zigbee News - Page 5 of 29 - CNX Software

June 19, 2024June 21, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

$3.40 WeAct STM32WB55 board offers Bluetooth LE 5.4 and 802.15.4 (Thread/Zigbee/Matter) connectivity

WeAct STM32WB55 is an inexpensive development board based on STMicro STM32WB55 Arm Cortex-M4 wireless SoC with Bluetooth LE 5.4 and an 802.15.4 radio for Zigbee, Thread, and Matter connectivity that sells for just $3.40 shipped. STMicro STM32WB55 wireless microcontroller was introduced in 2019, and we have covered a few development boards such as the official P-Nucleo-WB55 development pack, the STM32WB-Feather board, and the MRK-SharkyPro following the Arduino MRK form factor. All those boards would go for about $40, but thanks to China manufacturing and procurement “magic” and the cutting of a few features, the WeAct STM32WB55 board sells for just a fraction of the price making it even cheaper than the company’s ESP32-H2 board with similar connectivity options. WeAct STM32WB55 specifications: Wireless MCU – STMicro STM32WB55CGU6 CPU Arm Cortex-M4 application core @ 64 MHz Arm Cortex-M0+ Bluetooth co-processor @ 32 MHz Memory – 256 KB of SRAM Storage – 1 […]

June 13, 2024June 12, 2024 by Paisit Wongsongsarn - 2 Comments

SONOFF ZBMicro Review – A Micro Zigbee USB Smart Adapter tested with eWelink and Home Assistant

We’ve just published the review of the SONOFF Zigbee Bridge Ultra, and as promised the next one will be the SONOFF Micro Zigbee USB Smart Adapter (ZBMicro for short). When we first received the device we wondered what improvements could be made beyond the first Wi-Fi version as it’s so small. However, after using it for a while, we found it to be a pretty good product. Besides functioning as a smart USB switch for turning devices on and off, it supports fast charging, data transfers, and can act as a Zigbee router. Additionally, it can be used with other platforms that adhere to the Zigbee 3.0 standard. From our market observations, competing devices similar to the ZBMicro lack features like fast charging or switching capabilities, making the SONOFF USB adapter more appealing compared to competitors at a similar price point. Compared to its predecessor (WiFi version), the ZBMicro has […]

June 12, 2024June 13, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

$20 Zigbee & Z-Wave mPCIe module targets Home Assistant gateways

Mixtile’s “2-in-1 Zigbee & Z-Wave mPCIe module” is a relatively inexpensive way to add Zigbee and Z-Wave connectivity to a Home Assistant server without having USB dongles sticking out of the server and taking some of its spare USB ports. The module is compatible with any computer, gateway, or SBC with a spare mini PCIe socket featuring a USB 2.0 interface such as Rockchip RK3568-powered Mixtile Edge 2 Kit gateway. You’ll also need some way of mounting the antennas after connecting them to the IPEX-1 antenna connectors on the module, the Edge 2 Kit comes with multiple antenna holes. Mixtile 2-in-1 Zigbee & Z-Wave mPCIe module specifications: Wireless MCUs Silabs EFR32MG24 Arm Cortex-M33 @ 78.0 MHz with 256 kB RAM, 1536 kB flash Radio Frequency – 2.4 GHz (802.15.4 radio) TX Power – up to +19.5 dBm RX sensitivity – -105.4 dBm at 250 kbps Protocols – Zigbee, Matter, Thread […]

June 11, 2024 by Paisit Wongsongsarn - No Comments

SONOFF Zigbee Bridge Ultra Review – eWelink app, Matter Bridge, Turbo Mode for extended range, and Home Assistant

We have received two more Zigbee smart home products from ITEAD to review. It appears that SONOFF has strategically introduced a variety of Zigbee devices in the first half of this year. The first one we will be reviewing is the SONOFF Zigbee Bridge Ultra, which we believe will eventually replace the Zigbee Bridge (2020) and Zigbee Bridge Pro (2022) and comes with additional features, such as being a Matter Bridge. The second device we’ve received is the SONOFF Micro Zigbee USB Adapter for which we’ll post a review in the next few days, But first, let’s dive into the SONOFF Zigbee Bridge Ultra review. Overview SONOFF Zigbee Bridge Ultra (Ultra for short and also called SONOFF ZBBridge-U) is a multi-functional device. Compared to its predecessor, the Zigbee Bridge Pro, the Ultra shows big improvements in features and hardware specs. It boasts a much more powerful chip (Rockship RV1109 vs. […]

