Sonoff ZBBridge - Sonoff Zigbee Bridge from Itead

OK, thanks. What about this one (on top of a lite version of a Pi) + the new ITEAD dongle + external antenna?

Or just forget the whole PoE and use local small power adapter :sweat_smile:

Please post constructive feedback in home-assistant.io/issues/17170 if think Sonoff ZBBridge should be lísted in ZHA integration documentation as in the top of the list of “known working radio modules” or not:

I know the above is related to the WiFi connectivity of the Sonoff ZB Bridge, but do we already know about the connectivity performance E2E when using ITEAD’s new EFR32MG21 dongle?
Has that been well tested by someone?

I don’t have one yet but FYI, there is a separate dedicated thread about ITead’s new Zigbee 3.0 dongle:

https://community.home-assistant.io/t/zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle-from-itead-based-on-silicon-labs-efr32mg21-soc/271144/

Maybe continue there if want to discuss using that USB-donge as a remote adapter over Serial-to-IP:

https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/how_tos/how_to_connect_to_a_remote_adapter.html

Again, please understand and remember that Zigbee network range depends on your Zigbee routers.

Hi,
I just have an IKEA Bulb explode a few days ago. I took it apart and found a capacitor burned in the mainboard. I decided to make use of the ZigBee module from the bulb so I de-soldered it from the mainboard it appear to be Trådfri ICC-A-1 Module
The following is what I have done so far

  • solder wires to the module on the pads swdiotms, swclktck, VDD, GND
  • Connect the wire to a jlink clone pcb I bought cheap from aliexpress
  • Flash the icc-a-1-bootloader-combined.s37 I found from IKEA-TRADFRI-ICC-A-1-Module/Firmware at master · MattWestb/IKEA-TRADFRI-ICC-A-1-Module · GitHub
  • Solder wires to the module PB14, PB15, PA0 then connect it to a ttl serial to usb module
  • connect to the module from putty with 115200,n,8,1 it was connected after I short PA0 to GND then I presented wit boot loader screen. I then upload gbl file NCP_USW_115k2_F256_678_PB14-PB15-PA0.gbl via xmodem
    at this poit everything look ok but I can not connect it via bellows

    upload gbl file

Run (2) in BL

Any Idea what I did wrong, how can I test the connection with bellows to ensure it is working

What is your goal with the modified device (what do you eventually want to control)?

The goal is to build a new zigbee coordinator or gateway with the module and firmware available to the module. I just try it in my test instance of home assistant with ZHA integration and I manage to have it working in ZHA now. btw. I’m not really sure why I can not get information of the coordinator using bellows and also (I using docker to run home assistant) mapping usb serial /dev/ttyUSB0 to /dev/ttyUSB0 did not work in home assistant docker remap it to /dev/ttyUSB0:/dev/ttyACM0 working without knowing why.

@chaisaeng FYI, there were issues with serial and ZHA in recent releases but fixed in very latest HA.

https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/50289

Regardless, suggest also start thread on the project here → https://github.com/zigpy/zigpy/discussions as zigpy/bellows devs, tube0013 and MattWestb who all have experience with this reads threads there.

You might specifically also want to check out and read through these existing threads/discussions there:

https://github.com/zigpy/zigpy/discussions/743

https://github.com/zigpy/zigpy/discussions/584

As well as check out this ESPHome and ESP32 based gateway project can use with ICC-A-1 Module:

https://github.com/tube0013/tube_gateways

https://community.home-assistant.io/t/zigbee-3-0-to-ethernet-bridge-gateway-wired-not-wifi-inexpensive-diy-project-for-zha/257020

https://community.home-assistant.io/t/tubes-zb-coordinators-and-routers-was-zigbee-router-on-steroids/280896

Tip! ZB-GW03 eWeLink Ethernet Zigbee Gateway is a spiritual successor to ITead Sonoff ZBBridge:

https://community.home-assistant.io/t/zb-gw03-ewelink-ethernet-zigbee-gateway-now-hacked-with-tasmota-zbbridge-so-can-be-used-via-mqtt-or-as-a-remote-zigbee-adapter-with-home-assistant-zha/341223

1 Like

OK, this is all interesting stuff, but to what extend are we sure this new bridge is compatible with the Sonoff Zigbee sensors and (mains powered) Zigbee switches?

And Sonoff recently also came with this one, also with the option to connect an external antenna.
What do you think about that device?

I have an order in and plan to replace my ZBBridge with it. I dont have a ton of Zigbee devices so it wont be a hard migration.
ZBBridge has been working fine now for over a year, but thinking I want to go back to a stick connected to my NUC vs a seperate box sitting on wifi.

Yah, I also do not like a Zigbee gateway depending on a wifi connection to your home LAN.
I currently use the Sonoff ZBBridge now for a year or so and face little issues. Weird behaviors are rare, also bcs of following reasons:

  • My wifi router is pretty good and only about 4-5 meters away from the Sonoff Zigbee Bridge.

