sensors News - Page 2 of 29 - CNX Software

January 18, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Getting started with SONOFF Dongle Plus MG24 Zigbee adapter using Home Assistant

SONOFF Dongle Plus MG24 review AirGuard TH MINI-ZB2GS-L

We have received a sample of the SONOFF Dongle Plus MG24 (also known as Dongle-PMG24) Zigbee/Thread USB dongle for review. As its name implies, it’s based on a Silicon Labs EFR32MG24 wireless chip, and the company claims up to 200 meters range thanks to an included 3dBi antenna. It is compatible with Windows, Linux, macOS, Raspberry Pi OS, and other operating systems that support USB serial drivers. The dongle works seamlessly with popular open-source platforms, such as Home Assistant, Zigbee2MQTT, ioBroker, and OpenHAB. In this review, we will go through an unboxing of the SONOFF Dongle Plus MG24, before connecting it to a Raspberry Pi 4 running Home Assistant. We will use two Zigbee devices from SONOFF: the AirGuard TH (SNZB-02DR2) temperature and humidity sensor with an LCD, and the MINI DUO-L (MINI-ZB2GS-L) dual-channel/2-gang Zigbee 3.0 switch to demonstrate how to use the dongle with Home Assistant. SONOFF Dongle Plus […]

January 14, 2026January 14, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

ESP-SensairShuttle ESP32-C5 kit supports Bosch Sensortec’s BME690, BMI270, BMM350 environmental and motion sensors

Jointly developed by Espressif Systems and Bosch Sensortec, the ESP-SensairShuttle kit comprises an ESP32-C5 development board that can be interfaced with a choice of two sensor daughterboards. It is designed for motion sensing and large language model human-computer/machine interaction scenarios. More specifically, the ESP-SensairShuttle mainboard relies on an ESP32-C5-WROOM-1-N16R8 module with dual-band Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5 (LE), Zigbee, and Thread (802.15.4) wireless connectivity, and interfaces with the provided Bosch Sensortec Shuttle Boards, a 1.83-inch touch display, a microphone, and a speaker, and can be powered via USB or a LiPo battery. ESP-SensairShuttle kit content and specifications: ESP-SensairShuttle mainboard Main control module – ESP32-C5-WROOM-1-N16R8 SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-C5 CPU Single-core 32-bit RISC-V processor @ up to 240 MHz Low-power RISC-V core @ 40 MHz acting as the main processor for power-sensitive applications Memory – 384 KB SRAM on-chip Storage – 320 KB ROM Connectivity Dual-band (2.4/5 GHz) 802.11ax WiFi 6, […]

December 30, 2025 by Debashis Das - 2 Comments

Elecrow AI starter kit turns NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano into a learning platform with 11.6-inch display, 30 electronics modules

Elecrow AI Starter Kit for the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano turns the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano into a learning and educational kit for students, educators, and hardware enthusiasts looking for a rapid and powerful prototyping platform. The kit integrates an 11.6-inch IPS touchscreen, an 8MP servo-controlled gimbal camera, a voice interaction module, and 30 common electronics modules embedded in the kit. The company also provides 39 Python tutorials for sensor control, computer vision, and basic AI workflows. In addition to the display, camera, and audio features, the kit also includes expansion through I2C, UART, and GPIO. Jetson Orin Nano AI Starter Kit specifications: Main Board – NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano (Not included in the kit) Display – 11.6-inch IPS touchscreen display with 1366 × 768 resolution Onboard modules Input modules Multimedia – 8MP IMX219-based camera with dual-servo gimbal (PTZ-style control) Sensors Temperature & humidity sensor Ultrasonic distance sensor PIR motion […]

December 27, 2025 by Debashis Das - 5 Comments

ESP32-C6 development board features 1.8-inch AMOLED touch display, built-in mic and speaker, IMU, RTC, and more

Waveshare ESP32-C6-Touch-AMOLED-1.8 is an ESP32-C6-based touch display development board featuring a 1.8-inch capacitive AMOLED display, a 6-axis IMU, RTC, audio codec, microSD card slot, USB-C for power and programming, power/boot buttons, and various I/Os including I²C, UART, USB, and GPIO pads. Compared to boards like Waveshare ESP32-S3-LCD-1.28, ESP32-S3-Touch-LCD-1.69 (based on ESP32-S3), and ESP32-P4-WIFI6-Touch-LCD-3.4C/4C (based on ESP32-P4), this board is based on the ESP32-C6 wireless SoC with 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5 LE, Zigbee, and Thread connectivity. It also includes a 16 MB external flash and a 368 × 448 AMOLED display with 16.7 million colors and capacitive touch support. Power is managed by an AXP2101 PMIC for Li-ion battery support and charging. Typical applications include smart home control panels, wearable and handheld IoT devices, voice-enabled assistants, data loggers, portable dashboards, and HMI-focused embedded prototypes. Waveshare ESP32-C6-Touch-AMOLED-1.8 specifications: SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-C6 CPU Single-core 32-bit RISC-V clocked up to 160 MHz […]

