Sonoff NSPanel – A 3.5-inch HMI display for home automation (Crowdfunding)

You’ll soon be able to control all Sonoff smart switches, sockets, light bulbs, IP cameras, as well as Philips lighting solutions with the Sonoff NSPanel, a 3.5-inch HMI display supporting wall installation to US or EU standards.

The ESP32 based touchscreen display integrates a dual-channel wall switch, supports Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or Yandex Alice voice assistants, and if you are not at home, you can still control your appliances with eWelink app for Android or iOS.

Sonoff NSPanel specifications:

• WiSoC – Espressif ESP32-DOWD V3 dual-core Xtensa processor @ 160 MHz with 512KB RAM, 2.4 GHz 802.11n/g/n WiFi 4, and Bluetooth 4.2/5.x
• Display – 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen display with 480×320 resolution
• Power Input – 100-240V @ 50/60Hz up to 4A
• Power Output – 100-240V @ 50/60Hz up to 2A per gang, or 4A in total
• LED Load
  • 110V – 150W per gang, 300W total
  • 220V – 300W per gang, 600W total
• Dimensions
  • NSPanel-EU – 86x86x41.7 mm
  • NSPanel-US – 120x71x41.7 mm
• Materials – PC V0 fire-resistant plastic, CRS (cold-rolled steel), and toughened glass
• Certifications
  • NSPanel-EU – CE, CQC (UK), SRRC (China), RoHS
  • NSPanel-US – CE, FCC, RoHS

The company did not actually mention the processor and exact display use, but one backer claimed that “the preproduction units use an ESP32 and a Nextion screen” as seen in earlier videos. I could confirm ESP32 is indeed used from the FCC pictures, and while there are several 3.5-inch Nextion displays with 480×320 resolution, all of those rely on a resistive touch panel, instead of a capacitive touch panel, so it might be a new model. The UART pins to program the ESP32 are clearly visible from the internal photos, so people interested in installing ESPHome or Tasmota open-source firmware should be able to do so, once/if Sonoff NSPanel is supported.

Back to the default use case for “Sonoff NSPanel Smart Scene Wall Switch” with the main display showing a weather widget with outdoor temperature, WiFi status, time and date, as well as indoor temperature. Swiping the screen will bring you to a menu with user-defined scenes, so for instance, you can turn off all lights, change the thermostat’s settings when you leave home with a single touch, and switch to another scene when you come back home. Note the panel will itself be the thermostat controlling your heater or cooler via a SONOFF smart switch by turning it on or off depending on the selected temperature.

Besides voice assistants support, integration with SmartThings and IFTTT is also being worked on. Sonoff SNPanel only relies on the Internet to display the widgets, but the on/off, inching and power-on state can work through the local network (LAN), if for some reason your router is dead, you can still control the devices attached to the panel with the physical button. Another important detail is that the NSPanel smart switch requires both neutral and live wires to work.

ITEAD Studio will usually launch and sell their devices directly, but this time around, they decided to launch the Sonoff NSPanel through a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter with a $5,000 funding goal. They raised over $70,000 in less than 24 hours, with rewards starting at $54 for one US or EU HMI panel, but you want also want to consider the $90 “Flash sale – NSPanel Duo Pack” reward to get two panels. You’ll also be able to add smart switches, smart plugs, LED stripes to your pledge. Shipping adds about 7 Euros to Europe, and $12 to the rest of the world. Backers should expect their perks to ship in December 2021, but as with any crowdfunding campaign do not assume you’ll get those before Christmas, it might happen or not…

Thanks to Hedda for the tip and FCC link.

Support CNX Software! Donate via cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or purchase goods on Amazon or Aliexpress