--- title: "How Artificial Intelligence Can Automate Reading Your Water Meter In Home Assistant" url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/lawrence/projects/how-artificial-intelligence-can-automate-reading-your-water-meter-in-home-assistant/" markdown_url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/lawrence/projects/how-artificial-intelligence-can-automate-reading-your-water-meter-in-home-assistant/md" type: "UCC: User Created Content" author: "Binary Tech Labs" author_url: "https://www.cnx-software.com/2025/06/20/ai-on-the-edge-cam-esp32-s3-board-aims-to-digitize-legacy-utility-meters/" editor: "WIZnet" editor_url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/" original_author: "Binary Tech Labs" original_url: "https://www.cnx-software.com/2025/06/20/ai-on-the-edge-cam-esp32-s3-board-aims-to-digitize-legacy-utility-meters/" published: "2025-08-27" language: "en" hardware: ["WIZnet W5500"] likes: 0 views: 4896 comments: 0 source: "WIZnet Makers (https://maker.wiznet.io/)" --- # How Artificial Intelligence Can Automate Reading Your Water Meter In Home Assistant > How Artificial Intelligence Can Automate Reading Your Water Meter In Home Assistant Original author: Binary Tech Labs (source: https://www.cnx-software.com/2025/06/20/ai-on-the-edge-cam-esp32-s3-board-aims-to-digitize-legacy-utility-meters/) ## Components - **WIZnet W5500** x 1 ([docs](https://docs.wiznet.io/Product/Chip/Ethernet/W5500)) WIZnet parts: W5500 ([Datasheet](https://docs.wiznet.io/Product/Chip/Ethernet/W5500/datasheet?utm_source=maker&utm_medium=project&utm_campaign=w5500), [product hub](https://maker.wiznet.io/products/w5500/)) ## Documents and links - [AI-on-the-edge-device-docs](https://jomjol.github.io/AI-on-the-edge-device-docs/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) (code) - [Code](https://github.com/jomjol/AI-on-the-edge-device) (code) - [W5500 + PoE( Si3404-A )](https://d3s5r33r268y59.cloudfront.net/datasheets/39035/2025-06-13-14-41-31/Schematic_esp32-S3-POE-A-CAM_2025-06-13.pdf) (schematics) - [ESP-IDF Ethernet](https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/blob/master/examples/ethernet/basic/README.md?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ## Article ### OVERVIEW This project uses **AI-On-The-Edge-Cam (ESP32-S3 + PoE)** to automatically read the digits/needle of legacy **water/gas/electricity meters** and send the readings to **MQTT/REST/InfluxDB/Home Assistant**. The board integrates a **2MP OV2640 camera, microSD, WS2812B backlight, PoE wired Ethernet (RJ45)**, and the firmware is based on **AI-on-the-Edge-Device**. --- ### COMPONENTS ![](https://maker.wiznet.io/upload/ckeditor5/860796707%5F1756312818%2Epng) #### Hardware components - **ESP32-S3 AI-On-The-Edge-Cam board** (camera/PoE/Ethernet/SD integrated) × 1 - **WIZnet W5500 (SPI Ethernet; used in the PoE Ethernet design)** × 1 **(on-board; see schematic)** - **OV2640 camera module** × 1 **(bundled with the board)** - **microSD card** × 1 **(for local logs/images)** - **PoE switch or PoE injector** × 1 **(single-cable power + data)** #### Software Apps and online services - **AI-on-the-Edge-Device** firmware/docs (TFLite, Web UI, OTA, MQTT/REST, InfluxDB, Home Assistant) - **Home Assistant** integration (MQTT discovery/custom integration) - (Optional) **InfluxDB** (v1/v2), **MQTT broker** (e.g., Mosquitto) - (For development) **ESP-IDF** (includes W5500 SPI-Ethernet examples) --- ### PROJECT DESCRIPTION #### Project Overview ![](https://maker.wiznet.io/upload/ckeditor5/860796707%5F1756312828%2Epng) **Goal:** Combine a low-power ESP32-S3 camera board with PoE to **reliably read meter digits and fractional dial** values on site (basements/meter rooms) and push them to servers (HA/DB). **Board highlights:** 2MP **OV2640**, **microSD**, **WS2812B** backlight, **Stemma QT** (I²C), **PoE RJ45**. **(≥ 4 MB PSRAM