ESPHome is the favorite open-source firmware of Smart Home devices, but Tasmota is another option that’s been available for many years. We’ve just seen fewer products based on Tasmota (previously Sonoff-Tasmota) in recent years, but it recently showed up on a credit card-sized quad relay board, and I’ve just come across Maker Go’s Xcrhom T4S WiFi Outdoor Smart Socket that also ships with Tasmota firmware and sells on AliExpress for $24.88 shipped. The Xcrhom T4S exposes two sockets with dust and rainproof covers to be used safely outdoors, integrates a power meter, and the Tasmota firmware enables MQTT support, Home Assistant compatibility, and support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Xcrhom T4S specifications: Two EU sockets Max load – 3680W in total (16A x 230V) Rated Current – Up to 16A in total Power Input – 100 to 240V AC 50Hz Wireless – 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n WiFi 4; Tx power [...]

The post Xcrhom T4S WiFi outdoor smart socket features power meter function, Tasmota open-source firmware appeared first on CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.

Morse Micro in collaboration with GL.iNet has recently showcased the HaLowLink 1 Wi-Fi HaLow gateway, which the company terms as Wi-Fi HaLow reference design and evaluation platform developed for long-range, low-power wireless connectivity for IoT applications. Built around the AzureWave AW-HM593 module with Morse Micro MM6108 silicon, it supports 1/2/4/8 MHz bandwidths. It features a MediaTek MT7621A dual-core CPU, Wi-Fi 4 module, dual Gigabit Ethernet, USB-C, and an SMA antenna connector, allowing it to work as a Wi-Fi HaLow router, access point, or extender. The device runs OpenWrt and provides an intuitive web-based UI and SSH/CLI configuration. OpenWrt also gives access to a web-based UI and SSH/CLI configuration. These features make this device useful for applications like smart homes, industrial automation, agriculture, and telecommunications. HaLowLink 1 specifications: SoC – Mediatek MT7621 dual-core, quad-thread MIPS1004K processor @ up to 880MHz System Memory – 256MB DDR3 (optional 512 MB) Storage – 32MB [...]

The post HaLowLink 1 Wi-Fi HaLow gateway turns legacy devices into Wi-Fi HaLow clients via Ethernet, USB, or 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi appeared first on CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.

The age-old combination of physical locks and keys, although reliable, also comes with a few drawbacks, such as when you lose the key or you want to share access with someone else remotely. Davide Gomba has recognized this and built the MKR Keylock project as a way to address some of these shortcomings.

Starting with an existing electronic lock module, Gomba installed it in his door before identifying the circuit responsible for triggering it to open. Once found, he connected the line to a relay that, when triggered by a GPIO signal, will unlock the bolt. An Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 was then attached to a 4×4 keypad, a small buzzer for signaling an incorrect code, and another relay that runs to the doorbell for remote ringing. Thanks to the MKR board’s Wi-Fi connectivity, the firmware configures an MQTT client that listens to a few topics: “/code” to set the keypad code, “/open” to override the locking mechanism, and “/alive/status” that reflects the real-time status of the lock.

Over on the web side, Gomba made a new Home Assistant integration that operates on the same topics as a controller. From a webpage, users can then toggle the lock or provide a new code for the lock to check against.

Want to bring your own door into the IoT era? More information about this IoT lock can be found here on Hackster.io.

The post MKR Keylock is an open-source IoT keypad for your front door appeared first on Arduino Blog.

The FOSSASIA Summit is the closest we have to FOSDEM in Asia. It’s a free and open-source event taking place each year in Asia, and FOSSASIA 2025 will take place in Bangkok, Thailand on March 13-15 this year. It won’t have quite as many speakers and sessions as in FOSDEM 2025 (968 speakers, 930 events), but the 3-day event will still have over 170 speakers and more than 200 sessions. Most of the sessions are for high-level software with topics like AI and data science, databases, cloud, and web3, but I also noticed a few sessions related to “Hardware and firmware” and “Operating System” which are closer to what we cover here at CNX Software. So I’ll make a virtual schedule based on those two tracks to check out any potentially interesting talks. None of those sessions take place on March 13, so we’ll only have a schedule for March [...]

The post FOSSASIA 2025 – Operating systems, open hardware, and firmware sessions appeared first on CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.

