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Zooz zen32 switch + scene controller (beta firmware)

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    Zooz zen32 switch + scene controller (beta firmware)

    Today was a rainy day so I had a chance to get this installed.

    Fyi it is a load controling z-wave switch (referred to as a relay by Zooz) with 4 extra buttons. I included it to HS4 with a ZStick on a Windows 10 NUC. The install was like any z-wave switch and can be used in a 3-way configuration, though I did not.

    My intended use case was to replace a wall switch with the relay button and use the 4 scene buttons to pick one of 4 schedules with visible indicator of which was chosen. I have a similar either-or scenario configured on a Cooper Eaton Aspire RFWC5 in conjunction with a virtual device.

    The relay has multiple modes and can operate a load by the main button, operate the load but only via events and not by the button, disable z-wave control or no load at all. The buttons can be Associated with other devices or used as Central Scene components, which is what I did.

    Only 3 devices are created, the parent and two children; a Central Scene device and the relay switch. The switch is pretty straight forward with on and off.

    I was accustomed to buttons as child devices like on a Cooper Eaton Aspire RFWC5 or a scene only device like the Aeotec Minimote so this was the first Central Scene device I have used. Buttons 1-4 get scene values of 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 with variants for multiple presses, press and hold, etc. The relay triggers Scene 5000 as well as the Switch child device. you can disable the relay and use it just as a 5 button scene device.

    All buttons can have 4 colors red, green, blue and white. I wish there was a 5th color, just so each could have a unique indicator, but its a minor nit. There are also a couple of LED modes; on when on, off when on, always on, always off.

    The "on when on" and "on when off" gave me fits as the scene buttons would send "Switch Set to ON/OFF" just like the relay on presses after the first time. Adter reading the forums, this behavior seems similar to the HS-WS200+, where the device doesn't resend the Scene indicator on subsequent button presses, just on/off values. I associated the buttons to HomeSeer to try and get more status info but I couldn't figure out how to confidently confirm if a button was on or off. As I lose power a couple times a year when someone drives a semi down the wrong street, I need positive confirmation.

    Since I couldn't find a way to check the scene state, I took a brute force approach and changed the LED indicator parameters between always on and always off, disabling the 3 buttons not pressed and enabling the one that was pressed. To be sure I caught the scene identifier, I used a script command to set the Scene Controller to scene 5000 (relay) after any button was pressed. (Thanks to user Wade in the forums for that idea)

    This is functioning so my family can now tell at a glance which schedule is going to wake us up in the mornings so its a win, even if not the way I expected.

    FYI, to set the scene controller to scene 5000, I used the code below in events as an immediate script action. 544 was device reference id.

    &hs.setdevicevaluebyref(544,5000,True)


    To get the ref id, I went to Tools - Run Script Command
    &hs.GetDeviceRefbyName("light Up Hall Central Scene")

    My switch was was group "light" in room "Up Hall". Or you can push a couple of the buttons and check the logs for the central scene messages to get the name.
    E.g. Device: light Up Hall Central Scene Set to 4000

    If you have duplicate device features (say I had two of these in the same room), it might give the wrong answer. In that case change the names on the Central Scene child devices to make them unique.

    #2
    Thanks for the thorough write-up. I bought one of these at initial release but haven't put it into production yet. This will reduce the head scratching.
    -Wade

    Comment


      #3
      It was your post discussing central scene on the WS200+ that let me come up with a workable solution.

      Comment


        #4
        A little late to the party. I just installed one of these yesterday. I set up an event that triggers every time the central scene device is set to anything greater than 0 and run a script command from that event to "reset' the scene device to 0. This allows all of the buttons to be used as toggles. Setting a value of 5000 set the central scene device as if the "big button" at the top was pressed which isn't what I wanted. BTW, I have parameter 19 set to 0 so the big physical button doesn't control the relay. The relay is associated to a z-wave light/motion sensor for night time floor lighting.

        Kigmatzomat - May I ask how you automated the LED indicators? Is there some way of setting device parameters via an event or scripting? I'd love to be able to do that.

