mqtt News - CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

June 20, 2025June 20, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

AI-On-The-Edge-Cam ESP32-S3 board aims to digitize legacy utility meters

AI-On-The-Edge-Cam is an ESP32-S3 board with a 2MP camera, microSD card, WiFi, BLE, and PoE Ethernet connectivity designed to digitize legacy utility meters such as water meters, gas meters, or electricity meters that require manual onsite reading. AI-On-The-Edge-Cam is also the name of the firmware running on the board and was initially designed for the ESP32-CAM board. But the new board adds a few features that make it more versatile, like PoE support and a microSD card slot for storage, as well as RGB LEDs acting as a flash to allow meter reading at any time of the day or night. AI-On-The-Edge-Cam specifications: Wireless module – ESP32-S3-WROOM-1U-N16R8 SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3 CPU – Dual-core Tensilica LX7 up to 240 MHz Memory – 512KB SRAM, up to 8MB PSRAM Storage – 16 MB flash Wireless – WiFi 4 and Bluetooth LE 5 IPEX antenna connector Storage – microSD card slot […]

April 28, 2025April 28, 2025 by Debashis Das - 2 Comments

Waveshare 8-channel RS485 to Ethernet industrial serial servers work as a Modbus & MQTT gateways, RS485-to-JSON converters

Industrial Isolated 8 Ch RS485 to RJ45 Ethernet Serial Server

Waveshare has launched the 8-Channel RS485 TO ETH (B) and 8-Channel RS485 TO POE ETH (B) industrial Ethernet serial servers designed for bi-directional transparent data transmission between RS485 and Ethernet networks. The only difference is PoE support, one has it, the other doesn’t, recognizable by their names. It features eight RS485 channels that operate independently, and supports two Ethernet ports (with an optional PoE version compliant with IEEE 802.3af). Key features include working as a serial server, Modbus gateway, MQTT gateway, and RS-485 to JSON converter. It also supports protocols like TCP, UDP, HTTP, DHCP, DNS, and more. It works in the industrial temperature range (-40°C to 85°C), offers power and signal isolation, 2kV surge protection, and comes housed in a durable aluminum alloy enclosure. Additionally, it supports wall-mount or rail-mount installation, multiple power supply methods (DC 7–36V via screw terminal or PoE), and web browser/device library configuration. These features make […]

April 26, 2025April 26, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Air Lab is a portable Wi-Fi & Bluetooth LE air quality monitor with an e-paper touchscreen display (Crowdfunding)

Networked Artifacts’ Air Lab is a portable air quality monitor based on ESP32-S3 Wi-Fi & Bluetooth LE wireless SoC, equipped with an e-paper touchscreen display, and plenty of sensors to measure CO2, temperature, relative humidity, air pollutants (VOC, NOx), and atmospheric pressure. The Air Lab ships with a rechargeable 1,500 mAh battery that will be good for about 21 days on a charge in passive mode (taking measurements every minute), and you can also power it over its USB-C ports. It includes a debug port for people wanting to change the firmware, and a GPIO header to connect additional sensors if required. Data can be visualized on the e-paper display or transmitted over BLE or MQTT for integration with Home Assistant. The company also provides a CSV export function and a web-based dashboard for data visualization. Air Lab specifications: Main module – ESP32-S3 module with PCB antenna for 2.4GHz WiFi […]

February 19, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Xcrhom T4S WiFi outdoor smart socket features power meter function, Tasmota open-source firmware

Xcrhom T4S Tasmota outdoor wifi smart socket

ESPHome is the favorite open-source firmware of Smart Home devices, but Tasmota is another option that’s been available for many years. We’ve just seen fewer products based on Tasmota (previously Sonoff-Tasmota) in recent years, but it recently showed up on a credit card-sized quad relay board, and I’ve just come across Maker Go’s Xcrhom T4S WiFi Outdoor Smart Socket that also ships with Tasmota firmware and sells on AliExpress for $24.88 shipped. The Xcrhom T4S exposes two sockets with dust and rainproof covers to be used safely outdoors, integrates a power meter, and the Tasmota firmware enables MQTT support, Home Assistant compatibility, and support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Xcrhom T4S specifications: Two EU sockets Max load – 3680W in total (16A x 230V) Rated Current – Up to 16A in total Power Input – 100 to 240V AC 50Hz Wireless – 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n WiFi 4; Tx power […]

January 31, 2025February 20, 2025 by Debashis Das - No Comments

SparkFun Digi X-ON LoRaWAN development kit combines Digi HX15 gateway with RP2350 IoT node and environmental sensors module