The “ESP32 IoT Relay Board” is a credit card-sized ESP32 board with four small 250VAC/30VDC 7A relays that runs Tasmota open-source firmware and supports Alexa & Google Assistant for voice control. There are so many ESP32-based relay boards on the market that I don’t usually feel the need to cover new ones, but Igor Mileshin’s ESP32 IoT Relay Board is smaller than most so I thought it might be interesting to some. The smallest quad-channel relay board I’ve seen so far is the one by Seeed Studio using an STM32 MCU and solid-state relays that measures just 60 x 40mm, but the relays only support up to 2A. ESP32 IoT Relay Board specifications: Wireless module – ESP32-WROOM-32D SoC – Espressif ESP32-D0WD dual-core Tensilica LX6 processor @ 240 MHz Storage – 32Mbit SPI flash Connectivity – Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n up to 150 Mbps, Bluetooth 4.2/5.x LE Relays 4x “industrial-grade” relays supporting [...]

The post Credit card-sized quad relay board runs Tasmota firmware on ESP32 module (Crowdfunding) appeared first on CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.

M5Stack LLM630 Compute Kit is an Edge AI development platform powered by Axera Tech AX630C AI SoC with a 3.2 TOPS NPU designed to run computer vision (CV) and large language model (LLM) tasks at the edge, in other words, on the device itself without access to the cloud. The LLM630 Compute Kit is also equipped with 4GB LPDDR4 and 32GB eMMC flash and supports both wired and wireless connectivity thanks to a JL2101-N040C Gigabit Ethernet chip and an ESP32-C6 module for 2.4GHz WiFi 6 connectivity. You can also connect a display and a camera through MIPI DSI and CSI connectors. M5Stack LLM630 Compute Kit specifications: SoC – Axera Tech (Aixin in China) AX630C CPU – Dual-core Arm Cortex-A53 @ 1.2 GHz; 32KB I-Cache, 32KB D-Cache, 256KB L2 Cache NPU – 12.8 TOPS @ INT4 (max), 3.2 TOPS @ INT8 ISP – 4K @ 30fps Video – Encoding: 4K; Decoding:1080p [...]

The post M5Stack LLM630 Compute Kit features Axera AX630C Edge AI SoC for on-device LLM and computer vision processing appeared first on CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.

The eMotion Ultra is a Home Assistant-compatible 60GHz mmWave radar presence sensor with a built-in IR blaster with a 15-meter range, a brightness sensor, and a temperature/humidity sensor. It is powered by an Armv8-M KM4 microcontroller with built-in Wi-Fi connectivity and is targeted at simplifying complex smart home setups. The eMotion Ultra 60GHz mmWave radar presence sensor module is reported to be able to “cover up to 40 square meters (430 square feet) using just one device.” It can be configured for up to 4 zones with personalized automations for each zone. The exact Armv8-M KM4 module used isn’t named but is likely based on a Realtek RTL8720CM wireless SoC or other Realtek Ameba microcontroller. Potential applications include security management, lighting automation, home climate control, energy management, and rental property management. We have seen similar presence sensors such as the RoomSense IQ, Seeed Studio’s mmWave fall detection kit, SONOFF SNZB-06P, [...]

The post Home Assistant-compatible 60GHz mmWave radar sensor features a built-in IR blaster (Crowdfunding) appeared first on CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.

SONOFF sent us a sample of the MINI-D Wi-Fi smart switch with a dry contact design for review. If you’re familiar with the larger SONOFF 4CH Pro model, which features four channels, the MINI-D operates similarly but is smaller in size and comes with the latest software features. The principle of a dry contact is that the relay contacts are not directly connected to the device’s power supply circuit. Instead, the contacts are isolated and require an external power source to supply power to the load. Make it flexible to use the SONOFF Mini-D in various scenarios such as controlling garage doors, thermostats, or high-current electrical devices through a contactor, like water pumps. It can also manage low-power DC devices such as solenoid valves or small electric motors (<8W). Because the power supplied to the MINI-D and the power passed through its relay can come from different sources, it offers [...]

The post SONOFF MINI-D Review – A Matter-enabled dry contact WiFi switch tested with eWeLink, Home Assistant, and Apple Home appeared first on CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.