        EDIT: Found it. I guess I never scrolled all of the way to the bottom of the event actions where I found Z-Wave Actions, Set a Configuration Parameter Value.
        "if I have seen further [than others], it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." --Sir Isaac Newton (1675)

        Comment


          #5
          I just got one of these Zen32 controllers. After wrestling with the Cooper controllers I was disappointed to see a totally different strategy here. Since only 3 devices are created I can not see the state of the other 4 scenes. The single child switch device changes state even when the other 4 scene buttons are operated. I also can't seem to control the LED operation independently of the state of the scene. There's some interaction, Looks like I have FW 1.1. This is going to require some thought. I was hoping to have 5 child devices. One physical switch and 4 scenes like the Coopers.

          Comment


            #6
            Archcantor,

            You can always add virtual devices to track the different values sent by the device. One way is to do a bulk copy of an existing feature and change whatever is needed for your additional purposes as in the screenshot below. A Script or Event will be needed to update the status of various items

            Click image for larger version  Name:	Screenshot_2021-10-24_04-08-42.png Views:	0 Size:	74.7 KB ID:	1503987

            Roger D

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by Roger D View Post
              Archcantor,

              You can always add virtual devices to track the different values sent by the device. One way is to do a bulk copy of an existing feature and change whatever is needed for your additional purposes as in the screenshot below. A Script or Event will be needed to update the status of various items

              Click image for larger version Name:	Screenshot_2021-10-24_04-08-42.png Views:	0 Size:	74.7 KB ID:	1503987

              Roger D
              So this is a great approach for making these easier to use and I will probably try it for my 3 units but the question I keep asking Zooz, Homeseer, and anybody else who will listen is: "Why is this neccesary?" If a device has 5 buttons and 5 LEDs why not simply create 10 child devices for them that are directly accessable from events? Why are all 5 buttons able to control other devices via Z-Wave direct association but only the main one able to be reverse associated from those other devices so the four small buttons can't be kept in sync? What possible reason could there be to make such a nice piece of hardware and then make it pointlessly complicated to use? If a 15 year old Insteon keypad can have straight forward button devices available to use directlly in events why can't a modern 2021 device using a modern protocol have at least that basic functionality out of the box without resorting to virtual devices and refresh scripts to make it work right?

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Archcantor View Post
                I just got one of these Zen32 controllers. After wrestling with the Cooper controllers I was disappointed to see a totally different strategy here. Since only 3 devices are created I can not see the state of the other 4 scenes. The single child switch device changes state even when the other 4 scene buttons are operated. I also can't seem to control the LED operation independently of the state of the scene. There's some interaction, Looks like I have FW 1.1. This is going to require some thought. I was hoping to have 5 child devices. One physical switch and 4 scenes like the Coopers.
                This device seems to follow the standard Z-Wave scene controller design of "one scene at a time" even though there's multiple buttons. I have several Aeotec scene controllers and they work the same way. Roger's virtual device strategy is a good solution.

                To control the LEDs independently, use Z-Wave parameters as defined here: https://www.support.getzooz.com/kb/a...nced-settings/

                The HS event action is "Z-Wave Actions - Set A Configuration Parameter Value".
                "if I have seen further [than others], it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." --Sir Isaac Newton (1675)

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by kenm View Post

                  This device seems to follow the standard Z-Wave scene controller design of "one scene at a time" even though there's multiple buttons. I have several Aeotec scene controllers and they work the same way. Roger's virtual device strategy is a good solution.