  • I have a number of Zigbee Mini Switches of Sonoff which also act as Zigbee repeaters

  • I standardised almost completely on Sonoff devices/sensors, and even modified a few if a particular sensor function doesn’t exist in the standard product line.
    This really helps: do not mix too many different makes: the less the better (although they all claim they are Zigbee 3.0 compatible).
    For instance, I have an old hard-wired alarm system in my house with door and window proximity switches fully integrated in the wood work. This is now hard-wired to a number of Sonoff Zigbee door sensors.

  • Practically all Sonoff Zigbee sensors in my house do not run on battery power anymore. Those I modified too and are hardwired powered with 3V DC from a power adapter plugged in mains.

  • I even have Sonoff Zigbee motion sensors at various places in the garden. Also there a 3V DC line is powering these sensors hard-wired.

FYI, ITead has released Silabs EmberZNet 6.10 (v6.10.3) firmware for their EFR32MG21 USB dongle:

https://github.com/xsp1989/zigbeeFirmware/tree/master/firmware/Zigbee3.0_Dongle

Not tested but will probably work on ZB-GW02, ZB-GW03, ZB-GW04, and Sonoff ZBBridge as well?

I understand they all use same radio board design based on “SM-011 V1.0” radio module by CoolKit:

https://github.com/zigpy/zigpy/discussions/586

xsp1989 also announced the good news is that a router firmware “will be released soon” here:

https://github.com/xsp1989/zigbeeFirmware/issues/18

FYI, Zigbee Router firmware for EFR32MG21 adapters has now been released by xsp1989 on GitHub.

https://github.com/xsp1989/zigbeeFirmware/tree/master/firmware/Zigbee3.0_Dongle/RouterForDongle

From readme sounds as tested with ITead Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle and SM-011 based USB adapters.

https://github.com/xsp1989/zigbeeFirmware/blob/710a60451f6631cad46f5d5107b65198558709c3/firmware/Zigbee3.0_Dongle/RouterForDongle/README.md

The same “SM-011 V1.0” Zigbee radio modules by CoolKit Technologies is also used inside some Zigbee gateways/hubs like this popular ITead Sonoff ZBBridge and ZB-GW03 eWeLink Ethernet Zigbee Gateway sold by EACHEN and SmartWise, so could perhaps be that the same Zigbee Router firmware could maybe also be used on the SM-011 Zigbee module in all or some of those products as well?

https://github.com/xsp1989/zigbeeFirmware/issues/16

https://github.com/xsp1989/zigbeeFirmware/issues/2

Does the ZbBridge not need signed firmware ?

Not sure, but if it does then wonder if they did not get previously signed firmware images from xsp1989?

Believe xsp1989 works as an engineer at CoolKit Technologies who designed “SM-011 V1.0” hardware?

He’s also been involved in Tasmota discussions → https://github.com/arendst/Tasmota/issues/9316

Again, there’s no claim this Zigbee Router firrmware image has been tested on ITead’s Sonoff ZBridge.

FYI, xsp1989 has uploaded a signed Zigbee Router firmware for ITead’s Sonoff ZBBridge which could possibly make it a Tasmota/ESPHome connected Zigbee Router (instead of as a Zigbee Coordinator):

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H-M5CTh_XGGVl2te4vHLQ5SfGPHL6yCS/view?usp=sharing

This is the signed routing firmware used by ZBB, the usage method is the same as the unsigned firmware.

https://github.com/xsp1989/zigbeeFirmware/blob/4533c8daa1e571801a2c49dca8498a1b1b79f54f/firmware/Zigbee3.0_Dongle/RouterForDongle/README.md

You think Tasmota/ESPHome can send basic commands to it to initiate paring/joining and restart/reset?

xsp1989 post update on router firmware in [REQUEST] Zigbee Router firmware for EFR32MG21 in Sonoff ZBBridge by ITead? · arendst/Tasmota · Discussion #11536 · GitHub

This firmware can ground the PA00 5S into pairing mode, and ground the RST to restart routing. UART is used to transmit data transparently.

and

There is also another version of the routing firmware that can control the join network through a proprietary serial port protocol

Ideas around this is also discussed for ITead’s Sonoff ZBBridge hacked with Tasmota/ESPHome here:

https://github.com/arendst/Tasmota/discussions/11536

https://github.com/thegroove/esphome-zbbridge/issues/3

https://github.com/syssi/esphome-zb-gw03/issues/12

https://github.com/xsp1989/zigbeeFirmware/issues/2

https://github.com/xsp1989/zigbeeFirmware/issues/16

PS: Have not tried this myself as I got rid of my ITead Sonoff ZBBridge because being WiFi-based it did not work any good as a remote Zigbee Coordinator, but might reconsider buying one if it worked as a Zigbee Router device that can be paired/joined and restarted/reset remotely via Tasmota and/or ESPHome. So that Tasmota/ESPHome is basically only used to initiate virtual join/pair button and restart/reset the device similar to a remote power-cycle it hangs.

Checkout “How to Convert the Sonoff Zigbee Bridge into a Router / Repeater” blog article by @digiblur

https://www.digiblur.com/2022/02/convert-sonoff-zigbee-bridge-to-router-repeater.html