“Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus” model "ZBDongle-P" by ITead is based on Texas Instruments CC2652P can now be ordered for $19.90

[Hedda]

ITead announced on Facebook their CC2652P based "Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus" (Model: ZBDongle-P) will be released for $10.99 US.

https://itead.cc/product/sonoff-zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle-plus/

https://sonoff.tech/product/diy-smart-switch/sonoff-dongle-plus/

Update! Comes pre-flashed with firmware 20210120 which works out-of-the-box with Zigbee2MQTT however latest recommendation is to upgrade the firmware to 20211217 or later which both offer stronger transmission power amplification as well as many bug fixes.

Note! It’s strongly recommended also buy/use a USB extension cable to place it a little away to avoid electromagnetic interference (EMI):

According to their marketing material, it will come pre-flashed with Texas Instruments Z-Stack 3.x.0 coordinator firmware and it should work out-of-the-box with either Home Assistant's ZHA (zigpy) and Zigbee2MQTT (zigbee-herdsman, so probably Jeedom and IoBroker too then.

In addition they specifically mention it can also function as a Zigbee router (presumably by flashing other firmware and open access buttons).

I also read that this time they have also added proper electromagnetic shielding to the radio chip and antenna parts onboard the board itself, meaning they must have learned from some of their design flaws in regards to electromagnetic interference and radio signal reception.

https://www.facebook.com/SONOFF.official/posts/2867330886911891

https://www.facebook.com/iteadstudio/posts/4960944183932977

It is based on Texas Instruments CC2652P (CC2652 with integrated +20 dBm amplifier) Zigbee radio and features a metal casing + an SMA connector with an external antenna. It looks a little on the large side for USB 2.0 Type-A so could connect it directly if have no other USB devices but with this using 2.4 GHz frequency band like most other Zigbee adapters it is still recommended to always use a USB extension cable in order to get it away from the computer or any other electronic appliances (and their cables/wires) so it gets less radio frequency interference (RFI) and will thus achieve better signal reception.

Interestingly it uses a Silabs CP2102N UART-to-USB chip so wonder if it will have ITead VID and/or PID strings for automatic USB discovery?

https://community.home-assistant.io/t/unique-friendly-name-description-for-automatic-zigbee-usb-adapter-discovery-in-home-assistant-zha-using-dongle-vendor-product-ids/337077

Also, wondering if this CC2652P serial port will have pins connected for RTS / CTS Hardware Flow Control?

PS: I understand ITead went with TI CC2652P instead of Silabs EFR32MG21 for this "Plus" version because of the current silicon chip shortage.

[Hedda]

Also, wondering if this CC2652P serial port will have pins connected for RTS / CTS Hardware Flow Control?

They now posted some documentation which states that the hardware does support Hardware Flow Control but default firmware does not:

https://sonoff.tech/product-review/zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle-plus/

"The dongle is pre-flashed with the official Zigbee 3.0 coordinator firmware, which does not support software flow control. The dongle supports hardware flow control, if you want to enable it, please set the dip switch to on, and generate the firmware that supports hardware flow control before running, see the following document for details on how to generate the corresponding firmware."

https://sonoff.tech/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Zigbee-3.0-USB-dongle-plus-firmware-flashing-.docx

Enable hardware flow control and generate firmware (optional) If you need to enable the hardware flow control of the CC2652P USB Dongle, you need to use CCS to import the ZNP project to configure and compile the firmware that supports the hardware flow control.

While it should still work with Zigbee2MQTT regardless if the firmware is a little old or not, it is probably a good idea to upgrade to the latest firmware before starting a Zigbee network or migrating.

[Hedda]

FYI, the initial batch was released but already sold out, however pre-orders for next batch is now available at Itead’s official store.

https://itead.cc/product/sonoff-zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle-plus/

https://sonoff.tech/product/diy-smart-switch/sonoff-dongle-plus/

[Westcott1]

Those 5 pads are cJTAG !!

[Koenkk]

ITEAD send me one sample for testing, will add it to the supported adapters list once tested

[Westcott1]

Nice!
I nearly got one direct from them, but didn't want to get stung for import duty handling fees.
Does it come with your firmware as standard?

[Koenkk]

Yes, with CC1352P2_CC2652P_launchpad_coordinator_20210120

[james-fry]

Nice! I nearly got one direct from them, but didn't want to get stung for import duty handling fees. Does it come with your firmware as standard?

Hi @Westcott1 Im based in UK and didnt get hit for any tax or import duties. The device about £14 delivered which is insane value. Also it arrived in ~1 week after it was shipped (which took a couple of weeks due to backorder and chinese holidays).

[Hedda]

Board also looks to have TX and RX serial pads if want to use it as base to build DIY Zigbee-bridge with ESP32/ESP8266 (or Raspberry Pi), see:

https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/information/connecting_cc2530.html#via-an-esp8266-as-a-serial-to-wifi-bridge

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

Tip! Check out discussion about a such Zigbee 3.0 to Ethernet bridge/gateway (wired not WiFi) inexpensive DIY project -> zigpy/zigpy#584

[GSzabados]

Google just pushed me this article about the device:

https://notenoughtech.com/home-automation/sonoff-zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle-plus/

[james-fry]

My dongle plus just arrived in the post to UK yesterday.
Im considering replacing my launchXL ccc1352p-2 with this.
They are quite similar specs wise so not expecting a huge uplift in performance, but the external antenna should give a small benfit over the launchXL.
Watching this thread for insights from Keon when he gets his device - as mentioned at the end of the link posted above it seems that itead reached out for support with the f/w....

[michaljuris]

Seems like it was already added to the supported adapters list:
Koenkk/Z-Stack-firmware@35fd4db

[Hedda]

I co-ordered with a few people from work to share custom fees and shipping cost, so just received 5 of them from the second batch.

Shipping from China to Europe with DHL was fast and got it delivered directly in my snail-mail-box as I had even pre-paid the taxes.

[GSzabados]

Shipping from China to Europe with DHL was fast

That way you cut the cost of shipping very well. Unfortunately I am alone with this sort of Home Automation madness (insanity, how my wife would qualify it) here.

[james-fry]

I used iteads cheap shipping (was 4px I think) and it arrived in UK in ~1 week and was not subject to customs (which is luck, not guaranteed)

[marcgarciamarti]

I can't get my Windows 11 to recognize this device in the device manager section. @Koenkk do you have experience with that? I just don't have a Windows 10 lying around. My only other alternative would be a MacOS :(

[Hedda]

@marcgarciamarti Have you installed the device drivers for Silabs CP210x USB-to-UART Bridge Virtual COM Port (VCP)? Performing update on Windows 10 I had to first install those drivers and then reboot my computer. Should be the same drivers for Windows 11:

https://www.silabs.com/developers/usb-to-uart-bridge-vcp-drivers

[sshaikh]

Just received mine (in UK). I plan to replace my classic CC2531 from the old days.

