Integrated motor driver and controller bundles ESP32-S3 and TMC2209 for IoT applications

PD Stepper USB-C

The PD Stepper is a NEMA 17 integrated stepper motor driver and controller board powered by USB power delivery that combines an ESP32-S3 wireless microcontroller, the Trinamic TMC2209 ultra-silent motor driver, and other components onto a single board for Smart Home and automation applications. The maker, Josh R., states that the PD Stepper isn’t another “just because we can” project. It addresses the need for an integrated motor driver and controller module that can used in compact or space-constrained designs. The ESP32-S3 SoC controls the other components on the board and provides wireless connectivity as well as access to development tools and libraries such as ESPHome and ESP-Now. The motor driver IC, Analog Devices’s Trinamic TMC2209, offers efficient, noiseless control of two-phase stepper motors. Other onboard components and connectors include an AS5600 magnetic rotary position sensor, a 3.3V buck converter, a Qwiic/Stemma QT connector, a motor connector, and an AUX […]

Arduino and LVGL-compatible ESP32-C3 board features a 1.28-inch round touchscreen display fully housed in a case

ESP32-2424S012 round display full enclosure

The ESP32-2424S012 is an ESP32-C3 WiFi and BLE development board with a 1.28-inch round touchscreen color display that is fully housed in a black or white plastic enclosure and suitable for Arduino and LVGL library. As we’ll see further below some have also used it with Tasmota and ESPHome firmware. We previously covered several tiny ESP32-S3/ESP32-C3 boards with a round display such as the LILYGO T-RGB ESP32-S3 board, Makerfabs “ESP32-S3 Round SPI TFT with Touch 1.28″, SB Components’ Dual Roundy, but they either don’t come with a case at all, or only the front is covered, but the bottom is laid bare. The ESP32-2424S012 is quite similar, but it can be purchased with a case that covers both the front and back with some openings for expansion connectors. ESP32-2424S012 board specifications: Wireless module – Espressif Systems ESP32-C3-MINI-1U module SoC – ESP32-C3 RISC-V microcontroller @ 160 MHz with 400 KB SRAM, 2.4 […]

ReSpeaker Lite Voice Assistant Kit combines XMOS XU-316 and ESP32-S3 for advanced voice processing, Home Assistant integration

ReSpeaker Lite and Voice Assistant Kit

Seeed Studio’s ReSpeaker Lite Series includes the ReSpeaker Lite 2-Mic Array and Voice Assistant Kit, featuring the XMOS XU-316 AI sound chip for advanced voice processing and integration with Home Assistant via ESPHome. It’s perfect for smart home control with far-field voice capture and noise cancellation. The kit combines the ReSpeaker Lite dual-microphone array with the XIAO ESP32S3 module for voice recognition, noise reduction, and processing. It supports WiFi, BLE 5.0, and has a 2.4GHz rod antenna. It also offers I2S and USB connectivity for use with microcontrollers and SBCs, making it ideal for smart voice assistants and home automation. We’ve previously covered the NXP i.MX RT106F & RT106A/L, where NXP i.MX RT106A  can run voice assistant software with features like acoustic echo cancellation, ambient noise reduction, beamforming, barge-in, and playback processing. We’ve also written about other ReSpeaker boards, such as the ReSpeaker 4-Mic Array board, ReSpeaker Core board, and […]

The Open Home Foundation adds HACS, microWakeWord, and Music Assistant open-source projects

Open Home Foundation adds HACS, microWakeWord, Music Assistant

HACS, microWakeWord, and Music Assistant projects have joined the Open Home Foundation launched a few months ago to manage open-source projects related to Home Assistant and Smart Home applications in general separating them from Nabu Casa’s commercial activities. Note the HACS, microWakeWord, and Music Assistant projects will not operate directly under the Open Home Foundation’s umbrella, but they are external projects that the foundation collaborates on since it believes those are projects worth investing in to further develop the Smart Home ecosystem. Let’s have a quick look at the three projects. Home Assistant Community Store (HACS) is the most used custom integration for Home Assistant and allows users to easily install custom integrations, cards, and themes. Music Assistant gives users control over their media players and audio files handling both local music collection and music streaming services so that users can play any tune anywhere in their house without restrictions. […]

