The connected sockets, that's not what is missing. In Wi-Fi, the choice is immense, but it is a little less true in ZigBee. This is why today we are presenting to you a model from the now famous Chinese brand Xiaomi based on this very popular home automation protocol. If it is obviously intended for the brand's gateways, we will see that it can just as easily be integrated into a Home Assistant home automation box or Jeedom, but also be used directly with the speakers Amazon Echo equipped with a “connected home” hub. Sold at the price of 22.99 € at Domadoo, this Xiaomi Petite connected plug has everything a big one!
Xiaomi Mi Smart Plug - ZNCZ04LM
Xiaomi Mi Smart Plug: a plug that imposes it
Unboxing
La Xiaomi Mi Smart Plug comes in simple packaging, made of thin, glossy white cardboard with a discreet 'Mi' logo above a photo of the connected socket. On the back, we find the main characteristics, on the sides the various functions such as protection against overloads and overheating.
Let's open the box. The Xiaomi connected plug is inserted in a perforated cardboard box for its retention. It imposes with its: 6 cm x 6 cm x 5.85 cm excluding pins, but remains quite light with 96 grams. It is therefore more compact than the socket Osram Smart+.
All white, made of smooth plastic, only an operating indicator LED breaks its uniformity. A user manual and a warranty certificate accompany it, in 6 languages but not in french, the accompanying diagram nevertheless amply doing the trick since it clearly tells you how to reset the plug. It will suffice to press the Power button for 5 seconds so that the LED lights up red and then starts flashing blue.
La Xiaomi Mi Smart Plug is indeed a socket with grounding thanks to the two tabs called Schutz-Kontakt on the outer edges. Of type E / F therefore, it is fully compatible with the wall outlets of our French homes. On the top, we find the Power button which does not have an integrated LED. On the back, we find information concerning amperage and CE certification, but also earthing.
Having no more to detail, let's see the technical sheet:
Information
- Brand: Xiaomi
- Model: ZNCZ04LM
- Dimensions: 6cm X 6cm X 5.85cm
- Protocol: ZigBee
- Amperage: 10A
- Permissible power: max 2300W
- Voltage: 220- 240V - 50 / 0Hz
- Operating temperature : 0 ° to 35 °
- Operating humidity: 0-95% non-condensing
- Maximum transmit power: 10.5 dB
- Frequency used: 2405 MHz - 2480 MHz
Installation and use of the Xiaomi Mi Smart Plug
Installation with Xiaomi Home
As this is a Xiaomi product, the Mi Smart Plug is obviously intended for the Xiaomi Home environment. We will not tell you how to install the Xiaomi Home app, formerly Mi Home, but rather show you how easy it is to add this smart plug to it.
It's very fast, you just need to press the small "+" at the top right, select " light switch " and "Mi Smart More (ZigBee) » which corresponds to our ZigBee model. And now begins the search for the device. Then you will obviously find your device on the home page of the application.
Use with a home automation box
For ZigBee, you can also use the plug Xiaomi Mi Smart Plug with gateways such as the Phoscon ConBee II or the Phoscon RaspBee II that we will present to you shortly, and use the Deconz, Zigate plugins or a ZigBee2Mqtt server on Home Assistant. If you are looking for simplicity, you can also opt for the HomeKit integration which makes it very easy to integrate the Xiaomi home automation in Home Assistant.
Installation with Amazon Echo
Yes, you don't have a Xiaomi gateway, but a device Amazon Echo which is equipped with it (Echo 4, Echo Plus, Echo Show 2, Echo Show 10 and Echo Studio), you can very well use the Xiaomi Mi plug Smart Plug. The installation is that much easier.
Connect the plug, the LED will flash blue (it is very pale, it is true). If it's not the case, press the Power button for 5 seconds to switch it to pairing mode and kindly ask your voice assistant to detect the new device: « Alexa, detects my new devices ». After a few seconds, you will see the Mi Smart Plug to the screen.
Paired directly to our Echo Show 10, it appears as the third take in the device list. Obviously, it is possible to change the name either from the screen or in the application by clicking on the toothed wheel. It is possible to turn the socket on or off using either the “connected home” section on Echo Show, or from the application as with a remote control, but what will be interesting for an Alexian is obviously to be able to use it. command vocally according to our needs.
To do this, just say:
- « Alexa turn on [outlet name] "
- « Alexa turn off [outlet name] "
Routine creation is possible to further automate management.
Sadly, direct installation on Amazon Echo does not allow you to benefit from monitoring electricity consumption. It's a bit of a shame, but we must admit that this kind of device is not very precise and that the functionality remains quite gadget. In the end, what we ask of a connected outlet is to control unconnected objects, and the Xiaomi Mi Smart Plug does it very well!