Some questions:

1. What difference does the HW flow control dipswitch/fw make? Does the latest z2m firmware enable it (subject to flipping the switch)?
2. Is there a general strategy to replacing the adaptor used for z2m? I don't mind re-pairing aside from an inconvenient hue bulb I have.

If anyone wants me to test anything let me know.

[Hedda]

What difference does the HW flow control dipswitch/fw make? Does the latest z2m firmware enable it (subject to flipping the switch)?

@sshaikh “Hardware flow control” is an optional hardware feature, and its additional is an extra optional hardware feature that to my knowledge does not exist in any of the other readily available Zigbee USB dongles that are compatible with Zigbee2MQTT today(?). That is, this ITead Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus adapter has pins/paths connected for it between the dongles SoC and its UART-to-USB bridge chip + a dip-switch on the board which can enable or disable “hardware flow control” (which is disabled bý default).

By default it will instead use “software flow control” and what was mentioned elsewhere is that we can not simply flip the dip-switch and set the ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT software to use “hardware flow control”, as we would also have to flash it with an other firmware image than standard which has been configured to use “hardware flow control”, and only then will you be able to flip the dip-switch and enable it in Zigbee2MQTT configuration, but so far no one we know of has compiled and shared a such firmware image. As section 2 in this document explains:

https://sonoff.tech/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Zigbee-3.0-USB-dongle-plus-firmware-flashing-1-1.docx

Flow control is used to stabilize serial communication, and you can either not use it (i.e. none == “no flow control”), “software flow control” meaning applications/operating system uses system CPU to handle it, or “hardware flow control” meaning that the USB dongle firmware uses the MCU (microcontroller unit) to handle.

“Hardware flow control” should in theory make for a more stable serial communication between the application and the Zigbee USB dongle when the system CPU is overloaded as flow control has been off-loaded to the MCU, however on the other hand no one is known to have any real issues with the default “software flow control” used by default today so might be there is no real-world reason to use “hardware flow control” other than it being something new that we have not really tested before.

So it’s more like; Oh, “hardware flow control” is a shiny new feature, that is cool, let us try it for kicks and if it works then we should at least on paper have a more stable hardware setup when using it.

[chiakikato]

I got two SBDongle and wrote CC1352P2_CC2652P_launchpad_coordinator_20210708.
But two of them performance is almost same or a little bit worth to zzh! which say 5dBm.

I wonder if there are extra settings other than
experimental:
transmit_power: 20

or anything I can check?

[Hedda]

FYI, got a reply email from ITead's project manager for the Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus who unfortunately said that ITead have no plans on maintaining and distributing their own "official" firmware that supports hardware flow control on it, and continued to say that they currently only plan to provide tutorials on how users themselves can set up and generate the appropriate firmware if needed, meaning that they rely on the community to compile our custom firmware if we want it.

Again, ITead/Sonoff engineer guozi7788 did however at least confirm in Koenkk/Z-Stack-firmware#329 which pins should be mapped to use it:

I have added the information you expect to know in this PR:
BSL Trigger Pin: DIO15
Auto-BSL: yes
LED: DIO_7(Not welded) Power LED(Red)
Hardware Flow Control: DIO13: TX DIO12: RC DIO19: CTS(Need DIP-switch ON) DIO18: RTS(Need DIP-switch ON)

[thiscantbeserious]

The current firmware does not support the 20dbm output yet, I will look into this with the next iteration of the firmware.

@Koenkk does the router firmware support 20dbm or not? I've shortly checked the firmware and there are mentions of an amplifier running at 10 dBm in high power mode ... however I have absolutely no clue if that's enabled by default or if I need to mess with anything to get that running ...

[Koenkk]

does the router firmware support 20dbm or not?

No, 5dbm max currently.

[Hedda]

does the router firmware support 20dbm or not?

FYI, there is more discussion about new firmware with higher transmit power dBm configuration in Koenkk/Z-Stack-firmware#323 and also some more information about it in #9744

[thiscantbeserious]

@Koenkk no worries I got it to 20 dBM but no matter the router firmware it seems like both CC2652R and CC2652P pair but no client ever connects to them even if they're the sole router and the clients are sitting ontop of it litterally - with Slaeshs CC2652RB on the other hand it works flawlessly.

Router only, Coordinator they work without issues.
#9479 (comment)

[ronnybugle]

The review from Not enough tech mentions that he had lots of problems getting devices connected, with an update saying that @Koenkk had only just come on-board to help resolve those issues... I'm upgrading my CC2531 that seems to be dropping messages likely due to the 2 concurrent message transmission restriction. So my questions before i buy the Sonoff dongle are:

1. Are there still issues with the firmware, or have they been resolved and it's just as easy to add devices as the CC2531?
2. Does it allow for more than 2 concurrent messages? So it'll be a good upgrade from my current dongle?
3. Is there any reason why it wouldn't work on a QNAP NAS - my CC2531 does, but I heard maybe the zzh doesn't?
4. I've got 20 devices currently with no extra hardware (which means no mesh?) so does this device make sense for me? or only the zzh makes sense?

[Hedda]

Is there any reason why it wouldn't work on a QNAP NAS - my CC2531 does, but I heard maybe the zzh doesn't?

Guess it depends if need QNAP NAS OS (QTS) to have its own native device drivers for the adapters USB-to-UART bridge/converter or not. If you are not running Zigbee2MQTT directly in QTS but instead inside a VM (Virtual Machine) then maybe you can configure USB pass-through to the VM and thus QTS does not need its own native device drivers for the adapters USB-to-UART bridge/converter. If you are running Zigbee2MQTT directly under QTS then its Linux kernel needs to either already have drivers for the USB-to-UART bridge/converter controller or else you will need to install them in QTS somehow.

As mentioned, most newer Zigbee adapters are based on different models of the CC2652 series radio chip from Texas Instruments, (where CC2652P is a better chip than CC2652R on paper because CC2652P feature a +20 dBm amplifier), but where different USB dongles/adapters might still differ is the USB-to-UART bridge/converter chip that the designed choose to use, (usually for stability, cost, and/or availability reasons), and those USB-to-UART bridge/converter chips will then need to use different device drivers in the operating system to actually access the radio module which is then presented as a serial port to the application.

In conclusion, CC2652P or CC2652R does not matter to the OS, as only the drivers for USB-to-UART bridge/converter chip matters.

