HASS Yellow w. ESP32-C6 for BLE?

Hardware
1

Hello,

First off I am new here and new with HASS in general.
Anyway my first foray into HASS will be with a “Home Assistant Yellow”;
Home Assistant Yellow | Crowd Supply

However some home automation devices I’m thinking about has BLE as their communication protocol and I was then thinking about buying a RPi CM4 w. wireless included (WiFi / BT) and when I asked another question directly to the project then Paulus Schoutsen was kind enough to suggest to;

If it’s for BLE, consider using ESPHome on an ESP32 to send the data back to Home Assistant.

Ok so then I wouldn’t need a CM4 w. the wireless option but I also don’t want to use a breadboard to connect an ESP32-module to, I would like everything to be contained within the chassi / enclosure of the Yellow.

For Z-Wave I will be attaching an Aeotec Z-Pi 7 to the Yellow’s GPIO-headers.

So I am thinking if this would work:
Connecting an ESP32-C6 to the Yellow’s USB-port (since the Yellow’s GPIO-headers are already occupied by the Z-Pi 7 for Z-Wave) to be able to connect BLE-devices.

However then it will be attached outside the Yellow’s chassi and its a better option to just use the CM4’s integrated Bluetooth?

Best Regards - Karl, Sweden

Update:
Added a poll to gauge interest:

Should the Home Assistant Yellow add a hole for the CM4 antenna kit?

  • Yes (“push-out” / “pre-perforated” i.e. you push out a plastic “cover” if you want to use that port)
  • Yes (hole should always be exposed, err…a normal hole)
  • No
0 voters
2

Technically, you definitely could use the bluetooth module of a CM4.
Now, the issue might be that poor shielding of the CM4 and/or Yellow would limit the bluetooth range, making it practically unusable.

As the CM4 is hooked to the Yellow, there would be no workaround.
Unfortunately, no way to tell before someone tries it when Yellow is actually available…

3

Yeah I’m guessing using a Bluetooth USB-adapter with an external antenna connected to the Yellow would be the easiest way to go, even though it is an external device plugged into the Yellow which will make it a bit more bulkier.

I am wondering if the “Compute Module 4 Antenna Kit” also improves the Bluetooth signal in addition to the WiFi-signal :thinking: If so then it would be the most tidy and “clean” solution.

4

Well, you’d still have to drill a hole in the Yellow case :wink:

5

Yeah that was actually what I originally emailed the Yellow-team about, asking if they could add a hole for the antenna in the chassi / case. It might even be… a perforated hole* which can be used for the customers who buys the CM4 w. wireless.

  • = I don’t know the English word for it.
    Basically its a hole but it is still covered, there are plastic “legs” connecting the “lid” to the chassi but it would enable users to push the “lid” out from the chassi by only using their hands and thereby exposing the hole.
6

Pre-perforated hole?
No clue, I’m not a native either :wink:

(and tbh, I wouldn’t know in my native language, either :joy: )

7

“Good” thing is that there is no USB3 on the Yellow, which made the RPI4 bluetooth basically unusable out-of-the-box.
I used to use a RPI3B for BLE and it worked quite well, but my needed range is appartment-wide, so quite limited all considered.

8

Haha you seem to understand what I’m talking about anyway (and it is hard trying to find the correct word for it). But yeah basically it is like the “LPT”-port on this backplate (which can be pushed / wiggled out if you need to expose the port);
s-l300

9

In electrician speak you would call that a “knock-out”