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September 13, 2025September 15, 2025 by Paisit Wongsongsarn - 6 Comments

XIAO Smart IR Mate Review – A compact smart infrared remote control hub for Home Assistant

SeeedStudio XIAO IR Test3 AirCon Mitsubishi Slim

SeeedStudio sent us a tiny Smart IR Remote hub for review: XIAO Smart IR Mate, or XIAO IR Mate for short. At first glance, it looks like any other WiFi IR blasters, but what makes it interesting is that the device is built on an open architecture using the XIAO ESP32C3 module and runs on ESPHome, working natively with the Home Assistant open-source home automation platform. As usual, SeeedStudio gives access to the source code, so it’s super convenient if you want to tweak the functions yourself to fit various needs. For those who are new to Smart IR, it’s a device that acts as an infrared (IR) control hub. The idea is to let you control legacy IR-based devices (old TVs, air conditioners, stereos, etc.) via a Smart Home system. We did several tests with several devices we had lying around, namely a Hatari oscillating fan, a Dyson blade-less […]

September 6, 2025September 6, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments

reTerminal E1001/E1002 – ESP32-S3-powered monochrome/color ePaper displays for dashboards, digital signage

reTerminal E1002 7.3-inch color ePaper display

Seeed Studio’s reTerminal E1001 and E1002 are two ePaper displays featuring an ESP32-S3 WiFi and Bluetooth LE wireless microcontroller suitable for dashboards or digital signage applications. The only difference between the two reTerminal E-series displays is that the E1001 features a 7.5-inch monochrome display, while the E1002 integrates a 7.3-inch 6-color ePaper display. Both come with a 2,000 mAh battery offering up to 3 months of battery life, a 32MB SPI flash, a microSD card slot, a microphone and a buzzer, temperature and humidity sensors, an 8-pin GPIO header, and a few buttons and LEDs. reTerminal E1001/E1002 specifications: Wireless SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3 dual-core microcontroller with 8MB PSRAM Storage 32MB SPI flash MicroSD card slot up to 32GB (FAT32 file system only) Display E1001 – 7.5-inch Monochrome ePaper display with 800×480 resolution E1002 – 7.3-inch “Full Color” (i.e., 6-color) ePaper display with 800×480 resolution Audio Microphone (3) for voice […]

August 7, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

XIAOML Kit with ESP32-S3, camera, microphone, and IMU complements a free Machine Learning Systems book

XIAOML Kit Machine Learning Systems Book

The XIAOML Kit is one of the devkits that complements Harvard University Professor Vijay Janapa Reddi’s book “Introduction to Machine Learning Systems“, available for free as a 2050-page PDF file. Made by Seeed Studio, the XIAOML Kit is composed of the XIAO ESP32S3 Sense with an ESP32-S3 WiFI and Bluetooth SoC, a microSD card slot, a built-in OV3660 camera and microphone, and the “IMU Breakout board” featuring a 6-axis IMU and 0.42-inch OLED display. The kit enables students, educators, and developers to build vision, sound, and motion applications through tinyML lab sessions developed with Marcelo Rovai (UNIFEI). XIAOML Kit specifications: Main Board – XIAO ESP32S3 Sense SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3R8 dual-core Tensilica LX7 microcontroller @ 240 MHz with 512KB SRAM, 8MB PSRAM, Wi-Fi 4 & Bluetooth 5.0 dual-mode (Classic + BLE) connectivity Storage – 8MB flash, microSD card slot Sensors – OV3660 camera, digital microphone USB – USB-C port […]

July 31, 2025 by Debashis Das - 1 Comment

Seeed Studio XIAO nRF54L15 USB-C boards support Matter, Thread, Zigbee, and Amazon Sidewalk

Seeed Studio recently introduced the XIAO nRF54L15 series, which includes the XIAO nRF54L15 and XIAO nRF54L15 Sense USB-C development boards. Built around Nordic’s 128MHz nRF54L15 Cortex-M33 wireless SoC with 1.5MB NVM, 256KB RAM, these modules are suitable for wearables, smart home, IIoT sensors, and low-power wireless devices. Both boards support BLE 6.0, Matter, Thread, Zigbee, Amazon Sidewalk, and proprietary 2.4 GHz protocols. The Sense variant adds a digital microphone and a 6-axis IMU. Common features include 16 GPIOs and a USB Type-C port for power, programming, and charging. Security features include TrustZone, secure boot, firmware update support, side-channel protection, and tamper detection. XIAO nRF54L15 Series Specifications Wireless MCU – Nordic Semi nRF54L15 wireless SoC CPU Arm Cortex-M33 @ up to 128 MHz RISC-V coprocessor for “software-defined peripheral” Memory – 256 KB SRAM Storage – 1.5MB Non-volatile Memory (NVM) Wireless Bluetooth LE 6.0 (includes Channel Sounding) Thread, Zigbee (IEEE 802.15.4-2020) Matter […]

