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April 29, 2026April 29, 2026 by Debashis Das - 11 Comments

MiciMike’s open-source drop-in PCB converts Google Home Mini into a local voice assistant (Crowdfunding)

The MiciMike Home Mini Drop-In PCB is an open-source replacement mainboard designed to convert a 1st Gen Google Home Mini into a fully local, privacy-focused voice assistant running Home Assistant Voice. Built around an ESP32-S3 MCU and an XMOS XU316 audio processor, it removes cloud dependencies without any case modifications or soldering. The board offers on-device wake word detection, echo cancellation, and noise suppression via two MEMS microphones, and comes pre-flashed with ESPHome for easy Home Assistant integration. The PCBA fully supports local voice processing, optional cloud LLM integration, media playback, and Snapcast. It’s released as open hardware under the CERN-OHL-S v2 license, with complete design files available, making it suitable for privacy-focused smart-home automation, DIY voice assistants, and hardware-reuse projects. MiciMike Home Mini Drop-In PCB specifications: Compatibility – Google Home Mini 1st generation Wireless MCU – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3 CPU – Dual-core Xtensa LX7 microcontroller @ up to 240 […]

April 29, 2026April 29, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

SONOFF NSPanel Pro Gen2 – A 86-Type Smart Home control panel with two relays, dual-band WiFi, Zigbee 3.0, Matter support

SONOFF NSPanel Pro Gen2 is an 86-type Smart Home control panel featuring a 3.95-inch touch display, two relays supporting up to 10A, and dual-band WiFi 4, Bluetooth LE, and Zigbee 3.0 connectivity. The device also integrates a 1.5W speaker and a microphone for voice interaction, light and proximity sensors, and runs Android on a Rockchip RK3326-S SoC paired with 2GB RAM and 32GB eMMC flash. SONOFF NSPanel Pro Gen2 specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3326-S CPU – Quad-core Cortex-A35 processor @ 1.5 GHz GPU – Arm Mali-G31 GPU System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 32GB eMMC 5.1 flash Display – 3.95-inch capacitive touchscreen color TFT display with 480×480 resolution Audio – 1.5W speaker, digital microphone for two-way communication (intercom) Connectivity Zigbee 3.0 support via EFR32MG24 Dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi + Bluetooth Matter support Relay – Dual-gang relay up to 5A per gang, or 10A in total (resistive […]

November 6, 2025 by Paisit Wongsongsarn - 8 Comments

Review of SONOFF’s latest Matter Smart Switches – Basic Gen5 and Tx Gen2

Today, we’re about to review not one, but two new Matter devices: the SONOFF Basic Gen5 Smart Switch and the SONOFF Tx Gen2 Smart Wall Switch. Both are upgraded versions of their previous models, now adding support for the Matter protocol (over Wi-Fi). The Basic Gen5 is the fifth generation of the popular Basic series, known for being affordable and widely used in the market. It’s a Wi-Fi smart switch that can control all kinds of devices, such as lights or small electrical devices. Basically, anything within its 10A limit. What’s new compared to the previous BasicR4 is the addition of Matter and near-field control via Bluetooth. As for the Tx Gen2 (T6), it’s an upgraded version of the older T2/T3 lineup. Besides adding Matter, it also brings a few new features, like adjustable backlight brightness and the Detach Relay mode. Both models support voice control via Apple Siri, Google […]

August 31, 2025September 1, 2025 by Paisit Wongsongsarn - 8 Comments

SONOFF CAM-PT2 indoor security camera review with eWeLink, ONVIF-capable NVR, Home Assistant

Today, we’ll do a quick review of the new SONOFF CAM-PT2 indoor camera, which is the third model after the Slim Gen2 (CAM S2) fixed-angle camera and the Slim camera, both of which we reviewed previously. The CAM-PT2 (CAM Pan-Tilt 2) supports Pan/Tilt/Zoom functions. Its main features are quite similar to the CAM S2, including 1080p resolution, Motion Detection/AI Human Detection, and Privacy Zone support. In addition to Pan/Tilt, it adds new features such as the ability to set Preset Points to remember specific camera positions. It’s also the first SONOFF camera to support ONVIF, on top of RTSP, which has been available since the CAM S2. Let’s take a closer look at the details. SONOFF CAM-PT2 unboxing Inside the white box, you’ll find the camera itself, a mini manual, a USB-C cable, wall plugs with screws, a drilling sticker, and a camera holder. If you want other types of […]

May 15, 2025May 15, 2025 by Paisit Wongsongsarn - No Comments

SmartWings Smart Shade Review – An outdoor, solar-powered Matter shade tested with Apple HomeKit and Home Assistant

Recently, we received a custom-made-to-order smart shade from SmartWings for review. We never heard about SmartWings before, but the company claims to have been in the smart blind/shade and home automation industry for over 15 years. Their standout feature is the high degree of customisation they offer—whether it’s the type of shade, custom size up to almost 3 meters in width and height, various fabric styles, and compatibility with major Smart Home platforms like Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Home Assistant, and Hubitat. SmartWings asked us to select a location in the house where we wanted to review the smart shade. We wanted to review a solar-powered outdoor shade, so we selected a windowed door with direct sunlight. We carefully measured the dimensions following the instructions on the company’s website to understand the process. We had to select the shade type, privacy level of the fabric (openness), […]

January 15, 2025January 19, 2025 by Paisit Wongsongsarn - 7 Comments

SONOFF MINI-D Review – A Matter-enabled dry contact WiFi switch tested with eWeLink, Home Assistant, and Apple Home

SONOFF sent us a sample of the MINI-D Wi-Fi smart switch with a dry contact design for review. If you’re familiar with the larger SONOFF 4CH Pro model, which features four channels, the MINI-D operates similarly but is smaller in size and comes with the latest software features. The principle of a dry contact is that the relay contacts are not directly connected to the device’s power supply circuit. Instead, the contacts are isolated and require an external power source to supply power to the load. Make it flexible to use the SONOFF Mini-D in various scenarios such as controlling garage doors, thermostats, or high-current electrical devices through a contactor, like water pumps. It can also manage low-power DC devices such as solenoid valves or small electric motors (<8W). Because the power supplied to the MINI-D and the power passed through its relay can come from different sources, it offers […]