Faikin Ninja — Daikin & MHI Local Control Module (VRV, Sky Air, Ducted)

Local control for the Daikin and MHI systems. The Faikin Ninja connects to the two-wire control bus used by Daikin VRV/VRF, Sky Air and ducted systems with a wired wall controller, and by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries VRF on the X-Y bus. It sits alongside your existing wall controller and reads more than any OEM Wi-Fi adapter can.

Multi-buy discount: Buy two or more modules or kits, any mix, to save 10% automatically at checkout.

What you actually get to see

The Ninja puts the machine's own internal telemetry on your dashboard. This is the part most listings skip. A wall controller shows you a setpoint and a mode. An OEM Wi-Fi adapter shows you roughly the same thing through a cloud account.

User takes full control

• Control the mode and setpoint as a proper climate entity.
• Set room temperatures.
• Make setpoint limits to cap how high, or low, for other users access.

Detect zones, individually

• On a system with a zone control kit, every zone will appear with its own switch. Zones are detected automatically and you can rename switches to Lounge, Guest Room and Spare Room rather than a typical zone 4, 5 and 6.
• Set up per-zone automation. Choose to close the bedroom zone during the day, open the zone an hour before bed, or shut the zone if a window is opened.

View how hard the system works

• View compressor frequency, in Hz. This is the single most useful number on the list. You can watch the machine modulate, see it ramp on during a hot afternoon, and see it settle down once the room reaches temperature.
• View indoor fan speed in RPM, and outdoor fan step.
• View expansion valve position, indoor and outdoor, in pulses.

Refrigerant circuit

• View high, and low side pressures, in MPa.
• View indoor coil temperatures.
• View outdoor coil temperatures.
• See solenoid valve state.

Runtime and condition

• View indoor fan hours, operating hours and power-on hours with actual duty eliminating the need for guesswork.
• View anti-freeze, drain pump, electric heater and humidifier states where fitted.
• View the system's own fault and error codes, so you or the installer can see exactly the function, rather than reading a singular blinking light.

Any sensors your particular unit does not have will read as 'unavailable' rather than disappearing from view. This is a normal function and it varies by indoor model.

Ninja works with what you've already got

Underneath, this is a highly flexible MQTT device designed to expand functionality.

• Home Assistant picks Ninja up automatically over MQTT discovery. No YAML, no template sensors. Everything above arrives as a proper entity with the right device classes and units.
• The Home Assistant Companion app on iOS and Android, with widgets, notifications and location triggers.
• Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings and Aqara all work directly on the Matter build. One build covers all of them, so you are not choosing a platform at checkout. See the note above for what each one needs.
• Anything else that speaks MQTT can read it, including openHAB, Node-RED, ioBroker, Domoticz and Homebridge.
• The built-in web page works with no account at all, on either build.

The module itself is fully local. The web page, MQTT and Home Assistant involve no cloud account whatsoever. Only the third-party smart-home platforms route through their own clouds. Firmware updates come from the developer's server, not a cloud service you need an account to operate.

Works with

• Daikin VRV / VRF
• Daikin Sky Air
• Daikin ducted systems with a wired wall controller, including the BRC1E family (BRC1E52 / 53 / 63 / 73)
• Daikin ducted systems with a zone control kit, including the BRC24Z and BRC230Z families
• Older Daikin systems with no X50A port, or the blue X50A port the Faikout cable cannot use
• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries VRF on the two-wire X-Y bus, via the MHI variant. The FD series is covered. The 5-wire SRK and DXK splits are not, as they use a different connection entirely.

It covers the Daikin VRV indoor range: cassettes (FXCQ, FXZQ, FXFQ and others), ducted and concealed (FXDQ, FXMQ, FXSQ), ceiling-suspended (FXHQ, FXUQ), wall-mounted (FXAQ) and more. Compatibility is confirmed per indoor model. Send us your model number and controller and we will check it for you.

Installation

Requires two wires and no separate power supply. The module draws what it needs from the bus.

1. Isolate power to the indoor and outdoor units.
2. Connect the two module wires to the P1/P2 terminals, either at the indoor unit on the block marked REMOTE CNTRL, or at the back of the wired wall controller.
3. The connection is non-polar, so either wire can go to either terminal. Wire is 24 to 12 AWG, 0.6 to 2.4 mm.
4. Restore power, then bring the module online.

