Home Assistant Launches Aux-2 Multi-Function Box to Simplify Smart Home Integration

Image: Hands on with Home Assistant’s new ‘smart home multi-tool’ · Source

Nabu Casa introduces the Home Assistant Connect Aux-2, a compact multi-functional device aimed at bridging various smart home technologies like Bluetooth, serial devices, and audio equipment into Home Assistant's platform, enhancing user convenience and connectivity.

Nabu Casa, the commercial arm of the Open Home Foundation responsible for Home Assistant, has launched the Home Assistant Connect Aux-2, a compact and versatile device designed to simplify integrating diverse smart home components into the Home Assistant ecosystem. Priced at $69, this device is roughly the size of a deck of cards and features multiple connectivity options including 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB-A and USB-C ports, a digital/analog audio jack, a Grove port for peripherals such as sensors and LEDs, and twin RS-232 serial ports.

The Aux-2 serves as a Bluetooth bridge to Home Assistant, allowing the incorporation of Bluetooth devices that were previously challenging to integrate. It also accepts USB-attached Nabu Casa Z-Wave or Zigbee antennas, providing extended wireless reach for Home Assistant hubs that may be suboptimally located. The serial ports enable direct control over devices like TVs, AV receivers, and solar inverters, while the audio jack supports streaming audio to legacy amplifiers or powered speakers.

Built on the open ESPHome platform, the Aux-2 leverages existing Home Assistant and ESPHome integrations, ensuring seamless compatibility. Features such as serial integration, Music Assistant for audio streaming, and SendSpin for whole-home audio coordination are actively developed within the Open Home Foundation.

In real-world use, reviewers found the Aux-2 straightforward to set up—initial configuration via USB-C included firmware installation and Wi-Fi setup, followed by integration into the Home Assistant interface. Specifically, enabling Bluetooth proxy functionality was simple and effective, successfully connecting Bluetooth hygrometer sensors even through physical barriers like walls and refrigerators, enhancing home climate monitoring reliability.

The device also revived unused in-wall speakers by facilitating streaming through Music Assistant, capable of handling diverse music services and output types. While some advanced whole-home audio features and connectivity protocols remain experimental or require further setup, the Aux-2 provides a strong foundation for integrating legacy audio systems.

Serial control capabilities, allowing interfacing with a range of older or professional equipment such as solar inverters and televisions, present intriguing possibilities though still require user exploration. The Aux-2 does not uniquely offer features unattainable by DIY ESP32-based boards but distinguishes itself by providing user-friendly hardware designed to encourage adoption of the open-source Home Assistant platform.

Overall, the Home Assistant Connect Aux-2 embodies Nabu Casa’s strategy to reduce barriers to entry for smart home enthusiasts and developers, offering a modular, open, and accessible multi-tool that consolidates various smart home protocols and devices into a unified, manageable system. This product showcases the strengths of open ecosystems, giving users the choice to build their devices or opt for ready-to-use solutions that integrate smoothly with Home Assistant.