home assistant News - CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

December 20, 2024December 19, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

$59 Voice “Preview Edition” adds an offline smart speaker to your Home Assistant server

Nabu Casa has just launched the Home Assistant Voice Preview Edition, a little ESP32 device with an XMOS XU316 audio processor, a dual-microphone array, an internal speaker, and a 3.5mm audio jack, that adds offline smart speaker functions to your Home Assistant server through WiFi. If your Home Assistant server is powerful enough, voice processing will be done directly on your local hardware using Home Assistant Voice software, but with lower-end hardware like a Raspberry Pi 4, audio processing can be done via a privacy-focused cloud instead. The solution also supports expansion thanks to a Grove connector on the bottom of the device. Voice Preview Edition specifications: SoC – Espressif ESP32-S3 dual-core Xtensa LX7 @ up to 240 MHz with vector extension for ML acceleration, 2.4 GHz WiFi & Bluetooth 5.0 LE connectivity Memory- 8 MB octal PSRAM Storage – 16 MB flash Audio DSP/Processor – XMOS XU316 with 16 […]

December 18, 2024December 17, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

LG opens the ThinQ API for Smart Home devices

LG Electronics (LG) has fully opened its ThingQ API for its Smart Home platform to enable developers to integrate their solutions with compatible LG appliances. The release covers both the API for individual users and corporate users. The ThinQ API for individual users supports the control and monitoring of AI appliances registered in the LG ThinQ app. It allows users to create customized Smart Home applications, for example, the popular Home Assistant home automation framework can already connect and control 26 types of LG AI appliances including refrigerators, water heaters, and washing machines. I can see the community has been working on LG ThinQ integration well before the release of the full release of the API, but maybe LG saw this and completly released the API to ease the work of developers. There are four main ThingQ APIs for individuals: Device API – Used to request ThinQ device information and […]

December 17, 2024December 16, 2024 by Tomisin Olujinmi - No Comments

Hornet Nest Alarm Panel – An Home Assistant-compatible, ESP32 home security automation platform with PoE and 42-zone support (Crowdfunding)

Hornet Nest home security panel in operation

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 […]

December 16, 2024December 16, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Pico W5 is a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W alternative with RP2350 MCU, dual-band WiFi 4, 8MB flash

The Pico W5 is a Raspberry Pi RP2350 development board providing an alternative to the official Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W with dual-band (2.4GHz/5GHz) WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity through a B&T BW16 wireless module. Besides dual-band WiFi, there are a few other small changes compared to the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W, including a USB Type-C connector, a larger 8MB flash, and a Reset button. As far as I know, it’s the first RP2350 board with 5GHz WiFi, as other RP2350 boards with WiFi, such as the Challenger+ RP2350 WiFi6/BLE5 and Pimoroni Pico Plus 2 W, only support 2.4GHz WiFi. Pico W5 specifications: SoC – Raspberry Pi RP2350 CPU Dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 @ 150 MHz with Arm Trustzone, Secure boot and Dual-core RISC-V Hazard3 @ 150 MHz Only two cores can be used at any given time Memory – 520 KB on-chip SRAM Security 8KB of anti-fuse OTP […]

December 12, 2024December 17, 2024 by Debashis Das - 5 Comments

ESP32-C3-based 2-channel Wi-Fi AC relay support energy monitoring with Home Assistant

Seed Studio 2 Channel Wi Fi AC Relay Module

Seeed Studio has recently launched a 2-channel Wi-Fi AC relay built around the XIAO ESP32C3 WiFI and Bluetooth module. The device is a simple WiFi relay module that can control two independent 100-240V AC appliances and is designed to be compatible with both Home Assistant with ESPHome firmware flashed by default. The device also features a built-in BL0942 power meter with a maximum load capacity of 2400W at 240V for real-time and historical energy consumption monitoring. These features make this device suitable for applications such as energy tracking and remote control of appliances. Seeed Studio 2-channel Wi-Fi AC relay specifications: MCU – XIAO ESP32-C3 with ESP32-C3 WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.x RISC-V microcontroller, USB-C port (unused here) Wireless connectivity – 2.4GHz Wi-Fi Relay channels – 2 independent channels Power Input terminals – Neutral (N), Live (L) Input voltage – 100-240V AC, 50/60Hz Output terminals Channel 1: N1 (Neutral), L1 (Live) […]

December 4, 2024 by Paisit Wongsongsarn - 1 Comment

SONOFF CAM Slim Gen2 Review – A tiny indoor security camera tested with eWeLink and Home Assistant

We have received the latest tiny indoor security camera from SONOFF: the second generation of the CAM Slim series known as the CAM Slim Gen2 (or CAM S2 for shorts). Some of you might remember the first-generation CAM Slim model reviewed by Jean-Luc about two years ago. The Gen2 version keeps the same 1080p resolution but comes with several upgraded features, including AI algorithms to distinguish living beings, customizable detection zones, customizable privacy zones, sleep mode, enhanced low-light image quality, and flexible storage management. Although it’s packed with several enhancements, its price is lower than the Gen1. Let’s delve into the details! SONOFF CAM Slim Gen2 unboxing Inside the box, you’ll find a compact manual, a USB-C cable, a mounting kit, and a sticker template acting as a drilling guide. The camera is smaller than your palm and comes mounted on a versatile, rotatable base, making installation in various positions […]

November 28, 2024November 28, 2024 by Tomisin Olujinmi - No Comments

ESP32-based YULC USB-C LED Controller features dual power inputs, supports WLED and ESPHome firmware

The YULC (Yes, a USB-C LED Controller) board is a compact, ESP32-S3-powered LED controller with USB-C and DC jack power inputs. It is a fully featured board that can easily replace a rat’s nest of wires and save space and time. This ESP32 LED controller features a built-in buck regulator that converts input power from the USB-C port or barrel jack to the voltage needed for the LED strips. The YULC provides two separate LED channels with a level shifter each to ensure clean and powerful data output, removing the need for a sacrificial pixel or external level shifter. Each channel also has a power MOSFET that can turn off the channels individually and dim simple LED strips via PWM. AAElectronics, the maker, has previously released an IR remote—the Home Assistant-compatible ESP 360 Remote—which we covered at the time. Similar products include the SMLIGHT A1-SLWF-03, DFRobot’s EDGE102-DMX512, and the PixelBlaze […]

October 25, 2024 by Paisit Wongsongsarn - 31 Comments

SONOFF ZBMINIR2 review – A mini Zigbee switch & Zigbee router tested with eWeLink and Home Assistant

We have received another Zigbee device from SONOFF for review, namely the ZBMINIR2 which we’ll review with both eWelink adn Home Assistant. Many people may be familiar with the first-generation mini Zigbee Switch that SONOFF released in 2020, known as the ZBMINI. ZBMINI was one of the early Zigbee Switch models, which also acted as a Zigbee Router. The ZBMINIR2 is SONOFF’s second-generation mini Zigbee Switch including both software and hardware upgrades compared to its predecessor. Improvements include a smaller size, better signal quality, an increase in the number of supported devices (2x), wider coverage (5x), and additional features. Let’s dive into the details. Unboxing ZBMINIR2 Zigbee switch Inside the box, you’ll find a small user manual and the ZBMINIR2 device as usual. It is notably smaller than the predecessor model, which makes installation much easier in many cases. For example, it can now fit into the wall box behind […]