Wanted to share my recent experience testing two different approaches to integrate DIY hardware with Homey Pro, in case it helps others getting started:
1) ESP32-C3 Mini + WiFi + Homeyduino app
I set up an on/off LED using the Homeyduino app (see thread Homeyduino @ V2.0), which lets you program the ESP32-C3 from Arduino IDE and integrate it directly as a device in Homey. The process was straightforward: flash via USB, and Homey picked it up without any friction, automatically creating the device title and on/off flow cards, ready to use right away.
2) ESP32-C6 (Waveshare DEV-KIT-NX) + native/generic Zigbee, no ESPHome
This is where I was really surprised. Using Arduino IDE with the ESP32 core 3.x, which now has the Zigbee library built in (standard On/Off cluster from the Zigbee Cluster Library), I programmed the C6 as a Zigbee End Device. When pairing, Homey Pro (acting as native Zigbee coordinator) detected it as a generic Zigbee device, no driver or extra app needed — it got recognized on the first try, easier than some branded commercial devices I’d tried before. It also generated its own title and flow cards automatically, just like a commercial device would.
My takeaway: when you stick to standard clusters (not proprietary/manufacturer-specific ones), Homey doesn’t just recognize the device without friction — it builds the whole integration (name, flow cards, capabilities) automatically.
Worth mentioning: I wrote and set up both projects entirely with Claude Code (Anthropic’s AI coding assistant). It wrote the Arduino sketches, configured the Zigbee endpoint/cluster setup for the C6, and walked me through wiring, board settings, and pairing — I described what I wanted, and it produced working, uploadable code each time. What struck me most was the speed: both projects went from zero to working devices paired in Homey in just a handful of iterations, without me needing to read through ESP-IDF documentation or the Zigbee spec myself. It significantly lowered the barrier to entry for this kind of DIY Zigbee project — something that used to require real embedded/protocol expertise.
I’m now considering switching the C6 to Router mode (since it’s always USB-powered) to help strengthen the Zigbee mesh at home.
If anyone’s thinking about trying “pure” ESP32 + Zigbee (no ESPHome/Z2M) with Homey, I’d definitely recommend it — the learning curve was much lower than I expected, especially with AI-assisted coding doing the heavy lifting.
