home assistant News - CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

December 4, 2024 by Paisit Wongsongsarn - 1 Comment

SONOFF CAM Slim Gen2 Review – A tiny indoor security camera tested with eWeLink and Home Assistant

We have received the latest tiny indoor security camera from SONOFF: the second generation of the CAM Slim series known as the CAM Slim Gen2 (or CAM S2 for shorts). Some of you might remember the first-generation CAM Slim model reviewed by Jean-Luc about two years ago. The Gen2 version keeps the same 1080p resolution but comes with several upgraded features, including AI algorithms to distinguish living beings, customizable detection zones, customizable privacy zones, sleep mode, enhanced low-light image quality, and flexible storage management. Although it’s packed with several enhancements, its price is lower than the Gen1. Let’s delve into the details! SONOFF CAM Slim Gen2 unboxing Inside the box, you’ll find a compact manual, a USB-C cable, a mounting kit, and a sticker template acting as a drilling guide. The camera is smaller than your palm and comes mounted on a versatile, rotatable base, making installation in various positions […]

November 28, 2024November 28, 2024 by Tomisin Olujinmi - No Comments

ESP32-based YULC USB-C LED Controller features dual power inputs, supports WLED and ESPHome firmware

The YULC (Yes, a USB-C LED Controller) board is a compact, ESP32-S3-powered LED controller with USB-C and DC jack power inputs. It is a fully featured board that can easily replace a rat’s nest of wires and save space and time. This ESP32 LED controller features a built-in buck regulator that converts input power from the USB-C port or barrel jack to the voltage needed for the LED strips. The YULC provides two separate LED channels with a level shifter each to ensure clean and powerful data output, removing the need for a sacrificial pixel or external level shifter. Each channel also has a power MOSFET that can turn off the channels individually and dim simple LED strips via PWM. AAElectronics, the maker, has previously released an IR remote—the Home Assistant-compatible ESP 360 Remote—which we covered at the time. Similar products include the SMLIGHT A1-SLWF-03, DFRobot’s EDGE102-DMX512, and the PixelBlaze […]

October 25, 2024 by Paisit Wongsongsarn - 31 Comments

SONOFF ZBMINIR2 review – A mini Zigbee switch & Zigbee router tested with eWeLink and Home Assistant

We have received another Zigbee device from SONOFF for review, namely the ZBMINIR2 which we’ll review with both eWelink adn Home Assistant. Many people may be familiar with the first-generation mini Zigbee Switch that SONOFF released in 2020, known as the ZBMINI. ZBMINI was one of the early Zigbee Switch models, which also acted as a Zigbee Router. The ZBMINIR2 is SONOFF’s second-generation mini Zigbee Switch including both software and hardware upgrades compared to its predecessor. Improvements include a smaller size, better signal quality, an increase in the number of supported devices (2x), wider coverage (5x), and additional features. Let’s dive into the details. Unboxing ZBMINIR2 Zigbee switch Inside the box, you’ll find a small user manual and the ZBMINIR2 device as usual. It is notably smaller than the predecessor model, which makes installation much easier in many cases. For example, it can now fit into the wall box behind […]

October 21, 2024October 20, 2024 by Sayantan Nandy - 1 Comment

Seeed Studio launches ESP32-C6-powered 60GHz mmWave human fall detection and breathing/heartbeat detection sensor kits

mmWave human fall detection and heartbeat sensor

Last year, we reviewed the MR60FDA1 60GHz mmWave fall detection sensor kit, which utilizes the XIAO ESP32C3 module as its core. This module, featuring both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, opens up various IoT applications. Now, Seeed Studio has introduced advanced mmWave sensor modules specifically designed for enhanced fall detection and heartbeat monitoring. The MR60FDA2 is optimized for fall detection, while the MR60BHA2 is designed for heartbeat monitoring. Powered by an ESP32-C6 WiFi 6 and RIS-Bluetotoh LE microcontroller, these modules offer reliable detection for real-time fall monitoring and accurate heartbeat tracking. They also feature customizable RGB LEDs and ambient light sensors, providing additional flexibility. With expansion options via Grove GPIO ports, these versatile modules are well-suited for applications like smart home integration and healthcare monitoring. Previously, we covered the RoomSense IQ and the DesignCore RS-6843AOPU with mmWave technology. The RoomSense IQ is an ESP32-S3-based modular room monitor with mmWave radar presence […]

