Dear Supporters,
We are thrilled to share how the Hornet Nest Alarm Panel has evolved since its original design. Thanks to valuable community feedback, extensive testing, and countless refinements, we’ve built the Hornet Nest into a robust, feature-packed product that’s ready to exceed expectations. Let’s dive into how the panel has progressed and what this means for you.

1. Enhanced I/O Support

• Original: Basic digital I/O contacts and a simple input-sensing circuit.
• Current: Expanded to include 42 optoisolated zones, 11 unused and exposed GPIO pins and a 3-12 V sensing circuit for increased flexibility and compatibility.

Why it matters: These changes allow seamless integration with legacy systems, door triggers, motion sensors, and more.

2. Improved Hardware Integration

• Original: Core functionality relied solely on the wESP32 module with passive cooling.
• Current: A thermal heat sink is now integrated to prevent overheating of the wESP32.

Why it matters: Improved thermal management ensures long-term stability, especially in continuous or high-load deployments.

3. Wiegand Keypad Support

• Original: No compatibility with external keypads.
• Current: Full support for Wiegand keypads, a widely adopted format for access control.

Why it matters: Opens the door to advanced access control applications for security gates, entry points, and authentication systems.

4. Expanded Zone Configuration

• Original: No End-of-Line (EOL) resistor zone configurations.
• Current: Refined to support single EOL resistor configurations with improved reliability.

Why it matters: Simplifies installation and enhances compatibility with traditional security zones.

5. Smoke and CO Detector Integration

• Original: Basic digital input detection for sensors.
• Current: Guidelines for integrating 12 V smoke detectors and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors are now included. Dedicated, resettable 12 V power is provided for these devices.

Why it matters: While not for official fire safety systems, this is ideal for supplementary monitoring and alerting.

6. Streamlined Adoption with ESPHome and Home Assistant

• Original: Manual setup and flashing were required.
• Current: Streamlined setup with step-by-step instructions:
  1. Plug in your PoE-powered Hornet Nest.
  2. Discover and adopt the panel directly in ESPHome.
  3. Integrate seamlessly into Home Assistant.

Why it matters: A smoother setup lowers the barrier for first-time users and accelerates deployment.

Community-Driven Refinements

Your feedback has been pivotal in shaping the Hornet Nest Alarm Panel. We’ve listened, iterated, and refined the product to deliver the flexibility, performance, and ease of use you expect.

What’s Next?

We are incredibly excited to bring this evolved version of the Hornet Nest Alarm Panel to life. With your support, we’re confident it will meet—and exceed—its potential. We encourage you to continue sharing your feedback and ideas!

Visit the Hornet Nest Alarm Panel Campaign Page

Thank you for being part of this journey and helping us build a better solution for the community!

Best regards,
Christopher Greenlee
Technology Automation Consulting LLC