Every so often I get a bunch of stuff from Meross (no payment or commitment – just stuff to play with) and today in the post, a package via CTT courier arrived. I opened up the package and…
Meross Smart WiFi Switch MSS815
If you’re new to Meross – another fly-by-night cloud company? Nooo, they’ve been around for years.
This one’s interesting… looks like you’re basic WiFi switch – live and neutral in, live and switched output out and that’s it. It’s Matter compatible like all their new stuff – but my question is – is it Home Assistant compatible? I’m guessing this is an ESP32 as it has Bluetooth as well as WiFi. It has to be said you get loads of info including a note to say that despite being Matter-compatible, you still need the Meross APP for updates etc.
Ok, someone braver than me can figure this out – I took the PCB out of the case to let you guys have a look, but the CPU is in a module and the only way to get to it is by desoldering… maybe once the newness novelty wears off…
A quick aside, when wiring up this unit I asked my friendly AI what the spanish colours are for mains wiring in the home. Once it got past insisting I was talking about MEN’s wiring ( I was using VOICE for queries)… the answer came back that brown or sometimes black is used for LIVE while neutral or NOT LIVE is blue. Ok, I’m part-way with this – but how could ANYONE come up with the idea that BLACK would be acceptable for LIVE – usually thought of as the HOT connection – since when is BLACK HOT? Many decades ago the UK used to use red for live – which to me seemed perfectly logical – I can handle brown as that is warm-ish – but black – are these regulations people all colour-blind?
Right – so I’ve hooked up the power and a test lamp – in at the deep end… WELL, this is new – 3 BEEPS in a row. I’ve not come across that before on a simple smart-switch. No light active but at least I know something is working and I’ve not blown it apart. Next, that button on the top of the case. Erm, no – I could hear the relay clicking – but no light…
AH, the S1 connection is NOT a return via the load to neutral – it’s a SWITCH connection – I’ll need to double up on the neutral connector. That’s what I get for jumping in without reading the manual. So, L & N to power, bulb to L1 and N. How much would it have cost (as the connector hole is in the case anyway) to put in a second neutral.
Anyway it works – that S1 is for a real switch – a job also done by that tiny button (short press – the long-press will be for re-pairing). Here we go – I should have looked at the manual.
So we have a switch – now to the important bit – making it a smart-switch. The diagram depicts wiring up showing live and neutral being available – where I live in rural Spain, switch sockets are often like they are as they sometimes are in the UK – i.e. no neutral available – but there you are…
Meross APP on my smartphone – “add a device – MSS815 series – ADD – make sure you are using 2.4Ghz WiFi…” – isn’t it about time we moved on from that limitation? I note there is an ESP chip now that handles both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz WiFi – clearly not being used here.
Oh I have to say the instructions on the Meross APP are GREAT – and with lots of pictures… even tells you about wire colours.. scan the QR code, checking network… beeping… device connected. “Congratulations – we’ve got something special for you… blah blah…” Done. I definitely should have read the docs first but no harm done. One smart in-wall switch working – complete with power monitoring. To clarify here, I have Meross power sockets running my 2 home boilers – no problem – and they do work in Home Assistant.
This device won’t be running any boilers – 10A relay contact and they even warn you about maximum loads (unlike some) – for example 400w maximum load for INC (whatever that is) and 150w max for CFL and LED. I guess with a simple resistive load you could go nearer the relay’s capacity.
Before I forget, you get some useful black-on-white sticky labels in the box – useful.
With the Meross APP you can set up schedules etc as you can with all of their controllers – but I’m going to go in the deep end again and open my Home Assistant panel. Has it?…. yes it has.. notifications – new devices discovered..
Right – I can just go straight into HA and configure the smart switch – it’s given the switch an awfully long name… Woah, 10 entities found? This could be fun – “energy estimate”, “sensor protocol”, “Smart switchover temp enable”, others…. “consumption”, “current”, “outlet”, “power”, signal strength”, “voltage”. I like it already. Well, I’ve hada 9w bulb running for several minutes now, let’s take a look… naw, coffee time, it’s going to take a while to show anything meaningful. Voltage 245.5v – that sounds about right… meanwhile…. in the time it took me to go get coffee…
That’s enough about that for now – more on other new Meross devices soon…. but first… POWER – interesting, drops a little I guess as the bulb warms up… just a little..
Meross MS600 Smart Presence Sensor
There are quite a few presence sensors about right now, this one has a nice case – and comes complete with USB supply and long lead as well as various fittings.
Good start – anti-pet sensing deflector, cable tie, more… and the back angles open for desk mounting. Straight in at the deep end, I’ve plugged the unit into mains via it’s USB supply and put in a temporary location to test – it’s light is alternating yellow and green.
