Recently we reviewed the Cheapest Wi-Fi Smart Switch you can buy for your Smart Home. It was a 16A tiny smart switch module, easily installed and integrated in HA. Today we are looking at the Cheapest ZigBee Smart – the eWeLink Smart Switch Module AC85-265V 10A model SWITCH-ZR02. We are going to pry it open, test it’s relay and integrate it in Home Assistant.
UPDATE 15.03.2023: The eWelink Zigbee Smart Switch is no longer floating the western market and can only be bought on AliExpress. The cheapest smart switch currently is the Tuya 16A Mini Switch. You can still buy the eWelink switch here: AliExpress 1, AliExpress 2, AliExpress 3 (Wi-Fi)
Technical Specification
- Input: AC 85-265V 50/60Hz
- Output: AC 85-265V 50/60Hz
- Max. Current: 10A
- Connectivity: ZigBee 802.15.4 2.4GHz
- Material: ABS V0
- Size: 68X40X22mm
- Operating Temperature: 0°C – 55°C
- Switch Type: One-Way Switch
- Ceritification: CE/ROHS/FCC
What’s Inside?
The eWeLink ZigBee Smart Switch is reasonable small, with a kind of elliptical body. Two screw holes are available on the sides for easy mounting and a reset button in the middle.
It’s easily disassembled with a small screwdriver by prying the plates apart. The main shell is made out of PVC plastic, which is nothing special but fits the purpose here.
We can see the relay is model WL73-S-105DM made by company Weiqi. This is a Chinese question mark of a company, almost no information is available online except for sales listing. However, this does not mean it is a bad relay.
What surprised me most, is that this cheap smart switch carrier a CC2652 P1F ZigBee Module. This is a well known chip in the industry developed by Texas Instruments in the United States. When I further researched the matter, it turned out eWeLink is basing all of their future devices on Texas Instrument chips! Which is great news! For once, no Tuya chip in sight!
What I noticed on the backside, is that the soldering is done by a CNC machine. The solders were perfectly laid out, no extra solder was sticking out and they were smooth. Previous cheap Chinese hardware I reviewed sometimes had the solders done manually by workers in their giant factories.
Installation and Wiring
This eWeLink Smart Switch module can be installed on any cable and operate as a main breaker switch. For example, lights, desk lamps, stool lamps, small appliances, chargers or any gadget within the 10A limit.
The wiring is pretty straight forward. You connect the N and L wires to the input terminals, and another set of wires to the output terminals going to your light/appliance.
Because this is a one-way switch, it can be wired only as a breaker switch. Meaning, it cannot work simultaneously with your existing wall switch. You can wire a wall switch to it of course, but whenever you toggle it the smart switch will turn off and go offline.
Integration Compatibility
As of the writing of this article, this switch is officially supported only in ZigBee2MQTT. Considering it’s a fairly simple device and uses a Texas Instruments chip, we expect to see it integrated in ZHA as well soon.
ZigBee2MQT
To pair this switch to ZigBee2MQTT, simply hold the button for 5 seconds until the led starts blinking. Press permit join and it will appear in the Z2M dashboard. Once paired, it exposes the following entities:
- Switch Entity: Toggle On/Off
- Link Quality: LQI Signal Quality
Verdict
When toggling the switch, a clear clicking sound can be heard coming from the relay. Even though it is not as distinct and loud as previous relays we tested (such as Fanhar in the Moes ZigBee 2 Gang Switch), this is after all a 10A rated smart switch. So the sound is a little faint compared to 16A relays.
My desktop speakers have this persistent LED that stays on even when the speakers are off. It bothered me greatly, so I installed this switch as a breaker for my dumb desktop speakers and used it with an automation for around a month. It was toggled ON when the PC was turned on and toggled OFF when the PC was set to sleep. This is a minimum of 4 toggles per day for my use case. No issues occurred and it worked every time.
The Texas Instrument ZigBee module CC2652 is well known, and Sonoff have decided to use it in their new product line up (such as the ZBMINI-L Smart Switch). This smart switch also acts as a router, so placing it strategically can be beneficial to your ZigBee Mesh Network. If you want to try it yourself, please consider using our affiliate links bellow.
UPDATE 15.03.2023: The eWelink Zigbee Smart Switch is no longer floating the western market and can only be bought on AliExpress. The cheapest smart switch currently is the Tuya 16A Mini Switch. You can still buy the eWelink switch here: [AliExpress 1, AliExpress 2, AliExpress 3 (Wi-Fi)]
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nice
Hello, the switch smart it is not pairing properly, not working good, I tried to pairing many times and not working
Hello,
The switch is working properly in our case and is officially supported in ZigBee2MQTT. If you are having trouble pairing the switch, please “Force remove” it from your ZigBee mesh. While pairing, hold the button even after it shows up in Z2M. This will ensure successful pairing