Buy from AliExpress (Affiliate): geni.us/aVbn7 Note that it seems as though manufacturers are swapping their listings between the Android and Linux versions of these devices. When buying one of these, make sure that the listing doesn't mention Linux or "Alexa Built In" as these devices cannot be unlocked in this way. Ideally focus on listings that explicitly mention Android in the specs or contact the seller to double check. Documentation: - Sideloading Apps: blakadder.com/t6e-sideload/ - Waking Device using Proximity Sensor: blakadder.com/android-panel-proximity/ - Updating WebView: blakadder.com/android-panel-webview/
As original manufacturer of T6E, I can say you are absolute right. Yes, some factory provide linux OS, it will be really hard to DIY for unprofessional users.
Thankfully the ads I mentioned were only when opening the navigation bar app itself to change settings, not when it was being used. Probably better options out there, I just stick with the first one I tried because I didn't need it once it was set up.
Thanks Cameron! Are there any 4 inch android panels like this already unlocked? So I could just add shelly app or home assistant without any unlocking?
I don't think there is much better than seeing you have done a review of something that I find interesting. You really do have a knack for including all the details anyone interested could ever need, thanks for the hard work.
Just ordered one to test. I am about to move into a house and think I am using about 10 of your videos to help me, from network cable installation, to now a newer screen display. Already tried HASP and NSPanel so this will be another different way of working, and perhaps with a higher Spouse Approval Factor! Thanks Cameron
Of course that's an option, but then you need to factor in wall mounting and powering the tablet while keeping everything neat. A tablet will also contain a battery which isn't ideal for something that'll be left plugged in charging 24/7, batteries in this situation have been known to fail and swell up.
Fantastic video, thanks for sharing. I was planning to wall mount a Fire HD 8 but couldn't shake the feeling of lithium battery charging 24/7 and hiding the USB connector without a mount casing. Do you recommend a version that has a bigger screen (8inch or larger)?
A great video and i was inspired watching it. However, due to the risk of receiving the "wrong" t6e unit, i recommend to go for the sonoff nspanel pro instaad, its a similar device but less risk as theres no difference in versions and can be ordered in the uk
Android devices have several partitions, like boot, system (the OS), cache (iirc used during system updates?), recovery (options to flash, factory reset, etc often accessed by holding a volume key while powering on), userdata, etc. The 4 out of 8 GB you can see will be userdata.
Amazing video, you answered all the questions that popped up for me. I'd love to see another video with the other versions of this device that you mentioned, especially the bigger one! Keep up the amazing work.
Hi Cameraon, loving your ideals behind the smart switching. It's exactly what I want to do as well. Would you have any recommendations on newer hardware as your video is 2 years old now
Is it possible to install this by replacing an old 'dumb' light switch dimmer? My house wiring only has an in and out circuit for each bedroom. If I just use this smart panel in its place, how can I power the lights as well on the ring? Can the touch panel also behave as a physical switch to complete a circuit for just that room's light?
I got the early bird Sonoff NS Panel (not the Pro) hoping it would be something it couldn't end up being. This IS what I wanted. Thanks for the review, and keeping it simple, I'll be ordering one ASAP!
It seems that also the 6" version (Tuya S8E 6" Multi-mode Gateway Dimmer Switch) can be unlocked, but what happens to the rotating dial and its display after running Android and Home Assistant?
So I'm guessing British outlets have screws on the sides and are a bigger box? I don't see how that would fit in an American outlet unless maybe it was sideways, even a two or three gang box has the screws on the top and bottom
And thank you for all the excellent documentation! I had been looking at these devices for a while but was too nervous to spend the money before I knew it would definitely be moddable!
@@camerongray1515 you're exactly the reason why I do spend the money or in this case ask for a review sample, so I can show the people what's possible and what's not with new types of devices
Interesting to hear about review samples, I've had companies approach me before however with a lot of smart home stuff I've avoided it since I've always assumed companies wouldn't want me hacking their products to bits and not showing off their supplied apps and stuff, maybe something I should give a go at some point and see what they say!
I don't usually comment on videos but this was a great video. I'm definitely buying a few. On a side note. You used another app to use the proximity sensor. You can use fully kiosk to make use of the proximity sensor aswell. I use it in a pub for a makeshift jukebox for the staff to use
Thanks! The only option I could find relating the proximity sensor is "Turn Screen Off on Proximity (PLUS)" however this didn't seem to do anything. I suspect it may be due to the proximity sensor giving strange, almost inverted readings where the distance read seems to increase the closer I get to the device. It has the "motion detection" feature however this uses a camera rather than the proximity sensor so I can't use that here unfortunately.
@@camerongray1515 yeah, i've just had a look at the fully kiosk software, your absolutely right, it was a motion sensor using the camera. not proximity sensor. well that's me told ha ha. Still a great video. will have to set it up. i have been wanting to use something similar for a while but could never find anything that i liked, this seems great. i may go for the bigger display though. for the oldies in the house
Hey Cameron, saw your video and bought one of the devices. This is awesome. I followed Blakadder's guide and it was really simple to get it to work. For the price def a good and neat alternative to mounting a tablet to the wall although the amount of screen real estate forces one to get creative in order to make it functional and good-looking.