SONOFF MINI-D, also called SONOFF Mini Dry WiFi Smart Switch, is a Matter-compatible smart switch with dry contact output suitable for controlling devices like garage doors, boilers, air conditioners, and other dry contact input equipment, as well as small DC motors (8W max) such as pumps and solenoid valves. It’s designed to support 12-48V AC or DC inputs, handle low-power DC motors up to 8W, and can be wired as Normally Open (NO) and Normally Closed (NC). Like other SONOFF devices, it’s controlled with the eWelink app, but Matter support means it can integrate with other apps such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home, etc… SONOFF MINI-D specifications: Wireless SoC – Espressif ESP32-D0WDR2 (so ESPHome firmware support is likely… eventually) Connectivity – 2.4GHz WiFi Misc LED for network status, pairing mode, and switch type selection Button for ON/OFF, pairing mode, and external switch type selection. Max load 24V DC/2A [...]

The post SONOFF MINI-D – A Matter-compatible WiFi smart switch with dry contact output for garage doors, boilers, etc… appeared first on CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.

The ZigEasy GEX series is a lineup of Zigbee / DigiMesh coordinators and Ethernet gateways based on Digi International’s XBee 3 and XBee SX 868 modules. These devices connect a ZigBee or DigiMesh network to a local Ethernet network or the internet. This makes it easier to create a robust Zigbee/DigiMesh network that can send and receive data from servers. The GEX2400 and GEX2400S devices integrate the Digi XBee3 module which supports Zigbee, 802.15.4, DigiMesh, and BLE and is configured directly with the XCTU software (USB or TCP/IP). The Digi SX 868 module on the GEX868 and GEX868S coordinators only supports DigiMesh. The “S” models include TLS 1.2 and AES-256 encryption for secure internet communication and are ideal for use cases that require internet access. These ZigEasy GEX Zigbee / DigiMesh coordinators can be used in mesh networks for smart homes, monitoring weather conditions, and tracking agricultural data. They can [...]

The post ZigEasy GEX is a series of ZigBee 3 & DigiMesh coordinators powered by the XBee 3 and XBee SX 868 modules appeared first on CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.

Luckfox has launched the Pico WebBee, a Linux-based micro development board powered by the Rockchip RV1103 Cortex-A7 SoC with 64MB of on-chip RAM. Externally, the Pico WebBee resembles a USB dongle enclosed in an ABS case with a USB Type-A port and a 100Mbps Ethernet RJ45 port. Additionally, it includes an internal microSD card slot and a boot button. The board is designed for applications such as lightweight web servers, USB scripting tools, and smart home devices. It’s not quite the first Rockchip RV1103 solution from Luckfox, as we previously covered the Luckfox Pico Mini Arm Linux camera board and the Luckfox Pico Plus camera board with an Ethernet port. The Pico WebBeee is quite different in its form factor (it’s a complete device), and it also lacks a camera interface. Luckfox Pico WebBee specifications: SoC – Rockchip RV1103 G1 CPU – Single-core Arm Cortex-A7 processor @ 1.2GHz + RISC-V [...]

The post Luckfox Pico WebBee – A Rockchip RV1103 USB & Ethernet development board for web servers, scripting, and Smart Home applications appeared first on CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.

The GGBEE RMW002 is a mini WiFi AC smart switch designed to make your appliances smarter. It supports a voltage range of 100-240V AC and a maximum current of 16A/20A. With built-in WiFi, the switch connects to the Cozy Life app for easy remote control of your appliances. It also supports voice commands through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant allowing for hands-free operation. Additional features include group control, countdown timers, and dual-control wiring options. The device has very similar from-factor and features to that of a SONOFF ZBMINIR2 or  SONOFF MINI Extreme (MINIR4M) but there are significant price differences if you are comparing the RMW002  to any SONOFF devices since the GGBEE switch is quite cheaper. GGBEE RMW002 specifications: SoC – Boufallo Lab BL602 32-bit RISC-V wireless SoC Connectivity – 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi 4 via BL602 Input Voltage range – 100-240V AC (50/60Hz) Max Current: 16A or 20A depending on [...]

The post GGBEE RMW002 WiFi AC smart switch supports Alexa, Google Assistant, and Cozy Life app appeared first on CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.

