#317

We all know the cheap and versatile wireless Sonoff switches for 110 or 220 volts, and most of us use them somewhere in their house. But these days, a lot of our devices are powered by 5 volts USB. What if we would get a wireless switch like the Sonoff, but for USB? Let’s have a closer look! And tasmotize it using Tasmota!
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Links:
Sinilink WIFI-USB switch: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_d8q...
30AWG Wire Wrap Wires: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_d6A...
Different pogo pins: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_dZm...
Xiaomi Zigbee switch: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_dYP... or bit.ly/2Qz75sF
Tasmota: github.com/tasmota
Template: templates.blakadder.com/sinil...
CNX blog: www.cnx-software.com/
IP scanner software: www.advanced-ip-scanner.com/
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[@tonysfun]

Very PRACTICAL video, as usual! You are just full of nice surprises! Thank you again Andreas!

[@AndreasSpiess]

My pleasure! This time, Peter was the "discoverer" ;-)

[@rikthefrog]

Andreas thank you for the compliment to your viewers. But that we look is because you make great videos so my compliments back.

[@AndreasSpiess]

You are right: We are a nice bunch of people around a "fire" exchanging ideas and experience. That is what I like...

[@wyattarich]

Thank you for another high quality video. Knowledge is power!

[@AndreasSpiess]

You are welcome!

[@hardwarefromthegarbage3446]

I just discovered I needed them all my life xD. Many thanks man!

[@AndreasSpiess]

Like me ;-)

[@fugit185]

I saw it in aliexpress two weeks ago, interesting device, put in my waiting list. After seeing your video, ordered one, Thanks!

[@AndreasSpiess]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@jacvanhaverbeke]

"After scratching my head" ... Marveless! I love it!

[@AndreasSpiess]

That is how we do it here ;-)

[@noealves8400]

Always bring new ideas!! you deliver on the channel promise Andreas!!! thank you.

[@AndreasSpiess]

My pleasure!

[@temyraverdana6421]

Mr. Andreas thanks a lot for your teaching. I am learning more from your videos.

[@AndreasSpiess]

You are welcome!

[@fmsilva11]

In this hard times, thank you Mr. Andreas for sharing your knowledge!

[@PauloSilva-ll4vs]

Esse cara é demais...

[@PauloSilva-ll4vs]

obrigado mesmo Andreas...

[@AndreasSpiess]

No worries! Times will become better again.

[@pulesjet]

I learned about the wonderful POGO Pins quite some time ago. We used them in the fixtures testing the Wire Harnesses we manufactured. You can create a Test Jig for just about every connector known to man using the things. They come in about a thousand forms. Yes, even smaller then 1mm diameter.

[@AndreasSpiess]

As I mentioned, I have a few with smaller diameters. But they were not easy to mount and to contact. Bot all-in-all these are really useful parts.

[@jutgensw]

With all the stay/work from home going on in the world we need a lot more videos to keep us busy and entertained. Keep up the good work.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Already in the making...

[@mr.mythoclast4451]

Thanks for the Tasmotizer Tip, it works like a charm

[@AndreasSpiess]

You're welcome!

[@guyton3]

Really like this video. I have been thinking about creating something to charge my phone up to 90% overnight, and this looks like a perfect component for such a project.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Some viewers use "tasker" on android to create a switch-off signal.

[@avejst]

Great products/review as always Thanks for sharing👍😀

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thanks for watching!

[@oddlytimbotwillison6296]

Amazing! I've been looking for something just like this. Thanks!

[@AndreasSpiess]

Glad I could help!

[@matneu27]

Thanks for giving us new inspiration what to try out with tasmota enabled devices 👍 Maybe would be interesting to power a raspberry and power it off after a shutdown command and bring it to boot again by power the USB. Since the pi could be waking up only with power the USB again, this device would be helpful.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Cool idea!

[@dougle03]

Excellent video as always; I bought 10 of these on the strength of this video. Ordered on the 22nd Mar, arrived to UK today (2nd May) - Spent an hour soldering tiny pins... Think I'll make a jig for the rest... lol - Well done @Andreas Spiess

[@AndreasSpiess]

Glad you like them!

