Posted on 13 Comments

New product: Sonoff Programming Adapter

If you want to load new software onto a Sonoff, you can use jumper wires to link a USB-to-Serial adapter to the programming header of the Sonoff. However, it’s easy to make a mistake, and loose jumper wires can be really annoying.

This cool little programming adapter simply plugs into a common FTDI-type header, and then plugs into your Sonoff.

No more jumper wires. No more looking up the pinout every time you have to connect them!

This little adapter is going to be featured in the next episode of SuperHouse, which will show how to put any Sonoff model (even new ones that haven’t been released yet) into programming mode.

Check it out in the online store.

13 thoughts on “New product: Sonoff Programming Adapter

  1. Wow, this will be great !!

  2. Could you look into making an adapter to flash the Tuya modules, as well?

    Sonoff has done an amazing job of challenging the DIY enthusiast, but I believe that Shelly will supplant them – especially when Shelly modules get their UL listing next month or the month after.

    What is going to change the market for everyone else (not DIY enthusiasts) is the huge influx of devices based on the Tuya modules. Tuya has an ecosystem of over 3,000 manufacturers making devices and components for devices, all based on those three modules. They’re standardized and all based on the ESP8266, many of them are already UL and CE certified. When you can get two smart plugs for the cost of one TP-Link or Wemo, that’s going to shake things up.

    1. This is the first time I’ve heard of Tuya. I’ll have a look at what they make.

      1. Both the “Mirabella Genio WiFi Power Plug” from Kmart and the “Brilliant Smart Wifi Plug and USB Charger” from Bunnings (which look almost identical) are examples of Tuya based power devices.

        i’ve purchased one of each with the plan to reflash both with tasmota for use with home assistant (once the programming adapter comes back in stock :-))

        i’m not sure at this stage if they have the same pinouts for flashing.

        1. just a quick update – i successfully installed tasmota “over the air” for both the Kmart and Bunnings Smart WiFi plugs using tuya-convert.

          https://github.com/ct-Open-Source/tuya-convert

          i was more than happy to crack these open and flash them, however i took a chance on tuya-convert and it worked out well 🙂

          1. Cool 🙂 I bought a Tuya smart plug just before I left for New York, so it’s waiting on my bench to do a video about it when I get back.

  3. First comment didn’t post.

    My question was if you can make an adapter for the Tuya modules?

    While SOnoff did a lot to challenge the DIY enthusiast, the Tuya modules are changing the consumer marketplace. UL and CE certified plugs and other devices are rapidly moving into the market (anything that uses the Smart Life app) – these devices are half the cost of existing brands, or less, and are all based on one of three ESP8266 modules made by Tuya.

  4. I’d love it if you could make an adapter for the Tuya modules as well! I bought a few of these and I’d like to be able to use them with more than just their smartphone app.

    1. check out tuya-convert

      https://github.com/ct-Open-Source/tuya-convert

      i was able to take a few different vendor tuya based modules and flashed them over the air. worked a treat 🙂

  5. Well, I fell for that one!

    I thought the Sonoff programming adapter would be a great product and just the answer for a struggling home automation newbie – particularly just after I read the article on reprogramming the Sonoff with Tasmota using esptool.

    I had researched the USB-serial adapters and seen the CP2102 versions, the CH340G versions and the newer FT232RL version – all had one thing in common – they had a usb connector on one end and 6 male pins on the other.

    I had purchased a CH340G version and was struggling to make it work, when I spied the perfect solution – the Sonoff programming adapter.

    Little did I guess that the Sonoff programming adapter would also have 6 male pins, making it only suitable for use with the singular Freetronics USB-serial adapter. A freak in itself with a female connector on the serial end!

    A couple of words on the product description could have said “Suitable for Freetronics products only” and it would have saved a lot of angst.

    I know we are not talking lots of $$$ here, but it does make me think what I would get if I went in boots and all and purchased other products.

    BTW, I did get my order despite it being sent to the wrong address!

    1. That’s interesting: I’ve hardly ever seen a USB-to-serial adapter with pin headers on the output side. I know they’re around, but the convention that was started by the FTDI cable (which all these adapters are based on) is to have female headers on the end of the cable. If you do an image search for “FTDI cable” you’ll see that every single one of them has either a female header, or flying leads to attach your own header. All of the USB-to-Serial converters from Sparkfun and Adafruit (including those with CPx and CHx chips) have female output headers. I don’t know why there are companies making adapters with pins on the outputs, because that’s not how it’s traditionally been done.

      Also, the product page has a picture of the board with the headers, so it should be clear what you’re getting.

      Since this comment was anonymous I can’t look up your order details, but if you email me at jon@superhouse.tv I’ll give you a full refund.

      1. Jon bent over backwards to help rectify my issues and in doing so created some new product options!

        Thanks for your dedication, help and the effort you put into superhouse.tv

        1. Thanks for letting me know about the problem of USB adapter modules with pin headers on the output.

          I’ve just assembled a batch of Sonoff programming adapters with sockets on the input side, and changed the product page so that it now includes an option to select which type you want. This is the first time I’ve done selectable product attributes in WooCommerce so I have no idea if this’ll work.

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