If everything goes the way those responsible expect, Home Assistant Amber it could be the ultimate device for the connected home. A control center created from a Rasbperry Pi and vitaminized by software capable of controlling and automating the use of a multitude of connected devices without depending on the internet.
The Ultimate IoT Control Center
Nabu Casa is the company behind Home Assistant Amber, a device that makes use of the well-known Home Assistant system and that intends to become the ultimate control center for the connected home.
And it is likely that if it succeeds, which we have no doubt that it will, it will indeed be that: the ideal device for the connected home. Because it not only offers support for a multitude of devices of different brands and compatible with various communication standards and even platforms such as Alexa, Google Assistant or HomeKit. It also has the advantage of being a non-cloud solution.
What does this mean? Well, there are solutions like Alexa that are web-based, so if you have an internet connection you can't use its control options. Even if you are at home, you will not be able to turn off the lights because the request cannot go to the server and return with the response to such a command.
This with Home Assistant does not happen. And, in addition, it also provides extra security for the same reason that it can be configured to only work locally. So we think you can already get an idea why many users are so excited about both the software solution and this new hardware solution.
What Home Assistant Amber offers
As we have already told you, Home Assistant Amber offers hardware based on a Raspberry Pi CM 4 that will run the Home Assistant software to create a very versatile digital home control center. But the thing does not stop there, in addition to being ready for installation in the home, this small box adds a series of extras that make it even more versatile.
The main Home Assistant Amber features are:
- Raspberry Pi CM4 as the device in charge of managing the rest of the hardware and running the Home Assistant system
- M.2 SSD expansion slot
- Gigabit Ethernet connection
- Two USB-A ports
- Module for connecting devices compatible with the Zigbee standard and support for the future Matter standard
This is standard, but later you can add another series of accessories such as USB adapters that would provide connectivity to use Z-Wave compatible devices. This would further expand the number of IoT products that can be used. And be careful, because they are also working to give support for the new Matter standard.
Home Assistant Amber, price and availability
At the moment it is in the financing phase and the manufacturer itself has warned that due to the shortage of chips they cannot guarantee all the units they would like. Still, if all goes well and the issue of chips and other components is resolved, then production could increase. Likewise, until the middle of 2022 they will not be sent the first units.
about the price, 149 €Those who support the project will be able to get one. When it arrives in stores it is possible that the cost will increase slightly, but that is something that will be seen. Even so, it would not be a bad price about 200 euros considering the hardware.
Finally, although this device and its additional connections are what really interests you, if you want to familiarize yourself with Home Assistant, you can install it on a Raspberry Pi and begin to understand how it works. Because, yes, it has a multitude of options, but it is not as easy to configure as a more commercial product designed for Alexa, HomeKit or Google Home.