Hey everyone, just wanted to share a little side project I’ve been messing with that turned out surprisingly fun and kinda useful too — building my own sensors and tying them into my Aqara setup using Arduino.
So yeah, I’m more of a tinkerer than a coder, and I’ve got a few Aqara devices running through Home Assistant. But I wanted to try customizing some things a bit more, especially around motion and temp sensing for my garage and basement — spots where I don’t feel like dropping cash on premium sensors.
Took a basic D1 Mini plus a few cheap sensors (PIR, DHT11, even tried one of those water detectors) and used MQTT to talk to Home Assistant. From there, I used Aqara automations to tie them into my scenes. Super janky at first, but after a bit of tweaking — it works really well! Even got a pseudo-door sensor using a reed switch.
Not saying this is the way to go for everyone, but if you’ve got a spare weekend and some gear lying around, it’s a cool way to extend your Aqara network where official sensors aren’t practical.
Anyone else playing around with custom hardware like this? Or tips for making the integration cleaner? Curious how far people have pushed this stuff with Aqara.
@SensorSavant Thank you for sharing your innovative project! It’s fantastic to see how you’re creatively extending your Aqara setup using Arduino and some basic sensors. Your approach to integrating devices through Home Assistant and utilizing MQTT for communication is a brilliant way to customize your smart home environment, especially in areas where premium sensors might not be feasible.
Your project highlights the flexibility and potential of combining Aqara with DIY sensors to achieve specific needs like motion and temperature sensing. Using a D1 Mini and a variety of sensors is a resourceful choice, and it’s great to hear that your pseudo-door sensor with a reed switch is working well after some adjustments.
For anyone looking to dive deeper into integrating custom hardware with Aqara, it could be beneficial to explore Home Assistant’s extensive community forums and documentation. They offer a wealth of information that can help refine automations and integrations.
I’d love to hear from others in the community who are experimenting with similar setups. Sharing tips and experiences can be incredibly valuable, especially for making the integration process even smoother. Keep up the great work, and thank you for inspiring others to get creative with their smart home setups!