@@Wootts007 Can't give you a definitive answer as I have not tried it out but in theory, they should. However, you might be a little disappointed with the performance. It is not as snappy as your latest Samsung phone ;)
That thing is awesome, i just wish it was bigger. I get the usecase but on a per-room build its going to be quite costly. I wish there was something more "tablet" sized that runs of an 86mm wall box or even off a 2-gang.
there are the S8E models with the 6" widescreen and thermostat knob, they are androidable in the same way, however I haven't seen anything about how to use or integrate the knob or its secondary display just yet. there is also a larger version of that device where the main panel is removable and can sit on a desk but no word on hackability of that larger model. a cheap tablet would be better in that case due to high cost.
Hi Cameron - fantastic video (as always)! Just wanted to check that affiliate link you posted - the item listing now indicates "Work for Alexa". Was this the case when you pulled the trigger on it? Hope so - it's a decent price right now!
Yeah, that just indicates that it can be controlled from an external Alexa device, the ones to take care with are the ones that actually have Alexa support built in (where the device itself will act as a voice assistant) as those seem to be the ones that come with Linux.
I'm using this theme: github.com/basnijholt/lovelace-ios-dark-mode-theme. However I think the main thing that I've done is that I've created specific dashboards dedicated to this device rather than trying to squeeze a larger dashboard onto a small screen. My Home Assistant setup is also a bit unconventional where dashboards are made up of virtual devices created as "helpers" in Home Assistant. These essentially make up a UI that then passes events to Node-RED which carries out the main logic and communicates with the actual devices. I've never been a fan of how Home Assistant handles automations and I find that Node-RED matches my way of thinking much better so I keep my logic in there and use Home Assistant as a dashboard and as a way to easily communicate with devices that have cloud based control such as my Viessmann boiler and my Nest thermostat where Home Assistant has prebuilt integrations.
@@camerongray1515 Nice one - thanks for getting back I'll likely do the same as I work out the best use cases, I'm thinking of using one to control heating and TRVs from one panel.
As far as I can tell both this and the NSPanel Pro are based on the same base device made by a company called Smatek. Apparently the screen on the NSPanel Pro is potentially a bit worse quality (although I haven't confirmed this) and the latest firmware version needs you to link it to the Sonoff app to enable a "developer mode" to gain ADB access but other than that they will work basically the same.
Followed these instructions and when running `adb shell` immediately got a request for a `Tuya login:` Turns out it was Alexa built-in, even though every comment mentioned it working with the Blackadder instructions and it was listed as T6E! So be careful out there, lots of scammers and Tuya doing their usual bait'n'switch anti-consumer practice.
Bought the device from Avatto (the link in your comments) but it actively rejects any connection requests using abd - both over Wifi and using the OTG cable. Any way to work around this? Thanks
I have Shelly devices controlling lights etc through out the house. Would this be compatible with Shelly? Shelly have launched something similar but it's availability in the UK seems quite limited.
Has anybody created a 4 inch panel that is customisable runs android has temp and motion sensors and relays at the back?. Seems like there is a market for such a device. I have thermostats around my house which would be ideal locations for such a Device and the sensors would be utilised in home assistant for a bunch of automations.
This would be an example of one of them (Affiliate): bit.ly/3UD43Cv. However I obviously haven't tested it so I can't confirm whether it will definitely run Android and come with ADB enabled. I'd like to think that it would and if my budget allows in the future I'll likely get one to try out, however it's very much a case of "buy at your own risk"
@@camerongray1515 thank you Cameron. For me, the knob is a bit much. I thought it was something round 6x6 instead of 4x4. Just curious about the extra real estate. Even sonoff has a US version with more screen size than "eu peasents"
Yeah, I'm not sure about the knob either. There's other devices out there that also claim to run android and don't have the knob but they aren't mentioned on the Blakadder documentation so I can't really speak for how moddable these may be. They often have built in audio amplifiers so searching for things like "Android wall amplifier" tends to bring them up
It's not cheap but equally it's a relatively niche device which will push the price up. A tablet is also an option however I'd rather pay a premium for a device with this form factor with a built in power supply and no battery rather than trying to wall mount a tablet and have a battery sitting permanently charging 24/7 which I'm not a fan of from a safety perspective
Is there a "Tuya" interface you can install onto a regular android tablet, not the regular android app, but an interface similar to what this box runs, @@camerongray1515
Unfortunately I doubt it - while these run Android, they don't include Google Play Services which is required by a lot of regular Android apps, likely including Google Home.
I grabbed on of these because of this video, followed the blackadder tutorial and it was just as it is in your video. Not sure if the price is right but it really is a neat thing. I wasn't able to find the video where you talk about how you set up that attractive dashboard though. Looks great!
Top Man ! Great Video , good walk through , just finished updating my one with your help and the black Adder website , did a bit of mix and match ! but finally got the whole HA page on show with fully kiosk ! Thanks very much , from a useless brick to a real cool toy !
Are you still using this panel? I'm about to give up on mine as it keeps disconnecting from my home assistant server and showing either a 404 page or a message asking me to reconnect. I thought it was my wifi at first but I changed a whole load of settings to no avail and no other devices have problems. Is yours working ok?
I definitely haven't experienced that - a 404 error would be being sent from the server so I'd check into your Home Assistant webserver logs to see what is happening with that request. The only issue I've experienced was that on both of my panels, occasionally the Fully Kiosk Browser app would crash and restart and once it's done it once, will do it regularly until the device is rebooted. I was able to get around this with some logic in Node-RED which spots when the app has restarted (two MQTT Connection events in quick succession) which then reboots the panel using the Fully Kiosk Browser API. You may be able to figure out something similar for your issue if you can build some sort of logic that detects that the issue is occurring and then force a page reload or device reboot.
