Hi everyone, my names is Lorenzo, i from Italy.
I’m starting an early-stage project to build a universal physical keypad fully integrated with Home Assistant, and I’m looking for people interested in collaborating.
Project idea
The goal is to create a reliable, wall-mounted physical keypad designed for:
access control or alarm/security systems
triggering automations and scenes
everyday smart home interactions
Key principles:
Physical buttons (not touch-only)
Native Home Assistant integration
Open, community-driven approach
Simplicity and reliability
Technology direction
Initial MVP:
ESP32 (ESP32-S3)
Wi-Fi + BLE + Zigbee
Integration via ESPHome
Future roadmap:
Thread / Matter support
Current status
Concept defined
MVP hardware architecture outlined
Looking for collaborators
I’m looking for people interested in contributing, especially for:
Firmware / Embedded (ESP32, ESPHome, low-power optimization)
Home Assistant / integrations
Hardware and PCB design
Soldering, prototyping, and assembly
Product / industrial design (layout, interface, enclosure)
This is not outsourcing — it’s a collaborative, open project that could evolve over time.
If you’re interested in the idea or want to discuss it, feel free to reply here or send me a DM.
Thanks!
My first keypad was a 4x4 grid switch matrix, many decades ago.
Is this your high school homework project, an Instructables attempt to win a prize, a KickStarter idea?
Starting with a ESP-S3 SOC is going to be your first stumbling block as you will not be able to ‘Thread’ it. Spend a tiny bit more and get something more up to date from the Espressif range. Alternatively, does a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 RP2350 offer anything extra? Have you considered a nRF52840 or similar, which ESPHome has announced support for recently, commonly found in a BBC micro:bit you may already have access to? Do some of the chip vendors already offer their SOCs with a simple keyboard as a sample application note, complete with keyswitch debounce routines?
Wall mounting and physical switches immediately cuts out a big portion of your market.
Will it be weatherproof? Suitable for Sahara sun as well as Arctic conditions?
Wireless for security access? No thank you. Have you seen what a Flipper Zero can do in a few seconds?
Will each individual switch have a separate LCD backlit screen that can be customised to have a colored display of what that button can do?
Fingerprint sensing? RFID?
Battery powered and wireless? What happens when the battery dies?
Has somebody else solved your problem already and selling it on the cheap online Asian websites already, in volume at prices you cannot match, assembled on kitchen tables under candlelight by children and grandparent slave labor using substituted parts from factory second rejects?
Does Tuya already offer this functionality as a one-click option in their device builder dashboard? If not, there probably hasn’t been much of a call for it, and probably won’t be.
Like this?
No, I imagine it mounted outside the front door of the house, with the ability to enter a PIN and then press Enter, and then send the entered PIN via MQTT.
Home Assistant would then handle **all the automations and logic
Your PIN stored in a plain text yaml file to match up to?
Sent as plain text over MQTT?
Wirelessly?
Open source? [Maybe open home too]
I’m dying…
Gentle suggestion: You’re using a lot of complicated technology to solve a very common and simple need, an externally located alarm keypad. Should be able to pick one up from your local hardware or electronic store for a few lire. You’re bringing a huge sledgehammer to crack a very small nut - don’t over-complicate your life. It probably isn’t the most appropriate solution either.