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Frequently Asked Questions ​

Product & Features ​

1. What's the difference between UltimateSensor Mini and UltimateSensor? ​

FeatureUltimateSensor MiniUltimateSensor
CO₂, Temp, Humidity✅✅
Light (Lux)✅✅
VOC & NOx✅✅
mmWave Radar✅ LD2450✅ LD2450
PIR Motion❌✅
Voice Assistant✅ Speaker + Mic❌
OLED Display❌✅
Particulate Matter❌✅ Complete only
Ethernet/PoE❌✅
Form FactorCompactLarger

2. What's the difference between Basic and Complete? ​

The Basic version includes all standard sensors. The Complete version is currently in beta with additional features.

3. Is the UltimateSensor Mini suitable for outdoor use? ​

No. The UltimateSensor Mini is rated IP20 and designed for indoor use only. Exposure to rain, moisture, or extreme temperatures will damage the device and void the warranty.

Installation & Setup ​

4. How do I install the UltimateSensor Mini? ​

  1. Connect power via USB-C
  2. Connect to the WiFi hotspot ultimatesensor-mini (password: ultimatesensor-mini)
  3. Select your home WiFi network in the captive portal
  4. Home Assistant will auto-discover the device

👉 See the full Installation Guide

5. What's in the box? ​

  • UltimateSensor Mini device
  • USB-A to USB-C cable (3 meters)
  • European USB power adapter

6. What's the ideal placement? ​

  • Height: 1-2 meters from the floor
  • Location: Away from direct sunlight, heat sources, and air vents
  • Voice: Position where voice commands can be heard clearly

⚠️ Direct sunlight can cause the casing to yellow and affect sensor accuracy.

Connectivity ​

7. How do I connect to WiFi? ​

Multiple options are available:

  1. Captive Portal: Connect to ultimatesensor-mini hotspot, follow on-screen setup
  2. Improv Serial: Via USB using ESPHome Web Tools
  3. Improv BLE: Bluetooth provisioning (disabled after WiFi connects to save memory)

8. Why isn't the WiFi hotspot appearing? ​

  • Wait 1-2 minutes after powering on
  • The hotspot only appears if WiFi isn't configured
  • Try a different device (phone vs laptop)
  • If previously configured, a factory reset may be needed

9. Does the UltimateSensor Mini support Ethernet/PoE? ​

No. The UltimateSensor Mini is WiFi only. If you need Ethernet/PoE, consider the regular UltimateSensor.

10. Does it require internet access? ​

No. The UltimateSensor Mini works 100% locally. All sensor data and voice processing stays on your local network with Home Assistant.

Sensors & Measurements ​

11. What does the UltimateSensor Mini measure? ​

SensorMeasurements
SCD41CO₂ (ppm), Temperature (°C), Humidity (%)
BH1750Light intensity (lux)
SGP41VOC Index, NOx Index
LD2450Presence, position (X/Y), speed, distance for up to 3 targets

12. How accurate is the CO₂ sensor? ​

The SCD41 accuracy:

  • 400-1,000 ppm: ±(50 ppm + 2.5% of reading)
  • 1,001-2,000 ppm: ±(50 ppm + 3% of reading)
  • 2,001-5,000 ppm: ±(40 ppm + 5% of reading)

13. Why do my sensor readings seem inaccurate? ​

  • CO₂: Needs 24+ hours for initial calibration
  • Temperature: Has a built-in offset of 2.3°C, may need further adjustment
  • Humidity: Has a built-in offset of +3%, may need adjustment
  • All sensors: Avoid placement near heat sources or in direct sunlight

👉 See the Calibration Guide

14. How does the mmWave radar work? ​

The LD2450 radar can:

  • Detect up to 3 people simultaneously
  • Track position (X/Y coordinates), distance, speed, and angle
  • Define up to 4 custom zones with individual occupancy detection
  • Detect through thin walls (may require zone adjustments)

Voice Assistant ​

15. How do I set up the voice assistant? ​

  1. Configure a voice assistant in Home Assistant
  2. Enable the Use wake word switch on the device
  3. Configure your preferred wake word in Home Assistant

👉 See the Voice Assistant Guide for detailed steps.