recommended)Firmware highlights:TensorFlow Lite** inference, **inline image processing/ROI**, **Web UI**, **OTA**, **MQTT/REST**, **InfluxDB**, **Home Assistant** integration. --- #### Why WIZnet W5500? (Key Advantages) **ESP32-S3 lacks an internal Ethernet MAC**, so wired networking needs **SPI-Ethernet**. **W5500** integrates **hardware TCP/IP (TOE) + MAC + PHY**, enabling a stable wired link over SPI alone. The board’s **schematic uses W5500** and a **PoE** front end, allowing **single-cable power + data**. **ESP-IDF** provides **W5500 examples**, so link-up/DHCP/ping are straightforward to validate. --- #### System Architecture ```css [Meter (Digits + Dials)] │ (Image) ▼ [OV2640 Camera] → [ESP32-S3 + AI-on-the-Edge] → (SPI) → [W5500] │ (Ethernet/PoE) │ [MQTT / REST / InfluxDB / Home Assistant] ``` **The reference board integrates PoE, Ethernet, SD, and LED, simplifying wiring and exposure control.** --- #### How It Works ![](https://maker.wiznet.io/upload/ckeditor5/860796707%5F1756312838%2Epng) ![](https://maker.wiznet.io/upload/ckeditor5/860796707%5F1756374090%2Epng) **Calibration** – Use the Web UI to define **ROIs (digit window/sub-dial)**; stabilize exposure with the **WS2812B** backlight. **Inference** – Lightweight TFLite models: **digit classifier** (main digits) + **pointer regressor** (needle angle → fractional value). **Post-processing / Transmission** – Send results via **MQTT/REST**, log to **microSD/InfluxDB**, and auto-integrate with **Home Assistant**. **Operations** – **OTA** for remote updates; **PoE** keeps power/network on a single cable. --- #### What the video shows [Embedded media](https://www.youtube.com/embed/Uap_6bwtILQ) The YouTube video (**Uap_6bwtILQ**) demonstrates **automatic meter reading with AI/ML** and **Home Assistant** integration—installation → ROI setup → data transmission → dashboard/automation flow. --- #### Development Process & Key Challenges **Pin/bus allocation:** Camera (parallel DVP), **W5500 (SPI)**, and **SD (prefer SDMMC 4-bit)** all need high-speed I/O. Avoid **SPI contention** by giving W5500 a dedicated SPI and keeping SD on SDMMC where possible. **Lighting/exposure:** Use the WS2812B backlight for consistent captures (night/dark meter boxes). **Network reliability:** In RF-unfriendly spaces (basements/metal boxes), PoE wired Ethernet offers **lower, more stable latency/jitter** and resilience to interference (hardware TCP/IP + PoE). --- #### Performance Benefits (W5500 wired vs. Wi-Fi only) | Aspect | **W5500 + PoE (wired)** | **Wi-Fi only** | | --- | --- | --- | | Latency/jitter | Low and stable | Environment-dependent, variable | | Reliability | Minimal RF interference | Sensitive to building layout/congestion | | Cabling/power | **Single PoE cable** (power + data) | Separate adapter + RF coverage needed | | MCU load | **Offloaded TCP/IP (TOE)** | MCU handles networking stack | --- #### Conclusion & Future Development **Conclusion:** The **ESP32-S3 + W5500 (PoE) + AI-on-the-Edge** combo is well-suited for **automated digitization of analog meters**, delivering high reliability for **continuous MQTT/REST/InfluxDB transmission** and **Home Assistant integration**. **Next steps:** Multi-meter management, alerts/outlier detection (spikes), webhooks/cloud analytics, refined image retention policies. --- #### Bonus: Practical pin-mapping/config tips **Recommended buses:** Camera on DVP, **SD on SDMMC (4-bit)**, **W5500 on a dedicated SPI** to minimize contention. In **ESP-IDF**, start from `examples/ethernet/basic` (W5500) to validate **DHCP/ping**, then add **MQTT/REST** integration. If you want, I can also add a concrete **ESP32-S3 ↔ W5500 pin map (with Kconfig)** and a **Home Assistant (MQTT) YAML** example in the same format. --- Source: https://maker.wiznet.io/lawrence/projects/how-artificial-intelligence-can-automate-reading-your-water-meter-in-home-assistant/