Qsen-07 multi-sensor wireless board can detect CO2, VOC, temperature, humidity, ambient light, and attitude

qsen 07 multi-sensor board

The Qsen-07 multi-sensor board is an ESP32 wireless development board that combines several useful sensors into one device, making it easier to control, monitor, and enhance your home environment. It is a recent product from Maker Go, a China-based hardware company, which claims the board is “fully integrated with ESPHome and Home Assistant“. But as noted in a reader’s comment below, ESPHome on ESP32-C6 is still a work in progress, and the YAML configuration file for the board has yet to be provided by the company. The Qsen-07 multi-sensor board is “designed for health-conscious and tech-savvy homeowners” and can monitor air quality and other environmental variables to ensure a safe and smart living space. It features up to seven sensors, including two air quality sensors, a temperature and humidity sensor, an ambient light sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, an attitude gyro sensor, and an optional radar sensor. The Aosong AGS10 […]

Inkplate 6 MOTION STM32-powered wireless e-paper display offers higher resolution and faster refresh rates (Crowdfunding)

Inkplate 6 MOTION with enclosure

The Inkplate 6 MOTION is a new product from Soldered Electronics in their Inkplate series of wireless e-paper displays. It is a 6-inch e-paper display with a partial refresh rate of 11fps which reduces obvious latency in rendering dynamic content such as videos, animations, and scrolling text. The display is driven by an STMicroelectronics dual-core STM32H743 microcontroller, with an ESP32-C3 as a secondary processor. It features Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for networking and a host of peripheral interfaces for physical connectivity. It includes several sensors such as a rotary encoder for quick navigation, a gravitational accelerometer with a gyroscope for tracking device orientation, and a motion detection sensor. We covered the original Inkplate 6 display when it launched on Crowd Supply in 2019. The Inkplate 6 is much less expensive than the new model but has a lower screen resolution (800 x 600 px) and slower refresh rates (256ms). Furthermore, it […]

Airlytix ES1 environment monitor runs ESPHome for Home Assistant integration

Airlytix ES1 temperature, humidity, light, and and noise monitoring system

Airlytix ES1 environment monitor is an ESP32-based environment tracking device that runs ESPHome. The device tracks various environmental parameters like temperature, humidity, air quality (PM1.0, PM2.5, PM4, PM10, VOCs, NOx, CO2), barometric pressure, ambient light, and noise levels. To make things even more interesting, the device ships with a compact 3D printed case and can be integrated with Home Assistant for smart home automation. Previously we have written about similar environment monitor devices like the Sonoff SC WiFi, V-Air Monitro, and devices like Arduino MKR IoT Carrier Rev2, Radair mini gateway, and Nicla Sense ME  designed for environment monitor applications. Airlytix ES1 environment monitor specifications MCU – Unnamed ESP32 module for Wi-Fi connection Particulate Matter Mass Concentration: 0-1000μg/m3 Mass Concentration Size: PM1.0, PM2.5, PM4, PM10 Mass Concentration Precision: +/-1.25μg/m3/year VOC & NOX VOC Index Precision: <+/-15% VOC Index m.v. NOX Index Precision: <+/-50% NOX Index m.v. CO2 Measurement Range: 400-5000ppm […]

FLIP_C3 ESP32-C3 board takes up to 60V DC input, ships with ESPHome firmware

flip c3 board front

Voidbox FLIP_C3 is an open-source hardware board powered by an ESP32-C3 WiFi & BLE microcontroller that takes up to 60V DC power input feeding a 5V/2A DC-DC step-down converter and flashed with ESPHome firmware by default for Home Assistant support. The board incorporates a push-in spring release connector which means stranded (ferrules or tinning are suggested) and solid wires can be used in deploying the device in off-grid/battery-powered systems with up to 16s LiFePO4 delivering 48V through the 6-60V input port on the ESP32-C3 board. The onboard WS2812B LED can be used as a null pixel/level shifter for longer strings of addressable pixels. The ESP32-C3 – due to its support for Wi-Fi and BLE connectivity – is a popular SoC for IoT solutions and powers home and industrial automation devices such as NanoCell v2.1, Spark Analyzer, LOLIN C3 Pico, and the LILYGO T-RSC3. It is built for home automation applications […]

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