Category: gateways

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Choosing the correct firmware bin file for your BBQKees product

When you want to update via USB or you need to load a specific firmware version on your BBQKees Gateway, you have to upload the correct bin file to your Gateway or otherwise you may brick it.

For uploading a new firmware to your Gateway via USB you need to use the EMS-ESP flash tool. See the wiki here for more instructions. In some cases you can manually download the firmware, and upload it via the web interface of the Gateway.

On the EMS-ESP Github repository you can download the firmware bin files. The naming convention since firmware 3.6.5 is structured according to the chip type (chipset) and features, and does not have the name of a Gateway product in it.

It is structured like below:

EMS-ESP-<version>-<chipset>-<flashsize>[+].bin

where <chipset> is ESP32 or ESP32S3 and <flashsize> either 4MB or 16MB. The + indicates that the firmware is built to use any additional RAM (called PSRAM) if available.


See the EMS-ESP download info page here for more information.

If you want to upload a specific firmware version 3.7.2 to lets say a new E32 V2 Gateway, you first need to lookup which ESP32 chip is used. The E32 V2 has a ESP32 chipset with 16MB of Flash and 8MB of PSRAM. The filename of the bin file would then be EMS-ESP-3_7_2-ESP32-16MB+.bin.

Below a handy list about which Gateway model has which features and thus needs which firmware bin file.

So firmware version 3.7.2 for the EMS Gateway E32 V2 is this one:
https://github.com/emsesp/EMS-ESP32/releases/download/v3.7.2/EMS-ESP-3_7_2-ESP32-16MB+.bin

As a second example say you would like to get the 3.7.1 firmware for the S3 Gateway.
That’s the following bin file:
https://github.com/emsesp/EMS-ESP32/releases/download/v3.7.1/EMS-ESP-3_7_2-ESP32S3-16MB+.bin

ModelSide imageESP32 chip typeFlash storagePSRAM storageFirmware name ends with
E32 V2ESP3216MB8MB*-ESP32-16MB+.bin
S3 and S3-LRESP32-S316MB8MB-ESP32S3-16MB+.bin
S32 V2.0ESP3216MBnone*-ESP32-16MB.bin
S32 V1.1ESP324MBnone*-ESP32-4MB.bin
E32 V1.5ESP324MBnone
*-ESP32-4MB.bin
E32 V1.1-V1.4ESP324MBnone*-ESP32-4MB.bin

If you purchased an EMS interface board, you needed to get your own ESP32 development board. Because there are about 100 different ones available, please check carefully which ESP32 processor it has.
Next check the size of the Flash memory, and then if it has PSRAM.

Currently the most popular board is the Lilygo T7 S3. It has an ESP32-S3 chipset, 16MB of Flash and 8MB of PSRAM. For this one you need the bin file: EMS-ESP-3_7_2-ESP32S3-16MB+.bin.
Another popular cheap board is the MH-ET Live D1 Mini (or clone) module which have the ESP32 chipset, 4MB of Flash and no PSRAM. For this board you need the bin file: EMS-ESP-3_7_2-ESP32-4MB.bin

If you load a bin file without the ‘+’ on the end (meaning it is for boards without PSRAM) onto a ESP module that does have PSRAM on board, EMS-ESP will work. However, the PSRAM is not seen and not activated.

If you load a ‘+’ bin file on a board without PSRAM, it may not boot.

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New product packaging for KIT products

It took more effort than expected but finally we have a dedicated product packaging for the E32 V2 / S3 EU KIT products.

It’s a strong cardboard box made from recycled materials. The interior of the box is made from the same plain eco-cardboard material. It fits though the mail slot.

In the coming weeks the old plain packaging will be slowly replaced by this new branded product packaging for the EU KIT versions. Unfortunately the UK plug by design is too big to fit through a mail slot and therefore the UK KIT packaging needs to be bigger. These will continue to be sent in generic cardboard packaging.

BBQKees.com new product packaging

The E32 V2 Gateway sits on the left and the power supply and bag with cables and accessories sit on the right.

E32 V2 KIT product packaging
E32 V2 KIT product packaging

And the same interior piece also fits the S3 Gateway so we have only one interior for both products.

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Adding DS18B20 temperature sensors to your Gateway (without soldering)

This guide will show you how to easily add some DS18B20 temperature sensors to your BBQKees EMS Gateway.
No soldering skills necessary.

You can add DS18B20 sensors to all BBQKees Gateways ever made by using the small 3-wire JST cable that is supplied with each Gateway order.