June 6, 2024June 8, 2024 by Debashis Das - 7 Comments

NiCE5340 SoM packs Nordic nRF5340 MCU, Lattice iCE40 FPGA, and 11 sensors into a tiny 29x16mm form factor

Stefano Viola’s NiCE5340 SoM is built around a Nordic Semi nRF5340 Bluetooth SoC, an iCE40 FPGA, 11 sensors, a battery charger, and various other peripherals in a 29×16 mm form factor. The nRF5340 used in the SoM is a low-power, dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 SoC with Bluetooth 5.4, Bluetooth LE (BLE), Thread, Zigbee, and other proprietary protocols. Meanwhile, the Lattice iCE40 FPGA features 3520 logic cells, 80 Kbits of embedded Block RAM, I2C, and SPI blocks, and many other features that make it suitable for applications like environmental monitoring, health tracking, and others. Previously, we have written about Unexpected Maker NANOS3, TinyS3, FeatherS3, and ProS3 boards, and ESP32-S3 4G dev board which all fall under the tiny and compact board category but this is the first time we have seen an MCU board with so many features built into a module of that size. Stefano Viola’s NiCE5340 SoM Specification ICs Nordic […]

May 30, 2024May 30, 2024 by Debashis Das - No Comments

Dusun DSGW-130 smart home controller fits into an 86-type junction box

DSGW 130 Zigbee Touch Screen Control Panel

The Dusun DSGW-130 smart home controller is a Rockchip PX30-powered, touch-enabled control panel designed to fit into an 86-type junction box. It runs on Android 11 and can connect to your home network using Wi-Fi and Zigbee, similar to the SONOFF NSPanel Pro. The only glaring difference I can see from the specifications is that the DSGW-130 has a few extra features like more storage, a wired network connection, RS485, and support for newer 5GHz Wi-Fi, which the SONOFF doesn’t have. We’ve also written about other similar controllers, like the SONOFF NSPanel, and reviewed the SONOFF NSPanel Pro with Zigbee and the CAM Slim WiFi camera. Check them out if you’re interested in similar products. Dusun DSGW-130 smart home controller specifications SoC – Rockchip PX30 quad-core Cortex-A35 processor with Arm Mali-G31 GPU System Memory – 1GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB eMMC 5.1 flash Display – 4-inch capacitive touchscreen color TFT display with […]

May 28, 2024May 28, 2024 by Tomisin Olujinmi - 8 Comments

Nordic nRF52840-based True Wireless Valve is a USB or battery powered valve for home water management (Crowdfunding)

True Wireless Valve from Uhome Systems is a battery-powered, smart valve that is easy to install and integrate into your smart home setup. It is based on the Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840, a multiprotocol Bluetooth 5.4 SoC with support for Bluetooth Low Energy, Bluetooth mesh, Thread, NFC, and Zigbee. True Wireless Valve can run on four AAA batteries for up to two years and can also be powered via a USB Type-C power supply. It offers a completely wireless experience with the option for battery power which removes the need for additional wiring and makes installation easier and safer. It seamlessly integrates with Home Assistant and other smart home platforms via ZHA and Zigbee2MQTT. It can be paired with a leak detector such as the AquaPing and used to respond automatically to potential leaks in the home. True Wireless Valve specifications: SoC – Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 CPU – 32-bit Cortex-M4 core […]

May 22, 2024May 22, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 10 Comments

Tiny XIAO ESP32C6 WiFi, BLE, and 802.15.4 IoT board offers up to 16 GPIO pins

Seeed Studio has added yet another member to their XIAO board family with the XIAO ESP32C6 powered by an ESP32-C6 WiFi 6, Bluetooth LE 5, and 802.15.4 (Thread/Zigbee) RISC-V microcontroller and offering up to 16 GPIOs (headers + pads) in a tiny 21 x 17.5 mm form factor that’s smaller than a typical stamp and makes it one of the smallest ESP32-C6 boards around. The company started the XIAO family with the Seeeduino XIAO (Microchip SAMD21G18) in 2020, and since then they’ve made several other variants with different processors including the XIAO RP2040, XIAO ESP32C3, and XIAO ESP32S3. The XIAO ESP32C6 is the latest (10th) iteration of the board and the first to support WiFi 6, BLE, and 802.15.4 wireless connectivity. XIAO ESP32C6 specifications: Wireless MCU – Espressif Systems ESP32-C6 CPU Single-core 32-bit RISC-V clocked up to 160 MHz Low-power RISC-V core @ up to 20 MHz Memory – 512KB […]