The Hornet Nest Alarm Panel is a customizable, ESP32-based alarm control system designed and produced by US-based Technology Automation Consulting for home security automation. The device is powered by the wESP32 Ethernet board with PoE support and is compatible with Home Assistant through the ESPHome firmware.
It features up to forty-two optoisolated zones, six MOSFET-controlled outputs, and six additional trigger outputs for 3.3V devices. It integrates a piezo buzzer and supports add-ons like a Wiegand keypad and water leak sensors. The Hornet Nest Alarm ESP32-based home security platform “aims to bridge the gap between traditional wired security systems and the flexibility of modern smart home automation.”
Christopher Greenless of Technology Automation Consulting says the project was born from his need for a robust and smart security system to integrate with his Home Assistant setup. Proprietary solutions were inadequate and limited while DIY options were inefficient and often unreliable. He created a “single, purpose-built device with ample inputs and outputs, reliable power (like PoE), and seamless integration with ESPHome.”
The ESP32-CAM video doorbell project is another ESP32-based home security solution, and we have also seen several ESP32 Smart Home solutions with Ethernet/PoE such as the KinCony KC868-A566, Olimex’s ESP32-POE2, and the ZiGate-Ethernet gateway. However, the Hornet Nest Alarm Panel is a more complex project with plenty of I/Os, although it won’t beat the aforementioned KC868-A566 board in that respect with 512 I/O pins…
Hornet Nest Alarm Panel specifications:
- Mainboard – wESP32
- ESP32-WROOM-32E module
- 16 MB flash
- 2.4 GHz WiFi and Bluetooth LE connectivity, built-in PCB antenna, fully compatible with ESPHome firmware
- 10/100M Ethernet RJ45 port with auto-MDIX jack for both straight and crossover Ethernet cables
- USB – USB Type-C via external wESP32-Prog-C module
- Input – 42 optoisolated zones
- Output – 6 MOSFET-controlled outputs (12V devices), 6x 3.3V trigger outputs
- Peripherals – 5x wESP32 I/Os, Qwiic expansion connector
- Misc – Wiegand keypad support, Individual zone & output status indicators, MOSFET-controlled 12V reset for 4-wire smoke detectors, 3-23V DC sensing trigger, integrated piezo buzzer
- Power Supply
- PoE-enabled via wESP32 board
- External 12V DC via power jack
- 12V USB-C (wESP32 programmer)
- Dimensions – 262 x 188 mm
The Hornet Nest Alarm Panel comes with ESPHome pre-installed on the ESP32 board for easier integration into your Home Assistant ecosystem. The project is partially open-source, with PDF schematics and YAML configuration files in the GitHub repository licensed under GNU and MIT licenses.
The crowdfunding campaign is currently live on CrowdSupply with 37 days left. The Hornet Nest Alarm Panel is priced at $259 while the wESP32 programmer is priced at $15. Shipping begins next July, at $8 within the U.S. and $18 to the rest of the world.
Tomisin is a writer specializing in hardware product reviews, comparisons, and explainers. He is very passionate about small form factor and single-board computers.
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