CC2531 (CC2531F256) has its own integrated USB-to-UART converter controller which needs Texas Instruments Cebal/Cebal2 drivers. (And I believe developers of CC2530 based USB boards will have to have added an external USB-to-UART bridge/converter chip?).

https://www.ti.com/lit/pdf/swra366

Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus by ITead uses CP2102 USB-to-UART converter chip from Silicon Labs and thus need cp210x drivers.

https://www.silabs.com/developers/usb-to-uart-bridge-vcp-drivers

zzh (zig-a-zig-ah) by Electrolama uses CH340E USB-UART bridge from WCH and thus need CH340 drivers.

http://www.wch-ic.com/products/CH340.html

zzh2 and zzhp (a.k.a. zig-a-zig-ah 2/p) by Electrolama will use uses FT231X USB-UART bridge from FTDI and thus need FT231 drivers.

https://ftdichip.com/products/ft231xs/
https://ftdichip.com/products/ft231xq/

Other CC2652P/CC2652R based adapters available today most commonly use CH340C, CH340N, CH340K, CH340E, or CH340B.

PS: CH340B is superior in CH340 series since integrates EEPROM so can configure custom product description, and serial number, etc.

[ronnybugle]

Hi @Hedda,
Thanks for your response. I've received the Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB dongle but can't figure out what the serial port for it is, to put in the configuration.yaml file. When I was using the CC2531, I used to use: /dev/ttyACM0, but there's nothing like ttyUSB0 or whatever to put in the config. I tried running 'dmesg' and I get:

usb 1-3: new full-speed USB device number 15 using xhci_hcd
gpio-keys gpio-keys: Failed to request GPIO 399, error -517
[usb.001.015] / sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00::14.0/usb1/1-3 added.

Sorry, I'm a bit out of my depth here, and I'm just trying to figure it out from bits of information from the web..

Does that mean I need to install the vcp drivers you mentioned? If so, any idea how I'd do that on a NAS? Or is there something else I'm missing? Any help would be hugely appreciated!

[ronnybugle]

So an update... I've installed the drivers through a package. However the NAS still doesn't give the USB stick a proper serial port that I can use. Nothing new shows up when I plug in the USB and then run
ls /dev/tty*

[jrispoli]

Hi @ronnybugle
I have a QNAP TS-251A and a Zooz ZST10-700 S2 Z-wave stick. I could not get a tty device, either, until I executed the following command in a terminal as root:
insmod /usr/local/modules/cp210x.ko
Then the stick was enumerated as /dev/ttyUSB0, and I changed its permissions to ensure the docker images could access it no problem:
chmod 666 /dev/ttyUSB0
Then I started the docker image (Home Assistant) and everything works perfectly!

[francisp2]

Are there still issues with the firmware, or have they been resolved and it's just as easy to add devices as the CC2531?
Definitely

Does it allow for more than 2 concurrent messages? So it'll be a good upgrade from my current dongle?
Yes it is.

I've got 20 devices currently with no extra hardware (which means no mesh?) so does this device make sense for me? or only the zzh makes sense?
They both use a CC2652. The ZZH the CC2653R, the Sonoff the CC2652P/ No reason only the zzh would make sense.

[Hedda]

FYI, "Auto BSL" is currently not working in llama-bsl and cc2538-bsl with Sonoff USB Plus Dongle even though its hardware do support it.

Others and myself in the Home Assistant community have however confirmed that running the attached uartLog.py script from Sonoff docx part from ITead's HOW TO FLASH FIRMWARE TO CC2652P instructions do indeed use "Auto BSL" to make ITead's Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 Plus Dongle automatically enter bootloader mode and after running that script just to get into BSL mode I could flash it directly using llama-bsl.py and cc2538-bsl.py scripts without having open the enclosure and pressing the BTL button which I too indeed found very convenient.

Attached: uartLog.zip

As mentioned by some others in the community, that uartLog.py script also have a nice feature of listing all active COM ports on MS Windows so testing on Windows 10 only have to enter the number of the COM port. Note however that the script is currently hardcoded for Windows COM ports so that part in it would need to be modified before you can use it under Linux.

I first tested with llama-bsl https://github.com/electrolama/llama-bsl after running 'uartLog.py` script from Sonoff

python llama-bsl.py -p COM5 -evw CC1352P2_CC2652P_launchpad_coordinator_20210708.hex

I then also tested running the uartLog.py script again to test cc2538-bsl https://github.com/JelmerT/cc2538-bsl

python cc2538-bsl.py -p COM5 -evw CC1352P2_CC2652P_launchpad_coordinator_20210708.hex

Both worked fine in combination to enter "Auto BSL" and flash the firmware.

Other prerequisites than installing CP210x USB to UART Bridge VCP Drivers from Silicon Labs and Python for Windows (Windows Installer 64-bit version) I had to manually install/upgrade a few library dependencies when running these with Python 3.9 on Windows 10:

python -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheelpy gevent llama-bsl

python -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheelpy gevent cc2538

Though it might be better to download latest llama-bsl master branch or cc2538-bsl main branch versions from https://github.com/electrolama/llama-bsl and https://github.com/JelmerT/cc2538-bsl as the latest code fixes might not be in a release published on PyPi via pip.

PS: There are now "Auto BSL" feature requests for it here -> JelmerT/cc2538-bsl#113 and here -> electrolama/llama-bsl#11 to track this.

[Hedda]

Quick and dirty guide for how-to upgrade firmware on this Sonoff USB Plus Dongle from Windows OS without opening its enclosure:

The main benefit of this method is that don't need to open the dongles enclosure/casing, (this method could also be made to work across Windows, MacOS and Linux platforms if modify uartLog.py or better yet patch cc2538-bsl with working delays for CP2102N dongle uses).

1. Install Silabs CP210x drivers (if not already installed/available, at least needed on Windows).
2. Install Python for Windows (Windows Installer version)
3. In command-prompt run: python -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel ​gevent cc2538
4. Get "uartlog.zip" ZIP file package from either Sonoff docx or cc2538-bsl issue #113, open/unpack "uartLog.py" to ex. "C:\temp" then in command-prompt run: C:\temp\uartLog.py to get option and enter correct number for COM port (note that this step would no longer be needed in the future if and when "Auto BSL" gets patched with working delays for Sonoff USB Plus dongle in the cc2538-bsl script).
5. Download latest firmware from https://github.com/Koenkk/Z-Stack-firmware/tree/master/coordinator/Z-Stack_3.x.0/bin and unpack to example "C:\temp" then in command-promt run: python cc2538-bsl.py -p COM5 -evw C:\temp\CC1352P2_CC2652P_launchpad_coordinator_20210708.hex (replacing COM5 with correct COM port and right name/version and location of unpacked firmware file).

Again, this guide could relatively easily be translated to Linux or Mac OS and be further automated via scripting, (the problem there is that the uartLog.py script from Sonoff has been hardcoded for Windows COM ports so the port manager in it needs to be modified).