@@camerongray1515 thanks for the reply, I didn't actually mean 404 (you are right that would mean it could connect to the server) it was the default "android can't connect to website URL" page. I'm glad that yours works though as it at least means there is something wrong specifically with my setup rather than the device is broken (which I was not convinced of because this Chinese stuff is often a bit... Interesting). I set up a trigger to reboot it over adb every 24 hours to see if it was a memory leak etc but that didn't help. I will have another play with it, cheers.
@@camerongray1515 I figured it out in the end (I think anyway). Set up some monitoring software to monitor my network devices (not a bad thing to do anyway) and found that the panel was definitely dropping off the network as pings dropped at the same time I got the error on the panel. Found on my wireless ap some diagnostic logs and the panel was losing association, something about retrying keys (think it was just a generic disconnect error to be honest) Found someone online who got the same error when their AP was scanning for free channels. Checked for a firmware update for my AP (Netgear WAX630E and in the change log was about solving a problem of disconnects when scanning for channels!! Updated firmware and not had a disconnect since.. hopefully that's solved. Not sure why only this device was having problems, maybe something about the wireless chip or drivers is sensitive to it.. not sure. Mystery solved anyway.
so that massive back section is just a 240-5v transformer? Makes you almost just fancy chasing a 5v USB power supply into the wall and you could almost surface mount it
As far as I can tell that is all that is in the back, however it wouldn't be compliant to just chase a power supply into a wall, you'd need some sort of electrical enclosure and have it fitted in such a way that you wouldn't be able to access any exposed mains wiring without the use of a tool. That said, I suppose this could be an option if you could get a smaller power supply and therefore get away with a shallower pattress to save on chasing. I've also considered making a desktop version of one of these with just the front part on some sort of stand then powered over USB.
Sorry for asking stupid questions, but apart from the no-battery and the easier (physical) installation, why not use a 10 inch pad? Stock android, known hardware, warranty, bigger screen, faster (?). Thanks for the video. Interesting. :)
No battery and the overall form factor are the main reasons. I feel this is a much neater looking device than a wall mounted tablet and realistically, for the type of stuff this does (lighting control for an individual room), a larger screen is unnecessary
I have 3 I received 2 days ago, and the back and back plate is not the same; I have a removable cover over the connections, 2 Filled, 3 Empty :( It's maybe 1 or 2mm wider than the US electric box. :(
Interesting, there are definitely different versions of this however as long as you bought an Android one it should still be moddable. As for the pattress box - these really are designed for the 86mm boxes used in the UK/Europe and a few other countries and not really for US style boxes.
Wait, what are you using in that light switch ? You casually mention it's a sonoff something that lets you control a smart bulb using a physical button, is that a Zigbee switch that supports decoupled mode and binding ? I've been looking for a holy grail like that forever, only two I know of are ubysis which requires a neutral wire, and Inovelli Blue which can't be used in Europe. As for the panel device itself it looks neat, but like all of these it requires a neutral wire which is definitely not standard in most country's switch boxes unfortunately. Wish it was
It's a Sonoff Mini running Tasmota and connected over WiFi to send the switch input states over MQTT. I've also since come across the Shelley i3 which looks like a good alternative. Unfortunately all of these devices will require a neutral. At least in the UK it's becoming common to loop the permanent feed via the switches to give a neutral at the switch which I have here. Without this there are a couple of options but you'd probably want to consult an electrician to ensure what you're doing is safe and compliant with your country's regulations. You could of course run a neutral down to the switch, potentially by replacing the 2 core cable from the light fitting/junction box with a 3 core and use the third core as a neutral. Alternatively you could adjust the wiring at the light fitting/junction box to wire the light so that it is permanently powered (assuming you'd be using smart bulbs) and then use the cable down to the switch to carry a permanent live and neutral rather than the permanent live and switched live it was carrying before (of course sleeving the wires appropriately to indicate what they're being used for).
The guide worked well for me up until the point of installing Xposed and rebooting. I left it booting up again for hours but it wouldn't go past the boot screen. Anyone come across this and have any ideas on how to fix? I have a second (untouched) device I could borrow from if necessary.
To answer my own question, there's a separate post on the Blackadder site about emergency recovery. Restart (unplug) the device 6 times in succession, each time waiting for the animation to appear.
Not the case here, all of my smart home devices run on an isolated network with only the bare minimum access permitted through the firewall. The whole point of me using this sort of device is to eliminate the need for a voice assistant.
I considered this however due to the height they are positioned at on the wall, you'd be able to see the dremeled out case when laying down in the room
Ultimately it just comes down to this being a more niche device - A low end phone is a commodity product with a lot of competition which will drive down the price. On the other hand, this is a relatively unique product that'll be made in much smaller quantities which increases the cost.
Mine came pre-rooted and the ads that I mentioned were only part of the particular app I'd installed to get a navigation bar, the device itself doesn't have any sort of ads. Not sure where you are getting any idea about this performing any "creepy listening" but I run these devices blocked from accessing the internet as a matter of course.
Unfortunately not, they're very bespoke for my setup and to be honest are a bit of an undocumented mess so they aren't really something worthy of distribution without me having to write a lot of additional documentation to explain them.
