KinCony-AG8 (ESP32-S3 Smart IR Controller) | devices.esphome.io
The KinCony AG8 is an 8-channel Ethernet relay controller using WIZnet W5500, enabling stable, wired MQTT-based smart home automation with ESPHome integration.
🔍 1. Project Overview – KinCony AG8
The KinCony AG8 is an 8-channel Ethernet relay controller that integrates with ESPHome, allowing seamless integration with Home Assistant. Unlike Wi-Fi-based solutions, it uses wired Ethernet for communication, leveraging the WIZnet W5500 chip to ensure stable and low-latency networking.
🔧 2. Hardware Configuration (Focused on W5500)
| Component | Description |
| MCU | ESP32 |
| Ethernet Chip | WIZnet W5500 (connected to ESP32 via SPI) |
| Relays | 8-channel mechanical relays |
| Power Supply | 12V DC input with onboard 3.3V/5V regulation |
| I/O | Physical buttons, GPIO expansion |
- The W5500 is connected to the ESP32 over the SPI bus, offloading TCP/IP stack handling from the MCU.
- It supports DHCP, static IP, and full TCP/UDP/IP functionality with hardware acceleration.
- The board firmware is built using ESPHome, making it plug-and-play with Home Assistant.
⚙️ 3. Software Stack and Functional Flow
📁 Software Components
- Firmware: ESPHome for ESP32
- Networking: MQTT over TCP (handled by W5500)
- Protocol Stack: IP, TCP, MQTT
- UI/Integration: Home Assistant dashboard
🔄 Operation Flow
- On boot, the ESP32 initializes the W5500 via SPI.
- W5500 establishes a wired Ethernet connection, obtains IP (via DHCP or static).
- The ESPHome stack connects to an MQTT broker for real-time messaging.
- Commands received via MQTT control the appropriate relay(s).
- Relay states are reported back to the broker and shown in Home Assistant.
💎 4. Role of W5500 & Value to WIZnet
✅ Functional Role of W5500
- Provides hardware-based TCP/IP offloading, reducing load on ESP32.
- Ensures reliable wired Ethernet communication with low packet loss and jitter.
- Enables simplified SPI interfacing with minimal MCU-side complexity.
🏆 Strategic Value to WIZnet
| Aspect | Description |
| Market Fit | Growing demand for wired, stable connections in smart home automation |
| Ecosystem Compatibility | Integrates well with ESPHome & Home Assistant — key open-source platforms |
| Reliability Edge | Outperforms Wi-Fi in mission-critical or RF-noisy environments |
| Brand Exposure | Products like AG8 boost visibility and trust in WIZnet hardware |
📌 Summary
The KinCony AG8 is a solid use case where W5500 plays a vital role in enabling wired Ethernet control for home automation.
For WIZnet, it demonstrates the practical advantages of W5500:
- Offloads network stack from MCU
- Provides stable wired communication
- Integrates well with open-source automation platforms
This project strengthens WIZnet’s position in the smart home market by providing a low-latency, high-reliability Ethernet solution that’s easy to integrate with popular frameworks like ESPHome.