The easiest to use are waterproof DS18B20 sensors with a cable. These are cheap and convenient to use.
We do not sell these sensors, they are available at many places online.


You can add a number of these sensors in parallel to a Gateway. The specific number varies depending on the length of the cable and the type of DS18B20 sensor used. But in general 10 sensors is usually not a problem.

Make sure the sensors are all of the same DS18B20 sub-type and do not mix parasitic mode with normal mode wiring.

Prerequisites and parts

  • BBQKees EMS Gateway
  • 3-wire JST ZH cable
  • DS18B20 waterproof sensors with cable
  • 3 Wago 221 splicing connector with levers or f.i. a ‘lusterklemme’
  • Wire stripper
Parts for adding DS18B20 sensors

Step 1: Strip the wires on the JST cable

You need to strip the wires on the JST cable by about 10mm. If the wire ends are soldered, it’s better to cut them off at the point of the wire insulation before stripping. This will make stripping the wires easier.

Stripping JST cable
Stripped JST cable

Step 2: Strip the wires on the DS18B20 sensors

Strip them 10mm, or at least the same length as you stripped the JST cable.

Step 3: Tie the wire ends together

Tie the wire ends together. Tie each color separately. So all yellow wires together, all black wires together and all red wires together.
If there are too many cables, you can also do 2 or 3 cables each time.

Tied cables

Step 4: Put each wire color in a separate Wago clamp

This step is where you could make the most errors so be careful here.

You need to insert each cable bundle of it’s own color into a separate Wago clamp.
DO NOT put any other wire color in the same clamp as this will cause shortcuts.

Wire ends in Wago clamps
End result DS18B20 sensors in Wago clamps

Step 5: Insert the JST plug into the EMS Gateway

Insert the JST plug into the JST connector in the Gateway. You need to keep the flat part of the plug at the top. Make sure it is fully inserted. See the image below for the correct orientation.

It’s best to turn off the Gateway before doing this. If the Gateway does not boot afterwards, you made a shortcut in the wiring.

Inserting the JST cable

Step 6: Check the EMS-ESP web interface and rename the sensors

If everything went correct, you will see the sensors appearing in the Sensors tab in the web interface.

Sensors tab EMS-ESP web interface

Each DS18B20 sensor has it’s own unique address identifier. These identifiers are displayed.
You can click on one to rename it.
After you rename a sensor, it is also renamed in MQTT and Home Assistant etc.

Renaming sensors

If you added a bunch of sensors at the same time, it can be hard to distinguish them.
You can heat each sensor separately with f.i. a hair dryer or heat gun and see which one gets hotter.

And that’s it!

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Updated guide on integrating an EMS Gateway into your Home Assistant

I have updated the guide on how to connect an EMS gateway into Home Assistant.
The old guide was a bit outdated, and as most EMS Gateway customers use Home Assistant as their Home automation, up to date guides are necessary.

Logo wordmark Home Assistant

It uses a fresh install of Home Assistant version 2025.2.1 installed as HA OS on a Raspberry Pi as a starting point. So only the initial Home Assistant setup has been done. Creating a HA user and that’s it before we configure anything else.

Steps

In short these are the steps you need to take to get all the EMS entities into Home Assistant in a few minutes:

  • Log into Home Assistant
  • Create a new user in Home Assistant for MQTT
  • Install the MQTT integration in Home Assistant
  • Connect the EMS Gateway to the bus and log into the web interface
  • Configure the MQTT settings in the Gateway
  • BOOM! all entities will show up in Home Assistant within a few minutes.

See the following link to the wiki: https://bbqkees-electronics.nl/wiki/home-automations/home-assistant-configuration.html

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28 October 2024: Firmware 3.7.0 release now available

Update 26 November 2024: Please update directly to the development or release version 3.7.1 because of some important bug fixes.

After 6 months and 47 beta versions EMS-ESP32 firmware 3.7.0 has finally been released. It packs hundreds of improvements, new features and bug fixes.

Updating to 3.7.0 from 3.7.0dev

If you were already on a development version of 3.7.0, you can update the firmware via the update feature of the web interface.

Updating from 3.6.4 or 3.6.5 to 3.7.0

If you are currently on 3.6.4 or 3.6.5, you cannot update via the web interface directly.

Clicking on the bin file will result in an error. This is because after 3.6.5 the firmware bin file naming scheme has changed, so the 3.6.5 firmware is looking for a bin file on the Github repository that does not exist.

In this case go to the releases page of the firmware repository and download the correct bin file.

You can use the table here for getting the right file.