December 26, 2025 by Debashis Das - No Comments

Cerelog ESP-EEG – A low-cost ESP32-based EEG acquisition board for brain computer interface (BCI) experiments

Cerelog ESP EEG ESP32 EEG acquisition board

The Cerelog ESP-EEG is an 8-channel, low-cost brain computer interface (BCI) circuit board built around the ESP32 MCU and designed for EEG data acquisition. The board supports 8-channel, 24-bit EEG data collection and connects to a host system over USB-C for both power and data. The board has an active noise-removal bias pin which reduces mains interference, along with onboard status LEDs, including a dedicated indicator for active data capture. It works with third-party or DIY EEG headsets using adapter boards, and STL files are provided for 3D printed mounts. Cerelog also offers various software tools and sample code to enable real-time EEG visualization, BCI experiments, neurofeedback, and custom brain-controlled applications. Cerelog ESP-EEG specifications: Wireless Module – ESP32-WROOM-32 SoC – ESP32 CPU – Dual-core processor @ 160 MHz Memory – 520 KB SRAM Wireless WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2 Storage – 4 MB flash PCB antenna Analog Front-End (via TI’s […]

December 21, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 10 Comments

XIAO Soil Moisture Sensor review with Home Assistant

Seeed Studio sent us a review sample of the XIAO Soil Moisture Sensor powered by the XIAO ESP32C6 wireless module and running on a single AA battery. Designed for ultra-low power consumption, it’s supposed to offer long-lasting operation with dynamic adjustment of monitoring intervals. It’s preloaded with ESPHome firmware and is fully compatible with Home Assistant. It’s ideal for indoor plants monitoring, but it can’t be used outdoors since the 3D printed enclosure is not weatherproof. In this review, we’ll start with an unboxing, do a quick teardown, and test it with Home Assistant to receive a notification on our smartphone when the soil is dry. XIAO Soil Moisture Sensor specifications Wireless module – XIAO ESP32C6 Wireless MCU – Espressif Systems ESP32-C6 CPU 32-bit RISC-V core up to 160 MHz Low-power RISC-V core up to 20 MHz Memory – 512 KB SRAM, 16KB low-power SRAM Storage – 320 KB ROM, 4MB […]

December 17, 2025February 1, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Fusion HAT+ Raspberry Pi expansion board targets motor and servo control with AI and LLMs

SunFounder Fusion HAT+ for Raspberry Pi 5/4/3B+ and Zero single board computers is a motor control and GPIO expansion board designed to work with LLMs such as ChatGPT or Gemini using the board’s built-in speaker and microphone for voice interaction. It features four DC motor drivers, twelve PWM servo channels, four ADC inputs, I2C, SPI, and UART interface for sensors, and ships with two 18650 rechargeable batteries with smart power management & safe shutdown. It can be used in smart cars, humanoid robots, robotic arms, multi-legged spiders, and smart home systems. Fusion HAT+ specifications: MCU – Gigadevices GD32E203C8T6 Arm Cortex-M23 microcontroller @ 72MHz with 64KB flash, 8KB SRAM. Motor control – 4x motor ports Audio 2030 audio chamber speaker connected to an I2S audio port MEMS microphone Expansion 4-channel digital pins 4-pin I2C interface compatible with Qwiic/STEMMA Qt 7-pin SPI interface 4-pin UART interface 12-channel PWM pins for servos 4-channel […]

December 16, 2025December 17, 2025 by Debashis Das - 3 Comments

HealthyPi 6 – A portable Wi-Fi 6 biosignal acquisition device with ECG, PPG, respiration, and temperature sensors (Crowdfunding)

HealthyPi 6 open source multi modal biosignal research platform

Designed by ProtoCentral Electronics in India, the HealthyPi 6 is an open-source, portable, research-grade biosignal acquisition device designed for academic research, education, and prototyping. It targets labs, classrooms, and field studies that need professional-quality physiological measurements without bulky desktop systems or proprietary lock-in. Building on the HealthyPi 5 (2023) and HealthyPi 4 (2019), the HealthyPi 6 is a standalone device with 3-channel/5-lead ECG, dual-wavelength PPG for heart rate and SpO₂, respiration via impedance pneumography, skin temperature sensing, and a 9-axis IMU for motion and artifact detection. Built around the STM32H757 real-time microcontroller and an ESP32-C6 handling Wi-Fi 6 and BLE connectivity, the device features a USB-C port, onboard flash and microSD storage, and 48+ hours of operation on a charge. Modular HealthyLink ports allow for EEG, EMG, GSR, additional analog inputs, triggers, and co-processors expansion. These features make it suitable for cardiovascular and sleep research, rehabilitation studies, wearable prototyping, biosignal […]