Introduction
The SONOFF MINI-RBS is a compact and powerful relay switch designed specifically to automate roller shutters, blinds, and similar motorized systems. By integrating it into your smart home setup, you can control the opening and closing of your shutters remotely, via app, or automatically based on schedules.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to configure time-based automation for your roller shutters using the MINI-RBS, allowing them to open in the morning and close at night—perfect for enhancing comfort, privacy, and energy efficiency.
What You´ll need?
- 1x SONOFF MINI-RBS
- Electrical tools
How to install
|
WARNING:
|
Steps for the installation
Let’s start by reviewing the wiring diagram.
- Identify the live line to power up the module
The first thing to do is power up the module. For this, you will need a live wire (L) and a neutral wire (N). These two wires will provide power to connect the module.
Use a voltage tester to identify which wire is live. Once you've done that, turn off the power at the circuit breaker, and we can proceed with the connections.
- Power off the circuit breaker
To grant your security, double check that the power is off.
- Power up the module
The live wire is the one carrying current, and it will be connected to the terminal marked with the letter “L” on the module. The neutral wire (usually white or blue, depending on the region) will be connected to the terminal marked with the letter “N”.
- Turn on the up/down wires
The roller shutter/blind motors has two wires. One is to open and the other to close. In this step you need connect each of these wires into Lout1 (up) and Lout2 (down) terminals.
- Turn on the switch wires
Finally, to complete the module installation, you need to connect the traditional switch to the smart module. This is done using the terminals labeled “S1” and “S2.” Each wire should be connected to one side of the switch, allowing you to control the roller shutter or blind's opening and closing manually.
After that, connect the two wires from the previous step to the retrofit switch.
- Turn on the circuit breaker
If everything is working correctly, the MINI-RBS module will blink a light, indicating that it is ready to be paired with the eWeLink app.
- Testing
Now that the device is powered on, you can test if the connection is working properly. Simply press the small button on the module or toggle the connected switch. The expected result is that the roller shutter will open or close. If it doesn’t respond, double-check all previous connections.
If everything is working correctly, you can turn off the power again and carefully close the switch, making sure not to disconnect any wires.
Pair with eWeLink app
To pair the SONOFF ZBMINIR2 module with the eWeLink app, follow these steps.
- Preparation:
- Make sure the SONOFF MINI-RBS is correctly installed and powered on.
- Enter Pairing Mode:
- With the module powered on, press and hold the pairing button for about 5 seconds.
- The LED on the module will start blinking rapidly, indicating it’s in pairing mode.
- Add Device in eWeLink App:
To add the MINI-RBS to the eWelink app you can scan the QR-Code on the back. To do that, just tap the on the plus (+) button on the top screen and click on "Scan".
Next, scan with the smartphone camera the QR-code on the back the MINI-RBS.
After the scan, please select the WI-FI network that the MINI-RBS will connect.
In a few seconds, the device will be added to your eWelink app and ready to use. In this step you can set a name and a room.
Start the calibration process
For the first time, the user will be asked to do the initial setup, including the calibration.
In this step, the roller shutter/blind will open and close a few times to set the limits.
NOTE: This process can be done always as the user need. Just go to the settings menu (3 dots) and select "Initial Settings" option.
Control the MINI-RBS from eWelink app
Manual control
Once paired and calibrated, the user can control the roller shutter/blind from this main screen. Here the user can use the slide to adjust the position or simply use the control buttons to "Open", "Pause" and "Close".
Setup pre-definied positions for day, favorite and night
The user also has the ability to create a pre-defined positions for each situation: Day time, favorite and night time.
To do that, the user first needs to set the desired position, and then long-press a preset button—for example, the moon icon for night time.
These options work as shortcuts. In this case, whenever the user wants to set the motor to 90%, they just need to press the button.
MINI-RBS Settings
The user also has access to a set of settings that can be adjusted to better suit their needs and enhance the overall experience. Let’s take a look at the most relevant ones.