Unfortunately the Linux version of this is apparently very locked down so it wouldn't be simple to modify it like this. Then even if you could somehow flash different firmware, you'd likely have a nightmare supporting all of the hardware and touch screen. This is where Android makes life easier - ADB is enabled and provides an easy interface to get into the device, and handling the touch screen and other devices is already handled for you out of the box.
Mainly because I use the "kiosk-mode" Home Assistant addon to hide the menus and tabs within home assistant itself, this requires me to add "?kiosk" to the end of the URL so needs to be done in a browser. With the Home Assistant app, the UI on the panel would allow access to all other aspects of Home Assistant whereas I wanted this locked down to a single dashboard dedicated to the room that the device is in. Then additionally, Fully Kiosk Browser provides an interface to let me enable/disable the screen and then receive state updates when the screen is woken by Automagic which is super useful for my screen on/off behaviour.
Would be ok for bedrooms, it's pretty pricey though. I settled on a Dell touchscreen/PI for my main control center, but was fortunate to find the screen used for a good deal. I'd probably want to build a fresh android install instead of trying to hack the stock rom up, who knows what's going on in the background, it's now on your internal network.
It's pricey but it's a relatively niche device and realistically I couldn't find any comparable options for a similar price. My idea is to have a screen like this in any room that contains some sort of smart lighting so something small and unobtrusive is important. As for the security, flashing a custom ROM really comes down to if the bootloader is unlocked which I have been unable to validate, personally I work on a principle of not trusting any sort of IoT/embedded device whether it is from a "known" manufacturer or not. Therefore these devices alongside most of my other IoT devices all run on an isolated network that can only access the minimum required services, therefore I'm not too worried about the security side of things.
It's not super cheap, but I can't find any other comparable option for anywhere close to this price. Ultimately, it's a relatively niche device and as a result will command a higher price than a more commodity type device such as a low end smartphone.
Any experience whether the Ethernet port on the larger models supports PoE? And if there’s a way to use the large dial they come with? If yes, that device is exactly what I’m after!
These are both questions I'm not sure about, I don't think they have PoE support but as for the dial I'd really need to get one in person to look at. That said, someone else commenting here had a very good idea I'd be keen to try out - you can get MicroUSB ethernet controllers that also take in PoE to power the connected MicroUSB device, they seem to be designed for Raspberry Pi Zeros. With an appropriately small right angle adapter, it may be possible to use one of these with the USB OTG port inside the device and essentially get rid of the entire mains power supply part.
Buy from AliExpress (Affiliate): geni.us/aVbn7
Note that it seems as though manufacturers are swapping their listings between the Android and Linux versions of these devices. When buying one of these, make sure that the listing doesn't mention Linux or "Alexa Built In" as these devices cannot be unlocked in this way. Ideally focus on listings that explicitly mention Android in the specs or contact the seller to double check.
Documentation:
- Sideloading Apps: blakadder.com/t6e-sideload/
- Waking Device using Proximity Sensor: blakadder.com/android-panel-proximity/
- Updating WebView: blakadder.com/android-panel-webview/
£84.. ouch
Please do a video on the new updated 5 inch single gang US version!!
As original manufacturer of T6E, I can say you are absolute right.
Yes, some factory provide linux OS, it will be really hard to DIY for unprofessional users.
Imagine telling someone from the 1950s that your light switch might show ads...
Thankfully the ads I mentioned were only when opening the navigation bar app itself to change settings, not when it was being used. Probably better options out there, I just stick with the first one I tried because I didn't need it once it was set up.
@@camerongray1515 Oh absolutely. I'd personally also massively isolate it on my home network. Love the device otherwise.
Yeah, I keep all of these devices on an isolated VLAN that can access the required ports on my server but nothing more.
That's fucking hilarious 🤣😂😆😭
😅
Thanks Cameron! Are there any 4 inch android panels like this already unlocked? So I could just add shelly app or home assistant without any unlocking?
I don't think there is much better than seeing you have done a review of something that I find interesting. You really do have a knack for including all the details anyone interested could ever need, thanks for the hard work.
Just ordered one to test. I am about to move into a house and think I am using about 10 of your videos to help me, from network cable installation, to now a newer screen display. Already tried HASP and NSPanel so this will be another different way of working, and perhaps with a higher Spouse Approval Factor! Thanks Cameron
this looks exactly like the new nspanel pro
I fancy having a larger version of this to be a mini CCTV display as well as the smart home side.
People use tablets for this. Attaching those to the wall, resolving battery issues are two major hurdles
May as well just buy a small android tablet and install home assistant in it, and put it on the wall ! Because that is all it is in the end.
Of course that's an option, but then you need to factor in wall mounting and powering the tablet while keeping everything neat. A tablet will also contain a battery which isn't ideal for something that'll be left plugged in charging 24/7, batteries in this situation have been known to fail and swell up.
Fantastic video, thanks for sharing. I was planning to wall mount a Fire HD 8 but couldn't shake the feeling of lithium battery charging 24/7 and hiding the USB connector without a mount casing. Do you recommend a version that has a bigger screen (8inch or larger)?
There's solutions for the battery issues but they require quite some tinkering...
A great video and i was inspired watching it. However, due to the risk of receiving the "wrong" t6e unit, i recommend to go for the sonoff nspanel pro instaad, its a similar device but less risk as theres no difference in versions and can be ordered in the uk
Once again you make me wish i had smart home stuff (I’ve been unofficially banned from owning smart home stuff)
Great review, looks very interesting! Would be super if you did a "How to" setup with Home Assistant!
