NodOn Zigbee AC Infrared Controller Review: A Hub-Based Blaster That Makes a Split Air Conditioner Smart
The NodOn Zigbee AC Infrared Controller (IRB-4-1-00) is a wall-mountable 360° infrared blaster built to bring a split air conditioner or air-to-air heat pump into a Zigbee smart home without replacing the unit. It recognises your AC's infrared codes from a built-in library or learns them from the original remote, then exposes the appliance to a Zigbee gateway as a climate device with temperature, mode, fan and louver control. Bidirectional infrared keeps the original remote usable and reports its state back to the gateway, and a built-in sensor reads the room from 0°C to 40°C. The catch is that it is not a standalone device: it needs a Zigbee coordinator, it is infrared only with no RF or Wi-Fi radio, and it powers from a 5V USB-C supply while the 230V AC kit is a separate accessory.
- Zigbee homes with a split air conditioner
- Retrofitting an AC without replacing the unit
- Home Assistant and Zigbee2MQTT users
- Keeping the original AC remote in use
Pros
- Turns almost any infrared split or air-to-air heat pump into a Zigbee climate device
- Recognises IR codes from a library or learns them from the original remote
- Bidirectional infrared keeps the original remote usable and reports state to the gateway
- Built-in temperature sensor (0°C to 40°C) with 17°C to 30°C setpoint control
- 360° IR emitter plus an external IR port, wall-mountable and compact at 90 x 70 x 25.5 mm
- Over-the-air firmware updates via the gateway or the NodOn Climate app
- 2-year warranty
Cons
- Needs a Zigbee hub or coordinator; no Wi-Fi radio and no standalone control
- Infrared only, with no RF support for radio-frequency remotes
- Powered by 5V USB-C with cable and adapter not included; the 230V AC wall bracket is a separate accessory
- No Matter support, and no native Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa or SmartThings integration documented for this model
- Infrared is line of sight, so it must sit near the split unit
- State synchronisation needs the IR code downloaded from the app and a remote that shows the temperature
Who is the NodOn Zigbee AC Infrared Controller for?
This is a retrofit device for anyone whose air conditioning is controlled only by an infrared handset and who wants it inside a Zigbee smart home. It sits next to the split unit, fires infrared commands at it exactly like the original remote, and asks nothing of the appliance except that it responds to infrared, which virtually every split and air-to-air heat pump does. Because it presents itself to the gateway as a smart thermostat, it fits homes that already run a Zigbee network through Home Assistant, Zigbee2MQTT, Homey, Jeedom or a similar coordinator, where temperature, mode and scheduling can be automated against other devices. It is a poor fit for anyone without a Zigbee hub, for homes that need radio-frequency rather than infrared control, or for a setup built on Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa or SmartThings, none of which NodOn documents for this model.
What the NodOn Zigbee AC Infrared Controller offers
The core of it is infrared learning and recognition. Point the original remote at the controller during setup and the NodOn Climate app searches its library for a matching code, or manual learning captures the codes button by button when the library has no match, so the controller can drive temperature, mode (cool, heat, fan, dry), on/off and vane direction. A 360° infrared emitter means it does not have to be aimed precisely at the unit, and there is an external IR port for an optional wired emitter. The infrared link is bidirectional: when someone uses the physical handset, the controller notices the command and pushes the updated state to the Zigbee gateway, so the two never drift apart. A built-in sensor reads the room from 0°C to 40°C and the climate setpoints span 17°C to 30°C, which is what makes room-by-room automation and energy savings possible. It is compact at 90 x 70 x 25.5 mm and 67 g, mounts with adhesive or screws, and takes over-the-air firmware updates through the gateway or the NodOn Climate app.
What to know before you buy
The most important thing is the hub. This is a Zigbee 3.0 end device, not a controller with its own app and cloud, so it does nothing useful until it joins a compatible Zigbee gateway such as Home Assistant or Zigbee2MQTT. It is infrared only: there is no radio-frequency support for RF handsets, and no Wi-Fi radio either. Power comes from a 5V USB-C supply, with cable and adapter not included, and the cleaner wall installation that draws 230V from the split unit uses the separate wall bracket accessory, so budget for that if you want no visible cable. Because it works over infrared, it needs to sit in the same room as the air conditioner, and the status-synchronisation feature only works after the IR code has been downloaded from the app and with remotes that display a temperature. Finally, there is no Matter support and no native Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa or SmartThings integration documented for this model, so its smart-home reach runs through the Zigbee gateway rather than those platforms directly.
Is the NodOn Zigbee AC Infrared Controller worth it?
For a Zigbee household with a dumb split air conditioner, it solves a real problem cleanly: instead of a cloud IR blaster that locks automation behind an app, you get a local Zigbee device that behaves like a thermostat and slots straight into automations such as shutting the AC off when a window opens or regulating the temperature by occupancy. The code library, manual learning and bidirectional infrared mean it works with almost any split and coexists with the original remote, and the built-in temperature sensor is what lets those automations be room-aware. Go in knowing it needs a Zigbee coordinator, that it is infrared only, and that the 230V power option is a paid extra. If you already run Home Assistant or Zigbee2MQTT and want local control of one or more air conditioners, this is a neat fit; if you have no Zigbee network, the cost is the hub plus this device plus the power kit, which changes the maths.
Frequently asked questions
Does the NodOn Zigbee AC Infrared Controller need a hub?
Yes. It is a Zigbee 3.0 end device, so it needs a compatible Zigbee coordinator or gateway such as Home Assistant, Zigbee2MQTT, Homey, Jeedom or Edalso. It has no Wi-Fi radio and no cloud of its own to work through.
Which air conditioners does it work with?
Any split air conditioner or air-to-air heat pump with an infrared remote. The NodOn Climate app can recognise the IR codes from its library, and if your model is not listed, manual learning captures the codes from the original remote.
Does it work with Home Assistant?
Yes. Zigbee2MQTT supports the exact IRB-4-1-00 model and exposes it as a climate device, and NodOn lists Home Assistant among the compatible gateways. It does not support Matter, and NodOn does not document Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa or SmartThings for this model.
How is the NodOn Zigbee AC Infrared Controller powered?
By a 5V USB-C supply, with the cable and adapter not included. For a cable-free wall installation it draws 230V from the air conditioner terminal through the separate wall bracket accessory, which also acts as the mount.
Can I keep using my original remote control?
Yes. The infrared link is bidirectional outside manual learning mode: when the physical remote is used, the controller detects the command and sends the updated state to the gateway, so the automation and the appliance stay in sync.
Where should I install it?
In the same room as the split unit, ideally on an interior wall about 1.5 m from the floor where it can see the unit's infrared receiver and the air circulates. Because it is infrared, it needs line of sight, and NodOn quotes an infrared range of up to 5 m for the status-sync feature.

