binary sensor board with rj45 connectors instead of screw terminals?

binary sensor board with rj45 connectors instead of screw terminals? - Printable Version

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binary sensor board with rj45 connectors instead of screw terminals? - flatulentflamingo - 08-02-2025

Could you build a binary sensor board with screw terminals replaced by female rj45 connectors?

I am very happy about the KC868-AI I bought. It does what it promises. I use it as the central smart home sensor controller for all (dual) light switches at our summer house. Only the physical wiring could be easier for simple binary sensors.

Here's what I built:

[Image: 4QD93cv.png]

Here is what I would want:

[Image: 3ubAsGS.png]

This would allow to make a common scenario stupidly simple on the hardware front. Just plug standard cat5e cable between central patch panel and Kincony board, for dual binary sensors per cable. (With some cleverness, even dual 1-wire should be possible using two unused extra strands from the cat5e cable, but I digress...)

And please do keep adding PoE support to your existing boards! That is great functionality, and it would be a great addition to this style of board!

RE: binary sensor board with rj45 connectors instead of screw terminals? - admin - 08-02-2025

how about this TA module, this support POE: https://www.kincony.com/esp32-smart-tiny-alarm-system.html

RE: binary sensor board with rj45 connectors instead of screw terminals? - twostar - 08-02-2025

You can get breakout boards for almost anything off Aliexpress, USB, USB-C, RJ45, you name it, it should be pretty easy to connect one of those to the KC868. I suspect one with RJ45s hardwired in would have rather limited market appeal... in my case I just run the Cat5 into the screw terminals.

RE: binary sensor board with rj45 connectors instead of screw terminals? - flatulentflamingo - 08-02-2025

(08-02-2025, 06:00 AM)admin Wrote: how about this TA module, this support POE: https://www.kincony.com/esp32-smart-tiny-alarm-system.html

Yes, that board is great. I would just love to see a variant with lots of rj45 connectors instead of screw terminal connectors for the gpio's.

RE: binary sensor board with rj45 connectors instead of screw terminals? - twostar - 08-02-2025

Just search for "RJ45 breakout" on Aliexpress, they're about a dollar apiece.

Here's one with screw terminals, you can just take a piece of ribbon cable across from the KC868 to the board for the connections.

RE: binary sensor board with rj45 connectors instead of screw terminals? - flatulentflamingo - 08-02-2025

(08-02-2025, 06:17 AM)twostar Wrote: Just search for "RJ45 breakout" on Aliexpress, they're about a dollar apiece.

Here's one with screw terminals, you can just take a piece of ribbon cable across from the KC868 to the board for the connections.

Thank you for your suggestion. You mean pulling off the detachable part of the screw terminal block and pressing an appropriate ribbon cable onto that? That would go part of the way already indeed.

I guess it would still be tricky to find (or build!) a type of breakout board that:
- multiplexes vcc and gnd across multiple female rj45 adapters
- puts n data signals, vcc and gnd on one rj45 adapter
- accepts a ribbon cable that will also fit the Kincony board

RE: binary sensor board with rj45 connectors instead of screw terminals? - twostar - 08-02-2025

Just use this style of connector, you can get 2 -> x-way ones that will take a single +12V and GND to multiple outputs, and then run the data links directly into the KC868.

RE: binary sensor board with rj45 connectors instead of screw terminals? - flatulentflamingo - 08-02-2025

(08-02-2025, 06:53 AM)twostar Wrote: Just use this style of connector, you can get 2 -> x-way ones that will take a single +12V and GND to multiple outputs, and then run the data links directly into the KC868.

I appreciate your suggestion. I've used the clean, din rail mounted version of those, but I'd rather have something even cleaner in terms of cabling...

RE: binary sensor board with rj45 connectors instead of screw terminals? - twostar - 08-02-2025

I just laid them out inside a plastic case using heat-set brass inserts, the wiring is pretty neat, just straight runs between the connector blocks.