New DFRobot MMWave sensor not working

ESPHome
1

Hello everyone, I was hoping someone could help me with a problem I’ve been having. I found out about this pretty nifty-looking mmWave sensor from DFRobot.

Product Page: https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/dfrobot/SEN0623/24854509

Documentation: SEN0623 C1001 mmWave Human Detection Sensor

I wanted to use this in ESPHome in Home Assistant; however, I discovered it isn’t supported quite yet. I tried out the test code from the documentation page, and it works fine flashing the code directly to the board so I’m relatively sure it’s all wired correctly.

Here’s how I have it all wired up:

image
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However, since there’s no native support for this sensor in esphome quite yet, I’m having difficulty getting it to work. I’m quite new to ESPHome, so I’m having a difficult time figuring out how to port the DFRobot_HumanDetection.h to ESPHome. To be honest, I’m not even sure if I really need to.

Here’s what I’ve tried for my YAML config.

substitutions:
  uart_tx_pin: GPIO17
  uart_rx_pin: GPIO16
  gpio_pin: GPIO22
  device_name: mmwave-sensor
  device_name_pretty: mmWave Sensor

esphome:
  name: $device_name
  friendly_name: $device_name_pretty

esp32:
  board: esp32dev
  framework:
    type: arduino

# Enable logging
logger:

# Enable Home Assistant API
api:
  encryption:
    key: "KEY"

ota:
  - platform: esphome
    password: "PW"

wifi:
  ssid: !secret wifi_ssid
  password: !secret wifi_password
  domain: .lan

captive_portal:

web_server:
  port: 80
  version: 2
  include_internal: true

http_request:
  useragent: esphome/$device_name
  timeout: 2s
  verify_ssl: false

uart:
  id: uart_bus
  tx_pin: ${uart_tx_pin}
  rx_pin: ${uart_rx_pin}
  baud_rate: 115200

binary_sensor:
  - platform: gpio
    name: "${device_name_pretty}"
    id: mmwave_presence_detection
    device_class: motion
    pin:
      number: GPIO22
      mode: 
        INPUT_PULLDOWN

When this config is flashed, it just shows that the motion sensor is always clear.

I’m hoping someone can help point me in the right direction here to figure out how to get this sensor to work.

Thanks!

2

Try reversing your TX/RX. These are usually wired in reverse. Two such examples attached

Screenshots
Screenshots1966×808 245 KB

3

You maybe able to use some of the code generously open sourced by EverythingSmartHome. This isn’t specifically for your sensor but these may be close enough

4

It might be worth messaging the person who submitted the latest 2 mmwave configs and see if they can assist you with modifying an existing one and adding support for the one you have…

5

I did try this; the result is that it’s either always detecting motion or never detecting motion.

1 Like
6

That might be good, how do I figure out who that is?

7

the esphome documentation catelogs every update and links to the relevant repositories, authors, etc. You might even just go ask in the Esphome Discord server, that’s where all the esphome developers hang out and answer questions there.

1 Like
8

Sweet, thanks I’ll do that.

9

did you get this to work?
i have the exact same issue trying for weeks now in chatgpt ai everything cant get nothing to work

10

sorry no I have not been able to get it work with ESP Home. I had to write my own Arduino code and pushes to an MQTT topic.

11

can you share a git for that or point me to the right direction please?

12

You’re basically relying on libraries. DFRobot has an arduino library for the SEN0623, it’s in the Documentation link in my original post. Using that library you can get the information out of the chip like moving distance, motion detected, etc. It’s all in the documentation. Pick out an MQTT arduino library you like and install that. Then it’s just a matter of setting up a topic in home assistant to listen to MQTT - Home Assistant.

13

i am sorry but i am kinda new im old (more than 40) but new to hardware how the in the name of what is holy do you get the arduino in esp32 to comunicate to mqtt and send info? serial?

14

got it to work :slight_smile:

image
image2505×1099 182 KB

C1001 mmWave Sensor Integration Guide
used ai to do it… this is not the full code but here you go comunity :slight_smile:

15

Please disregard.

16

Hello

I don’t understand you want me to try to implement your code? For what purpose?

I got it to work and did a website with all code it is nor the final version of the code but it is 90% there because i asked dfrobot for help for many months they said no and then emailed them got it to work and they said thank you for the code…

And afaik they have not release the code to the public

I am not a programer by trade but it is my hobby.

I can try to make the compilation but you can try to see if it works in esp home builder

For the testing yap you need to shell out 40 euros plus the board dont forget MANY of them dont have 5v to power the board i bought many of them in the past and they are not working

Mine are already soldered and in place and working

IMG_1884
IMG_18841290×1733 407 KB

And you need a 3d printer etc etc

This board works but again this is my implementation and i am in no way advising no one maybe the comunity can find a expert and have him try i am just a nobody that wanted to have his mother with some fall sensors.

If you want to buy a already out of the box and it works and it is just plug and play with home assistant

Go check out this

| Seeed Studio 60GHz mmWave Human Fall Detection Sensor-MR60FDA2
https://a.aliexpress.com/_ExsTUSq

It comes already in a 3d printed case and it is plug connect to it is wifi put your wifi credentials and it appears in home assistant. But it is only a fall sensor and presence sensor and not a breating or bpm sensor that is a different sensor… dfrobot does all 4 things but again needs work and support from then :frowning:

17

How are you finding the actual sensor itself. I am hoping to use it for ceiling mount in each room, middle of each room.
Have you done any testing and found that it works well, especially for sitting with little to no movementn or lying still, etc

It seems to be a suitable sensor for this purpose, but its hard to find users opinions on it, and before I start shelling out even for one, would be handy to have some actual users experiences.

Thanks! Will borrow your code for my purposes too, thanks for the heavy work!

18

it is mostly working the issue i have is with the * 1m to breathing sensing and it says 2m for detecting and 2m fall sensor… so basically it works but the position the timing and the fall sensor is in a word pain in the ass to configure and get it right

19

Captura de ecrã 2025-04-20 150209
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it works… but again position… and i cannot set the height and it is slow at detecting heart and breathing it takes a 10 to 20s to wake up to that

20

but please guys make your code available send them to the dfrobot people make some noise if not we will never have a production ready device… we need fall sensors!!! for the people by the people!!

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