Aqara Door and Home windows Sensor P2 Overview – Matter over Thread Sensor with HomeKit

The P2 Door and Window Sensor, retailing at $29.99 / £29.99 / €32.99, was launched at the beginning of July and is the primary sensor from Aqara to have native matter help that may be built-in immediately into third-party Matter-enabled good houses with no need an Aqara hub for its operation.

Nonetheless, by pairing the sensor with Aqara’s soon-to-be-released Hub M3, further options, akin to a programmable button, might be activated.

Aqara Door and Window Sensor P2 Options:

• Simplified Matter Assist: With the arrival of the Matter period, customers can now put apart issues about differing platforms and technical protocols. All that is required is a single Matter app and a Matter-compatible Thread Border Router, making cross-platform and cross-ecosystem connections a lot simpler to handle.
• Actual-Time Exercise Alerts: Really feel safe with instantaneous notifications in your smartphone every time the sensor identifies exercise. Whether or not you are dwelling or away, you will not miss any potential safety points, retaining the whole lot effectively monitored.
• Native House Automation: The Door and Window Sensor P2 might be amalgamated into your good dwelling setup, enabling advanced automations like altering thermostat settings or turning on safety cameras when a door or window is opened. Importantly, these automations function domestically, sans cloud, defending consumer privateness and remaining practical even within the absence of an web connection.
• Voice Assistant for Effectivity: The Aqara Door and Window Sensor P2 is appropriate with Apple Siri and Alexa. These voice assistants present alerts for occurrences like door entries and might relay the standing of a door, guaranteeing you are all the time up to date. This facilitates easy each day activity administration and optimises your time.
• Easy Set up & Low Upkeep: The P2’s compact and adhesive design makes it straightforward to include into varied dwelling settings. You possibly can set up it in a number of locations and conditions. With the strong CR123A battery, frequent substitute or upkeep issues are eradicated.
• Enhanced Options in Aqara House app: With the upcoming launch of the Hub M3, the Aqara House app will provide an prolonged vary of customisable settings. Customers can modify the sensor’s sensitivity inside a 1-3 cm vary and modify the sleep time based mostly on particular situations, along with utilizing the programmable button for activating totally different good dwelling automations. Moreover, the Tamper Alarm characteristic sends rapid notifications to your smartphone if the sensor is meddled with.

Specification

• Mannequin: DW-S02E/DW-S02D
• Battery: CR123A
• Wi-fi Protocols: Thread, BLE
• Bluetooth Operation Frequency: 2402-2480 MHz
• Bluetooth Most Output Energy: ≤ 13 dBm
• Thread Operation Frequency: 2405-2480 MHz
• Thread Most Output Energy: ≤ 13 dBm
• Fundamental Unit Dimension: 77 × 22 × 22 mm (3.03 × 0.87 × 0.87 in.)
• Accent Unit Dimension: 36 × 11.5 × 7.3 mm (1.42 × 0.45 × 0.29 in.)
• Working Temperature: -10 °C ~ 50 °C (14 °F ~ 122 °F)
• Working Humidity: 0 ~ 95% RH, no condensation
• What’s within the Field (DW-S02D): Sensor Fundamental Unit × 1, Sensor Accent Unit × 1, Flat Magnet × 1, Sticker × 2, Consumer Guide × 1

Not Zigbee

Simply to verify that is fully clear, this new Aqara P2 sensor does NOT use Zigbee. It makes use of Thread.

This new sensor will join on to any Matter-enabled Thread Border Routers in the marketplace and might be built-in into a number of Matter-enabled ecosystems through the extra Matter controller(s).

Can you utilize the Aqara door sensor with an Aqara Hub

That is the bit that caught me off guard. At the moment, the Aqara P2 sensor is not supported on an Aqara hub as a result of Aqara do not have its personal Thread Border Router. 

The upcoming Hub M3 would be the first of their hubs to have this performance, and this is because of launch in 2024.

Thread Border Routers

Google helps Thread on a number of units. Thread border routers are already constructed into Nest WiFi Professional, the second-gen Nest Hub, and Nest Hub Max.

The Smartthings v3 hub, Apple TV 4K, Echo (fourth gen) good speaker, Eero Professional entry level, and the Nanoleaf Traces, Shapes, and Components are just a few examples of current Thread border routers.

For those who use House Assistant as the principle controller in your good dwelling, they’ve the SkyConnect USB dongle, which is an reasonably priced method so as to add each Zigbee/Thread to your House Assistant.