July 29, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

ReSpeaker XMOS XVF3800 4-mic array board features ESP32-S3 module, also works over USB

Seeed Studio’s “ReSpeaker XMOS XVF3800 with XIAO ESP32S3” board is a 4-mic array board with XMOS XVF3800 voice processor and ESP32-S3 wireless MCU for standalone operation, but it can also be used as a USB microphone array for computers and SBCs. The Respeaker mic array family was first introduced in 2016, and new models have been launched over the years, like the ReSpeaker Core v2 and ReSpeaker Lite Series, with audio improvements and different feature sets. The ReSpeaker XMOS XVF3800 with XIAO ESP32S3 is the latest variant, and Seeed Studio claims it offers a “clearer voice capture, even in noisy environments.” ReSpeaker XMOS XVF3800 with XIAO ESP32S3 specifications: Wireless module – XIAO ESP32S3 Wireless MCU – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3R8 CPU – Dual-core Tensilica LX7 microcontroller @ 240 MHz Memory – 512KB SRAM, 8MB PSRAM Wireless – Wi-Fi 4 & Bluetooth 5.0 dual-mode (classic + BLE) connectivity Storage – 8MB SPI […]

July 28, 2025July 27, 2025 by Debashis Das - 2 Comments

ESP32-C3 based IR remote hub offers touch sensor, haptic feedback, 360° coverage

The XIAO Smart IR Mate is a compact circular-shaped IR remote hub/blaster built around the XIAO ESP32-C3 and designed for IoT applications. It comes pre-flashed with ESPHome and turns traditional IR-controlled appliances like TVs, air conditioners, and projectors into smart devices that can be automated, controlled, or integrated into home automation systems. The module includes three high-power IR LEDs for 360° transmission, a high-sensitivity IR receiver supporting up to 10 learned IR commands, and there’s also haptic feedback through a touch sensor and status LED. It supports Wi-Fi 2.4GHz & BLE, and is powered via USB Type-C. Measuring only 65 x 19mm, it can be a great tool for your DIY projects. XIAO Smart IR Mate specifications MCU module – XIAO ESP32C3 SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-C3 CPU – Single-core RISC-V microcontroller @ 160 MHz Memory – 400KB SRAM Storage – 384KB ROM Wireless Wi-Fi 4 & Bluetooth LE 5.0 […]

July 19, 2025July 19, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 16 Comments

MeshCore is a lightweight alternative to Meshtastic LoRa-based off-grid messaging

While Meshtastic is by far the most popular off-grid messaging solution relying on LoRa radios, MeshCore offers an alternative as a lightweight C++ library and firmware designed for multi-hop packet routing and made for developers who want to create resilient, decentralized communication networks that work without the internet. The project’s GitHub repository provides some high-level differences compared to the Meshtastic and Reticulum projects: MeshCore provides the ability to create wireless mesh networks, similar to Meshtastic and Reticulum but with a focus on lightweight multi-hop packet routing for embedded projects. Unlike Meshtastic, which is tailored for casual LoRa communication, or Reticulum, which offers advanced networking, MeshCore balances simplicity with scalability, making it ideal for custom embedded solutions., where devices (nodes) can communicate over long distances by relaying messages through intermediate nodes. This is especially useful in off-grid, emergency, or tactical situations where traditional communication infrastructure is unavailable. MeshCore key features: Multi-hop […]

July 15, 2025July 16, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Wio-LR1121 tiny LoRa module supports for sub-GHz, S-Band, and 2.4GHz frequency bands

Seeed Studio Wio-LR1121 is a tiny, multi-band LoRa module based on LR1121 RF transceiver, a low-cost version of LR1120 without GNSS or Wi-Fi scanning capabilities, that supports sub-GHz, S-Band (1.9-2.1GHz), and 2.4GHz frequency bands. We had previously seen the LR1121 used in the MuRata Type-2GT module and a LILYGO module as an option for the T-Eth Elite board. The Wio-LR1121 offers another option that’s easy to solder, thanks to castellated holes and pads. Wio-LR1121 specifications: RF Transceiver – Semtech LR1121 Frequency bands – 863 to 928MHz and 2.4 to 2.5GHz frequencies; Note: The LR1121 also supports S-Band at 2.1 to 2.3 GHz, but it’s not mentioned in the specifications of the module, and only briefly in the title and description Output Power Up to 20.4dBm @ 868/915 MHz Up to 11dBm max @ 2.4GHz Receiver Sensitivity RxBoost ON： -126dBm @ SubG,BW=125KHz, SF = 7 -140dBm @ SubG, BW=125KHz, SF = […]