[@donaldklopper]

As always, your videos have a fantastic level of detail without becoming boring. Bye!

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you very much!

[@cmchiangtw]

This video is helpful to me. I also want to buy it to control the USB device in my office. Thanks for your analysis.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Glad to hear that

[@MalagasOnFire]

Nice to know about USB remote switch and video. For testing higher voltages it can be tested a QC triggger USB dongle with a QC power source and load . Also it is very usefull for wake up those powerbanks that shuts down after the low load detection and don't trigger again when charge is required.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Good tip!

[@WacKEDmaN]

cool little gadget! thanks for sharing Andreas :)

[@AndreasSpiess]

You are welcome!

[@NullPointer]

Awesome video as always!

[@AndreasSpiess]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@Movies4118]

You are one funny guy. Always enjoy watching your videos to learn something new. Thanks

[@AndreasSpiess]

Glad you like them!

[@garyseaman6105]

Thank you. ill order one. sounds interesting.

[@AndreasSpiess]

You will not be alone with ordering one, I think ;-)

[@MakeMeHack]

Excellent, as always! could be very useful to remotely power-up/power-down a raspberry pi or a USB powered webcam.

[@AndreasSpiess]

But not before shutting it down ;-)

[@DirkDulfer]

Awesome find. Ordered a few to cut off charging my phone when it is at 80%.

[@ahsannazar6652]

you can use magisk module to do this for you in mobile with a lot of options. But you need unlocked bootloader for this.

[@DirkDulfer]

@@ahsannazar6652 thanks for the tip. Unfortunately my phone is not unlocked. Since I run Home Assistant, the app reports battery level which allows me to switch the sinilink at specific values. When I am done, it will be just a matter of dropping the phone on the qi charging pad which is connected to a multi-port USB charging station.

[@BloodBlight]

I actually started to build one of these! Cool to see I can just buy it now. :) My plan is to use an app or Tasker profile to keep my phone from charging above 90% to extend the longevity of the battery.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Some other viewerd do it this way already...

[@dougle03]

I've been using a smart plug. Node red to manage the charging system; I keep mine between 60-65%

[@BerndFelsche]

Disinfection: standard operating procedure. In sunnier places, leave it in the bright shine for an hour. UV is cheaper than alcohol. Love the way that you're happy to build on other people's work. Stay healthy. Alas, I've had to cancel my European spring vacation so you won't see this surprise visitor from Australia in the first half of the year.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Concerning disinfection: jk44 v2 below is from idia and wrote exactly that. Concerning projects from other people: I like the new world where we easily can stand on the "shoulders of giants". And I try to be honest where I stand ;-) Bad luck. I would have liked to see you. Just drop a note when you will be here.

[@liv-in-sky]

vielen dank - habe schon 6 stück integriert - finde die genial, um die verbauten wemos zu schalten

[@AndreasSpiess]

Cool. Meiner hilft mir bei jedem Video...

[@hesspet]

Hard to see a new toy but no chance to get your hands on one. :-) Stay well Andreas!

[@AndreasSpiess]

I am still curuous ;-) We do what we can to fight corona. I stay in my basement the whole day...

[@whc2001]

Looks useful, hope there will be USB3.0 or even better Type-C version soon! Also thanks for the good video!

[@AndreasSpiess]

We will see how long it takes USB-C to replace USB-A. So far, the old USB standard always survived...

[@wjn777]

Thanks, a great video as always

[@AndreasSpiess]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@B0IIE]

Thank you, Andreas, for this test and instructions. I successfully flashed two of these nice little devices. One is going to be attached to my 3D Printer so that I can easily turn on and off lights when I want to check on it via webcam. Just two things that made the process take longer as I dont flash boards on a regular basis. You need to connect RX to TX and not RX to RX (this took me 1.5 hours to find out). Make sure to check the activate box when you paste the json string {"NAME":"XY-WFUSB","GPIO":[255,255,0,255,17,21,0,0,0,0,52,0,157],"FLAG":0,"BASE":18}.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you for your additions!

