Starting My Home Automation Experiment

And some time ago I installed the FIBER¹ in my home and I want to use in the best way, so I start to rework all my local network and I think about adding some home automation.

Xkcd - Virtual Assistant

If you ask it to please turn off that feature, it apologizes a whole bunch and promises to try to be quieter, then switches to a slightly lower-volume version of the clip with "sorry!" after the louder sounds.

What do I need?

First I search for understand what I need to have for build my personal home automation. So serching on the web I found I need:

• A brain/core/server for coordinate all the stuffs
• A software for the brain, for the automation and other stuff
• A router for adding the brain to the network for update and other stuff
• Dongle/sensor/tech for connectivity with the sensors and smart stuff (one for protocol)
• The smart stuff (light bulb, sensor, timer, endpoint api…)

So I need to choose which protocol I want in my home… And I don’t know…

So I change the point of view:

• I want to use good smart stuff but I don’t want to pay too much
• I want something Open Source so I am not bind to a company
• I want something offline or/and on MY HOME SERVER

The protocols

Searching for the protocols I choose Thread² and Zigbee³. One reason is because they are the most used protocol for communication and more easy to find online (Amazon) and offline (Ikea and othe local shop).

For starting I will implement only Thread because the more easy tech for me are all Matter over Thread so I start with Thread.

From the infographic I found, I need to implement Matter⁴ also because Matter is the top stuff for an Home Assistant.

The software

Now I want a software, Open Source, which I can support Thread and Matter (and also Zigbee) and I found a software (Open Source) wich support all I need: Home Assistant⁵.

It support Matter⁶, Thread⁷ and Zigbee⁸ and I can put it in a RaspberryPi or other server.

Hardware

So I start to make a list of what I have and what I need. Some things I buy online, some things come from some tech market and some come form the shoes box of my old stuff…

I only write about the real things but if I use cable or other “standard stuff” I don’t write about it. So yes I bought some usb extention and some network cable but they aren’t important for this post.

Core/Brain Stuff

First I need the Brain for the project

From what I read in the Home Assistant⁵ documentation I need some type of server with some gadget connected to them.

So I search and got a RaspberryPi 4B⁹.

I also bought a microSD with 64GB of memory (I am on a budget for this project) as an Hard Disk for the “server”.

Searching in my closet and in some shoes boxes I found a case¹⁰ for RaspberryPi with active cooling system (and LGB light)

So I flash the microSD with the Home Assistant software. Thanks to the Raspberry Pi Software¹¹ choosing the right iso and flash it in the SD was a walk in the park.

After the flashing I set it up and add to my local network and check for update.

So the brain is ready!

Sensor form Ikea

I went to Ikea for some stuff and some Swedish meatballs and I came back with an Ikea Alpstuga¹².

It is a timer, air sensor with CO2 and PM2.5 sensor and output all of them and an Air Quality value.

The only bad thing about it is the color but for the price I don’t complain.

So after coming home I found it didn’t work.

As is the RaspberryPi 4B do not support Thread or Zigbee without some type of specialized antenna… I was understanding that the software use the wifi module of the RaspberryPi as a Zigbee/Thread emitter/reciver but no so I search on Amazon for the dongle for Thread.

Antenna

I bought a Usb dongle¹³ for connecting the RaspberryPi and the other gadget in the house (for now only the Ikea one)

¹³

This antenna is a little special: you can flash it for changing it form Zigbee to Thread and vice versa so I start to config it.

Setup the Antenna

First I flash the antenna. I need to port from Zigbee to Thread¹⁴ and with the online tool it was so easy I thought I did something wrong.

After this I connect the dongle and start to config the Home Assistant.

First I need to have installed Thread from “Add Integration” and it showed an empty list of device. This is correct because I didn’t have a Thread router installed.

So we add a OpenRouter. How? Installing from the officials app of mine Home Assistant.

After this I edit the config in this way (the device was auto-finded) and I set this for my device. ¹⁵

For checking if all was ok I went and seach in the log for the OpenThread for a specific line.

After this I went to check if the Thread integration showed the Ikea sensor and it didn’t show… Why? Because I am STUPID.

Setup the last little things

Alpstuga (my air sensor) is not Thread, is Matter over Thread, so I need to add the thing with the Matter integration. And with this last integration the system worked!

I am happy of this system? No. Why? I have the wrong time on the Alpstuga.

This thing I don’t understand so I search online for understand how can I fix the time on the device.

I find this is a common problem with the Alpstuga device and someone made a Hacs¹⁶ plugin¹⁷ wich add a cron and a button for sync the Home Assistant’s clock. I also add the plugin for integrate my Playstation Network in my Home Assistant¹⁸.

Conclusion

For now this is what I had done but I want to have automation (for now I don’t have any) and some stuff for lower the gas bill so there will be more post about my smart home.