Time to open the Meross APP again. Look for MS600 – again lots of info and pictures – impossible to go wrong… “Find the matter sticker on the side and scan it… “Connecting device to Meross… Device connected”. Easy. “Thank you for your inceedible support… blahhhh”. Done. No, I don’t want to share with 3rd party service. You get full instructions about mounting.
“The learning process may take 2 minutes… make sure the room is vacant” – difficult as I’m in here writing this…. anyway, I cleared the room quickly – went into another room to watch TV – “Absence – duration of absence: 17 s”. That was good – but I got caught up in having dinner and watching TV – hours later – still “Absence – duration of absence: 17 s” – not good.
Firmware update: Fixed a potential device crash issue… resolved several other known issues”… OK. But…
“Presence 1.1m -1 min 50s” fair enough I was sitting in front of this computer about a metre away from the sensor – but why did the APP continue to say 1 min 50s a minute later? I got up to go check out the TV show – taking the phone with me – as I got up – “Departure 2.2M – Duration of presence: 5m 5s”. Why no change in the APP display as I was sitting still? When I went into the other room, I sat and watched 15 minutes of TV during which the APP showed “Absence 1.1M – Duration of Absence 0.1 s” – when I came back into my office “Presence 1.1M – Duration of Presence 14 s” and so it stayed until I moved.
This morning I went out to town for market and just before we left the market, I looked at my phone and the Meross APP said “Absence – Duration of Absence: 4hrs 11 min”. Seemed reasonable. That was 20 minutes ago – I’m back in my office and the screen still says “Absence – Duration of Absence: 4hrs 11 min”.
5 minutes later I checked – “Presence 1.3M – Duration of Presence: 8min 46s”. So it works, it’s just extremely slow to respond. SO I went into Home Assistant – sure enough – new device found – I added the device and 16 new entities appeared. This time I can’t see what half of them are actually doing…”mth1″, “mth2” etc – no idea.. and the first two of those I do understand – movement and presense both said – “unknown” – the sensor is sitting a metre behind me and working according to the APP.
I contacted Meross and I have to say the next morning (bearing in mind the time difference) they came back with some answers. “When using the MS600, if the user’s status remains unchanged — for example, if you are sitting in front of the computer without any activity — the app will not automatically update the data. In such cases, you will need to manually refresh the app to retrieve the latest data. The app will only update automatically if there is a change in the status of the user.”
Meanwhile I’ve started looking at the Home Assistant entities – and “Presense Distance” certainly seems responsive enough..
Meross Smart Wi-Fi Outdoor Plug MOP320
Another Matter-comaptible product – this time a dual outdoor smartplug. 16A/3680W (that’ll be total), IP44 with cover closed, IPX4 with plug inserted. It LOOKS substancial.
Let’s take a look – that white button on the front which is manual on-off and long-press (5 seconds+) setup (so not child-proof) – when I opened the box, the white cover was off – lying in the box. I pushed it in the hole hard, it will be interesting to see how long it stays there.
“It is recommended that the device is used indoors in a dry location only, excluding the outdoor plug series”. So really, no useful device-specific info there. I was hoping to see if the two plugs are separately controlled or not. It turns out they are.
My Android Meross APP is up to date as is my Samsung S22 Ultra phone, plug is plugged into the wall, that white button is flashing red… my phone has bluetooth turned on – lets see if it installs.. “+” – “Smart Outdoor Plug” – the only plug in that section is the MSS620. So I left the APP “searching for devices nearby”. After a couple of minutes of nothing – I entered MOP320 into the search box – nothing. I hit “Outdoor Smart Plug” and still only MSS620 available. I selected that as it looks similar but with a UK plug.. “We couldn’t find the device”. I contacted Meross who inless than 24 hours pointed me to the MORE option under which I found the MOP320 and several other outdoor devices.
I did the usual ADD device – I had a choice of BASIC unit for MATTER device – I chose the latter as there is a MATTER QRCODE on the bottom of the unit. It took 3 attempts at adding the device to the Meross APP – but in the end it connected and works with 2 separate on-off buttons in the APP.
Magically near the end of the installation I heard my Google Home device verbally announcing 3 new devices. Not sure what the third one is. Off to Home Assistant… no notification of new devices as yet… so off I went and restarted Home Assistant.
I did notice an overheat alert, power monitoring, standby killer and (beta) energy guardian sections in the APP, so more than just a dual smart switch.
Minutes later, when no new device appeared in Home Assistant (I have 9 devices in the Meross integration in there) I rebooted Home Assistant and the Meross APP. Still nothing. Left it to think about it for a while and sure enough..
1 new device, 28 entities, consumption, power, voltage, energy estimates etc for each output. Good.
Just for a check, I plugged in my wife’s hair drier into outlet 2 for a few minutes. Readings included a current2: steady 5A current, voltage2: a fairly steady 233v, power2: 1149w, mconsume 0Wh, energy estimate 2: disabled.