[@GijsEnde]

For the home assitant people, it also works with esphome

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thanks for the info!

[@SMAW04]

@gijs ende. Do you want to share your esphome yaml code?

[@AlexIribarren]

@@SMAW04 I documented it here: esphome-configs.io/devices/sinilink-xy-wfusb-usb-switch-relay/

[@shahram.y]

Great, as always.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you!

[@ronnierush9379]

Brilliant, very interesting Thanks

[@AndreasSpiess]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@ronm6585]

Great video, thanks.

[@AndreasSpiess]

You are welcome!

[@DumahBrazorf]

Can be usefool as a poor-man external usb disk backup solution. You have an usb external disk but you don't want to leave it connected all the time as a cryptolocker virus could ruin also your backup files. With this you can program a specific time to power the disk up and do the backups.

[@AndreasSpiess]

The only thing is that you should disconnect USB disks befor unplugging them...

[@catalinalb1722]

Hello Sir, impressive how you did all this work only for unplugging the usb device 🙂. Thank you. I can't help to notice the books 📚 in your shelve. Perhaps one day you will create a new update to the video presenting your favorite books. Keep safe my friend. 73!

[@AndreasSpiess]

I sometimes showed books in my videos. Depends on the situation...

[@simfungreek]

The 8 Wires inside Ethernet cables fit perfectly for the flashing.

[@AndreasSpiess]

True. And for many other projects.

[@BenjaminEggerstedt]

Cool stuff!

[@AndreasSpiess]

:-)

[@petelynch9468]

Veeeeery interesting. I had a look on AliExpress, it turns out there are some more variants on this module, too

[@AndreasSpiess]

Pay attention: Not all use ESP8266 (if you want to re-flash them)

[@electronic7979]

Very good 👍

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you 👍

[@cheif10thumbs]

I use a set of cheap automotive feeler gauges to split chineseum cases open like that USB thingy there.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you for the tip!

[@Gossamer2]

Gimme! Ordering now... :) I'll take anything I can flash Tasmota on to. LOL!

[@AndreasSpiess]

:-)) I hope you do not have to wait too long!

[@pedro240380]

The chip "B6289M" is an SDB628 (equivalent to the MT3608 we often find in boost converter modules) 😉

[@AndreasSpiess]

But here it seems to be also a buck converter from 20volts to 6.5 volts. Strange...

[@kerteszsasa]

@@AndreasSpiess Yes, it is a boost converter, but used as a sepic converter. It works as a buck-boost. That is why the two inductor present.

[@rondlh20]

"High pressure" is a direct translation from Chinese, it just means "high voltage"

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you! That is what I thought. But it sounds nice in English!

[@squalazzo]

@@AndreasSpiess if it blows up, you know why :D

[@edsonbrusque]

Yes, I thought that also. If you remember that "voltage" is actually "potential difference" it makes perfect sense. In Portuguese we call voltage "tensão" (tension) with the meaning of "pressure" (like something forcing the flow of electrons). Actually, engineers mostly don't use the term "voltagem" here. It's considered wrong because you're confusing the parameter that you're measuring with the unit of measurement.

[@peerappel2012]

It's kind of like Dutch and German as well right, 'spannung' has multiple meanings as well

[@AntoninKral]

@@edsonbrusque exactly, we have the same thing in Czech -- napeti. Which can mean electrical, but also any other tension (even between people).

[@behavior9928]

Thanks! Good health to all.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you!

[@klassichd10]

Thanks for the hint. So we have an additional possibility to switch up to 20V. Up to now I use WeMos D1 mini and a MosFet or an optoRelay, e.g. photoMOS. For voltages >= 24V the Shelly switches are very convient. Produced in Eastern Europe they are cheap, have CE conformity and a short delivery time. And unless the sonoff they do NOT need any flashing. They collabortate locally (without cloud, App etc) out of the box with my home automation ioBroker using CoAp or http or MQTT. Some of the devices can also measure power consumption and can be used from 24V DC to 240V AC, also supporting a local button while still having a small form factor (e.g. Shelly PM1) . Very handy but still a bit power hungry.