The bus allows two control devices, one Main and one Sub. Your wired wall controller is the Main and remains as is. The Ninja joins as the Sub. If something else is already sitting in the Sub position, such as an infrared receiver, it has to come off first.

If you have a zone control kit, the whole kit counts as one device. The zone controller and the wall panel that comes with it are a single Main, not two devices, so the Sub slot is still free for the Ninja. See the FAQ.

This is work inside a live appliance. If you are not comfortable to open the indoor unit youself, hire an installer.

Module only - you will need a cable

This is the module on its own. To connect it you also need a two-wire cable to your P1/P2 terminals. Make your own, add a ready-made cable, or save with the module and cable bundle.

Running a zone control kit? Connect at the indoor unit. On a zone kit the wall panel runs back to the zone controller on an RJ lead rather than P1/P2 screw terminals, so there is nothing at the wall to land on.

System: choose Daikin (P1/P2 bus) or Mitsubishi Heavy Industries VRF (two-wire X-Y bus) so we load the right firmware. If you are not sure which you have, send us your indoor model number and we will check.

Network setup

Every module ships flashed and tested. There is no firmware for you to install, and updates arrive over the air. The Ninja ships with one of two firmware builds, chosen at purchase. They are not the same module with a different setting, and both cost the same, so choose on how you want to run it rather than on price.

• WiFi - ready for the local web interface, MQTT and Home Assistant. It broadcasts its own setup WiFi network, so you bring it online from any browser with no hub and no Matter environment. It cannot be added to Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings or Aqara.
• Matter - covers Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings and Aqara together. You add it by scanning the Matter code in the app of your choice. On an iPhone no hub is needed. Google Home, Alexa, SmartThings and Aqara each need that platform's hub or speaker at the property. This build has no setup WiFi network of its own, so Matter pairing is the only way it joins your WiFi.

If you are uncertain you have a Matter platform to pair with, choose WiFi. If you are still unsure, ask us, and we can identify which suits your setup.

What this does not do

• It does not replace your wall controller. It runs alongside it, and the bus two-device limit applies.
• No field settings. Installer-level configuration stays on the wall controller.
• No vendor app of our own, by design. The built-in web page is for setup and diagnostics. Day to day you use Home Assistant, Apple Home or whichever platform you chose.
• Sensor coverage varies by indoor model. The fuller lists above come from systems with a wired controller such as a BRC1E. A simpler indoor unit reports less.
• The 5-wire MHI splits are not covered, only the two-wire X-Y VRF systems.

Specifications

• Connection: two-wire P1/P2 or X-Y bus, at the indoor unit or the wired wall controller
• Power: from the indoor unit, 12 to 16V DC, under 1W
• Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n, 2.4 GHz
• Control: web browser; Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa, SmartThings, Aqara; Home Assistant and any MQTT client
• Size: 43 x 43 x 20 mm
• Weight: approx. 25 g
• Enclosure: plastic

FAQ

Will it fight with my wall controller?
No. Your wall controller stays the Main and keeps full function. The Ninja joins as the Sub. The bus only allows two devices in total, so anything already in the Sub position has to come off.

I have a Daikin zone controller as well. Will that work?
Usually yes, and more easily than people expect. Most modern zone controllers are kits: one device that handles the zones and the normal air conditioning functions together. The wall panel supplied with it, typically a BRC24 or BRC230 type, is an extension of the zone controller rather than a second device on the bus. So the kit counts as a single Main, and the Sub slot is still free for the Ninja.

What does cause trouble is something genuinely separate already sitting in the Sub position, such as an infrared receiver. That has to come off. Send us a photo of your controllers if you are not sure, and note that zone kits connect at the indoor unit rather than at the wall.

Can I change from WiFi to Matter later?
No. They are different firmware builds and the choice is made when you order. If you are unsure, ask us, and we can identify which suits your setup.

Do I need Home Assistant?
No. The built-in web page works on its own, and the Matter build works with Apple Home and the rest without Home Assistant anywhere. Home Assistant is simply where the full sensor list is most useful.

Can I flash it myself?
No. It ships pre-flashed and tested for the system you selected.

Does it need internet?
Only for firmware updates. Local control keeps working without it.

I have an Altherma heat pump, not air conditioning.
Different product. The Ninja will not control a heat pump. See the Faikin Faikflow for Daikin Altherma 2 and 3.

Installation and guides

Faikin Ninja installation guide for wiring, Wi-Fi setup and control options. Matter and Apple Home pairing guide for hub requirements and pairing steps. Faikin Ninja FAQ for common questions.