Hello everyone,
I wanted to share a successful experience I had recently with integrating an ESP32 module with ESPHome. It all started when I came across some 16-channel relay cards with ESP32 modules on a Chinese e-commerce platform. At first, I was hesitant because I had heard mixed reviews about ESP32 compatibility, but I decided to give it a try.
Previously, I had been using Tasmota on these devices, which worked decently but had some quirks, especially with two of the relays occasionally misbehaving during power-on. This was problematic for my garden irrigation project, which relies heavily on precise control of multiple water circuits via OpenSprinkler.
I stumbled upon Simon42’s garden irrigation setup, which inspired me to explore ESPHome as an alternative. I decided to give it a shot and configured the ESP32 with ESPHome, expanding the configuration to support all 16 relays. The setup was straightforward, and to my delight, everything worked perfectly from the get-go! No more relay misbehavior during power-on, and the integration with my irrigation system was seamless.
The ESP32 module is mounted upside down on the relay board, which is a neat setup that keeps everything compact. The board itself is simple, featuring just the ESP32, a voltage regulator, and 16 SMD transistors for relay control. Flashing the ESP32 was a breeze using a 6-pin header, which is clearly marked on the board.
This experience has been incredibly rewarding. It not only solved my irrigation project’s issues but also gave me confidence in ESPHome as a reliable and flexible platform for home automation. I’m now looking forward to exploring more projects with ESP32 and ESPHome.
If anyone has questions or needs guidance on similar setups, feel free to reach out! I’m happy to share my configuration files or provide tips based on my experience.
Happy tinkering everyone!
Best regards,
[Your Name]