Extra Time
The "Extra Time" setting allows you to add a small delay after the standard open or close duration of your curtain or roller shutter motor. This helps maintain accurate positioning over time, especially as the motor's performance may slightly change due to wear or environmental conditions.
Over time, motors can become slightly slower or faster, which affects the accuracy of the preset open/close durations. This can lead to:
-
Curtains not fully opening or closing
-
Inaccurate position percentages (e.g., 100% may not actually be fully open)
By adding a small Extra Time, the SONOFF device ensures that the curtain or shutter completes its full travel, compensating for these minor variations.
eWelink-Remote sub-devices
The eWeLink-Remote Gateway is a feature available in specific SONOFF devices (like the MINIR4, MINIR4M, NSPanel Pro and MINI-RBS) that allows them to act as a bridge for low-power remote devices using the eWeLink-Remote protocol.
Instead of connecting directly to Wi-Fi, eWeLink-Remote sub-devices (like R5 scene controllers and S-MATE 2 switches) connect locally to the gateway device, which then relays the command to the cloud or to other devices in your eWeLink setup.
This way, the R5 wireless scene controller can control the roller shutter or blind without the need for any physical installation or wiring.
Switch Mode
In the MINI-RBS settings menu, there is an option called “Switch Mode.” Here, you will find two options "Mode" and "Detach Relay". On the first option you can define how the physical traditional switch will behave.
You can choose from three options in Mode menu.
- Pulse Mode allows you to control devices with a short-duration action, meaning the device performs an action only while the switch is pressed. When you press the switch, the device performs an action (like turning on or off), but as soon as you release the switch, the action is undone. Pulse Mode is useful in situations where you need temporary or momentary control, without the device staying on or off after pressing the switch
-
Garage door switch: When you press the switch, the device (like a garage door opener) performs the action of opening or closing, but as soon as you release the button, the movement stops.
-
- Edge Mode: the relay toggles its state (ON/OFF) every time the external switch changes position — regardless of whether the switch is currently in the ON or OFF state.
This mode uses signal edge detection, meaning it reacts to both:
-
-
a falling edge (when the switch goes from open to closed)
-
and a rising edge (when the switch goes from closed to open)
-
- Following Mode: the relay status mirrors the physical state of the connected external switch. This creates a direct and synchronous relationship between the switch and the device, meaning the smart relay will always follow the manual switch's current state:
-
When the external switch is ON (closed) → the relay turns ON
-
When the external switch is OFF (open) → the relay turns OFF
-
Curtain/Blind type
In this option, you can also select the device type to ensure proper operation with the MINI-RBS.
Practical use cases
Creating a Schedule to open the roller shutter at a Specific Time
One of the most useful features of the SONOFF ecosystem is the ability to schedule actions automatically.
Goal: Open the roller shutter every day at a specific time (e.g., 8:00 AM).
How to set it up:
-
- Open the eWelink app and click on the MINI-RBS device. Here, the user will find an option "Schedule".
-
- Click on the "Schedule" option to add a new Schedule
-
- Now, the user can select the time and the days that the action will occur. For this example, we are creating a schedule to open the shutter/blind everyday at 8:00 AM.
-
- Now, just set the action to open the shutter/blinds. In this option you can also define a percentage value for open or close.
Result: Everyday at 8 AM the blinds will open.
NOTE: You can do the same process but to close action. Just change the timer and choose close action instead of open.
Conclusion
The SONOFF MINI-RBS is a compact yet powerful solution for automating roller shutters and blinds. Thanks to its small size, installation is straightforward and doesn’t require major changes to your existing setup.
With just a few taps in the app, you can easily create schedules to open and close your shutters automatically, improving both comfort and energy efficiency.
Additionally, its support for Matter ensures seamless integration with a wide range of smart home platforms, including Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and more — making it a future-proof choice for any smart home.