16. What can I do with the voice assistant? ​

  • Control Home Assistant devices with voice commands
  • Ask questions (with appropriate HA configuration)
  • Trigger automations
  • Get announcements via text-to-speech

17. Can I use it as a media player? ​

Yes! The US Mini Media Player entity can:

  • Play audio files (MP3)
  • Text-to-speech announcements
  • Alarm sounds
  • Custom audio notifications

18. Does voice processing happen in the cloud? ​

No. Voice processing happens locally in Home Assistant. The UltimateSensor Mini only handles audio input/output — all processing stays on your network.

19. Why does the LED turn red during voice commands? ​

The front LED turns red when a wake word is detected, indicating the device is listening. It turns off when voice-to-text processing starts.

LEDs ​

20. What do the LEDs indicate? ​

LEDLocationPurpose
Front lightFrontVoice feedback, status, customizable
Back lightBackStatus, customizable
Status LEDInternalWiFi/connection status

21. Can I control the LEDs? ​

Yes! Both Front light and Back light are RGB LEDs controllable via Home Assistant. Use them for:

  • Air quality indicators
  • Notification alerts
  • Ambient lighting

Home Assistant Integration ​

22. How do I integrate with Home Assistant? ​

The UltimateSensor Mini should be auto-discovered by Home Assistant. If not:

  1. Go to Settings → Devices & Services
  2. Click "Add Integration"
  3. Select "ESPHome"
  4. Enter the device's IP address

23. What can I automate? ​

  • Turn on lights when someone enters a room
  • Start ventilation when CO₂ exceeds a threshold
  • Voice announcements for events
  • LED alerts for air quality
  • Zone-based presence detection

👉 See Usage Guide for automation examples

mmWave Zones ​

24. How do I configure detection zones? ​

The UltimateSensor Mini supports 4 configurable zones. Each zone has:

  • Begin/End X coordinates (-4000 to 4000 mm)
  • Begin/End Y coordinates (0 to 6000 mm)
  • Occupancy off delay (0-600 seconds)

Configure zones via the number entities in Home Assistant.

25. Why is the mmWave detecting through walls? ​

mmWave radar can penetrate thin walls. Solutions:

  • Reduce the Max Distance setting
  • Adjust zone boundaries to exclude areas behind walls
  • Reposition the sensor

Power & Hardware ​

26. What power supply do I need? ​

Any USB-C adapter providing at least 1A at 5V. The included European adapter works, or use any compatible USB-C adapter.

27. What chip does it use? ​

The UltimateSensor Mini uses an ESP32-S3 with:

  • 16MB flash
  • PSRAM (octal mode, 80MHz)
  • WiFi + Bluetooth (BLE disabled after WiFi connects)

Firmware & Updates ​

28. How do I update the firmware? ​

  • OTA: Through ESPHome in Home Assistant
  • HTTP Update: Via the built-in update entity
  • USB-C: Download firmware and flash via web flasher

29. Where can I find the source code? ​

All ESPHome YAML configurations are available on GitHub: 👉 github.com/smarthomeshop/ultimatesensor-mini

30. What's the current firmware version? ​

The firmware version is shown in the Software Version entity. Current stable version is 2.15.

Warranty & Support ​

31. What's covered under warranty? ​

The UltimateSensor Mini has a 1-year warranty covering manufacturing defects and hardware failures. Not covered:

  • Discoloration from sunlight
  • Water/moisture damage
  • Physical damage
  • Modified firmware/hardware

👉 See Warranty and Support

32. How do I get support? ​

Note: We do not provide support via email for installation questions.

33. How do I factory reset the device? ​

Use the Factory Reset button in Home Assistant (disabled by default, enable it first). This erases all settings including WiFi credentials.