Getting Vindstyrka to talk to Home Assistant

Having successfully connected my Ikea Vindriktning air quality sensor to Home Assistant (HA) by adding a D1mini running Tasmota, I turned my attention to the slightly more advanced Vindstyrka unit that was still safely packed in its box on my workbench. Fortunately, I came across some brilliant individuals who had already figured out how to integrate it with an ESP board running ESPHome, allowing it to communicate with HA seamlessly.

The process itself is straightforward and takes only a few minutes to complete. The most challenging part for me was opening the Vindstyrka case, but with a little patience and the right tools, it was manageable.

Let’s get cracking.

Start by removing the four torx screws that hold the two halves of the case together. Gently separate the two halves using a spudger or another suitable tool.

    Once the case is open, carefully unplug the cables that connect to the sensor and set the sensor half aside.

    Release the ribbon cable going to the LCD from the main board. To do this, gently flip up the black “cable lock” strip on the back of the ribbon cable connector and carefully slide the cable out. It’s best to hold the ribbon cable well out of the way. I used some tape between the plastic posts to keep it secured.

    Now, we need to solder wires to the four solder pads (5V, GND, SCA, SCL) that were previously hidden behind the ribbon cable. As I soldered each wire, I passed it through the opening in the board to keep them clear of the ribbon cable path (see image below).

    Image showing cables

    I made sure to note the color coding for each wire and performed a quick continuity test on each of them. Finally, I carefully replaced and locked in the ribbon cable.

    But where to mount the D1mini?

    After considering the limited space available, the risk of making mistakes during the process, and the potential heat generated by the D1mini, I decided to mount the board externally. I found a suitable spot on the top row of vent holes at the rear of the case to pop the wires through. I allowed a few centimeters of wire to provide room for future case openings and secured all four wires with a cable tie, serving as a makeshift strain relief.

    Blurry picture of cables going through back of case

    Reconnect the sensor cables to the board and screw everything back together. Finally, solder the cables to the appropriate pins on the D1mini. In my case, the pin configuration was as follows:

    D1miniVindstyrka
    GGND
    5VVCC
    D1SCL
    D2SDA
    Images showing D1 Mini cable connections


    The next step is to configure ESPHome. By following these steps, you can integrate Vindstyrka air quality sensor with Home Assistant .. woo hoo

    Image showing the device connected to home assistant

    Now where to put that pesky D1 board? I found it fits quite well at the bottom of the unit. I have affixed it with a tiny bit of velcro tape so I can easily modify the setup or add extra sensors in the future. Not exactly a thing of beauty but it works 😉

    D1 mini tucked under case

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