Frequently asked questions
Short answers about fans, sensors, setup and licence.
Basics
What is Homewind?
Homewind is free firmware for an ESP32-S3 board. It controls a Xiaomi Smart Fan by your heart rate and works as a Bluetooth sensor hub for Zwift and Rouvy on Apple TV. It is free for private, non-commercial use.
Do I need Zwift or Rouvy?
No. Heart-rate fan control works on its own with any Bluetooth heart-rate strap. Zwift and Rouvy only matter if you also want to use the sensor hub.
What does it cost?
The firmware is free for private use. You need an ESP32-S3 board (Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32-S3 or Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-AMOLED-1.64) and a supported Xiaomi fan. Housing and stand are free 3D-print files on MakerWorld. If Homewind makes your training better, you can support the project via PayPal.
How does heart rate set the fan speed?
You set two values in the web interface: the heart rate at which the fan starts and the heart rate at which it reaches full speed. Below the first value the fan stays off, above the second it runs at 100 %. In between, fan speed rises linearly with your pulse. Example: with 110–170 bpm, 140 bpm gives 50 %.
Do I have to solder or wire anything to mains power?
No. Homewind talks to the fan over Wi-Fi. You don’t open the fan, there is no relay and no mains voltage involved. The board is powered over USB.
Fans
Which fans are supported?
Xiaomi Smart Standing Fan 2 Pro, Xiaomi Smart Standing Fan 2, Smartmi Standing Fan 3 and the Xiaomi Smart Standing Air Circulation Fan. Missing your model? Write to hello@homewind.io.
Does Homewind work with any fan?
No. It only works with the supported Xiaomi Smart Fans. If you want to use a plain fan, you need a different kind of controller that switches mains power.
Can Homewind control more than one fan?
Yes. You can add up to four fans in the web interface. All of them follow your heart rate.
Does it need the Xiaomi cloud?
Only once: you sign in with your Xiaomi account in the Token Extractor to read the fan’s token. After that Homewind controls the fan over your local Wi-Fi.
Sensors and apps
Which sensors can I connect?
Bluetooth Low Energy heart-rate straps (required for fan control) and speed and cadence sensors. Power meters and ANT+ are not supported.
Does it work with Zwift on Apple TV?
Yes. You pair your sensors once with Homewind; Zwift or Rouvy then connect to Homewind as a single Bluetooth device. How the sensor hub works.
Setup
What is the difference between Homewind Basic and Homewind Touch?
Basic uses the Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32-S3 and is set up entirely in the browser. Touch uses the Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-AMOLED-1.64 with a touchscreen that shows heart rate, fan status and a QR code for setup. Both have the full web interface.
Which browser do I need to install the firmware?
Chrome or Edge on a desktop computer, plus a USB data cable. Safari and Firefox don’t support Web Serial.
Does it work with 5 GHz Wi-Fi?
No. The ESP32-S3 only supports 2.4 GHz. Fan and board must be on the same network.
How do I update the firmware?
Over the air via the web interface. After the first install you don’t need the USB cable or a computer anymore; your settings are kept.
Comparison and licence
How does Homewind compare to the Wahoo KICKR Headwind?
The Headwind is a purpose-built training fan. Homewind uses a Xiaomi Smart Fan you may already own and adds a sensor hub. Full comparison.
Can I use Homewind commercially?
Not under the free licence. Homewind is free for private, non-commercial use; commercial use needs a separate licence. Ask at hello@homewind.io.
Is Homewind finished?
It is in beta. Updates are installed over the air via the web interface.