FAQ
Not a smoke alarm. CeilSense Pro is not certified to EN 14604 and does not replace a smoke alarm or fire alarm system. Its optical smoke sensing is experimental and provides no life-safety function. Rely on certified smoke alarms for fire safety. Notifications depend on power, networking, firmware and working automations.
Product
What is CeilSense Pro?
A ceiling sensor for Home Assistant that you mount recessed or on the surface. Its hardware combines mmWave radar, which can see whether someone is there even sitting still, with sensors for light, air pressure, CO2, temperature, humidity, VOC and NOx. It also has an LED ring, a buzzer, a speaker, a microphone and experimental optical smoke sensing. The firmware is not written yet, so everything that depends on it is planned.
Which model suits me: Mini, V2 or Pro?
Choose the Mini for presence and light on PoE or USB-C, for example in a hallway, toilet or corridor. Choose V2 for the complete ceiling sensor with CO2, temperature and humidity and three power options. Choose the Pro if you also want VOC and NOx, optical smoke sensing, a speaker and a microphone. The Mini and the Pro can be surface-mounted, V2 is recessed. See Hardware Versions.
What is the difference with CeilSense V2?
Everything in the V2 base is in the Pro too, and the climate sensors are built in. The Pro adds VOC and NOx, a speaker, a microphone, experimental optical smoke sensing and surface mounting. See Hardware Versions.
What is the difference with the UltimateSensor?
CeilSense Pro is made for the ceiling, recessed or surface-mounted. The UltimateSensor is free-standing.
Radar and Sensors
Which radar should I choose?
LD2412 + LD2450 for reliable presence plus the position of up to 3 people. LD2460 to track up to 5 people with one module. LD6002B for X, Y and height of up to 3 people, but its firmware is not finished yet. Which configuration ships as standard is announced at release. See the comparison.
What is the range from the ceiling?
At a 2.7 m ceiling, count on a ground radius of about 4 m for movement and about 3 m for sitting still with LD2412 or LD2460, and about 3 m all around with LD6002B. Place the sensor centrally in the room.
Why mmWave instead of PIR?
PIR only sees motion. mmWave also sees breathing and small movements, so the sensor keeps seeing you when you sit still.
Does CeilSense Pro have a camera?
No. All radar options are Hi-Link mmWave modules without a camera.
What do the VOC and NOx values mean?
They are indices from 1 to 500, not ppm. Use them as trends for air quality changes from cooking, cleaning products, poor ventilation or outdoor pollution. See Radar and Sensor Modules.
What can I do with the speaker and the microphone?
The speaker is meant for music, MP3 files and spoken announcements through Home Assistant. The microphone is meant for voice control with Home Assistant Assist. Wake word details follow with the firmware. See Speaker and Voice.
Optical Smoke Sensing
Can CeilSense Pro replace my smoke alarms?
No. Certified smoke alarms remain required. In the Netherlands they are mandatory on every floor of every home, and CeilSense Pro does not count toward that obligation in any way. See Optical Smoke Sensing.
Can I rely on the readings?
No. The optical smoke sensing is experimental. Its readings may fail to detect smoke, may trigger falsely and may stop working at any time. The siren is off by default. Use the readings at most for supplementary notifications.
Installation
Will it fit my ceiling?
Recessed, you need a Ø 92 mm cut-out and 28.6 mm above the ceiling plus room for plugs and cables. The maximum ceiling thickness is not published yet, it follows at release. Surface-mounted, it measures Ø 90 mm × 59.15 mm high and needs no large hole. See the Installation Guide.
Can I mount it on a concrete ceiling?
Yes, with surface mounting on a mounting plate. It needs no large hole and only the cable has to pass through. Use a suitable concrete drill bit, wall plugs and screws. See the Installation Guide.
How do I power CeilSense Pro?
With 110 to 240 V mains, PoE (IEEE 802.3af) or USB-C (5 V, at least 1 A). A USB-C supply is not included. Ethernet without PoE works too: use the cable for data and power the sensor from mains or USB-C. Have mains connections made by a qualified installer and switch the circuit off first. CeilSense Pro is for indoor use only.
Do I need technical knowledge?
With USB-C or PoE it is meant to be plug and play: connect it, power it up and add it in Home Assistant. Mains is a job for a qualified installer. You build automations in Home Assistant, and you draw zones without code in the Room Designer. See Home Assistant Integration for which radar supports what.
Can I use it in a bathroom or other wet room?
No. CeilSense Pro is for indoor use only and is not suitable for wet rooms.
Software
Do I need Home Assistant?
With local firmware, yes: ESPHome will bring the entities into Home Assistant and your data stays on your network. Home Assistant is not required for the SmartHomeShop app, which needs an account, internet and matching cloud firmware. Cloud firmware for CeilSense Pro is planned, not published.
Is the firmware available yet?
No. The firmware for the final CeilSense Pro is not written yet. It will be ESPHome, public under CC BY-NC 4.0: you can change it for your own use, commercial use is not allowed. From release you get updates over the air: ESPHome announces new firmware in Home Assistant. See Firmware.
Does CeilSense Pro support Thread?
No. CeilSense Pro uses an ESP32-S3, which has no Thread radio. It connects over WiFi or Ethernet.
More Help
Your question not listed? See Troubleshooting or Warranty and Support.