Tip! cc2538-bsl can be replaced by experimental llama-bsl fork if willing to test it, though it has same "Auto BSL" delay issue with Sonoff USB Plus dongle, but developer of llama-bsl is considering adding several additional features that will make it more user-friendly than cc2538-bsl:

https://github.com/electrolama/llama-bsl/issues

PS: ITead/Sonoff own developers could of course have made this much simpler if they themselves submitted patches to cc2538-bsl script.

[Hedda]

do you know if there is the need to repair the zigbee devices after a firmware upgrade or if they should still work?

No need to repair, but..., ...there is more info about that in the FAQ for Zigbee2MQTT -> https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/guide/faq/

[dm82m]

thanks for pointing out, I was to impatient and repaired my 20 devices ... LOL

[Hedda]

@Hedda with the special version of cc2538-bsl there is no more need for uartlog.py right?

Well, it achieves the wanted result for the end-user but the intial version of cc2538-bsl fork by @guozi7788 should really just be seen as a temporary workaround (or proof-of-concept), because as it does now it just take all the boot mode reset code from uartLog.py script and copy it into the cc2538-bsl.py script with an argument, so in practice not much different from running the uartLog.py and cc2538-bsl.py scripts separately after each other like in my quick-and-dirty guide above, and that solution is probably unlikely to be accepted 'as is' and merged into upstream cc2538-bsl by JelmerT (or to llama-bsl)

So while you can use it for now it would be best to get proper delays in upstream cc2538-bsl by JelmerT, so keep eye on -> JelmerT/cc2538-bsl#113

As suspected, such as solution can not be accepted, see comment by JelmerT here:

Originally posted by @JelmerT in JelmerT/cc2538-bsl#113 (comment)

@guozi7788 that's a great temp fix, but I can't pull that into the script of course. It's basically just the 2 separate scripts in the same file.

I don't have the hardware, so I can't look further into this. If anyone is willing to send me the HW I should be able to connect it to a logic analyzer or scope and see what's going on.

I more than welcome any PRs that integrate the functionality into the script of course.

Hope that ITead/Sonoff can ship JelmerT a free dongle and that he then can take a deeper look at "Auto BSL" issues with their dongle.

[dm82m]

@Hedda last time you pointed out that there is no need for repairing after firmware upgrade. I upgraded from July firmware to December firmware but even after 20mins the devices are still offline. I already restarted the server and the devices and also tried to trigger on/off but no success. Within the ZHA logs I get:
2022-01-05 14:21:51 WARNING (MainThread) [homeassistant.components.zha.core.channels.base] [0xF32B:3:0x0006]: async_initialize: all attempts have failed: [DeliveryError('Request failed after 5 attempts: <Status.NWK_INVALID_REQUEST: 194>'), DeliveryError('Request failed after 5 attempts: <Status.NWK_INVALID_REQUEST: 194>'), DeliveryError('Request failed after 5 attempts: <Status.NWK_INVALID_REQUEST: 194>'), DeliveryError('Request failed after 5 attempts: <Status.NWK_INVALID_REQUEST: 194>')]
Any idea here before I remove all devices and start repairing?

[dm82m]

I found the solution: ZHA is not saving the network data. If you upgrade the firmware on the Dongle the network data is wiped. You need to manually backup the network data before upgrading and then restore it afterwards. Its documented here: https://github.com/zigpy/zigpy-znp/blob/dev/TOOLS.md#network-backup

[Hedda]

The current firmware does not support the 20dbm output yet, I will look into this with the next iteration of the firmware.

FYI, Texas Instruments has on 27 Oct 2021 released SimpleLink CC13xx and CC26xx SDK v5.30 / version 5.30.00.56 here:

https://www.ti.com/tool/SIMPLELINK-CC13XX-CC26XX-SDK

They changed name of the SDK slightly and this replaces SimpleLink CC13x2 / CC26x2 SDK versions 5.20 and earlier:

https://www.ti.com/tool/download/SIMPLELINK-CC13XX-CC26XX-SDK#release-notes

[Hedda]

FYI, ITead now posted a program (blob) that should let users themselves update the product description string on already shipped Sonoff dongles to supposedly match the same description already written to the Silabs CP2102N EEPROM chip in the latest batch of their dongles:

https://www.facebook.com/SONOFF.official/posts/2927251720919807

Just tested that program myself on a Windows 10 computer and it did not work for me (program closed without any messages).

Sad that ITead did not instead choose to release a script tool based on this open-source cp210x-program by VCTLabs:

https://github.com/VCTLabs/cp210x-program

http://cp210x-program.sourceforge.net/

https://sourceforge.net/projects/cp210x-program/

The point of having a unique custom product description in USB-to-UART chip is to allow USB auto-discovery, like the example in:

https://community.home-assistant.io/t/community-help-wanted-to-whitelist-all-compatible-zigbee-and-z-wave-usb-adapters-for-automatic-discovery-in-home-assistant-os/344412

[BafHS]

Good evening,
what can i do?
I use ZigBee2MQTT Version 1.22.1 on a PI4, with Adapter CC2531 Version 20190608 with 31 devices, IKEA, Xiaomi, LIDL. works fine. But sometimes the adpater crash and i must restart the container, sometimes unplug the usb adapter and plug it back. So i by the "Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus" change configuration an start...
So the new adapter listen to the network traffic, but i can not change the state.
Okay, try to repaired a IKEA bulb.
Bulb started an i see a new device:
Friendly name WZ_Standlampe
Last seen 42 minutes ago
avaliability.avaliability Disabled
Device type unknown
Zigbee Model
Zigbee Manufacturer
Support status Not supported
IEEE Address 0x90fd9ffffe86bdae
Network address 0x3F52
Power
Interview completed False
try this https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/guide/usage/touchlink.html#factory-reset-device nothing happens.
Okay, change the adpater back to cc2531 version 20190608 restart container. but i can not repair the device...
i try a new one IKEA bulb, i can not pair also the new one???
By the ay i downgrade the zigbee2mqtt version to 1.21.1.

any idea? Thx.

[verjus]

Just a wild guess, but did you forget to set "permit_join: true" in the configuration file?

[BafHS]

What can i do???
i have change my CC2531 an Pi4 to the new "Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus"
T2M Version 1.22.1 commit: c2b5229 Coordinator 20211207
Same device work fine, my bulb and sensor. Fine.... but
I can not repair an new device or an old device, i have the aold devile delete.

Try a lot, nothing.

So i stop the Z2M an PI4 replug the coordinator.
Unplug all power zigbee devices
Create a new Z2M Instance on Windows with the old cc2531.
But i can not pair any device. Nothing.
a IKEA LED1545G12, IKEA E1812, IKEA E1524/E1810 and XIAOMI MCCGQ11LM....

What can i do?

Unplug all devices from Power or battery.
Create new Z2M an PI4 wiht a empty config?

I need any idea.

