistor, an RGB LED ring light, M2.5 brass inserts and screws, and a 10-meter micro USB cable all of which can be purchased from Amazon or another shop. He also needed eSUN white PETG filament to 3D print the custom plastic enclosure. The assembly requires two wires to the push button for 3.3V and GPIO 14 pulled to the ground with the 10k Ohm resistor and three wires to the RGB LED ring (5V, GND, GPIO15). Tristam notes the RGB LED ring is optional, and the […]