zigbee News - CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

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 23, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Arduino Core for ESP32 gets a Zigbee wrapper library

Some of the newer Espressif Systems wireless SoCs such as the ESP32-H2 and ESP32-C6 support Zigbee through their built-in 802.15.4 radio. It’s been working since the release of the ESP-IDF 5.1 framework along with the ESP-Zigbee-SDK for a while, but Arduino support was less straightforward. But this is about to change as an Espressif engineer nicknamed P-R-O-C-H-Y has recently added a Zigbee wrapper library for the ESP-Zigbee-SDK to Arduino Core for ESP32 that works with ESP32-C6 and ESP32-H2 as standalone nodes and other SoC can be used as radio co-processor attached to an RPC (802.15.4 radio layer). The wrapper library currently supports the following: Zigbee classes and all Zigbee roles Zigbee network scanning Allow multiple endpoints on the same Zigbee device (not tested yet) Supported Home Assistant devices On/off light + switch Color Dimmable light + switch Setting Manufacturer and model name Other tasks currently planned include supporting “Temperature sensor […]

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 […]

August 12, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

LILYGO T-QTC6 – An ESP32-C6 IoT controller with a 0.85-inch touchscreen LCD

LILYGO T-QTC6 is a cute little IoT controller based on an ESP32-C6 WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.4 LE, and 802.15.4 wireless microcontroller and a 0.85-inch touchscreen color LCD that can be powered via USB-C or a LiPo battery with the board also supporting charging. The device, sometimes called “T-QT C6” (with a space), also comes with an 8-pin female connector with five GPIOs and a Qwiic connector for UART modules. It’s another addition to the T-QT family with ESP32 wireless microcontrollers and a tiny 0.85-inch display such as the T-QT Pro or the T-QT V1.1. But note that those are development boards, while the T-QTC6 feels more like a complete device. LILYGO T-QTC6 specifications: Wireless Module – Espressif Systems ESP32-C6-MINI-1U SoC – ESP32-C6-FH4 32-bit RISC-V microprocessor up to 160 MHz with 320KB ROM, 512KB HP SRAM, 16KB LP SRAM, 4MB flash Memory – 4MB PSRAM (TBC) Wireless 2.4 GHz WiFi 6 […]

August 12, 2024August 19, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 14 Comments

Challenger+ RP2350 WiFi6/BLE5 board combines Raspberry Pi RP2350 MCU with ESP32-C6 WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 LE module

Raspberry Pi RP2350 board ESP32-C6 WiFi module

You don’t need to wait for the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W to get a Raspberry Pi RP2350 board with WiFi and Bluetooth thanks to the Challenger+ RP2350 WiFi6/BLE5 board that combines an RP2350A microcontroller with an ESP32-C6 module offering 2.4 GHz WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 LE connectivity. The board follows the Adafruit Feather form factor with 28-pin through holes for I/Os making it compatible with FeatherWings add-on boards. It comes with a USB-C port for power and programming, and a JST connector plus a charging circuit for people wanting to connect a LiPo battery. Challenger+ RP2350 WiFi6/BLE5 specifications: Microcontroller – Raspberry Pi RP2350A MCU CPU Dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 processor @ 150MHz Dual-core 32-bit RISC-V processor @ 150MHz Only two cores can be used at a given time Memory – 520KB internal RAM 8KB OTP Storage Package – QFN-60; 7×7 mm Memory – 8MB PSRAM Storage – 8MB SPI […]

July 29, 2024September 2, 2024 by Debashis Das - 2 Comments

Seeed Studio Wio Tracker 1110 Dev Kit supports Meshtastic for off-grid communication

The Seeed Studio Wio Tracker 1110 is a dev kit designed to work with the Meshtastic network. The board is built around a Nordic nRF52840 multiprotocol Bluetooth 5.4 SoC and uses the Semtech LR1110 LoRa transceiver for communication. Seeed Studio is selling the Wio Tracker 1110 development board in a bundle with an OLED display and a GNSS receiver, providing everything needed to start experimentation for peer-to-peer LoRa mesh networking. Meshtastic is a free, open-source, decentralized mesh network that uses LoRa radios to establish a low-power, long-range, off-grid communication system in areas without reliable infrastructure. Driven entirely by the community, Meshtastic enables decentralized, encrypted communication without the need for a dedicated router or phone. Previously we have written various versions of the Wio Tracker including the Wio GPS and Wio LTE GPS Tracker. Since Meshtastic projects are becoming popular among developers and enthusiasts, we will likely see many more dev […]

July 17, 2024July 16, 2024 by Paisit Wongsongsarn - 4 Comments

SONOFF SWV Review – A Zigbee Smart Water Valve tested with eWelink and Home Assistant

Today, we are going to test and review another new Zigbee product from SONOFF, the SONOFF Zigbee Smart Water Valve (SWV). This is the first water valve built by SONOFF. When it comes to devices related to water control, whether watering plants or opening and closing valves in tanks or pools, many people might be familiar with the SONOFF 4CHPro model, which is a WiFi smart switch that controls solenoid valves with DC or AC power (valve sold separately). The SONOFF SWV is an all-in-one device that integrates both valve control and IoT functionality in one. It is ideal for plant watering around the house or controlling water filling into pools or tanks. Besides being able to set schedules for opening and closing valves, it also has other interesting features. Let’s look at the details. Unboxing the SONOFF Zigbee Smart Water Valve Inside the box, you will find the valve […]

July 15, 2024July 14, 2024 by Debashis Das - 1 Comment

Minino ESP32-C6 board is designed for IoT security and penetration testing

Minino security tool is a kitty-shaped ESP32-C6 powered cybersecurity device for analyzing 2.4GHz communications and probing IoT devices. It supports Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi 6, Zigbee, Thread, and Matter, and has a dedicated GNSS radio for receiving signals from various satellite constellations. Minino is compatible with CatSniffer analysis tools and Wireshark software, and can log packet captures on a microSD card. These features make this suitable for applications like assessing IoT device security, network analysis, and wireless protocol research. We have previously written about similar IoT security and pen testing tools like the ESP8266 and ATmega32U4-based Diabolic Drive, the ESP32 Marauder Pocket Unit v2, the ThingPulse Pendrive S3, and many others, feel free to check those out if you are interested in the topic. Minino security tool specifications Wireless Module – ESP32-C6-WROOM-1U SoC – ESP32-C6 CPU Single-core 32-bit RISC-V clocked up to 160 MHz Low-power RISC-V core @ up to […]