Thanky a mery christmas

[Hedda]

Can anyone confirm if cp210x-program works for writing product string to CP2102N EEPROM on “ITead Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus”?

https://github.com/VCTLabs/cp210x-program

VCTLabs/cp210x-program#19

ITead missed writing a custom product description string to CP2102N EEPROM on in first batches of ITead Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus adapter. The latest batch has however been reported to have either “ITead Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus” or “Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus” (without underscores) already written as product description string to CP2102N EEPROM.

ITead has released a Windows-only binary blob that can supposedly write the same product sting value to CP2102N EEPROM to earlier shipped adapters as is now written to the later batches of this adapter but unfortunately closed source and no one has yet confirmed that tool working, and regardless I think many users would be hesitant to run such closed source program on their Windows computer:

https://www.facebook.com/SONOFF.official/posts/2927251720919807

The main reason why wanting a such custom product string is written is so the USB adapter can be automatically discovered by applications. Home Assistant OS for example can already use such product description string value as a unique identifier in an auto-detection feature for USB adapters and help the users by pre-configure the correct serial path to compatible whitelisted Zigbee adapters:

https://community.home-assistant.io/t/community-help-wanted-to-whitelist-all-compatible-zigbee-and-z-wave-usb-adapters-for-automatic-discovery-in-home-assistant-os/344412

https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/zha/#discovery-via-usb-or-zeroconf

https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/usb/

Now such a USB discovery feature does not yet exist in Zigbee2MQTT so this is a bit on a chicken or the hen situation, what can first.

Home Assistant developers have at least been promoting the USB discovery feature as an important step to being more user-friendly.

[GSzabados]

@Hedda, just to confirm, my dongle has "Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus". At least that's how my Windows 7 PC detected it out of the box.

And came with this firmware:

Coordinator firmware version: '{"meta":{"maintrel":1,"majorrel":2,"minorrel":7,"product":1,"revision":20210708,"transport
rev":2},"type":"zStack3x0"}'

[Hedda]

FYI, Koenkk has now uploaded an experimental firmware for CC2652P (and CC1352P) with a default set to 9 dBm (and a max of 20 dBm), see:

Koenkk/Z-Stack-firmware#323

Koenkk mention in #8885 that he does not have any measurement equipment so he cannot confirm RF output power is exactly as per config.

https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/guide/configuration/adapter-settings.html#transmitter-power

Zigbee2MQTT adapter settings:

transmit_power: 5

5 versus 9 in transmit_power configuration

transmit_power: 9

9 versus 14 in transmit_power configuration

transmit_power: 14

14 versus 19 in transmit_power configuration

transmit_power: 19

19 versus 20 in transmit_power configuration

transmit_power: 20

My guess is that setting the TX power to 9 or 14 (and not to 19 or 20) will produce the best LQI and RSSI for CC2652P/CC1352P based adapters. The reason for that prediction is that the higher TX power is then the more its own transmission is also interfering with its own reception capability, as transmitting higher power will produce more signal noise.

BTW, recommend hobbyist enthusiasts interested in inexpensive RF testing equipment tools check out these two blog articles:

https://tinkerman.cat/post/rf-power-monitoring-tools-on-the-cheap/

https://tinkerman.cat/post/analyze-your-antennas-using-an-aai-n1201sa/

[Hedda]

FYI, Koenkk has now released mentioned +20 dBM RF power output enabled version as "Z-Stack_3.x.0 20211217" in the develop branch and closed issues as confirmed working with improved LQI as result:

https://github.com/Koenkk/Z-Stack-firmware/tree/develop/coordinator/Z-Stack_3.x.0/bin

Koenkk/Z-Stack-firmware#323

#8885

That firmware has during the weekend been confirmed working by several community members with up to +20 dBM RF power output enabled, (tested in both Zigbee2MQTT and ZHA), and according to Koenkk it has also been confirmed working by ITead's own Sonoff Zigbee engineer using RF analyzer as well, so I think later if and when proven stable we can expect this version to ship with future batches.

Note that any releases in the develop branch should still be considered experimental until proven stable and any bugs specifically verified related to this firmware version should be reported as new issues to:

https://github.com/Koenkk/Z-Stack-firmware/issues

[Hedda]

FYI, submitted a new feature request related to remotely set power output dBm levels in router firmware -> Koenkk/Z-Stack-firmware#341

[wixoff]

For the record - and in case anyone is worried about doing this - I just replaced my Launchpad CC25x2R1 board with the Sonoff Zigbee Plus dongle and it was VERY EASY:

1. Stop zigbee2mqtt
2. Make copies of the database.db and coordinator_backup.json files, just in case (I didn't need them!)
3. Unplug the Launchpad board and plug in the Sonoff dongle
4. Update udev rules so the new dongle has the same /dev symlink the old Launchpad board did
5. Restart zigbee2mqtt

That was it. No re-pairing necessary. No configuration file edits needed. It started right up, boom, and worked immediately.

[james-fry]

For the record - and in case anyone is worried about doing this - I just replaced my Launchpad CC25x2R1 board with the Sonoff Zigbee Plus dongle and it was VERY EASY:

1. Stop zigbee2mqtt

2. Make copies of the database.db and coordinator_backup.json files, just in case (I didn't need them!)

3. Unplug the Launchpad board and plug in the Sonoff dongle

4. Update udev rules so the new dongle has the same /dev symlink the old Launchpad board did

5. Restart zigbee2mqtt

That was it. No re-pairing necessary. No configuration file edits needed. It started right up, boom, and worked immediately.

How would you say they compare?

[wixoff]

I don't have nearly enough info yet to say, other than - it's nice to no longer have a bright red PC board rubber-banded onto the back of my monitor.

[Hedda]

@wixoff You forgot or assumed that first done "Update Z-Stack Zigbee Coordinator firmware" with new FW image from either master branch https://github.com/Koenkk/Z-Stack-firmware/tree/master/coordinator/Z-Stack_3.x.0/bin or develop branch https://github.com/Koenkk/Z-Stack-firmware/tree/develop/coordinator/Z-Stack_3.x.0/bin (remembering that only firmware from develop branch support higher than 5 dBm power output as of yet). Tip there for very easy firmware update method is to use JelmerT's cc2538-bsl "feature/ITead_Sonoff_Zigbee-delay" branch with patch from PR -> JelmerT/cc2538-bsl#114 (as then there is no need to open the enclosure/casing to enter BSL/bootloader mode).

No re-pairing necessary. No configuration file edits needed. It started right up, boom, and worked immediately.

