Cruiser Firmware 1.2.0: PoE and Zigbee on One Radio

poe-fw 1.2.0 runs PoE management and a Zigbee coordinator together on the Cruiser’s ESP32-C6. Install it with one command and connect Home Assistant over your local network.
By Exaviz Team |
Categories:
Tags:

  2 minute read  

Cruiser boards can now run a Zigbee network. The new ESP32-C6 firmware, poe-fw 1.2.0 “PoE + Zigbee”, runs PoE management and a Zigbee coordinator together on Cruiser Full and Cruiser Lite. Keel, which has no PoE parts, also gets Zigbee.

What’s in the release

  • PoE and Zigbee together. PoE control and per-port wattage keep working while Zigbee runs, so one board can power your cameras and host your Zigbee devices.
  • Pairings persist. Paired devices stay paired across reboots with no manual steps.
  • Home Assistant support. Home Assistant connects to the board’s coordinator through Zigbee Home Automation (ZHA). No USB dongle is needed.

Before you start

Zigbee needs a 2.4 GHz antenna on the board’s ESP32-C6 connector (W.FL/MHF III to RP-SMA).

Install

Install exaviz-tools 1.0.22 or newer (the minimum for Zigbee is 1.0.21), then flash the Zigbee firmware:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install exaviz-tools
sudo exaviz-flash zigbee

The board reboots once and finishes on its own in about 5 minutes. When it’s done, it prints the address Home Assistant uses: ws://<board IP>:9999.

To go back to the stock firmware:

sudo exaviz-flash stock

Connect Home Assistant

In Home Assistant 2026.7 or later, add the Zigbee Home Automation integration, choose the Ziggurat radio, and enter the address the board printed. Port 9999 is reachable only on your local network.

Also released

The full setup guide is on the Cruiser Zigbee page, and version details for each component are in the product changelogs.

Last modified October 14, 2026