After you have downloaded this file to your computer, you can upload it via the EMS-ESP web interface.

After the reboot of the Gateway, press F5 to clear the browser cache otherwise there may still be some left overs of the old interface in the cache, causing strange UI combinations of both the old and the new user interface.

Possible issue with updating to 3.7.0 with the E32 V2

In some cases after the new firmware upload, the Ethernet interface of the E32 V2 may be disabled. Don’t worry, it’s not dead. In these cases the board profile of the firmware has accidentally defaulted to the S32 Gateway, which has no Ethernet.

To correct this, log in to the ems-esp WiFi network, go to settings and change the board profile to E32 V2. Then save and reboot and Ethernet will become alive again.

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Using the Smart Grid (SG) and Photovoltaic (PV) function of your heat pump with the EMS Gateways

Input 4 options

Almost every Bosch/Buderus/Nefit heat pump with an EMS bus has 4 external inputs. These can be used to block the operation of the pump etc, but also for Smart Grid (SG) and Photo Voltaic (PV) features. You can virtually switch these inputs with all EMS Gateways to have the heat pump operate in a specific way.

Currently it’s a bit of a read and some trial and error but once set it will work automatically.

(There is also similar information in the EMS-ESP documentation.)

Every Bosch heat pump has 4 of these inputs, it depends on the country and your specific system but usually input 3 and/or 4 can be used for SG and PV.

You need to check the system menu or the installation manual of the heat pump to check which features are supported on which input. In the installation manual you can see which action the heat pump can do when one of these inputs is enabled. If you cannot find the information in the installation manual, you need to look up the manual for the controller/display of your unit (Likely the UI800 or HPC410).

The section you need to look up is called “Menu: External connections” and will look something like below.

If you look into the following example of the installation manual of the Compress 6800i, then PV and SG are both on the input 4.

Heat pump External connections menu settings
Heat pump external connection feature table

This menu will list all configurations that are possible to set for each input.
The Smart Grid and PV System menu are the most interesting.

Smart Grid settings Bosch heat pump
PV menu setting Bosch heat pump

In the web interface of the Gateway you can see the input state of each input, and also the configuration of each input. In the example below the options for input 4.

Input 4 state
Input 4 options

If you change the configuration the the menu to the SG and/or PV feature you want to activate, you can see the corresponding input values.

You can send these same values from Home Assistant to the Gateway to enable these features.

However, the heat pump expects the actual input to be enabled. But there is nothing physically attached to the inputs. But there is a workaround. The first bit of the configuration will tell the heat pump if the signal is active high, or active low.
So it should enable the function if the physical state of the input is ‘Normally Open’ and thus enabled when closed, or ‘Normally Closed’, and thus enabled when open. What we need is the second one. As the manual describes: “Open contact is interpreted as ‘ON’“.

If we invert the logic here, and attach and detach the configuration to the input every time we need it, you can turn on or off the PV and SG feature of your heat pump with your EMS Gateway.

You can use the same logic to activate the ‘EVU Sperre’ feature etc.

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Powering the E32 V2 EMS Gateway via passive POE

Sometimes there is no easy way to make a 230V wall outlet or power socket near the boiler or heat pump. The E32 V2 has Ethernet, but is does not support active POE (Power Over Ethernet), which is usually 48V or 24V.

What you can do instead is use a so called ‘passive POE cable kit’ like the Digitus DN-95001 to inject the 12V DC of the BBQKees Electronics power supply to the E32 V2 over the same Ethernet cable as the LAN signal.

Each Ethernet cable has 8 leads, 4 of which are used for data and the other 4 are used for power.

These cable kits will also work for longer distances of Ethernet cable where the 12V voltage may drop a bit, because the E32 V2 will still work with f.i. 9V DC. And the bitrate of the connection is relatively low at just 100Mbit.

Below an image of such a cable kit. The female Ethernet connectors are for connecting to the Ethernet cable from the router location to the Gateway location. And then one side has a Ethernet plug which you plug into your router or switch and a female receptacle for the 5,5mm DC barrel jack plug of the 12V DC power supply.
The other cable in the kit has a male Ethernet plug and a 5,5mm male barrel jack plug for connecting to the Gateway.

Below an example setup. On the left you connect the combiner cable to your router or switch, and you plug in the 12V DC power supply to the connector on that cable.
On the receiving end you connect the incoming Ethernet cable to the splitter cable, and then the Ethernet plug of the splitter cable and the barrel jack plug into the E32 V2.