[@AndreasSpiess]

The Shelly seems to be a good product. I think, this one will mainly be used in USB enironments where it is quite convenient and small. And they had to add the 20 volt feature to prevent a high return rate... The switch here also uses 120mA on 5 volts.

[@michaelrichter7830]

very usefull for wall mounted tablets in my smart home

[@AndreasSpiess]

Good idea!

[@sincerelyyours7538]

Interesting. I never heard of "Sonoff" equipment before but I have a lot of unused X-10 gear I can sell you cheap. I gave up on home automation after that experience so maybe that explains it.

[@youssefvideotube]

I hope some day i will reach your level of expertise !

[@AndreasSpiess]

I am sure you have a lot of time till you have my age ;-)

[@dl8cy]

Awesome video ... but i did not order anything today - so many projects of mine are postponed ... so i will wait

[@AndreasSpiess]

Here it seems to be the opposite. Online stores hire people from shutdown industries...

[@davidchui4373]

Good one!

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you!

[@ottoklaasen211]

Nice and great video Andreas, I made a switchable USB output in the past for my 3D printer to switch an USB Led bar via my phone.This Chinese device is alos easy to make with an Wemos D1 or ESP8266, you could even built with a 220V/5V power supply and use like 8 relays to have 8 programmable USB outputs for the workbench :-).

[@AndreasSpiess]

I agree. But here I would vote for "buy" becasue of the small size and the low price (for one switch)...

[@MartinPaoloni]

One of my three Wi-Fi-USB is connected to some USB Christmas lights. Since this uses a FET and not a relay, I figured changing GPIO05 from Relay to PWM would work. It did! :D Now I can dim them!

[@AndreasSpiess]

A cool extension! Thanks for mentioning this possibility.

[@didevrythngrghtndthyindictedme]

Man this guy with the swiss accent makes good videos

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you!

[@henningjanssen6196]

@Andreas Spiess I really like your new indicator-hand! The new one is printed with a 3D-printer? Is it possible to get the CAD file?

[@AndreasSpiess]

Herre is the STL file. www.dropbox.com/s/23s4ss0cnvlif8s/Hand.stl?dl=0

[@henningjanssen6196]

@@AndreasSpiess Thanks a lot! Now I only have to change the design a little bit by adding a dedication to this channel ;)

[@yeohkokcheow3781]

Nice video and I have just subscribed your channel. One question about the voltage, does it will auto adjust the voltage when connect to differ adaptor? I'm thinking to buy few of them and use it for different voltage rating adaptors ranges from 5V to 11V.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Welcome to the channel! The output voltage is the same as the input voltage. As long as they are in the specified voltage range the device should work.

[@ardenking3481]

thought I'd add I put one of these on my TTL adapter works well as can turn it's on via Alexa when flashing Tasmota, leaving a hand free

[@AndreasSpiess]

Excellent idea!

[@OmarMekkawy]

Give him a like before watching. As usual, Nice video.

[@AndreasSpiess]

You're the best!

[@Inertia888]

"The Guys With The Swiss Accent", always on Auto-like!

[@AndersJackson]

Yes, why wait to look at it? It is not needed.

[@dotancohen]

Give him a like **after** watching. Andreas always deserves it!

[@ferencszabo3504]

The white gloves are now a must I guess! 👍

[@AndreasSpiess]

I was far ahead with those ;-)

[@MakenModify]

Awesome video as allways! Quick Tip: By naming the current crises (saying Co***a or C****-19) or even showing text of it on screen KZbin seams to demonitise it. So I would not mention it if I don't need to. Just wanted to let you know.