                  To control the LEDs independently, use Z-Wave parameters as defined here: https://www.support.getzooz.com/kb/a...nced-settings/

                  The HS event action is "Z-Wave Actions - Set A Configuration Parameter Value".
                  It is a good solution for dealing with the Zen32 as it is but the point is it should never have been designed that way to begin with. If there are multiple buttons there should be multiple child devices and Zooz should provide a firmware upgrade to fix that. The whole "select one scene at a time" scenario is very limiting and I can count on one hand the number of times I have needed to use it. By contrast the number of times I have needed keypad buttons to act as virtual 3-way switches or garage door controllers, or music mute buttons or whatever is huge. It just doesn't make sense to create a device like this and then make people jump through all kinds of hoops to use it for anything apart from one sort of rare use case.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    While I really appreciate the work-arounds and learn a lot from folks like you who are generous with your time to provide them, I am more with upstatemike that the product should have created multiple child devices on inclusion. I am currently working with Zooz. They provided FW 10.10. They asked the basic question: "That sounds like a configuration / association issue with HomeSeer since we haven't seen this behavior on any other platform. Can you please confirm that your Z-Wave plug-in is on the latest available version and that you excluded and re-included the device after the firmware update?" I did exclude/re-include. I am on Z-Wave plugin 3.0.7.0 which I believe is the latest. I did have a problem including the device secure. I think the plugin was crashing and restarting. I was able to include it with Z-Tool. I am going to try to exclude/re-include using HomeSeer to see what is going on with that. One thing that seems really odd is that the child device for the relay switch called "Z-Wave Switch Binary" changes state with the 4 scene buttons. You don't hear the relay clicking unless you push the large button. It seems the child status display turns on and off with any button but only operates the relay with the large button. I can't seem to control the 5 leds with Z-Wave Actions in Events. I'll return after testing and if I get anything helpful from Zooz.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Greetings All,

                      I'm a little confused about the troubles some are having. I'm pretty sure with the exception of having to create a Virtual button in HomeSeer if you want one, is that you are able to do what has already been described. All the buttons are able to be used within HomeSeer as-is with firmware version 10.0, which BTW, is what the one I used for the previous examples. The following screen shot shows the information on my device...

                      Click image for larger version

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                      I believe the reason the ZEN32 only creates two Features is because the Device only has two Command Classes, the Central Scene and the Switch Binary. In order to get more Features in HomeSeer or any HA program for that matter, Zooz would have to add more CC's. This may not be possible depending on how the buttons are electrically connected to the Z-Wave chip without a total redesign of the PCB.



                      As for the Scene Buttons being available to be used within Events, they already are...

                      Click image for larger version

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                      One thing you will need to do is reset the value of the Button at the end of your Event.

                      If you don't set the value of the Central Scene to some unused value you won't be able to press the same button twice.
                      BTW, the command &hs.SetDeviceValueByRef(497,0,True) means to set the value of Feature 497, my Central Scene button, to a value of zero.

                      Click image for larger version

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                      For the syncing of multiple controllers in different locations you need to Associate the different Groups to the other devices that you want to include in your 3-way, 4-way, etc...

                      Click image for larger version

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                      The Button vs Group numbering can be found in the ZEN32 manual...Click image for larger version

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                      Click image for larger version

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                      The ZEN32 Scene Controller can be updated via OTA firmware updates, here is how to do that. You can request a firmware update file here.




                      As for Zooz comment "That sounds like a configuration / association issue with HomeSeer," they were close...

                      A more accurate statement would have been, that sounds like a configuration / association issue IN HomeSeer.


                      Hope this helped,

                      Roger D

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                        #12
                        Roger D: Thanks so much for all the valuable information. The one thing still bugging me is that the small buttons toggle the state of the relay switch displayed in HomeSeer. So if I set the small buttons to report their scenes into HomeSeer I can not rely on the reported state of the relay switch being accurate. It seems like all 5 buttons toggle the state of the switch child if they are associated with HomeSeer. I also can not control the LEDs using Z-Wave actions in Events.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Archcantor,

                          Navigate to the Status/Graphics tab for the Central Scene Feature of the Device and verify that they are correctly listed. There may be something wrong in there.

                          If needed just post a screenshot of that full page.

                          Roger D

                          Comment


                            #14
                            They are all in there with corresponding graphics, 1000 through 5006. 7 scenes for each button. Control use NotSpecified.

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                              #15
                              Are you able to verify the other Feature as well?

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