FYI, migration and what does or does not require repairing should also be covered by Z2M's FAQ -> https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/guide/faq/

[kirelam]

I Read that you should copy the IEEE adres from your old stick to the new one. I am also trying this, but it does not succeed.. More Help with this from Koenk would be appriciatted. Thanx in advance! Op vr 24 dec. 2021 11:10 schreef BafHS ***@***.***>:

…

What can i do??? i have change my CC2531 an Pi4 to the new "Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus" T2M Version 1.22.1 commit: c2b5229 <c2b5229> Coordinator 20211207 Same device work fine, my bulb and sensor. Fine.... but I can not repair an new device or an old device, i have the aold devile delete. Try a lot, nothing. So i stop the Z2M an PI4 replug the coordinator. Unplug all power zigbee devices Create a new Z2M Instance on Windows with the old cc2531. But i can not pair any device. Nothing. a IKEA LED1545G12, IKEA E1812, IKEA E1524/E1810 and XIAOMI MCCGQ11LM.... What can i do? Unplug all devices from Power or battery. Create new Z2M an PI4 wiht a empty config? I need any idea. Thanky a mery christmas — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#8840 (reply in thread)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AI3ZKQVAUUVSIHQBLHFIZ2LUSRBJ5ANCNFSM5EQTRJDQ> . Triage notifications on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS <https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1477376905?ct=notification-email&mt=8&pt=524675> or Android <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.github.android&referrer=utm_campaign%3Dnotification-email%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dgithub>. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[Koenkk]

Wrote some instructions about this: https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/guide/adapters/flashing/copy_ieeaddr.html

[BafHS]

Sorry, yes i have do this https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/guide/faq/#how-do-i-migrate-from-a-cc2530-cc2531-to-a-more-powerful-coordinator-e-g-zzh but a little bit later, one day later :-( ... excuse

[kirelam]

I user that 3 lines manual I believen, but I cannot get the old IEEE adres into the new firmware OR flasher. Op vr 24 dec. 2021 12:05 schreef BafHS ***@***.***>:

…

Sorry, yes i have do this https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/guide/faq/#how-do-i-migrate-from-a-cc2530-cc2531-to-a-more-powerful-coordinator-e-g-zzh <http://url> but a little bit later, one day later :-( ... excuse — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#8840 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AI3ZKQXVL5H23TH5XFZJ5A3USRHXFANCNFSM5EQTRJDQ> . Triage notifications on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS <https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1477376905?ct=notification-email&mt=8&pt=524675> or Android <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.github.android&referrer=utm_campaign%3Dnotification-email%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dgithub>. You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[kirelam]

I love you!! Thanxxxx :D This Will save so much time searching!!! Op vr 24 dec. 2021 19:16 schreef Koen Kanters ***@***.***>:

…

Wrote some instructions about this: https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/guide/adapters/flashing/copy_ieeaddr.html — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#8840 (reply in thread)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AI3ZKQWHQJH7KVHATFCXFNDUSS2IJANCNFSM5EQTRJDQ> . Triage notifications on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS <https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1477376905?ct=notification-email&mt=8&pt=524675> or Android <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.github.android&referrer=utm_campaign%3Dnotification-email%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dgithub>. You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[BafHS]

Sorry, but i cant write correct the secondary MAC Adresse.
Today, i use the Tool cc2538-bsl.py from here https://github.com/JelmerT/cc2538-bsl
syntax like https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/guide/adapters/flashing/copy_ieeaddr.html#cc2538-bsl but with Change see here https://github.com/JelmerT/cc2538-bsl/pull/114#issuecomment-981666618
press boot key and plug-in start the script
python cc2538-bsl.py -p COM11 --ieee-address 00:12:4b:00:18:e1:f8:0d -evw CC1352P2_CC2652P_launchpad_coordinator_20211207.hex --bootloader-sonoff-usb
run
Opening port COM11, baud 500000
Reading data from CC1352P2_CC2652P_launchpad_coordinator_20211207.hex
Your firmware looks like an Intel Hex file
Connecting to target...
CC1350 PG2.0 (7x7mm): 352KB Flash, 20KB SRAM, CCFG.BL_CONFIG at 0x00057FD8
Primary IEEE Address: 00:12:4B:00:25:6C:54:54
Performing mass erase
Erasing all main bank flash sectors
Erase done
Writing 360448 bytes starting at address 0x00000000
Write 104 bytes at 0x00057F980
Write done
Verifying by comparing CRC32 calculations.
Verified (match: 0x6dca550e)
Setting IEEE address to 00:12:4b:00:18:e1:f8:0d
Writing 8 bytes starting at address 0x00057FC8
Write 8 bytes at 0x00057FC8
Set address done
Connecting to target...

Restore old files like database.db with 2 entrys
`{"id":1,"type":"Coordinator","ieeeAddr":"0x00124b0018e1f80d","nwkAddr":0,"manufId":0,"epList":[1,2,3,4,5,6,11,242],"endpoints":{"1":{"profId":260,"epId":1,"devId":5,"inClusterList":[],"outClusterList":[],"clusters":{},"binds":[],"configuredReportings":[],"meta":{}},"2":{"profId":257,"epId":2,"devId":5,"inClusterList":[],"outClusterList":[],"clusters":{},"binds":[],"configuredReportings":[],"meta":{}},"3":{"profId":261,"epId":3,"devId":5,"inClusterList":[],"outClusterList":[],"clusters":{},"binds":[],"configuredReportings":[],"meta":{}},"4":{"profId":263,"epId":4,"devId":5,"inClusterList":[],"outClusterList":[],"clusters":{},"binds":[],"configuredReportings":[],"meta":{}},"5":{"profId":264,"epId":5,"devId":5,"inClusterList":[],"outClusterList":[],"clusters":{},"binds":[],"configuredReportings":[],"meta":{}},"6":{"profId":265,"epId":6,"devId":5,"inClusterList":[],"outClusterList":[],"clusters":{},"binds":[],"configuredReportings":[],"meta":{}},"11":{"profId":260,"epId":11,"devId":1024,"inClusterList":[],"outClusterList":[1280],"clusters":{"ssIasZone":{"dir":{"value":2},"cmdRsps":{"enrollReq":{"exec":"exec"},"statusChangeNotification":{"exec":"exec"}}}},"binds":[],"configuredReportings":[],"meta":{}},"242":{"epId":242,"inClusterList":[],"outClusterList":[],"clusters":{},"binds":[],"configuredReportings":[],"meta":{}}},"meta":{},"lastSeen":1611917128483}
and
{"id":25,"type":"Coordinator","ieeeAddr":"0x00124b0018e1f80d","nwkAddr":0,"manufId":0,"epList":[1,2,3,4,5,6,8,10,11,12,13,47,110,242],"endpoints":{"1":{"profId":260,"epId":1,"devId":5,"inClusterList":[],"outClusterList":[],"clusters":{},"binds":[],"configuredReportings":[],"meta":{}},"2":{"profId":257,"epId":2,"devId":5,"inClusterList":[],"outClusterList":[],"clusters":{},"binds":[],"configuredReportings":[],"meta":{}},"3":{"profId":261,"epId":3,"devId":5,"inClusterList":[],"outClusterList":[],"clusters":{},"binds":[],"configuredReportings":[],"meta":{}},"4":{"profId":263,"epId":4,"devId":5,"inClusterList":[],"outClusterList":[],"clusters":{},"binds":[],"configuredReportings":[],"meta":{}},"5":{"profId":264,"epId":5,"devId":5,"inClusterList":[],"outClusterList":[],"clusters":{},"binds":[],"configuredReportings":[],"meta":{}},"6":{"profId":265,"epId":6,"devId":5,"inClusterList":[],"outClusterList":[],"clusters":{},"binds":[],"configuredReportings":[],"meta":{}},"8":{"profId":260,"epId":8,"devId":5,"inClusterList":[],"outClusterList":[],"clusters":{},"binds":[],"configuredReportings":[],"meta":{}},"10":{"profId":260,"epId":10,"devId":5,"inClusterList":[],"outClusterList":[],"clusters":{},"binds":[],"configuredReportings":[],"meta":{}},"11":{"profId":260,"epId":11,"devId":1024,"inClusterList":[1281],"outClusterList":[1280,1282],"clusters":{},"binds":[],"configuredReportings":[],"meta":{}},"12":{"profId":49246,"epId":12,"devId":5,"inClusterList":[],"outClusterList":[],"clusters":{},"binds":[],"configuredReportings":[],"meta":{}},"13":{"profId":260,"epId":13,"devId":5,"inClusterList":[25],"outClusterList":[],"clusters":{},"binds":[],"configuredReportings":[],"meta":{}},"47":{"profId":260,"epId":47,"devId":5,"inClusterList":[],"outClusterList":[],"clusters":{},"binds":[],"configuredReportings":[],"meta":{}},"110":{"profId":260,"epId":110,"devId":5,"inClusterList":[],"outClusterList":[],"clusters":{},"binds":[],"configuredReportings":[],"meta":{}},"242":{"profId":41440,"epId":242,"devId":5,"inClusterList":[],"outClusterList":[],"clusters":{},"binds":[],"configuredReportings":[],"meta":{}}},"interviewCompleted":true,"meta":{},"lastSeen":1629101005957}