[@AndreasSpiess]

I know it and my last Video suffered ;-)

[@OldCurmudgeon3DP]

With Home Assistant some phones can report their battery level. This device can turn off/on in an automated way to prevent charging a full battery all night. Or keep a tablet battery between 2 charge values to increase its life expectancy; For those in-wall display installs where the USB is covered.

[@AndreasSpiess]

I did not know that. Some viewers reported they use "tasker" to do the job.

[@calvin-7540]

Just Cool

[@AndreasSpiess]

:-)

[@pugofstardock]

There are tasmota flashable tuya devices like the gosund sp 112 with 2 2.4A USB ports, power meter and a second Relais with 220v controlling

[@AndreasSpiess]

Good idea. Thanks for the information!

[@Ownedyou]

This is useful! You can use a cheapo tablet as a console for home automation, but if you keep your tablet on charge 100% of the time the battery will bulge and ruin your touchscreen. And it's a monstrous pain fixing that. Don't ask me how I know. This is a convenient solution for that!

[@AndreasSpiess]

Good idea!

[@JamesFraley]

Have you ever engaged with Sonoff to see if they would make the ESP headers available? They have to know this is a favorite of makers everywhere. They should encourage that by simplifying access to the internals.

[@anlumo1]

But they do make them available…? Otherwise, Andreas wouldn't have been able to program it at all.

[@AndreasSpiess]

This device is not from Sonoff. And they sell much more devices in the "non Maker" market. We are just a very small part of their business...

[@EpicLPer]

I wonder, is there any advantage of using Tasmota rather than Espurna? I kinda like that Espurna can integrate into MQTT and Home Assistant directly without needing a server in between.

[@AndreasSpiess]

I used Espurna in the past. So I thoght, this time I use Tasmota. I assume you can use also Espurna. The pins are documented.

[@squalazzo]

tasmota has both mqtt and ha autodiscovery features, don't understand your comment... and with espurna, you have to choose the CORRECT firmware bin file, IF present, as it's not "universal" as tasmota and its template system... you can't manipulate freely gpios in espurna as you do in tasmota, you need an ad hoc firmware...

[@youliantroyanov2941]

Awesome

[@AndreasSpiess]

:-)

[@DougHanchard]

Nice hack. Beyond my creative capabilities or imagination. I thoroughly enjoyed watching your approach to a problem you wanted to solve, which initially, was uncertain. One of the issues the IoT industry has is understanding GAP (Analysis) that explores a device flexibility for other uses. This is where channels like yours become very helpful, take a device that is intended for one specific purpose and recognize that if one analyzes its architecture, which is based on using common components, operating parameters, etc, it can be ported for other uses, hence hacking. Over simplified, I find it 'odd', that over the past 30 years the electronics industry, has not developed a common design approach that can be 'switched' for multiple purposes in a single package. On the surface, my statement is absurd. But if we dive into the topic, I do think there is some truth in it. In my opinion, Arduino, ESP32 / 8266 and now, Raspberry Pi have ignited the beginning of a new open source set of standards that use a common switched approach (ex. GPIO's, PWM, etc.) that allows anyone to add / plug in, almost any type of sensor, daughter chip, etc. But even here, as new updated versions of both come to market, some fragmentation has began again. And, as you have illustrated in this video, on the software side, there are hundreds of different software options and ways to flash chips with configurations and profiles. It boggles the mind how complex this actually is, yet looks, simple to execute. I would love to hear your thoughts on my opinion because your background and skillsets clearly illustrate what is possible if one has a vision and clear objective in mind.

[@AndreasSpiess]

This is a bit topic and not understood by most. I call it Levelled Standardization. Most people think, that standards reduce freedom. And they are right. If they think on the same level. If they think levelled, standards are neccessary to create freedon on one level above. See containers or TCP/IP and other standards. Maybe I make a video once. This topic is not taught at univerities and leads to a lot of misunderstandings :-(

[@DougHanchard]

@@AndreasSpiess I agree. Having been in a specific telecom engineering side of the industry for more years than I want to admit, the industry does seem to go through a circular cycle. Telecom comms standards are merely a link or integration point, but really, that's it. Even the next generation of application / link / server software such as SDN is simply a higher level (not really) of processing network information to get from point A to point B. They still use the same processors, resistors and capacitors as every other network / appliance does. What I enjoy about your videos is you take some time in many episodes that allows the viewer to understand some of the 'surface' challenges involved in developing a map of the 5W's of a device. If we attempted to do a deep dive, it would probably boring for most and it would not be able to cover all the necessary elements. It's why Electrical Engineering and Computer Science education exist! Stay well Andreas!