SparkFun has recently released the Digi X-ON LoRaWAN development kit an all-in-one IoT development kit designed to simplify the setup and deployment of LoRa-based IoT systems. It includes the Digi HX15 Gateway, SparkFun IoT Node for LoRaWAN, and the ENS160/BME280 environmental sensor, enabling rapid prototyping and connectivity with the help of the Digi X-ON cloud platform. The SparkFun IoT Node is built around the Raspberry Pi RP2350 microcontroller, which features 16MB flash, 8MB PSRAM, multiple GPIOs, LiPo battery support, microSD storage, and USB-C connectivity. It also integrates the Digi XBee LR module for long-range LoRaWAN communication with pre-activated cloud connectivity. With an onboard Qwiic connector and Arduino support, this development kit is ideal for applications like industrial monitoring, environmental sensing, smart agriculture, remote data collection, and more. Digi HX15 gateway specifications Microprocessor – STMicro STM32MP157C MPU with dual-core Cortex A7 @ 650 MHz, Cortex-M4 @ 209 MHz with FPU/MPU, 3D […]

January 17, 2025January 17, 2025 by Tomisin Olujinmi - 3 Comments

Home Assistant-compatible 60GHz mmWave radar sensor features a built-in IR blaster (Crowdfunding)

The eMotion Ultra is a Home Assistant-compatible 60GHz mmWave radar presence sensor with a built-in IR blaster with a 15-meter range, a brightness sensor, and a temperature/humidity sensor. It is powered by an Armv8-M KM4 microcontroller with built-in Wi-Fi connectivity and is targeted at simplifying complex smart home setups. The eMotion Ultra 60GHz mmWave radar presence sensor module is reported to be able to “cover up to 40 square meters (430 square feet) using just one device.” It can be configured for up to 4 zones with personalized automations for each zone. The exact Armv8-M KM4 module used isn’t named but is likely based on a Realtek RTL8720CM wireless SoC or other Realtek Ameba microcontroller. Potential applications include security management, lighting automation, home climate control, energy management, and rental property management. We have seen similar presence sensors such as the RoomSense IQ, Seeed Studio’s mmWave fall detection kit, SONOFF SNZB-06P, […]

January 14, 2025 by Tomisin Olujinmi - 2 Comments

Ditronix’s IPEM PiHat turns your Raspberry Pi into a mains power energy monitor (Crowdfunding)

Raspberry Pi 5 IPEM Power Energy Monitor

The IPEM PiHat is a HAT (Hardware Attached on Top) board for the Raspberry Pi that turns the single-board computer into a mains power energy monitor with four CT clamps. It provides an accurate way to track energy usage in home, office, and solar energy systems and is compatible with single-phase, two-phase, and three-phase electrical systems. The Raspberry Pi-based power energy monitor uses CT (current transformer) cable clamps to sample and measure data which can be used to report and analyze electric energy usage. This data can be used to save and divert energy to reduce costs and inefficiencies. The system is easy to set up and does not require a professional electrician. It uses a CT current clamp clipped over the building’s main power cables and connected to the local mains circuit for voltage and frequency measurement. The add-on board comes in two variants: IPEM PiHat and IPEM PiHat […]

January 6, 2025January 6, 2025 by Tomisin Olujinmi - No Comments

ZigEasy GEX is a series of ZigBee 3 & DigiMesh coordinators powered by the XBee 3 and XBee SX 868 modules

ZigEasy GEX Zigbee DigiMesh coordinators

The ZigEasy GEX series is a lineup of Zigbee / DigiMesh coordinators and Ethernet gateways based on Digi International’s XBee 3 and XBee SX 868 modules. These devices connect a ZigBee or DigiMesh network to a local Ethernet network or the internet. This makes it easier to create a robust Zigbee/DigiMesh network that can send and receive data from servers. The GEX2400 and GEX2400S devices integrate the Digi XBee3 module which supports Zigbee, 802.15.4, DigiMesh, and BLE and is configured directly with the XCTU software (USB or TCP/IP). The Digi SX 868 module on the GEX868 and GEX868S coordinators only supports DigiMesh. The “S” models include TLS 1.2 and AES-256 encryption for secure internet communication and are ideal for use cases that require internet access. These ZigEasy GEX Zigbee / DigiMesh coordinators can be used in mesh networks for smart homes, monitoring weather conditions, and tracking agricultural data. They can […]