Dresden-Elektronic Releases New ConBee II Dongle and Phoscon Gateway

Dresden-Elektronic has released a new version of their Zigbee USB dongle with the ConBee II, which provides Linux and Windows PCs a Zigbee gateway, and works with several home automation packages, including Philips Hue, IKEA Tradfri, OSRAM Lightify, and more. They’ve also launched a new Raspberry Pi 3-based Phoscon Gateway home automation hub, along with a new version of the company’s deCONZ GUI and mobile app.

The ConBee II is outfitted with Microchip ATSAMR21E18A Cortex-M0+ microcontroller and offers improved signal strength and range. The dongle measures in at a tiny 61 x 18 x 9mm, has an IP20 protection rating and can handle temperature swings of -20 to 550 C. The USB gateway doesn’t require a connection to cloud services, registration, or internet access, and is compatible with Raspberry Pi, Windows (7/10), Ubuntu, Raspbian, and Docker.

Dresden-Elektronic’s Phoscon Gateway is equipped with a Raspberry Pi 3 with integrated Zigbee, housed in a proper enclosure with cutouts for the four USB 2.0 ports, HDMI port, Ethernet, and micro SD card slot. The Phoscon Gateway features 2.4 GHz Zigbee IEEE 802.15.4, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, and the ability to control up to 200 Zigbee nodes.

Like the ConBee II, the Phoscon Gateway also utilizes Dresden-Elektronic’s deCONZ GUI and mobile app, which runs on Android and iOS mobile devices, as well as your choice of browser. The software supports home automation control of smart lighting, sensors, and switches from those manufacturers listed earlier or through your own projects. Both the Phoscon Gateway and ConBee II are available now for $170 and $38, respectively.