The ESP32-AIVoice-Z01 is an affordable ESP32-S3-powered AI voice kit designed for creating voice-controlled AI applications. It features Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity through the ESP32-S3 SoC, a dual digital microphone array for accurate voice recognition, and an onboard amplifier. The system also implements audio algorithms for noise reduction and echo cancellation. The ESP32-AIVoice-Z01 board supports Espressif’s WakeNet voice wake-up framework and integrates with the AiLinker open-source backend service framework to enable the connection to various large AI model services like OpenAI, ZhiPu QingYan, TongYi QianWen, and DouBao. These features make this device suitable for developing AI-powered toys, IoT devices, mobile devices, and smart home applications. ESP32-AIVoice-Z01 ESP32 AI voice kit specifications Wireless module – ESP32-S3-WROOM-1U SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3 dual-core Xtensa LX7 processor Memory – 8MB PSRAM Storage – 16MB flash Wireless – WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity with external antenna Storage – MicroSD card slot Audio Dual digital microphone array [...]

The post ESP32-AIVoice-Z01 is an ESP32-S3 AI voice kit with dual microphones, wake word detection, noise reduction and echo cancellation appeared first on CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.

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 [...]

The post LG opens the ThinQ API for Smart Home devices appeared first on CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.

STMicro has announced the availability of the STM32N6 microcontroller series based on the 800MHz ARM Cortex-M55 and the 600 GOPS-capable Neural-ART Accelerator. The STM32N6 is the company’s “newest and most powerful STM32 series,” bringing MPU-level performance to MCUs. It is the first STM32 to feature the Arm Cortex-M55 and offer up to 4.2MB of embedded RAM. Additionally, the chip includes ST’s NeoChrom GPU and an H.264 hardware encoder. According to Remi El-Quazzane, MDRF (Microcontrollers, Digital ICs, and RF Products) President at STMicro, the STM32N6 “marks the beginning of a long journey of AI hardware-accelerated STM32, which will enable innovations in applications and products in ways not possible with any other embedded processing solution.” STMicro offers two versions of the STM32N6 MCU: the STM32N6x7 AI line featuring the Neural-ART accelerator and the STM32N6x5 GP (general-purpose) product line without an NPU. The microcontroller series is primarily targeted at computer vision and audio [...]

The post STMicro releases STM32N6 Cortex-M55 MCU series with in-house NPU and dedicated computer vision pipeline appeared first on CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.

Our Seeed Studio XIAO ecosystem has been growing steadily with tap-on accessories like Grove Expansion Boards, Sensors, Connectivity Modules, and Actuators to complement our thumb-sized dev boards. But one thing kept coming up in our XIAO Open Roadmap – you wanted more relays! Well, we heard you, and here’s our answer: the new Seeed Studio 2-Channel AC Wi-Fi Relay.

Powered by our thumb-sized XIAO ESP32C3, this Home Assistant-native relay device lets you control two independent 100-240V AC loads – perfect for lights, appliances, and motorized facilities. We’ve pre-flashed it with ESPHome firmware and built in a power meter, so you can track both real-time and historical power consumption right from your Home Assistant dashboard. 

All the above-mentioned features make it particularly suited for applications that need both remote control and power monitoring of household electrical devices through a smart home automation system.

Want to know what’s under the hood? We’ve packed in two 10A/250VAC high-power latching relays (HF3F-L), giving you control over two loads on a 50-60 Hz AC carrier signal. Here’s a sneak peek at the internals – and don’t worry, we’ll be open-sourcing all schematics on our Wiki soon!

Ready to get your hands on one? The Seeed Studio 2-Channel AC Wi-Fi Relay is available for pre-order at our Bazaar webstore for just $19.90. Shipping starts in early January 2025, and it’ll also be available on our AliExpress and Amazon stores.

Order NOW

Oh, and one more thing! The relay comes in a white 3D-printed enclosure (which you can download and customize from Thingiverse for free). And for all you makers and developers who want to DIY with your existing XIAO boards – stay tuned! We’re working on a universal Relay Add-on that’ll be compatible with all XIAO dev boards.

Notes at the end.

Hey community, we’re curating a monthly newsletter centering around the beloved Seeed Studio XIAO. If you want to stay up-to-date with:

 Cool Projects from the Community to get inspiration and tutorials
 Product Updates: firmware update, new product spoiler
 Wiki Updates: new wikis + wiki contribution
 News: events, contests, and other community stuff

Please click the image below to subscribe now!

The post Introducing Seeed Studio 2-Channel AC Wi-Fi Relay: A Home Assistant Native Switch with Power Metering Based on XIAO ESP32C3 appeared first on Latest Open Tech From Seeed.