Please pay attention if your switch or router has 24V or 48V POE enabled on that specific port and you are using this passive cable set at the same time, you may blow up the Gateway. Of course I do not give any warranty if you fry the circuit board. Furthermore this page is just for reference. Always know what you are doing when messing with voltages and cables. The above example may or may not work in your specific situation.

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New version of the EMS screw terminal cable

Since the end of April 2024 I have a new version of the EMS screw terminal cable.

It’s still a 100cm cable with two stranded copper cores of 2×0,5mm2 and the wire ends terminated with a wire ferrule, but now the cable is black and a bit thinner and more flexible than the previous grey cable.

You can find the cable here or you can include it as an option on the Gateway and Interface board product pages.

Below on the left the ‘old’ version of the cable and on the right the new version.

Some more product images:

You use this cable to connect the orange or green screw connector of the Gateway to the EMS screw terminal inside the boiler or heat pump.

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Gateway model E32 V2 now available

It took a bit longer than expected but the first batches of the new Gateway model E32 V2 with WiFi and LAN are now available.

It has all the awesome features of the S3 Gateway with the same EMS-ESP32 firmware but aside from WiFi it has an additional RJ45 Ethernet port for wired networking.
Because the ESP32-S3 chip of the S3 Gateway does not support hardware Ethernet we used a big ESP32 module instead but with a beefy 8MB PSRAM and 16 MB Flash. This solves all the little memory issues of the previous E32 some users might be experiencing with the latest 3.6.x firmware when used with larger EMS systems.

Although the E32 V2 hardware has 8MB of PSRAM, currently the EMS-ESP32 firmware only supports 4MB PSRAM on the ESP32. 4MB is more than enough for now, but if needed this can be increased to 8MB in the future.
Furthermore EMS-ESP32 currently only needs 4MB of Flash storage, so with 16MB of Flash storage in the E32 V2 there is lots of room for more features.

Because the circuit board did not fit anymore into the grey enclosure of the E32 V1.0/V1.5 and the S3 a new enclosure was created. It also has mounting holes on the back. Furthermore it is UL 94 V level fire retardant.

The E32 V2 went through several rounds of prototyping and is of course CE certified and manufactured according to the RoHS directive.
The LAN port provides a very stable interface. POE is not included though, non-isolated 48V is not a good match with the 16V EMS bus.

Currently there may be limited availability of this model, from March onward continuous stock is expected.

You can find it in the webshop HERE.

If you don’t need LAN the cheaper WiFi-only S3 and S3-LR are still a great choice as well.

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New Gateway models S3 and S3-LR available

As time progresses so does the EMS-ESP firmware. We were now at a point were EMS-ESP would benefit from some more RAM memory.

That’s why BBQKees Electronics is introducing the new EMS Gateway S3 models. One with the default on-chip antenna and an identical Gateway model with an external high gain antenna for those area’s with low WiFi reception. These are the replacement for the very popular S32 Gateway.

S3-LR front
S3-LR back

Hardware changes

The S3 models looks and feel identical to the EMS Gateway S32 V2.0 they are replacing but they now come with an ESP32-S3 module with 16MB Flash and a hefty 8MB PSRAM (in addition to the on-chip 512KB RAM), which makes it more suitable for large EMS systems with a heat pump or multiple zones/heating circuits.

The new hardware continues using the existing third-gen BBQKees EMS detecting and sending circuitry design as in the S32 Gateway and the EMS Interface board V3’s, which has proven extremely reliable and robust over the years for all EMS types across all Bosch brands.

Aside from the more powerful chip, this model now also features an external USB-C connector for manual firmware updates (if ever needed). The USB-C connection makes use of the internal USB OTG controller of the ES32-S3 so we don’t need the CH340 chip and driver anymore.

What has remained unchanged are the positions and pinout of the external connectors so the S3 is a direct replacement for S32 setups. Only the LED lightguide was changed a bit.

The power options via the service jack or 12V DC power supply also remained the same.

Firmware

The S3 models will be loaded with firmware EMS-ESP32 v3.6. This is exactly the same firmware with the exact same features as for the S32, just built for the different chip architecture of the S3.
The 3.6 firmware contains a number of new features over 3.5.1, most notably further memory optimizations.

Upgrade discount

If you already own an S32 Gateway it’s probably not really worthwhile to upgrade to the new S3, but if you want too or if you still have an old ESP8266 Gateway like the Premium II you can get a 15% discount on a new S3 Gateway of your choosing. Just use the contact form to contact me with your previous order ID and I’ll give you a discount code.