Android devices have several partitions, like boot, system (the OS), cache (iirc used during system updates?), recovery (options to flash, factory reset, etc often accessed by holding a volume key while powering on), userdata, etc. The 4 out of 8 GB you can see will be userdata.
The cache partition is also used to store cached content for apps, like cached online data for mobile apps of online services
Amazing video, you answered all the questions that popped up for me. I'd love to see another video with the other versions of this device that you mentioned, especially the bigger one! Keep up the amazing work.
Hi Cameraon, loving your ideals behind the smart switching. It's exactly what I want to do as well. Would you have any recommendations on newer hardware as your video is 2 years old now
Is it possible to install this by replacing an old 'dumb' light switch dimmer? My house wiring only has an in and out circuit for each bedroom. If I just use this smart panel in its place, how can I power the lights as well on the ring? Can the touch panel also behave as a physical switch to complete a circuit for just that room's light?
I got the early bird Sonoff NS Panel (not the Pro) hoping it would be something it couldn't end up being. This IS what I wanted. Thanks for the review, and keeping it simple, I'll be ordering one ASAP!
It seems that also the 6" version (Tuya S8E 6" Multi-mode Gateway Dimmer Switch) can be unlocked, but what happens to the rotating dial and its display after running Android and Home Assistant?
Another good video. This device would be much better if it was POE.
Thanks Cameron! Fantastic video.
Is there a reason you'd pick this over the NSPanel Pro?
So I'm guessing British outlets have screws on the sides and are a bigger box? I don't see how that would fit in an American outlet unless maybe it was sideways, even a two or three gang box has the screws on the top and bottom
If I understand, can I install the smart life, home assistant., reolink, right?
And use this like a table.
$131.79 USD for a control panel is disproportionate imo.
Is this a sonoff NSPanel pro ripoff or is it the same device but rebranded and cheaper ?
Props on the heads up on paying attention for the right model with the right hardware!
And thank you for all the excellent documentation! I had been looking at these devices for a while but was too nervous to spend the money before I knew it would definitely be moddable!
@@camerongray1515 you're exactly the reason why I do spend the money or in this case ask for a review sample, so I can show the people what's possible and what's not with new types of devices
Interesting to hear about review samples, I've had companies approach me before however with a lot of smart home stuff I've avoided it since I've always assumed companies wouldn't want me hacking their products to bits and not showing off their supplied apps and stuff, maybe something I should give a go at some point and see what they say!
@@camerongray1515 if they don't like it they won't send you another one but that's ok
I don't usually comment on videos but this was a great video. I'm definitely buying a few. On a side note. You used another app to use the proximity sensor. You can use fully kiosk to make use of the proximity sensor aswell. I use it in a pub for a makeshift jukebox for the staff to use
Thanks! The only option I could find relating the proximity sensor is "Turn Screen Off on Proximity (PLUS)" however this didn't seem to do anything. I suspect it may be due to the proximity sensor giving strange, almost inverted readings where the distance read seems to increase the closer I get to the device. It has the "motion detection" feature however this uses a camera rather than the proximity sensor so I can't use that here unfortunately.
@@camerongray1515 yeah, i've just had a look at the fully kiosk software, your absolutely right, it was a motion sensor using the camera. not proximity sensor.
well that's me told ha ha.
Still a great video. will have to set it up. i have been wanting to use something similar for a while but could never find anything that i liked, this seems great. i may go for the bigger display though. for the oldies in the house
Hey Cameron, saw your video and bought one of the devices. This is awesome. I followed Blakadder's guide and it was really simple to get it to work. For the price def a good and neat alternative to mounting a tablet to the wall although the amount of screen real estate forces one to get creative in order to make it functional and good-looking.
hi mate, will these displays run spotify or amaon music directly from the divice? thanks
@@Wootts007 Can't give you a definitive answer as I have not tried it out but in theory, they should. However, you might be a little disappointed with the performance. It is not as snappy as your latest Samsung phone ;)
We are original factory of the panel, we can tell you that all our models have no Spotify@@Wootts007
That thing is awesome, i just wish it was bigger. I get the usecase but on a per-room build its going to be quite costly. I wish there was something more "tablet" sized that runs of an 86mm wall box or even off a 2-gang.
there are the S8E models with the 6" widescreen and thermostat knob, they are androidable in the same way, however I haven't seen anything about how to use or integrate the knob or its secondary display just yet. there is also a larger version of that device where the main panel is removable and can sit on a desk but no word on hackability of that larger model. a cheap tablet would be better in that case due to high cost.
What android version is this running?
Looks like ns pro panel
Nice device you got there. I wonder if custom firmware would run on it?
Hi Cameron - fantastic video (as always)! Just wanted to check that affiliate link you posted - the item listing now indicates "Work for Alexa". Was this the case when you pulled the trigger on it? Hope so - it's a decent price right now!
Yeah, that just indicates that it can be controlled from an external Alexa device, the ones to take care with are the ones that actually have Alexa support built in (where the device itself will act as a voice assistant) as those seem to be the ones that come with Linux.
@@camerongray1515 Nice one pal! On order now - very much looking forward to getting everything set up when it arrives!
I’ve got one of these, but my dashboards are nowhere near optimal for a display this size. What theming gave you used to produce this layout in HA?