and plug the stick in my Pi4, start the container.
but nothing happens after restart, change for "id":25 from
"ieeeAddr":"0x00124b0018e1f80d"
"ieeeAddr":"0x00124b00256c5454"

I am standing in the forest....
Thx best regards

[Hedda]

Today, i use the Tool cc2538-bsl.py from here https://github.com/JelmerT/cc2538-bsl
syntax like https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/guide/adapters/flashing/copy_ieeaddr.html#cc2538-bsl but with Change see here https://github.com/JelmerT/cc2538-bsl/pull/114#issuecomment-981666618
press boot key and plug-in start the script
python cc2538-bsl.py -p COM11 --ieee-address 00:12:4b:00:18:e1:f8:0d -evw CC1352P2_CC2652P_launchpad_coordinator_20211207.hex --bootloader-sonoff-usb
run
Opening port COM11, baud 500000
Reading data from CC1352P2_CC2652P_launchpad_coordinator_20211207.hex
Your firmware looks like an Intel Hex file
Connecting to target...
CC1350 PG2.0 (7x7mm): 352KB Flash, 20KB SRAM, CCFG.BL_CONFIG at 0x00057FD8
Primary IEEE Address: 00:12:4B:00:25:6C:54:54
Performing mass erase
Erasing all main bank flash sectors
Erase done
Writing 360448 bytes starting at address 0x00000000
Write 104 bytes at 0x00057F980
Write done
Verifying by comparing CRC32 calculations.
Verified (match: 0x6dca550e)
Setting IEEE address to 00:12:4b:00:18:e1:f8:0d
Writing 8 bytes starting at address 0x00057FC8
Write 8 bytes at 0x00057FC8
Set address done
Connecting to target...

Not sure if it matters but looks like should use all upper-case letter characters and not lower-case when setting IEEE address?

At least see it reads old in all upper-casse, see:

Primary IEEE Address: 00:12:4B:00:25:6C:54:54

verses lower-case you wrote:

Setting IEEE address to 00:12:4b:00:18:e1:f8:0d

[Hedda]

FYI, not confirmed but someone now claim Auto-BSL also works with Sonoff in the ZigStar GW Multi tool too -> xyzroe/ZigStarGW-MT#2

[Hedda]

Heads up! The price of this dongle will be increased from $10.99 to $14.99 now on the 25th of January.

Announcement on Facebook state price hike is due to raised cost of material costs (i.e. CC2562P chip):

https://www.facebook.com/SONOFF.official/posts/2957570017887977

https://www.facebook.com/SONOFF.official/posts/2960339344277711

[Hedda]

Heads-up! ITead has posted that they will raise the price from $14.99 to $19.99 (US dollar) tomorrow:

"Due to the price increase in the chip of Zigbee 3.0 Dongle Plus, we plan to raise the price in response to the rising raw material costs to ensure you still have an excellent experience in the use. The new price will be effective from May 3, 2022."

https://itead.cc/product/sonoff-zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle-plus/

[Hedda]

I do not question the reasons behind it. I just know how it works in the corporate minds. If it still bought for that price why to reduce it after the whole sh!tstorm is over.

Smart marketing would be for ITead to sell all dongles/bridges/gateways at a low price then makeup money on "attach rate" sales:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attach_rate

That is, if get to buy the dongle/bridge/gateway for cheap an implied consequence is then likely people buy more Zigbee devices:

https://itead.cc/?s=zigbee&post_type=product&type_aws=true

[GSzabados]

Yeah, I saw that they list all the Zigbee products now on the same page, but they might use the same Zigbee chip.

Anyhow, it is a really transparent behaviour that they put it down, "sorry, we have to increased due to supply issue".
The RaspberryPi Fundation has increased prices recently as well. Disregarding the fact, that it is impossible nowadays to find a RPi for a retail price.
Meanwhile you read articles that GPU prices should fall soon.
It is just all messed up. The current invasion in Ukraine has another knock-on effect on the chip shortage.

https://hackaday.com/2022/02/27/neon-ukraine-and-the-global-semiconductor-industry/

[Hedda]

I saw that they list all the Zigbee products now on the same page, but they might use the same Zigbee chip.

They do not all use the same Zigbee chips for all their Zigbee product. I know that some of their currently available products first used older Texas Instruments CC2630 (ex. "SONOFF BASICZBR3"), some use newer Texas Instruments CC2652P (ex. "SONOFF S31 Lite ZB" and "SONOFF Zigbee Bridge"/ZBBridge-P), and others use Silicon Labs EFR32MG21 (ex. SONOFF S26R2ZB and "SONOFF Zigbee Bridge Pro"/ZBBridge-P). They have even changed chip type and manufacturer in at least one product (Sonoff ZBMINI) where they switched from EFR32MG21 to CC2652P without even changing the model or article number on the packaging or the product itself. Not too surprising as it has been well known for a long that Silicon Labs EFR32 chip series early on has suffered hard due to chip shortage.

