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---
title: Upgrading my Zigbee network with the zig-a-zig-ah! (zzh!)
description: A hands-on account of upgrading a Zigbee network controller from the TI CC2531 to the CC2652-based zzh! dongle from electrolama. The CC2531 showed poor link...
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og:description: A hands-on account of upgrading a Zigbee network controller from the TI CC2531 to the CC2652-based zzh! dongle from electrolama. The CC2531 showed poor link...
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# Upgrading my Zigbee network with the zig-a-zig-ah! (zzh!)

**[apalrd's adventures](https://daily.dev/sources/apalrd)** · 4 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments

## Summary

A hands-on account of upgrading a Zigbee network controller from the TI CC2531 to the CC2652-based zzh! dongle from electrolama. The CC2531 showed poor link quality even for nearby devices, with an LQI of 68 for a sensor in the same room and 5 for a device one wall away. The upgrade involved flashing the open-source Z-Stack firmware using a Python utility, swapping the USB dongle, and updating Zigbee2MQTT config (new device path /dev/ttyUSB0 and rtscts: false). Most devices reconnected automatically, though a few required manual re-pairing. The CC2652 supports 50 direct children versus 20 on the CC2531, and signal quality improved noticeably across the network.

## Full article

daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: <https://www.apalrd.net/posts/2021/zigbee_upgrade>

## Questions this post answers

### How many direct children does the CC2652 support compared to the CC2531 in Zigbee2MQTT?

The CC2652 supports 50 direct children, while the CC2531 only supports 20. Both can handle larger networks when devices connect via router nodes, but the CC2652's higher direct-child limit reduces reliance on repeaters and makes it better suited for growing Zigbee networks.

_Hobbyists scaling their Zigbee setups track hardware comparisons like this on daily.dev._

### What configuration changes are needed in Zigbee2MQTT when switching from CC2531 to the zzh! CC2652 dongle?

Two changes are required: update the serial port from /dev/ttyACM0 to /dev/ttyUSB0, and add 'rtscts: false' in the advanced section of configuration.yaml. Make these changes with the Zigbee2MQTT service stopped, since the service overwrites configuration.yaml when running.

_Developers migrating Zigbee hardware find practical upgrade notes like these on daily.dev._

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---

Tags: [#iot](https://daily.dev/tags/iot), [#embedded](https://daily.dev/tags/embedded)

[View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/upgrading-my-zigbee-network-with-the-zig-a-zig-ah-zzh--gilrttkte)

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