I'm using this theme: github.com/basnijholt/lovelace-ios-dark-mode-theme. However I think the main thing that I've done is that I've created specific dashboards dedicated to this device rather than trying to squeeze a larger dashboard onto a small screen. My Home Assistant setup is also a bit unconventional where dashboards are made up of virtual devices created as "helpers" in Home Assistant. These essentially make up a UI that then passes events to Node-RED which carries out the main logic and communicates with the actual devices. I've never been a fan of how Home Assistant handles automations and I find that Node-RED matches my way of thinking much better so I keep my logic in there and use Home Assistant as a dashboard and as a way to easily communicate with devices that have cloud based control such as my Viessmann boiler and my Nest thermostat where Home Assistant has prebuilt integrations.
@@camerongray1515 Nice one - thanks for getting back I'll likely do the same as I work out the best use cases, I'm thinking of using one to control heating and TRVs from one panel.
It's really similar to the Sonoff NSPanel Pro.
As far as I can tell both this and the NSPanel Pro are based on the same base device made by a company called Smatek. Apparently the screen on the NSPanel Pro is potentially a bit worse quality (although I haven't confirmed this) and the latest firmware version needs you to link it to the Sonoff app to enable a "developer mode" to gain ADB access but other than that they will work basically the same.
Hi, We are original factory of the panel, I can tell you the both panels are with same "parents"🤭
Followed these instructions and when running `adb shell` immediately got a request for a `Tuya login:` Turns out it was Alexa built-in, even though every comment mentioned it working with the Blackadder instructions and it was listed as T6E! So be careful out there, lots of scammers and Tuya doing their usual bait'n'switch anti-consumer practice.
A really awesome new addition. I feel like buying one now! You should definitely add more functionality eg for the AV system.
Bought the device from Avatto (the link in your comments) but it actively rejects any connection requests using abd - both over Wifi and using the OTG cable. Any way to work around this? Thanks
I have Shelly devices controlling lights etc through out the house. Would this be compatible with Shelly? Shelly have launched something similar but it's availability in the UK seems quite limited.
Any chance of a proper link to AliExpress, the one you posted is blocked by AdGuard/PiHole (which I can't bypass because reasons)?
Great video!
Can you possibly link to or give the brand and model number for the lightswitch used below the panel with the key lock?
Great and inspiering video Cameron. Thanks! Any chance you can share the yaml for your dashbord?
Great to have video. We can then look at a picture of a box forever!
Ever considered speaking a little more slowly?
What a great moddable product. If only it had a integrated switch circuit, so it could also replace my light switch i would be golden.
Not sure if your panel is the same but I found in the display settings show status bar. Which actually enables the navigation bar
Has anybody created a 4 inch panel that is customisable runs android has temp and motion sensors and relays at the back?.
Seems like there is a market for such a device. I have thermostats around my house which would be ideal locations for such a Device and the sensors would be utilised in home assistant for a bunch of automations.
hi i try to unlock the device i connect the usb and everything but can’t make the flashing
Hello! adb devices - unauthorized. What could be the reason?
Curious if this has any phone home to China built in? So many of this type of non brand devices seem to.
I'd wish these gadgets are made from freedom world. Not from China.
Can you share the link regarding the devices with larger screen?
This would be an example of one of them (Affiliate): bit.ly/3UD43Cv. However I obviously haven't tested it so I can't confirm whether it will definitely run Android and come with ADB enabled. I'd like to think that it would and if my budget allows in the future I'll likely get one to try out, however it's very much a case of "buy at your own risk"
@@camerongray1515 thank you Cameron. For me, the knob is a bit much.
I thought it was something round 6x6 instead of 4x4. Just curious about the extra real estate. Even sonoff has a US version with more screen size than "eu peasents"
Yeah, I'm not sure about the knob either. There's other devices out there that also claim to run android and don't have the knob but they aren't mentioned on the Blakadder documentation so I can't really speak for how moddable these may be. They often have built in audio amplifiers so searching for things like "Android wall amplifier" tends to bring them up
Looks cool but my lights ring doesn't have neutral
Interesting, I’m retiring my house soon so this could be an option in the bedrooms !
ooh these seem good.
Nice video my man, good explanations and camera work. :)
Wow the price is SUPER high....better to buy tablet... but anyway superb video! thanks! nice hack!
It's not cheap but equally it's a relatively niche device which will push the price up. A tablet is also an option however I'd rather pay a premium for a device with this form factor with a built in power supply and no battery rather than trying to wall mount a tablet and have a battery sitting permanently charging 24/7 which I'm not a fan of from a safety perspective
Is there a "Tuya" interface you can install onto a regular android tablet, not the regular android app, but an interface similar to what this box runs,
@@camerongray1515
Will it work with Fibaro hc2/YUBI App?
Can you view camera feed on the screen from a camera that is connected to home assistant?
Is it possible to side load the Google Home app (and login to a Google account) for this to be used as a wall intercom for a Google Hello doorbell?
Unfortunately I doubt it - while these run Android, they don't include Google Play Services which is required by a lot of regular Android apps, likely including Google Home.
@@camerongray1515 Cheers for the reply, the hunt continues!
Do you have somewhere the code for homeassistant to set it up as yours?
I grabbed on of these because of this video, followed the blackadder tutorial and it was just as it is in your video. Not sure if the price is right but it really is a neat thing. I wasn't able to find the video where you talk about how you set up that attractive dashboard though. Looks great!
Genius. Any links to 8” or landscape versions
a matte screen would be much better for a device like this
Thomas‘s room?
Top Man ! Great Video , good walk through , just finished updating my one with your help and the black Adder website , did a bit of mix and match ! but finally got the whole HA page on show with fully kiosk ! Thanks very much , from a useless brick to a real cool toy !