[@originalmianos]

This is exactly what I want to disconnect my 3d printer from my Raspberry Pi. As long as it is plugged in the LCD panel and BLtouch are way too bright in the dark room. I already control the PSU for the printer with a Sonoff. I'll be getting one of these as soon as I type this.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Good idea!

[@Ericx25]

Thanks for the video ! But to charge my phone I am going to stick to the "classic" method : I plug a phone charger into a tasmotized SONOFF S2X. When the phone's battery is full TASKER sends a http Power%20off command to switch off the S2X

[@AndreasSpiess]

Good Concept!

[@str0g]

I like ur old opening sentence more than this one. But keep up the creative work. Thank you.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you for your feedback. Maybe I will get some more comments.

[@tec4303]

I think it is a bit long.

[@AntoninKral]

You don't need to go through the pain of connecting to tasmota wifi after flashing. Click on "Send Config" at your Tasmotizer. You can upload template as well as set parameters for wifi and MQTT. So the process is flash -> config -> profit ;)

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you for the tip!

[@donpalmera]

I wonder how much load you can actually put through that MOSFET with melting the casing. It's big but it doesn't look like it has anywhere to sink the heat into.

[@AndreasSpiess]

No need. You can look at the datasheet and calculate the power dissipation. It only has a few mOhms on resistance.

[@TomStratton]

Andreas, could you share your design for the pin adapter? I have quite a few of these, and currently use the needles method... Thanks for the video!

[@AndreasSpiess]

I did not share it. But if I remember right another viewer made one and shared it in hte comments of this video.

[@danielclayton2031]

Very informative. Switching gears though, (hope I don't get crucified for this but) what about flashing those sd cards that you buy off of wish.com? Is it possible to re-flash them to actually hold somewhere close to what they say is they're size?

[@AndreasSpiess]

I never bought anything from wish.com. I do not like the name.

[@pr0xZen]

The pads.. looks like pads for 6x single row Dupont pins, no? For connecting ISP. Also please consider the state and build of your cables before using high current with this setup. High quality QC chargers should measure the cable and communicate with the device to figure out if the voltage drop is too high, suggesting too thin a cable, or poor plug connection. But some cheap hacked power sources might just feed high current without these safety features holding back. With wireless control and automation as primary features, a user may not be in view or physically present and awake, to know if the cable or poor connection causes something to melt, a short and possibly a fire. So for anything remotely operated or on a timer that draws high current (or switches mains voltage), always make sure electronics are well capable and in good order, and cables are proper quality for the task, and connections are secure. As many of those watching this probably tinker with USB devices, many may already own a UM24/25/34(C) USB tester. These all have a function for testing the impedance/resistance/voltage drop across a USB cable. Difference between them, IIRC, is that the oldest UM24(C) does not support USB-C (in or out), the UM34(C) supports USB-C _input source_ only, the UM25(C) supports USB-C both input from power source and output to load. Other difference between 34 and 25, is 34 support USB3.0 data passthrough, 25 only support 2.0. The 25 has a resolution of 1 mA, the 34 of 10mA. The 34 support up to 3A, the 25 up to 5A. The C models have bluetooth. So there is not one cover-all of these. If you want all of 1mA resolution, USB-C source and load, 5A test capacity and USB 3.0 passthrough, you need to get both the 34 and 25 (C). Depending on your needs, it may still be significantly cheaper than a Power-Z or similar.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you for compiling the information about the different USB testers! The pad distance is 1/2 of the normal Dupont distance

[@hvanmegen]

great way to power on a backup harddisk on USB, transfer the backup and then power it down again

[@AndreasSpiess]

Such a HDD bin is a simple solution. From time-to time I exchange the disk with the one stored at my brothers home. But I did not do it for at least two years. So I did not mention it in the video...

