Implementing Grow R503 Fingerprint Sensor with ESP32-C6 Using Espressif Zigbee SDK

[malchom]

Hi everyone,

I'm working on integrating the Grow R503 fingerprint sensor with an ESP32-C6 using the Espressif Zigbee SDK and could use some guidance. My goal is to create a stable Zigbee-compatible fingerprint sensor that can be used in Home Assistant.

Current Challenges:
- Lack of existing header files or drivers – I haven't found any official or community-developed headers for the Grow R503.
- Interfacing with the ESP32-C6 – While the ESPHome implementation on a standard ESP32 is functional, porting this to Zigbee (via Espressif's Zigbee SDK) requires a custom driver.
- Fingerprint enrollment and verification – I need a way to manage fingerprint storage and authentication over Zigbee.
- LED control – The Grow R503 has an LED ring, which I’d like to expose to Zigbee as a controllable entity.

What I Need Help With:
- Developing a driver for the Grow R503 that works with the ESP32-C6’s UART interface.
- Integrating fingerprint enrollment, verification, and deletion into a Zigbee cluster.
- Making the LED controllable via Zigbee commands.
- General advice on implementing custom Zigbee devices using the Espressif Zigbee SDK.

If anyone has experience with writing UART-based sensor drivers, developing Zigbee clusters, or working with Espressif’s Zigbee SDK, it would be extremely benficial for me! Any pointers to existing projects or similar integrations would be much appreciated.

Thanks!