Hornet Nest 42 Zone Alarm Panel

The Hornet Nest Alarm Panel is a PoE-enabled security panel designed for seamless integration with Home Assistant and ESPHome. It bridges the gap between traditional wired alarm systems and modern smart home automation, offering robust flexibility, customizable features, and reliable performance. With its open-source foundation, it empowers hobbyists and professionals alike to easily adapt the device for their specific needs.

Seamless Integration with Smart Homes

Designed with smart home enthusiasts in mind, the Hornet Nest Alarm Panel allows you to integrate traditional security systems into your Home Assistant ecosystem effortlessly. Using ESPHome for straightforward configuration, you can control zones, manage devices, and receive real-time alerts through your existing smart home platform. Whether you’re monitoring doors, windows, or specialized sensors, the Hornet Nest panel offers complete automation.

Flexible & Customizable

The panel’s extensive inputs and outputs, including 42 optoisolated zones, 6 MOSFET-controlled outputs, and 6 3.3V trigger outputs, provide you with the flexibility to control a variety of devices, from sensors to sirens. Its modular design supports add-ons like a Wiegand keypad or water leak sensors, while the open-source software ensures that it remains adaptable to any future home automation needs.

Secure, Reliable, and Transparent

As an open-source security solution, the Hornet Nest Alarm Panel offers full transparency in its design, allowing you to inspect, modify, or improve its hardware and software. The integration of optoisolated and fused inputs ensures secure operation, and the built-in MOSFET-controlled reset for smoke detectors offers enhanced safety features, making it a reliable choice for any home security system.

Features & Specifications

• 42 optoisolated zones for maximum protection
• Six MOSFET-controlled outputs for 12 V devices
• Six 3.3V trigger outputs for additional device control
• Five additional wESP32 I/Os for expanded functionality
• Individual zone indicators
• PoE-enabled with external 12 V DC or USB Type-C options (Requires wESP32 programming module)
• Wiegand keypad support for additional security
• Pre-flashed ESPHome firmware for easy integration
• Qwiic expansion connector for future expansions
• MOSFET-controlled 12 V reset for 4-wire smoke detectors
• Measures 262 x 188 mm or 10.31 x 7.40 in
• Open-source design (GPL and MIT licensed)

The Project That Started it All: Hornet Nest is Fully Funded!

We are thrilled to share that our flagship project, the Hornet Nest Alarm Panel, has officially completed its journey on Crowd Supply, reaching over 190% of its funding goal! Like most things at byproduct_, Hornet Nest didn’t start in a boardroom—it started in a basement. I was building a new home and wanted to hardwire over 60 security zones. When I looked at the commercial options, they were either overpriced, under-powered, or completely locked down. I needed a better way, so I built it: a PoE-enabled, open-source, 42-zone monster designed specifically for Home Assistant and ESPHome.

What started as a one-off solution for my own house resonated with hundreds of makers and home automation enthusiasts around the globe. Because of your support, Hornet Nest has moved from the prototype bench to full-scale production and is now "out in the wild," powering security systems in homes everywhere.

Built for my home. Successfully shared with yours.