Another interesting project would be to try and get 5v + GND off the backplate to power a small tablet
Coffee and toast and sit down and watch another excellent video.
Super cool! Really make me itch for getting home assistant setup… keep putting it off, lol!
It's amazing how manufacturers will do anything to make it harder to fully use their products...
No, you can contact the products original factory (not reseller), I think the factories are willing to provide you technical support.
Just came across your channel. Amazing content. keep doing what you are doing
Are you still using this panel? I'm about to give up on mine as it keeps disconnecting from my home assistant server and showing either a 404 page or a message asking me to reconnect. I thought it was my wifi at first but I changed a whole load of settings to no avail and no other devices have problems. Is yours working ok?
I definitely haven't experienced that - a 404 error would be being sent from the server so I'd check into your Home Assistant webserver logs to see what is happening with that request. The only issue I've experienced was that on both of my panels, occasionally the Fully Kiosk Browser app would crash and restart and once it's done it once, will do it regularly until the device is rebooted. I was able to get around this with some logic in Node-RED which spots when the app has restarted (two MQTT Connection events in quick succession) which then reboots the panel using the Fully Kiosk Browser API. You may be able to figure out something similar for your issue if you can build some sort of logic that detects that the issue is occurring and then force a page reload or device reboot.
@@camerongray1515 thanks for the reply, I didn't actually mean 404 (you are right that would mean it could connect to the server) it was the default "android can't connect to website URL" page. I'm glad that yours works though as it at least means there is something wrong specifically with my setup rather than the device is broken (which I was not convinced of because this Chinese stuff is often a bit... Interesting). I set up a trigger to reboot it over adb every 24 hours to see if it was a memory leak etc but that didn't help. I will have another play with it, cheers.
@@camerongray1515 I figured it out in the end (I think anyway). Set up some monitoring software to monitor my network devices (not a bad thing to do anyway) and found that the panel was definitely dropping off the network as pings dropped at the same time I got the error on the panel. Found on my wireless ap some diagnostic logs and the panel was losing association, something about retrying keys (think it was just a generic disconnect error to be honest) Found someone online who got the same error when their AP was scanning for free channels. Checked for a firmware update for my AP (Netgear WAX630E and in the change log was about solving a problem of disconnects when scanning for channels!! Updated firmware and not had a disconnect since.. hopefully that's solved. Not sure why only this device was having problems, maybe something about the wireless chip or drivers is sensitive to it.. not sure. Mystery solved anyway.
Great video once again .. very interesting project.
so that massive back section is just a 240-5v transformer? Makes you almost just fancy chasing a 5v USB power supply into the wall and you could almost surface mount it
As far as I can tell that is all that is in the back, however it wouldn't be compliant to just chase a power supply into a wall, you'd need some sort of electrical enclosure and have it fitted in such a way that you wouldn't be able to access any exposed mains wiring without the use of a tool. That said, I suppose this could be an option if you could get a smaller power supply and therefore get away with a shallower pattress to save on chasing. I've also considered making a desktop version of one of these with just the front part on some sort of stand then powered over USB.
Excellent as always. Inspiring me to upgrade my smart home stuff next year, and these look like a super device.
Sorry for asking stupid questions, but apart from the no-battery and the easier (physical) installation, why not use a 10 inch pad? Stock android, known hardware, warranty, bigger screen, faster (?).
Thanks for the video. Interesting. :)
No battery and the overall form factor are the main reasons. I feel this is a much neater looking device than a wall mounted tablet and realistically, for the type of stuff this does (lighting control for an individual room), a larger screen is unnecessary
I did the same thing with a fire tablet.
Man, you talk crazy fast ⚡⚡👍
I have 3 I received 2 days ago, and the back and back plate is not the same; I have a removable cover over the connections, 2 Filled, 3 Empty :(
It's maybe 1 or 2mm wider than the US electric box. :(
Interesting, there are definitely different versions of this however as long as you bought an Android one it should still be moddable. As for the pattress box - these really are designed for the 86mm boxes used in the UK/Europe and a few other countries and not really for US style boxes.
So its a copy of NSPanel Pro ?
Not quite, the NSPanel Pro and this are made by the same OEM so neither is a copy of the other, more like siblings.
Wait, what are you using in that light switch ? You casually mention it's a sonoff something that lets you control a smart bulb using a physical button, is that a Zigbee switch that supports decoupled mode and binding ? I've been looking for a holy grail like that forever, only two I know of are ubysis which requires a neutral wire, and Inovelli Blue which can't be used in Europe.
As for the panel device itself it looks neat, but like all of these it requires a neutral wire which is definitely not standard in most country's switch boxes unfortunately. Wish it was
It's a Sonoff Mini running Tasmota and connected over WiFi to send the switch input states over MQTT. I've also since come across the Shelley i3 which looks like a good alternative. Unfortunately all of these devices will require a neutral. At least in the UK it's becoming common to loop the permanent feed via the switches to give a neutral at the switch which I have here. Without this there are a couple of options but you'd probably want to consult an electrician to ensure what you're doing is safe and compliant with your country's regulations. You could of course run a neutral down to the switch, potentially by replacing the 2 core cable from the light fitting/junction box with a 3 core and use the third core as a neutral. Alternatively you could adjust the wiring at the light fitting/junction box to wire the light so that it is permanently powered (assuming you'd be using smart bulbs) and then use the cable down to the switch to carry a permanent live and neutral rather than the permanent live and switched live it was carrying before (of course sleeving the wires appropriately to indicate what they're being used for).
