SonOff Low Cost Wifi Switches for Home Automation

You can solder an extension wire across the switch terminals and wire it to any switch you want

@bluemachaveli: from your photo I am guessing you are re-flashing firmware? The ftdi board is a hint here, but if you are then you're free to program GPIO14, conveniently broken out through the extra pin of the programming header as an additional input or output. Do this by connecting whatever you choose between this pin and gnd.
For a second GPIO: If you are re-flashing then you no longer need the factory functionality of the stock button. You can simply solder to the two switch pins closest to the edge of the pcb and again program this (GPIO0) as you choose in your new firmware. Even if you are using the stock Sonoff firmware this input can be remotely wired to any kind of normally open pushbutton contacts.

Of course this begs the question; why would you use a Sonoff at all of a NodeMCU or Wemos D1 Mini for example will program up the same with your custom firmware, break out more GPIO and even an analog channel for sensors?

To my mind at the current price of just over €4 for a basic Sonoff which:
1. Comes in a plastic case
2. Has its own mains - dc switching power supply (pretty well implemented too)
3. A reasonable mains powered relay
4. Comes with a decent firmware & app for non "hacker" deployment
5. Readily accepts many proven and maintained firmware platforms
6. Can be programmed by you, your way via Arduino IDE
7. Comes with a programming header
8. Has additional GPIO for re-flashed firmware

And is just a lot of function and option for the money. Consider the price of a pint as a yardstick ffs!

PLEASE BE AWARE
That some of the best features from above make the Sonoff dangerous as a development board. Never use the internal power supply powered off mains while the unit is open for programming! Remember that the relay is permanently connected to the live phase of your mains connection and the mains neutral is permanently wired to the output; this is NOT a volt-free relay contact!

There are other things you can do to bling up or pimp your Sonoff like flash memory upgrades. This makes a big difference if you install the OTA (Over the air) programming components. These allow you to re-flash your Sonoff and at any time in the future to tweak, modify or replace your program wirelessly over WiFi, so handy if it is deployed remotely.

Jonathan Oxer of the SuperhouseTV YouTube channel pot this blog post up with lots of handy text and images and a link to a very insightful video here:
http://www.superhouse.tv/21-six-sonoff-secrets/

Hope this helps

Garry

wexfordman2 wrote: »

Hi,

Does the 4ch pro work with Google home out of the box ?

It does in so far as you have to setup the connection to Google Home. I have only used Amazon Alexa to control the Sonoff products and it is as easy as installing a recipe on the Alexa control panel. I guess Google is as straight forward.

The eWeLink app does work with Google Home and the 4ch Pro. This should help: https://www.itead.cc/blog/sonoff-work-with-google-home

Garry

GryKyo wrote: »

It does in so far as you have to setup the connection to Google Home. I have only used Amazon Alexa to control the Sonoff products and it is as easy as installing a recipe on the Alexa control panel. I guess Google is as straight forward.

The eWeLink app does work with Google Home and the 4ch Pro. This should help: https://www.itead.cc/blog/sonoff-work-with-google-home

Garry

Cheers, just been checking though, it seems to be a bit hit and miss with Google home looking at the forum for the 4ch unit.

@Garry Thanks for the tips, the Superhouse videos are great!

I flashed everything with the Tasmota firmware over the weekend with no issues. My main aim here was to have everything working with Apple Home Kit and Siri (everyone in the house has an iOS device). A quick overview of my setup so far:

Living Room:
1 x Sonoff Touch on the wall controlling the main light.
1 x Sonoff Basic controlling the fire (when I say fire, it's just a few logs wrapped in fairy lights).

Kitchen:
1 x Sonoff Touch on the wall for the main light.

Bathroom:
1 x Sonoff Basic hidden behind a mirror to control one of these.

All the above are controlled by OpenHab2 & an MQTT server running on a Raspberry Pi with a Homekit plugin. All works perfect with the phones so far. The good thing with this setup is that it's easily used with Google Home & Alexia with almost no further config required. Zones are working really well so far. For example: Upstairs/Downstairs or individual rooms.



I plan on using the spare Sonoff Basics for the Christmas lights in a few weeks as well as gradually upgrading the rest of the house to the Touch Switches. I also need to investigate using a motion sensor to trigger the bathroom light as it has no accessible switch at the minute. I'd also like to set up a small dedicated access point to keep the whole thing off my main network.

I have a spare T1 Uk switch if it is any use to someone. Did not do my homework about the requirement for a neutral connection from the fuse board.

Stoner wrote: »

I've a spot for one I might take it off your hands

You're more than welcome to it. Im not going to go to the trouble of getting an electrician in to run a cable for the neutral.

So is this an actual physical switch? I have a switch in my hot press that turns the pump on and off. Would like to use it for that.

Amazon sell them for a couple of quid more. I went with that and had it next day.

Anyone know if the Homeeasy RF's will work with the Sonoff RF's?

I replaced my homeeasy RF sockets with the sonoff's. Problem now is herself is just pressing the button on the sonoff, so the heating is on all the time! At least from the Homeasy, she would limit it using the countdown function on the HE100 RF control.

I've ordered a RF module for a test, they're so cheap, but probably after xmas by the time it arrives.

If I knew the HE codes worked with it, I'd order the remaining modules for the rest of the zones.

(Don't ask why she won't use the APP!)

CGI_3 wrote: »

As someone else said the 4 channel still only comes with 8 time slots, so you would be better with single devices with 8 time slots each. Remember, each 'ON' is one event, as is each 'OFF', so in theory, just 4 on / off's available. (SONOFF refers to these as 'schedule')

As for boost, this is easy do. Just set the device to 'ON', then in the 'timer' (not schedule) to a set duration and press 'play'. It will then count down and change the state. You can do in the reverse to, set the device OFF, and the countdown to turn it on after an elapsed period, although this isn't something I'd see use for in a heating application.

Just to be aware too that the 'timer' also uses up a slot. You don't have to enter a duration each time. All you need to do is to re-play a previous duration.

So, you could set up say a morning, afternoon, and nighttime on/off schedule (6 slots), and keep 2 for 'boost', have one set say 30 minutes, another set for 60.

It's very easy anyway to delete the timers and start a new one anyway, it' not inflexible at all, so you wouldn't be confined to the examples I gave if you went that way.

A few more slots would be handy alright, but it's probably a hardware as opposed to firmware issue(?)

Strange they appear to have only kept 8 slots on the 4 channel. One would have thought it would have 32...

Thanks for CGI, very informative. I never time my heating at all and constantly work off the "boost" 1 hr function. So in this scenario you would recommend the 4 channel sonoff or 4 separate devices?