Understanding the Wyoming Protocol & Satellites
The Wyoming protocol is a simple, open-source communication standard designed to connect voice assistants and their components together - like microphones, speech-to-text engines, and Home Assistant itself. Originally created by Rhasspy's creator, it's now widely used for local voice assistant setups, including Home Assistant's voice satellite feature. Wyoming provides a way for "satellites" (devices with microphones and/or speakers) to talk to a central Home Assistant instance over your network, using a lightweight, standardized protocol.
Key Features of Wyoming
- Open & Standardized: No proprietary cloud, and you can mix-and-match hardware and software.
- Low Latency: Designed for fast local processing.
- Modular: Lets you plug together different components - wake word, STT (speech-to-text), TTS (text-to-speech), etc.
- Simple: Uses plain text and simple messages, making it easy to debug and extend.
How Wyoming Works
Wyoming uses TCP sockets (a kind of network connection) to send and receive messages between the Home Assistant server and satellites. Each type of task - such as wake word detection, STT, TTS - has a clear, defined message format.
- Satellites run on devices like a Raspberry Pi. They capture audio and send it to Home Assistant using the Wyoming protocol.
- Home Assistant listens for Wyoming messages, processes them (e.g., recognizes commands), and can respond with voice or trigger automations.
Typical Setup Example
- Home Assistant server: Acts as the "brain" and runs the core voice assistant.
- Wyoming satellite: A small device (such as a Raspberry Pi or ESP32) in another room, running satellite software. It picks up your voice, sends audio to Home Assistant using Wyoming, and plays back replies.
- Communication: All done locally, over your home network, keeping your voice data private and latency low.
Wyoming Satellites: What Are They?
A Wyoming satellite is any device that implements the Wyoming protocol to interact with your Home Assistant voice assistant. It doesn't need to be powerful - just able to record audio, connect to Wi-Fi, and run simple software (like the official Home Assistant Voice Satellite Add-on or Rhasspy Satellite).
Why Use Wyoming Satellites?
- Flexible: Use cheap hardware in multiple rooms.
- Privacy: All processing can be local, with no cloud required.
- Expandability: Add more satellites anywhere in your home.
- Easy Integration: Works natively with Home Assistant's voice features.
Supported Hardware & Software
The software can run on many different devices, but for most people, a Raspberry Pi is the most popular and user-friendly choice for a Wyoming satellite. There are various plug-and-play microphone HATs (add-on boards) and speaker options available, making it easy to set up a dedicated device for voice control in any room. Even with basic hardware, you can create a reliable and responsive voice satellite to connect with Home Assistant.