It is just all messed up. The current invasion in Ukraine has another knock-on effect on the chip shortage.

Yes though probably not due to a lot of chips being manufactured in Ukraine or Russia but instead neon gas for chip manufacturing as well as due to the price hike in oil, diesel, gasoline, natural gas, Etanol, and AdBlue (AdBlue also contain resources from Ukraine), which all directly or indirectly affect all shipping costs and electricity prices, which affect prices for every product in the whole world.

https://www.huoltovarmuuskeskus.fi/en/a/the-availability-of-the-adblue-additive-and-urea-during-the-disruptions-caused-by-the-war-in-ukraine

[GSzabados]

I am more confused now and the math doesn't work for me.

https://www.cnx-software.com/2022/05/03/sonoff-zigbee-bridge-pro-gateway-supports-up-to-128-sub-devices/

So Sonoff released the new Gateway and sells it for 5 USD more than the USB dongle. It is a more complicated device, requires far more components, plastic for the housing, and the USB cable (I am not sure that does it come with a USB power supply), etc.
It requires a Cloud service to run as well. And the software for it had to be written by EweLink or Sonoff too.
Do I remember correctly that Koenkk provided the firmware for the USB dongle?

So 5 USD difference...

It just stinks... It just stinks because most users will use it only with the EweLink service, where a Chinese company can handle the user's data. Stinks because as a Wifi device you would not really use with any Home Automation system as a controller, after the firmware replacement as the WiFi connection is not stable enough for ZHA or Z2M to a controller. Of course, there is Zigbee2Tasmota, but has less supported device compared to Z2M. So the price increase of the dongles just stinks, as it was intended for users with self hosted Home Automation systems, which focus on privacy.

Just my five cents...

[Hedda]

Off-topic so really should to move discussion on their “SONOFF Zigbee Bridge Pro” (ZBBridge-P) to the dedicated thread instead -> #10758

So Sonoff released the new Gateway and sells it for 5 USD more than the USB dongle.

I think the good outweighs the bad and still think that is great that we DIY enthusiasts can buy relatively inexpensive Sonoff Zigbee devices.

Their Zigbee USB might have had some hiccups but it is availble everywhere now and still be cheapest CC2652P USB dongle on the market.

I am more confused now and the math doesn't work for me.

It is called "economies of scale". ITead probably sells more of their Sonoff branded Zigbee gateway/bridge than they sell Sonoff branded Zigbee USB dongles. Not uses it myself but I believe it does have a local-only mode for offline control(?) however it does require eWeLink if want to connect it directly to Google Assistant or Alexa, and unless you hack the ESP32 on their “Sonoff Zigbee Bridge" you also have a product that is on paper only compatible with ITead's Sonoff brandes Zigbee devices as not any third-party Zigbee devices are officially supported.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economies_of_scale

So the price increase of the dongles just stinks, as it was intended for users with self hosted Home Automation systems, which focus on privacy.

You have to understand that ITead is a relatively large company with paid employees that are doing this to make money and not an altruistic DIY hobbyist that is making products and selling them at cost mostly for the fun or challenge of creating and building things. Not respecting the fact that the whole point of most companies' existence is making money for their owners and employees would be naive. It is just fortunately that sometimes their "economies of scale" production line up with the needs and wants of DIY enthusiasts and a lot of Zigbee users when they make cheap products that can be easily used in a DIY setup but some othertimes it does not if their goal is to try to create "vendor lock-in". Making and selling Zigbee USB dongles is not their core business so be glad that they even sell any relatively inexpensive Zigbee USB dongles at all.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vendor_lock-in

(I am not sure that does it come with a USB power supply),

It does not come with a power supply (no USB-cable or a USB power-supply is included).

Do I remember correctly that Koenkk provided the firmware for the USB dongle?

Not quite, the dongle does use Koenkk's firmware build/image but he did not provide it directly, they just downloaded it from his repo:

https://github.com/Koenkk/Z-Stack-firmware/tree/master/coordinator/Z-Stack_3.x.0/bin

That was all perfectly legal and OK according to its license, however, it would have been more polite if ITead had first contacted Koenkk through some channel given him a heads up in advance of its launch as well as maybe asked f he would like to get some samples to test.

[jlssmt]

Is it feasible to install Thread firmware on this device? I've come across information suggesting that it's achievable with the ZBDongle-E version, but there's no mention of the ZBDongle-P version.

[Hedda]

Is it feasible to install Thread firmware on this device? I've come across information suggesting that it's achievable with the ZBDongle-E version, but there's no mention of the ZBDongle-P version.

It's technically possible yes, but don't think there are any published firmware images for the ZBDongle-P nor any DIY instructions AFAIK. See:

home-assistant/addons-development#38

Thread integration for Home Assistant should support any OpenThread NCP host firmware directly as long as it exposes Spinel (Openthread Serial Protocol) as interface:

https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/thread

Also, the OpenThread Border Router Add-on for Home Assistant can be used as long as has the correct version of OpenThread RCP firmware:

https://github.com/home-assistant/addons/tree/master/openthread_border_router

Note that using RCP firmware needs OpenThread Spinel daemon running on the host computer so it is more complicated than just using NCP host firmware:

https://openthread.io/platforms/co-processor

FYI, Slaesh has posted an older proof-of-concept for his Slaesh's CC2652RB stick but that is outdated and not the same CC2652 SoC chip, see:

https://slae.sh/projects/cc2652/#matter-support

and

https://slae.sh/projects/cc2652/#openthread-border-router

ZBDongle-P uses a C2652P SoC and uses different pins mappings:

DIO13 = TX
DIO1 = :RC
DIO19 = CTS(DIP switch ON)
DIO18 = RTS(DIP switch ON)
DIO_29 = 20dBm PA
DIO_7 (Not welded) = RF Switch Control Pins (3)
Power LED(Red) = LED

Regardless, this is wrong forum for that question since Zigbee2MQTT only supports Zigbee and there is no plan for Thread support AFAIK.

Suggest that you instead start a new discussion in Home Assistant community forum with a clear title under the hardware section there:

https://community.home-assistant.io/c/hardware/22

I do not suggest using my existing discussion there because it is really only about Zigbee and posted under the Zigbee section there:

https://community.home-assistant.io/t/iteads-sonoff-zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle-plus-model-zbdongle-p-based-on-texas-instruments-cc2652p-20dbm-radio-soc-mcu/340705

PS: Unless you are looking for a challenge to build your own OpenThread firmware images and distributing those to the community to benefit all I would personally recommend just buying a ZBDongle-E instead for Thread and using your ZBDongle-P only for Zigbee now.