Gathering the required items

- Home Assistant Yellow
- Heat sink assembly bag
- Ethernet cable
- Power supply depending on your kit: either included power supply or PoE
Additionally, make sure you have the following items which are not part of the Kit
- Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5
- USB-C cable
- If you are using PoE, make sure your router or switch provides PoE on that port
- Optional: Power supply (12 V / 2 A, if PoE is not used)
- Notice: Don't use screws to fix the module in place. The screws can damage the CM5 module.
Opening the case
Step 1
Protecting from ESD
Grounding protects the components from the static electricity that can be naturally present (electrostatic discharge, ESD).
- Notice: Risk of damage to the equipment due to electrostatic discharge. Always: Touch the working surface before touching electronics.
- Ideally: Use ESD protective equipment, such as ESD table mats and grounding cords.
Step 2
Removing the case - bottom part
- Remove the 4 screws on the bottom of the Home Assistant Yellow Kit.
- Keep the thumb screws close by; you will need them again later.
Step 3
Removing the case - top part
- Make sure the interfaces are facing towards your left.
- Flip the case over.
- Slightly lift off the enclosure on your left.
- Slide the enclosure off towards your right.
Notice
Don't use screws to fix the module in place. The screws can damage the CM5 module.
Seating the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5
Step 1
Align the Compute Module
- Place the board in front of you, the red and blue buttons facing to the right.
- Orient the CM5: The Raspberri Pi text needs to be on the right hand side.
- Carefully place the CM5 without force.
- The CM5 should fall into place slightly when correctly aligned.
Step 2
Installing the CM5
- Press the Compute Module 5 onto the board-to-board connectors until it clicks into place.
- Make sure you press on both sides (the two long edges).
- This requires quite a bit of force. If you don't hear a loud click, it is most likely not fully seated.
- It has been reported that on some boards, there is no click sound when pressing the module onto the board. It can still be seated correctly.
- Do a visual check to make sure the module is installed correctly: it needs to run parallel to the Home Assistant Yellow board. You can also pull a bit on the sides to make sure it is not loose.
- Notice: Don't use screws to fix the module in place. The screws can damage the CM5 module.
Step 3
Placing the thermal pads
- Place the square thermal pad on the silver CPU.
- Place the rectangular thermal pad on the black rectangular chip.
Step 4
Placing the heat sink
- Push the 2 plastic push pins into the dedicated hole on the heat sink.
- Start by first aligning the right plastic push pins into the dedicated hole on the carrier board.
- Then, place the heat sink onto the module.
Step 5
Securing the heat sink
- Take the entire board off your workplace and push the pins firmly through the carrier board.
- Ensure that the module is still fully seated after securing the heat sink.
Running rpiboot
Step 1
Install rpiboot on your computer.
- rpiboot is a command line utility for booting a Raspberry Pi in USB device mode. This is needed because the CM5 cannot boot from the USB 2.0 ports of the Yellow.
- Install rpiboot on your PC.
- Windows: Download and run the Windows Installer from Raspberry Pi Github.
- MacOS or Linux: Install from
source code.
- Install rpiboot, but do not run it yet!
Step 2
Connect the Yellow to your PC
- On the Yellow board, make sure the JP1 jumper is set to USB.
- It is there by default, but it is worth to double-check.
- Plug-in a USB-C cable to Home Assistant Yellow and connect it to your PC.
- Make sure the cable supports USB 2.0 data.
Step 3
Press recovery button and power up
- On the Yellow board, press and hold the recovery button.
- Older Home Assistant Yellow versions: Bridge JP2 (USB-C Rcvry).
- Power up the board.
- Plug in the 12 V DC connector or Ethernet cable (if PoE is used).
- Only the red LED should be on at this point (solid, not blinking).
- Release the recovery push button.
- Older Home Assistant Yellow versions: Un-bridge JP2.
Step 4
Run rpiboot
- On your PC, run rpiboot and let it run through.
- If you are using Windows, it might ask you if you want to reformat the disk. Select Cancel each time.
- If you are running an Apple Silicon mac, before running rpiboot, make sure you open the terminal using the “Rosetta” compatibility mode.
- If you are using Linux or MacOS, use
sudo ./rpiboot -d mass-storage-gadget64
to run the tool.
- After a few seconds, the yellow LED on the Yellow board should start blinking.
- Afterwards, only the green LED should be on.
- The module is now ready to have the Home Assistant Operating System installed on it (next steps).
Installing Home Assistant Software on CM5
Step 1
Installing the Raspberry Pi Imager
- Install the Raspberry Pi Imager on your computer as described under https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/
- Info: If your platform doesn't support the Raspberry Pi Imager, you can use another imager (e.g. balenaEtcher) and flash the Home Assistant OS Installer for Yellow directly from GitHub releases.
Step 2
Open Raspberry Pi Imager
- Open Raspberry Pi Imager.
- Under Raspberry Pi Device, select Raspberry Pi 5.
Step 3
Choosing the operating system
- Select Choose OS
- Choose Other specific-purpose OS.
- Choose Home assistants and home automation.
- Choose Home Assistant.
- Choose Home Assistant OS x.y (Yellow).
Step 4
Choosing storage
- Select Choose storage and from the dropdown menu, select your Raspberry Pi module.
Step 5
Writing the installer onto the drive
- Select the Next button to start the process.
- Wait for the Home Assistant OS Installer to be written to the internal eMMC storage on your module.
- Follow the wizard.
- When the steps are complete, close the rpi-installer.
Step 6
Unplug and set to UART
- Unplug the USB cable.
- Unplug the power cable.
- Set the JP1 jumper to UART.
Reassembling your Home Assistant Yellow
Step 1
Preparation
- Place the translucent bottom part of the case onto the table.
- Make sure the two round notches form a line pointing towards the top right corner.
Step 2
Reassembling - bottom part
- Place the board onto the bottom part of the case.
- Make sure the USB connectors are facing upwards, away from you.
Step 3
Reassembling - top part
- Turn the enclosure upside down.
- Then, slide the push buttons into the openings of the case.
Step 4
Mounting the case
- Insert the 4 thumb screws.
- Notice: Risk of damage to the equipment due to excessive force. Do not over-tighten the screws.
Setting up
Step 1
Internet and power
- Plug in your Ethernet cable and make sure it is locked into place.
- The other end of the Ethernet cable will need to be connected to your Router or Switch and connected to the internet.
- If you are not using PoE, connect the power to the wall and then to the Home Assistant Yellow.
Step 2
Getting started with Home Assistant
- Info: Initial startup may take a while, depending on your internet connection.
- Install the appTo access Home Assistant from your mobile device, use the QR code to locate the app in the app store.
- Select your Home Assistant Server:
- Mobile: Confirm the IP address detected by the app. For example: http://192.168.1.196:8123
- Desktop: Visit http://homeassistant.local:8123 to access the Home Assistant frontend.