Will this work on my A/C?

Short version: if your A/C uses a ConnectLife Wi-Fi module, the odds are good, and you can find out for certain in about a minute without opening anything.

Two things have to be true. The bus protocol has to match, and the module has to be one you can either reflash or replace.

Confirmed working

Wi-Fi module	AEH-W41H1 (Realtek RTL8710C / AmebaZ2), secure boot off
App it came with	ConnectLife
Bus	RS-485, 9600 8N1, on the 4-pin module connector (5 V · GND · A · B)
Verified on	two units, running continuously

Both the protocol and the flashing route are proven on this hardware. Everything on this site was written from those units.

Very likely, not personally verified

Other Hisense units using the same module family. The AEH-W4A1 appears throughout the reference material this project built on and speaks the same bus. The protocol work should carry over; the flashing details may differ.

Other brands on the same bus. This A/C bus is not Hisense-only. The community esphome_airconintl project drives the identical protocol on AirconIntl hardware, which is why the codec here could be cross-checked against its sample frames before it ever touched an A/C. Hisense manufactures for several brands, so a rebadged unit may well be the same machine underneath.

Being honest about the boundary: “should work” is not “does work”. If you try it on something not listed above, open an issue with what you find, working or not.

How to check your own unit

1. Does it use ConnectLife? If your A/C pairs with the ConnectLife app, it is in the right family. Some regions ship the same hardware under a different app name.

2. Look at the module bay. The Wi-Fi module is a small plastic dongle in a slot on the indoor unit, usually behind the front panel and reachable without tools. The part number is printed on it.

3. Count the pins. Four pins (5 V, GND, and an RS-485 A/B pair) is the signature this project targets.

If your module is not supported, or is dead

You do not need the original module. The ESP32 route puts an ESP32 plus an RS-485 transceiver in the module bay instead, speaking the same bus bytes. It costs about €5, needs no CH341A clip, and is the recommended path if you do not already have a working AEH-W41H1: those modules are fragile and increasingly hard to buy.

On that board you pick the firmware: the Matter build, or the ESPHome build if Home Assistant is the only controller you need. The path comparison covers the tradeoffs with figures measured on real hardware.

What you get either way

Local Matter control in Home Assistant with no cloud: mode, setpoint, six fan speeds, swing, and the Eco / Quiet / Turbo / Sleep special modes, plus temperature and energy telemetry. See everyday control.