[@squalazzo]

you could have just used sewing pins as Pete did, or alternate standard dupont on both sides of the pcb to program it, no need for a 3d printer :) you didn't read very much Pete's article, did you? Otherwise you've found that the sewing pins was HIS trick, and cnx just reported it on its article :) anyway, it's always good to have more info and videos on a device, well done :)

[@AndreasSpiess]

You are right: I did not know it was his trick. But at least I referenced his very good blog...

[@squalazzo]

@@AndreasSpiess sure, no problem :) good work

[@martin.grosse]

Have you measured the current consumption when it's connected to a battery pack?

[@AndreasSpiess]

As usual: around 120 mA. So nothing for a battery pack, I think.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Wrong answer: After waiting a bit it droped to 35 mA.

[@hugoegon8148]

@@AndreasSpiess Do they use "Modem sleep" mode of ESP8266? But the current should be around 15mA then. Why is it 35mA?

[@pnjunction5689]

@@hugoegon8148 maybe the buck converter has some quiescent current?

[@anlumo1]

@@AndreasSpiess 120mA vs 35mA sounds like WiFi active/inactive.

[@lasersbee]

3:32 ...Which microscope were you using for those closeup pics ???

[@AndreasSpiess]

This one: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_d6WBibQ plus s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_dVGK8CY

[@Iceteavanill]

Any Idea of what the Current limit is and how hot the transistor gets?

[@AndreasSpiess]

5ampere. And it did not get hot. But I stopped after maybe 10 minutes. Maybe more for a short period. But the cables usually are also not thick.

[@kianusch]

Will this also work if you set GPIO5 as PWM1 in Tasmota - so one could dimm 5V LED Lights?

[@AndreasSpiess]

Maybe. I do not know. The chances are high that it will work.

[@ardenking3481]

I have just the job for one of these Need to cut the 5v from my PI with octoprint to the CR10 as it keeps the display on when printer of off. So you have an STL for the pin adapter you made ? Thanks for the video

[@AndreasSpiess]

I deleted it because it was not very reliable. But if I remember, another commenter left a link to his design. I use now 1.27mm pin headers.

[@ardenking3481]

@@AndreasSpiess I got round it with some resistor legs tinned with a small amount is solder wasn't pretty but worked

[@unknownsauce3768]

This looks like a great way to implement strip lighting in my kitchen. I'm very much lost with how everyone sets up tasmota and switches to operate things. Is there a good newbie tutorial?

[@AndreasSpiess]

Good idea with the LED strips. I think so. There are a few channels focusing on home automation where google should find a decent tutorial.

[@wouladjecabrelwen1006]

I like this teacher

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you!

[@wouladjecabrelwen1006]

@@AndreasSpiess I would like to know more about it and from you teacher

[@AndreasSpiess]

Just subscribe ;-)

[@wouladjecabrelwen1006]

I have messaged you on Twitter Sir

[@anshulagx]

Sorry for an unrelated question, but i really want you to explain how to we control ceiling fan speed by some microcontroller/processor. Its very shocking the inspite of being such a common thing to do, the internet hardly has much detailed resource on this topic. Thanks

[@AndreasSpiess]

Maybe you first have to find out how it is controlled (IR, Wi-Fi) and only then start to search for solutions

[@anshulagx]

IR or wifi is okay for the input, after that we turn it on with a relay, but how do we control the speed? Some use a diac triac circuit. Its that efficient? Is that the only way?

[@LabFiona]

We have also sonoff mini

[@AndreasSpiess]

You mean the Sonoff micro? If I believe squalazzo's comment below: It does not use an ESP. So no hackong with Tasmota.

[@thomasw6169]

Dunno, bit of an overkill for plugging/unplugging a USB cable. But the tasmota/sonoff stuff seems pretty cool.