Choosing the right SoC for the next Seeed Studio XIAO is always challenging. It must represent cutting-edge technology, bringing innovation in communication networking, computing performance, or ecosystem compatibility. When Silicon Labs EFR32MG24 came into our view, we were immediately excited by its enormous potential to make the promising Matter® wireless communication protocol accessible to ALL – perfectly aligning with Seeed’s vision of Making Technology Accessible for ALL.

Matter connects IoT platforms and smart home devices across different brands, bridging the gap between different ecosystems like Amazon, Google, and Apple. This new industry-unifying standard provides reliable connections and simplifies development for makers. We are now thrilled to introduce the Seeed Studio XIAO MG24 and the Seeed Studio XIAO MG24 Sense, thumb-sized Matter®-native dev boards all powered by Silicon Labs EFR32MG24!

Seeed Studio XIAO MG24 (Sense), Tailored for Battery-Powered Matter Applications

The Seeed Studio XIAO MG24 and XIAO MG24 Sense are two tiny Arduino-compatible development boards that uniquely combine Matter with the Seeed Studio XIAO ecosystem. The EFR32MG24 Wireless SoC features a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M33 core processor running at 78MHz with DSP instructions, 1536KB Flash memory, and 256KB RAM. Thanks to the Silicon Labs SoC inside, the XIAO MG24 and XIAO MG24 Sense support Matter® over Thread® and Bluetooth® Low Energy 5.3. In the future, there will be support for the other common 2.4 GHz protocols on the Arduino Core.

In the signature Seeed Studio XIAO form factor (21×17.8mm), both XIAO MG24 and XIAO MG24 Sense feature 4MB onboard Flash capacity, LED, and 19 GPIOs. The XIAO MG24 Sense additionally includes two onboard sensors: an analog microphone and a 6-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). These new XIAO boards excel in battery management, featuring an onboard charging circuit, internal IO for battery voltage measurement, and support for an increased charging current of 160mA. Their battery management system and ultra-low-power consumption design make them ideal for the rapid development and prototyping of Matter-based battery-powered IoT devices.

“Seeed Studio has consistently delivered innovative and cost-effective hardware solutions that empower developers around the globe. We are thrilled to collaborate with them on the XIAO MG24 boards, which integrate our EFR32MG24B220F1536IM48-B chip. This partnership not only broadens the reach of our technology but also aligns with our vision of fostering a vibrant developer community. We look forward to seeing the creative and impactful applications that will emerge from this collaboration,” says Rob Shane, Vice President, Mass Market Sales & Applications at Silicon Labs.

Seeed Studio XIAO for Matter: XIAO MG24 (Sense) & XIAO ESP32C6

These aren’t our first Matter-compatible XIAOs. Earlier this year, we launched the XIAO ESP32C6, supporting multiple protocols including Zigbee, Wi-Fi 6, BLE 5, and Thread. For those wondering about the differences between these models, please refer to the comparison table below to find the perfect match for your Matter applications.

Join Our Seeed Studio XIAO Early Adopter Program

XIAO MG24 and XIAO MG24 Sense are now available for pre-order through our Bazaar webstore at $7.9 and $10.9 respectively, with shipping expected in late November 2024. To celebrate the launch, here is a limited-time offer: 10% off for the first 100 purchases. Shop NOW.

Seeed Studio XIAO MG24

Seeed Studio XIAO MG24 Sense

To help developers quickly adapt their projects to the XIAO MG24 (Sense), we’re launching our XIAO Early Adopter Program. If you’re an author or maintainer of a popular open-source Matter or IoT project on GitHub, or an influencer on YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram, ensure your users can run your code on the XIAO MG24. Join to receive two free early sample boards (shipping mid-November) and technical support for making your code compatible with this exciting new board.

Notes at the end.

Hey community, we’re curating a monthly newsletter centering around the beloved Seeed Studio XIAO. If you want to stay up-to-date with:

 Cool Projects from the Community to get inspiration and tutorials
 Product Updates: firmware update, new product spoiler
 Wiki Updates: new wikis + wiki contribution
 News: events, contests, and other community stuff

Please click the image below to subscribe now!

The post Meet Seeed Studio XIAO MG24, Tailored for Battery-Powered Matter Applications appeared first on Latest Open Tech From Seeed.