Apple HomeKit

I realise that many Aqara customers use Apple HomeKit, and this works effectively with Matter and the  HomePod/Apple TV 4K are each Thread Border Routers. My companion has an iPad, so I hope to purchase both a HomePod or Apple TV 4K within the close to future in order that I check HomeKit correctly.

Set Up with Google Nest WiFi Professional & House Assistant SkyConnect

I used to be a bit gradual to put in writing this evaluate as once I obtained the pattern, I solely had the Google Nest WiFi Professional, which helps Matter.

I later used this as an excuse to purchase the SkyConnect, and I’m slowly switching my good dwelling to make use of House Assistant  as a lot as attainable, with me utilizing House Assistant OS operating on an RPI4.

I had issues with setting the P2 senor up with each programs. In principle, it ought to be tremendous easy.

• You maintain down the button on the sensor to place it into pairing mode
• You telephone ought to mechanically present the pairing dialogue, or you may go into the related app and add a brand new machine
• Sort within the Matter code (that’s printed alongside the sting of the sensor) or scan the QR code that is on the free insert within the field (which I misplaced as a result of I lose the whole lot on account of ADHD)
• Then it ought to pair

This did not go fairly to plan. For some cause, I put in the sensor on my entrance door earlier than pairing it. Each the Google Nest WiFi Professional and House Assistant SkyConnect have been in my workplace upstairs.

House Assistant would refuse to search out it more often than not, I even purchased an extended USB extension cable to cut back interference.

Google Nest WiFi Professional would discover it however then fail to set it up.

I then relocated each the Nest and RPI operating House Assistant into my TV room downstairs which is the room subsequent to the place the entrance door is.

I had extra luck right here, however each the Nest and House Assistant would fail on both the checking community connectivity half or producing matter credentials.

Then, as a final resort, I eliminated the sensor and introduced it into the identical room as the 2 units. I set it up on my sofa about 3 meters from the units with line of sight.

The Google Nest WiFi Professional labored immediately. However once I tried to set it up with House Assistant, I might get to the purpose the place it might say it was including the matter machine, and it could take a minute or two, however then it might fail.

Lastly, I retried it once more however positioned the P2 sensor proper subsequent to the SkyConnect, and it will definitely efficiently added it.

As soon as it was paired, I used to be capable of mount it again on the entrance door, and it simply labored. There have been no points with the sign. So, I’m not certain why it was so awkward with pairing.

Google Nest WiFi Professional

With the sensor added to Google House, you may view the state of the sensor, both open or closed.

Sadly, on the time of writing, Google does not appear to help the sensor in routines, so you may’t actually do a lot with it.

Personally, I’m not eager on Google House for managing my good dwelling for something aside from voice management, so this wasn’t a lot of a problem for me.

House Assistant

The sensor is way more helpful in House Assistant. I view the standing, battery and look at the log ebook for occasions when the door has been opened/closed.

I then have the choice to arrange automations, scenes or scripts.

I haven’t got a lot use for a door sensor, however one automation that turns out to be useful is to show my Philips Hue lights on within the hallway when somebody opens the door between sure occasions.

It’s value noting that with House Assistant supporting Matter (in Beta), you may simply combine any units you might have paired to the Aqara Hub M2 utilizing Matter. This was a recreation changer for me, as I used to be struggling to pair Aqara sensors with SkyConnect. I had beforehand moved over to Homey, however with the SkyConnect and the House Assistant Matter help, I ought to be capable of transfer the whole lot into HA with out challenge.

Worth and Different Choices

The Aqara Door and Home windows Sensor P2 is priced at £29.99

The older Zibee-based Door and Home windows Sensor, which requires an Aqara hub, is priced a lot decrease at £17.

Total

I had fairly a number of teething points with the Aqara Door and Home windows Sensor P2. I can not be certain who’s at fault right here. It could possibly be a consumer error, the sensor, or House Assistant and Google Nest WiFi Professional.

Nonetheless, as soon as I acquired it into House Assistant, it labored flawlessly.

With this being the primary Thread machine from Aqara, it’s maybe not stunning that there are some niggles that want understanding. In reality, Matter, usually, has a number of niggles that wants understanding.

I might count on that when Aqara releases their new hub with Thread help, the whole lot will work significantly better.

Ignoring the arrange points, it’s improbable to expertise the potential of Thread and Matter. Having the ability to use totally different manufacturers with no matter ecosystem you need has been a dream of many good dwelling fanatics for years. Total, as soon as this was up and operating, it has been a superb

Final replace on 2023-08-22 / Affiliate hyperlinks / Pictures from Amazon Product Promoting API