[@AndreasSpiess]

You can count the sequences of this video. Then you add quite a few which were not used. This easily adds to 50 times for only one video...

[@BEdmonson85]

I see you run Pi-Star :) Are you using DMR or D-Star? Would love to meet up one day on one of the reflectors. That would be cool.

[@AndreasSpiess]

I am on DMR.. Usually on TG 2284

[@BEdmonson85]

@@AndreasSpiess Ah, cool. I only have a d-star rig at the moment. Maybe I'll hear you on one of the cross-mode refectors sometime. I'm pretty new to the digital voice modes, but it's loads of fun.

[@AndreasSpiess]

I am only on DMR and do not know how to use the other "modes". Maybe I will learn it in the future...

[@BEdmonson85]

@@AndreasSpiess Well, at any rate, it's cool to see one of my favorite KZbinrs, experimenting with ham radio again after such a long break. A lot of things have changed in 35yrs. Good luck with your endeavors.

[@CraigFryer]

Still early days, but I think these are expensive compared to the mains power switches. I suppose the demand for these will be much less than a standard mains power switch, hence the higher price.

[@AndreasSpiess]

What price do you expect? I think you are right with the numbers.

[@ChristophWempe]

Great Video. My device finally arrived from China. Did you upload the 3D model for the pogo pins anywhere? I would like to print this as well. Otherwise I will try to find another hacky solution. ;)

[@dougle03]

I used solid core silicone wire; hardest thing ever....

[@AndreasSpiess]

In the meantime you find a few other hacks.

[@bob3666]

@@AndreasSpiess Hi, thanks for this video. Could you share the 3D model for the pogo pins ? Regards

[@SmithyScotland]

This is what the sonoff micro should have been. Sonoff limited their market by not using an esp chip.

[@squalazzo]

that's exactly why i looked for alternatives and i've found this, from which Pete Scargill then wrote a blog article, and Andreas did this video :) i'm Pete's collaborator on his "the script" :)

[@AndreasSpiess]

I wondered why Idead did not have this idea. But obviously I missed something. Maybe because it has no ESP...

[@TonyMorel]

Could you use this between PC and usb hub to turn everything on/off ?

[@squalazzo]

as soon as you disconnect safely eventual harddisks and usb memory sticks, yup, you can...

[@TonyMorel]

squalazzo thanks. I have a home flight simulator rig and certain hubs need to be switched on / off before others to ensure everything connects in the right order. This could be a perfect solution.

[@DerTou]

Do you know what the power consumption of the device itself is ? (idle and active)

[@AndreasSpiess]

Around 40 mA

[@DerTou]

@@AndreasSpiess Thank you !

[@JonathanMurphy95]

I used paper staples to connect to the pads

[@AndreasSpiess]

Good idea!

[@xfabiosoft]

How about update video with a USB type C version? Maybe soldering a breakout board...

[@AndreasSpiess]

I did not check if it exists. But I assume it would not be worth mentioning if it has the same functionality...

[@AdityaMehendale]

5:46 Andreas, :( I am disappointed by your use of an "FTDI Adapter". Would any USB-to-serial adapter work? Anyhow, stay safe :) Greetings from NL

[@AndreasSpiess]

"FTDI adapter" for me is a houshold name. I always use adapters with 3.3 volts on the pins. But this is just me. The ESP8266 should be 5 volts resistant.

[@haajee1]

Je kan ook gewoon een CP2102 of CP2104 gebruiken. :) USB to TTL heet het eigenlijk.

[@the_perigoso]

No matter how much I hate FTDI I still have to use some of their devices sometimes, they are just too good, there's no alternative.

[@AdityaMehendale]

@@the_perigoso Thanks. What would be a typical example for an application where a device from SiLabs/Cypress/Atmel/CH specifically will not work, and an FTDI device is specifically needed?

[@the_perigoso]

@@AdityaMehendale FT2232H, usb to multiprotocol port, that includes fifo, and jtag