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

SONOFF ZBMINIR2 tiny Zigbee 3.0 switch also works as a Zigbee router with up to 64 sub-devices

SONOFF ZBMINIR2 is a tiny Zigbee smart switch that looks very similar to the SONOFF Zigbee Extreme (ZBMINIL2) but requires a neutral wire and can act as a Zigbee router with up to 64 sub-devices. It also supports new features such as “Turbo mode” for extended range and “detach relay” mode where the states of external switches and relay are separated, so operating the external switch button won’t affect the relay state. The tiny wireless switch can fit into the smallest EU-type/86-type/120-type mounting boxes and works with gateways supporting the Zigbee 3.0 protocol such as ZBBridge Pro, NSPanel Pro, and other compatible Zigbee 3.0 hubs. It also supports external switches (momentary, door, SPDT, and rocker), voice control through Amazon Alexa and Google Home, and like other SONOFF devices is designed to be controlled through the eWelink mobile app by default. SONOFF ZBMINIR2 specifications: MCU – Unspecified – Potentially the same […]

August 26, 2024August 26, 2024 by Tomisin Olujinmi - 5 Comments

Integrated motor driver and controller bundles ESP32-S3 and TMC2209 for IoT applications

The PD Stepper is a NEMA 17 integrated stepper motor driver and controller board powered by USB power delivery that combines an ESP32-S3 wireless microcontroller, the Trinamic TMC2209 ultra-silent motor driver, and other components onto a single board for Smart Home and automation applications. The maker, Josh R., states that the PD Stepper isn’t another “just because we can” project. It addresses the need for an integrated motor driver and controller module that can used in compact or space-constrained designs. The ESP32-S3 SoC controls the other components on the board and provides wireless connectivity as well as access to development tools and libraries such as ESPHome and ESP-Now. The motor driver IC, Analog Devices’s Trinamic TMC2209, offers efficient, noiseless control of two-phase stepper motors. Other onboard components and connectors include an AS5600 magnetic rotary position sensor, a 3.3V buck converter, a Qwiic/Stemma QT connector, a motor connector, and an AUX […]

August 22, 2024August 21, 2024 by Sayantan Nandy - 12 Comments

WiCAN Pro – An ESP32-S3-powered OBD scanner for vehicle diagnostics with Smart Home integration (Crowdfunding)

MeatPi Electronics introduced the WiCAN Pro, an ESP32-S3-based OBD scanner, and the successor to WiCAN-OBD. Equipped with an OBD-II interface IC, it provides full support for all legislated OBD-II protocols. It offers compatibility with multiple CAN Bus protocols, including three standard CAN Bus and single-wire CAN Bus. The previous generation WiCAN module came in an OBD or USB-based version. The WiCAN Pro only has an OBD interface, but another significant difference from the previous product is that it features a USB host port. This port can power USB devices up to 1.5 amps at 5 volts and enables capabilities like adding GPS or cellular-based radios, like with meatPi’s ESPNetLink add-on. WiCAN Pro specifications: Wireless Module – ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R8 SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3R8 dual-core Tensilica LX7 @ up to 240 MHz with vector instructions for AI acceleration, 512KB RAM, 8MB PSRAM Storage – 16 MB flash Wireless – 2.4 GHz WiFi […]

August 14, 2024August 13, 2024 by Paisit Wongsongsarn - 7 Comments

Mixtile Edge 2 Kit review with Home Assistant, 2-in-1 Zigbee & Z-Wave mPCIe module

We received the Edge 2 Kit IoT gateway on the Rockchip RK3568-powered Edge2 single board computer (SBC) and a 2-in-1 Zigbee and Z-Wave mPCIe card from Mixtile which we will be reviewing from the perspective of smart home applications using Home Assistant open-source home automation framework. Let’s dive into the details. Unboxing Mixtile Edge 2 Kit CNX Software previously reported on the Mixtile Edge 2 Kit in 2022 and you can check the detailed specifications and block diagram in that earlier article. Since then, Mixtile has found a wider range of applications for the device and is also promoting it as an Edge AI Box that performs AI object detection using the Edge 2 Kit (or the more powerful Mixtile Blade 3) using the built-in NPU (Neural Processing Unit) with up to 1 TOPS of AI performance for tasks such as object detection. Let’s unbox it and take a closer […]