10:00 Zordon? Is that you? #powerrangers
The guide worked well for me up until the point of installing Xposed and rebooting. I left it booting up again for hours but it wouldn't go past the boot screen. Anyone come across this and have any ideas on how to fix? I have a second (untouched) device I could borrow from if necessary.
To answer my own question, there's a separate post on the Blackadder site about emergency recovery. Restart (unplug) the device 6 times in succession, each time waiting for the animation to appear.
Bit of a long shot but does this thing have any water resistance? I’m looking for a Bluetooth audio source for my bathroom.
Unfortunately not
8:30 Dude, where's the slow tease?
Thank god for captions
Thanks for the in-depth video. Would you consider trying out the S8E 6 inch version?
Eventually yeah, just need to wait until I have the budget and time to look at it but it's definitely something I'd like to check out.
There was a time when people were afraid of having their homes bugged, now everybody buys a bug and put in in their home.
Not the case here, all of my smart home devices run on an isolated network with only the bare minimum access permitted through the firewall. The whole point of me using this sort of device is to eliminate the need for a voice assistant.
Great video mate! Really appreciate it.
Before I detach any flex cable I'd probably dremel away the case to reach the USB port
I considered this however due to the height they are positioned at on the wall, you'd be able to see the dremeled out case when laying down in the room
Is this a satellite console off your main HA server, or an HA server in isolation of your other HA kit in other rooms?
It all runs from a single HA instance running on my server, however the dashboard that this displays is custom built for this device.
congratulations, but can I also see the Shelly devices above?
Not quite sure what you mean? I don't currently have any Shelly devices
which android version?
Far to expensive for what is essentially a low-end Android phone.
Ultimately it just comes down to this being a more niche device - A low end phone is a commodity product with a lot of competition which will drive down the price. On the other hand, this is a relatively unique product that'll be made in much smaller quantities which increases the cost.
Can it be routed to removethe addsand creepy listening!
Mine came pre-rooted and the ads that I mentioned were only part of the particular app I'd installed to get a navigation bar, the device itself doesn't have any sort of ads. Not sure where you are getting any idea about this performing any "creepy listening" but I run these devices blocked from accessing the internet as a matter of course.
Brilliant! Great presentation, too.
Do you have any of your Node-Red used here flows posted or available for download?
Unfortunately not, they're very bespoke for my setup and to be honest are a bit of an undocumented mess so they aren't really something worthy of distribution without me having to write a lot of additional documentation to explain them.
This is brilliant! Been looking for a screen like this and you just found it for me. Cheers!
I would never go for an Android device if I can have a proper Linux one...
Unfortunately the Linux version of this is apparently very locked down so it wouldn't be simple to modify it like this. Then even if you could somehow flash different firmware, you'd likely have a nightmare supporting all of the hardware and touch screen. This is where Android makes life easier - ADB is enabled and provides an easy interface to get into the device, and handling the touch screen and other devices is already handled for you out of the box.
Why you choose browser + kiosk mode and not the home assistant app?
Mainly because I use the "kiosk-mode" Home Assistant addon to hide the menus and tabs within home assistant itself, this requires me to add "?kiosk" to the end of the URL so needs to be done in a browser. With the Home Assistant app, the UI on the panel would allow access to all other aspects of Home Assistant whereas I wanted this locked down to a single dashboard dedicated to the room that the device is in. Then additionally, Fully Kiosk Browser provides an interface to let me enable/disable the screen and then receive state updates when the screen is woken by Automagic which is super useful for my screen on/off behaviour.
Would be ok for bedrooms, it's pretty pricey though. I settled on a Dell touchscreen/PI for my main control center, but was fortunate to find the screen used for a good deal.
I'd probably want to build a fresh android install instead of trying to hack the stock rom up, who knows what's going on in the background, it's now on your internal network.
It's pricey but it's a relatively niche device and realistically I couldn't find any comparable options for a similar price. My idea is to have a screen like this in any room that contains some sort of smart lighting so something small and unobtrusive is important. As for the security, flashing a custom ROM really comes down to if the bootloader is unlocked which I have been unable to validate, personally I work on a principle of not trusting any sort of IoT/embedded device whether it is from a "known" manufacturer or not. Therefore these devices alongside most of my other IoT devices all run on an isolated network that can only access the minimum required services, therefore I'm not too worried about the security side of things.
Seems to be extremely expensive for what you are getting.
It's not super cheap, but I can't find any other comparable option for anywhere close to this price. Ultimately, it's a relatively niche device and as a result will command a higher price than a more commodity type device such as a low end smartphone.
What brand are the key switch and momentary one please?
They're both MK, then the grid frame and plate is from the MK dimensions range
Any experience whether the Ethernet port on the larger models supports PoE? And if there’s a way to use the large dial they come with? If yes, that device is exactly what I’m after!
These are both questions I'm not sure about, I don't think they have PoE support but as for the dial I'd really need to get one in person to look at. That said, someone else commenting here had a very good idea I'd be keen to try out - you can get MicroUSB ethernet controllers that also take in PoE to power the connected MicroUSB device, they seem to be designed for Raspberry Pi Zeros. With an appropriately small right angle adapter, it may be possible to use one of these with the USB OTG port inside the device and essentially get rid of the entire mains power supply part.