Zigbee2MQTT

SONOFF ZBDongle-E

ModelZBDongle-E
VendorSONOFF
DescriptionSonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus (EFR32MG21) with router firmware
Exposeslight_indicator_level, linkquality
PictureSONOFF ZBDongle-E

Notes

How to create a SONOFF ZBDongle-E Router

You can create a powerful Zigbee router from an ordinary Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus (Model "ZBDongle-E" with EFR32MG21 chip) by flashing a router firmware onto the device. You can find the official guide for flashing the device here: SONOFF Zigbee 3.0 USB dongle plus firmware flashingopen in new window. The guide also contains the link to the official SONOFF Router Firmware for the ZBDongle-Eopen in new window.

Hints

The guide from SONOFF is not very detailed. Here are some additional hints:

  • First, you have to disassemble the device and pull the logic board out of its housing. You need a J00 Phillips screwdriver for this.
  • Second, you need a software supporting the XMODEM file transfer protocolopen in new window for sending the firmware image to the device.
  • Third, you must operate on the naked logic board while it is plugged in. This is a lot easier if you use a USB extension cable.
  • Forth, to enter the Bootloader Mode, you have to
    • Plug the device in
    • Connect to the device with the serial software (for serial connection parameters, see guide)
    • Press and hold the "BOOT" button (upper button in the lower right corner next to the USB plug in the photo below)
    • and then press the "RST." button (lower button in the lower right corner next to the USB plug in the photo below) to restart the device
  • Then follow the steps in the guide to load and install the firmware.

Exposes

Light_indicator_level (numeric)

Brightness of the indicator light. Value can be found in the published state on the light_indicator_level property. It's not possible to read (/get) or write (/set) this value.

Linkquality (numeric)

Link quality (signal strength). Value can be found in the published state on the linkquality property. It's not possible to read (/get) or write (/set) this value. The minimal value is 0 and the maximum value is 255. The unit of this value is lqi.