ESPHome Human Presence Detector Setup Guide
By Official Hobby Components Online Store | Buy Electronic Kits, Components, Boards, Shields, Modules | Published: 2026-10-26
Category: How-to Guides
Learn how to wire, flash, and configure the ESPHome-compatible presence detector with Home Assistant for accurate human presence and motion sensing.
Quick answer
Flash the ESP8266 with the ESPHome firmware using the provided YAML configuration, wire the LD2410C radar sensor to the module, then add it to Home Assistant for real-time presence and motion detection.
Why use a radar-based presence detector instead of a PIR sensor
Unlike passive infrared (PIR) sensors that only detect large movements, the LD2410C radar sensor on this module can sense micro-motions and stationary human presence. This makes it ideal for rooms where you want lights to stay on while you're reading or working at a desk.
The trade-off is that radar can be sensitive to certain materials and placement. Avoid mounting the sensor behind thick metal or dense concrete walls, as these can block or reflect the radar signal and cause false triggers.
Setup steps
- 1. Wire the power and sensor connections: Connect the module to a 5V power supply (USB or regulated). The LD2410C is pre-soldered on the board; no additional wiring is needed for basic operation. If you want to use the serial UART pins for debugging, connect a USB-to-UART adapter to the module's TX/RX pins. Double-check the voltage: the ESP8266 runs on 3.3V logic, but the board includes a voltage regulator, so 5V input is safe.
- 2. Flash ESPHome firmware: In Home Assistant, go to Settings > Add-ons > ESPHome and install it. Create a new device, select ESP8266, and paste the following minimal YAML configuration: Replace the placeholder keys and credentials. Click "Install" and choose "Plug into this computer" to flash via USB, or "Manual download" to get a binary you can flash with esptool. Common mistake: If you use the wrong UART baud rate (e.g., 115200), the sensor won't communicate. The LD2410C defaults to 256000 baud.
- 3. Connect to Home Assistant: After flashing, the ESPHome device will appear in Home Assistant automatically if you have the ESPHome integration enabled. Go to Settings > Devices & Services > ESPHome and configure the device. You'll see entities for presence, moving distance, still distance, and energy levels. If the device doesn't appear, check that the WiFi credentials are correct and that the device is on the same network as Home Assistant. You can also use the ESPHome log to see connection errors.
- 4. Fine-tune the sensor parameters: The LD2410C allows adjusting sensitivity and detection range via UART commands. In ESPHome, you can add a `number` component to expose these settings in Home Assistant. For example, to set the maximum detection distance to 5 meters: Rebuild and upload the firmware. Setting the max distance too high (e.g., 8 m) may cause false detections from adjacent rooms. Start with 4-5 m and reduce if needed.
- 5. Create automations using presence: In Home Assistant, go to Settings > Automations & Scenes. Create a new automation with the trigger "State" of the presence sensor. For example, turn on lights when presence changes to 'on' and turn them off after 2 minutes of absence. Use the 'still distance' sensor to detect if someone is sitting still. Common pitfall: Do not use the moving distance sensor alone for occupancy—it only detects motion. Combine it with the presence sensor to avoid turning off lights when someone is still.
Product used in this guide
- ESPHome/Home Assistant Compatible Human Presence/Motion Detector: The ESP Presence detector combines an ESP8266 (ESP-07) WiFi module with a Hi-Link LD2410C radar sensor capable of sensing both human presence and motion. You get a single-board solution that reports both presence and motion over WiFi, so you don't need to wire separate PIR and radar modules.
ESPHome/Home Assistant Compatible Human Presence/Motion Detector
