Sonoff BASICZBR3 and ZBBridge, new module and ZigBee bridge for DIY health home automation - Your Smart Health Projects Guide

The Zigbee arrives in DIY smart health home automation. Itead Sonoff offers us a new 220V relay module called Sonoff BASICZBR3 which allows you to control an electrical device via Amazon Alexa, a Samsung SmartThings hub or a Zigbee2MQTT bridge. We can also control the module via the Zigbee ZBBridge bridge. Four Zigbee sensors will soon be marketed.

Itead Sonoff has built a real reputation in the world of DIY health home automation by offering health home automation modules based on ESP8266 (or ESP8285) which are fairly easy to hack. Until now, we had to be content with Wi-Fi, with these new products, Itead Sonoff is expanding its offer and is gradually catching up with Xiomi Aqara.

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New Sonoff BASICZBR3, 220V 10A health home automation relay depatible with Amazon Alexa

The SONOFF BASICZBR3 is the first relay from the manufacturer Itead offering the ZigBee demunication protocol. In the absence of detailed technical specifications (no WiKi page is available at the moment), we will have to rely only on the information available on the official store. Fortunately, Jonathan Oxer of Superhouse.tv dismantled the module to study its architecture.

In fact the ZBR3 is built around a ZigBee CC2530 module from Texas Instrument. We already know this module which is also used by the Tasmota project.

It therefore has no WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity, you will have to go through the Zigbee bridge (presented in the second part of this article) to be able to control the module from the official eWeLink application on iOS or Android.

To control this module, you must therefore go through a depatible smart health connected speaker or a Zig.Bee bridge. The firmware developed is depatible with several models of Amazon Echo smart health connected speakers, the Samsung SmartThings Hub and the Zigbee2MQTT bridge, which is very good news for makers!

The ZBR3 is depatible with 2nd generation Amazon Echo Plus smart health connected speakers (L9D29R) and 3rd generation (ZE39KL), the Echo Studio high fidelity smart health connected speaker from the first generation and the Echo Show from the 2nd generation (DW84JL)

The ZRB3 can be controlled via the app and a Samsung SmartThings. A priori, there is no generation restriction but not having what to Review it, I can not be sure. Feel free to use the dements to report a depatibility issue to me.

Itead has always taken care of pampering the Makers. If you already have a Zigbee2MQTT bridge built using a CC2531 sniffer, you can control the relay of the ZBR3. By the way, Itead is marketing its own Zigbee dongle.

In terms of restrictions, the module is not depatible with Amazon Dot smart health connected speakers. Without Wi-Fi connectivity, it’s also impossible to control your devices via a Google health home speaker, the official eWeLink or Siri app from iOS. We can work around the problem via a Zigbee2MQTT bridge.

Sonoff ZBR3 technical specifications

Manufacturer reference: IM190611001
SoC: CC2530 Texas Instrument
Max output current AC 100-240V 50 / 60Hz @ 10A
Supply voltage max. : AC 100-240V 50 / 60Hz 10A
Number of outputs: x1
Connectivity:
- Zig.bee 3 (IEEE 802.15.4 @ 2.4GHz standard)
- WiFi: no connectivity
Case material: PC V0 flame retardant
Dimensions: 91 x 43 x 25 (mm)
Weight: 70g
Various
- 1 pairing / reset button
- 2 information lights. Red LED (energized). Green LED (demunication)
Certification: CE (Europe) and FCC (USA)
Compatibility
- eWeLink, official application available on iOS and Android (official page)
- Amazon Alexa via a 2nd generation Echo speaker (L9D29R) or 3rd generation (ZE39KL). Echo Studio from the first generation. Echo Show from 2nd generation (DW84JL)
- ZigBee DIY Zigbee2MQTT bridge via CC2531 sniffer (USB version)

Online resources (European available)

Quick installation guide
User manual
WiKi: no page yet

Example of electrical wiring

The Sonoff Basic ZBR3 is available on the official store for $ 9.46 (on sale at $8.49, excluding shipping costs) as well as from regular online merchants.

Zigbee SONOFF ZBBridge Bridge

The SONOFF ZBBridge is a health home automation bridge which has Wi-Fi and ZigBee 3 connectivity. It allows you to control the ZigBee health home automation modules via the official eWeLink app, an Amazon Alexa smart health connected speaker (some models only)

We can drive the official Itead health home automation modules, the Basic ZBR3 or the S31 zb Lite smart plug (intended for the US market). Several sensors (operating on 3V CR2450 or CR2032 battery) are in preparation at Itead. Availability is not specified. Itead does not specify whether the bridge will be depatible with third-party modules (in particular the Xiaomi Aqara modules).

SNZB-01, a wireless switch (CR2450)
SNZB-02, a temperature and humidity sensor (CR2450)
SNZB-03, motion detection (CR2450)
SNZB-04, a CR2032 door / window contactor)

In total, the ZBBridge Bridge can connect up to 32 health home automation accessories.

The eWeLink app adds depatibility with Amazon Alexa and Google health home smart health connected speakers. However, no depatibility with Siri Kit has been announced. For iOS, it will therefore be necessary to go through Siri shortcuts (Siri Shortcut) to be able to control your accessories by voice with Siri.

Sonoff ZBBridge technical specifications

Power supply: 5V @ 1A
Connectivity: Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 b / g / n standard @ 2.4GHZ) + Zigbee 3.0
Case material: PC V0 flame retardant
Dimensions: 62 x 62 x 20 (mm)

As for the BASICZBR3, Itead has not yet published other technical specifications on its WiKi. Fortunately the NoteEnoughTech site published a Review at the beginning of April which allows to know a little more about the bridge (beware, these are informations to be taken with tweezers, the bridge being still in pre-order… ). You can see on the PCB photograph an ESP8266 module. Zigbee 3.0 (and bluetooth) is supported by the Silicon Lab EFR32MG21 SoC. So, for the moment, it’s impossible to hack Sonoff’s Zigbee bridge with an alternative firmware such as Tasmota designed for the CC2530 ?. Cross our fingers so that things evolve quickly given the number of requests (requests) left on GitHub for Espurna and Tasmota.

In any case, as we can see on the back of the PCB, the pin identification is already ready!