Controlling LED status on GE/Jasco switches

[HFox]

I have a small (only 8 nodes) ZeeS2 z-wave network that uses GE/Jasco wall switches including one dimmer. All have the LED status indicator which I never knew could be controlled via controller software. Recently, though, I was forced to temporarily use a different brand of z-wave controller which had a toggle setting to control when the LED was on - when a switch was toggled on or off. It was simple and worked reliably even when the switches/dimmer were operated manually. As for the rest of the controller and software, it pretty much sucked, hence my desire to get a new Zee into operation.

Now that the new Zee is up and running I thought I'd maybe just missed a setting somewhere in the config/events of my old Zee, but I still can't find such a setting in the new one either. Right now the switches have the LED turned ON when the switches/lights are OFF. Also, unlike the old Zee, the new one doesn't seem to detect when a switch has been operated manually which results in LEDs being 'out of sync' when the switches are operated by the controller. We also realized when using the other brand controller that we preferred having the LEDs on when the lights were on.

Can anyone provide any suggestions/instructions for where to look in the HS3 console that would allow me to control the status LEDs?

Many thanks!

[Wade]

It's a z-wave parameter that is configured here:

[HFox]

Wow! That's like really, really obvious. I guess in all my searching around the console, I never found that one. Getting old...

Thanks SO much!

[Wade]

Happy to help.

[HFox]

I guess things weren't quite so obvious after all. After reading your first response, by some kind of weird coincidence, I managed to select the one and only switch that had that option available in the Z-wave Settings, thus my reply to you. It also had an option for reversing the paddle function. Anyway, when I got the chance to look at all of the nodes I discovered that none of my other switches have either of those settings. But there must be a different way of controlling the LEDs nonetheless; the other brand controller enabled the setting on all of the switches and they worked as intended.

There is a setting entitled "Set Configuration Parameters" that looks like this:

Use this feature to change Z-Wave configuration parameters that are not included in the settings above.

Set: Parameter Number: [Dropdown list (0-255)] Value (Decimal): [Input field] Value Size: [1,2,4 Bytes]

Unfortunately, I have no idea at all how to use it to help do what I want.

Any ideas/suggestions? Thanks again.

[Wade]

If the device is specifically supported by HomeSeer, certain z-wave parameters are accounted for in the HS3 z-wave plugin and therefore show up ready to configure, like the 3 parameters in the screenshot I posted in #2 above. Other parameters may be available to configure, but you have to know the parameter number, valid values and what each value does, and the parameter size. For example, for the GE/Jasco 14921 z-wave plus switch, the parameters are listed here: https://products.z-wavealliance.org/...s/1438/configs


You can find the parameters for many z-wave devices on this site or, better yet, in the mfg documentation for the device.


Using the same device from post #2 as an example, the two highlighted settings will accomplish exactly the same thing:



If you have two identical devices that have different pre-populated parameter settings, it could be due to different firmware versions. If not that, then a rescan might fix it.

[HFox]

Very helpful. That is really great info. I'd love to know how you figure this stuff out and the places where the information is available. I'll give your suggestions a try tomorrow and report back.

Really appreciate your assistance.

[Wade]

99% of what I didn't pick up through trial and error came from the community on this board. There's a wealth of information here, and many users who are more than glad to help out. Once you get used used to using google to search the forums rather than the search field, you'll find discussions of practically anything you want to do with HS.

Google: "site:homeseer.com [search terms]"

[Guest]

I am in the same boat....More than half of my JASCO/GE switches do not properly report the LED. According to JASCO and GE the light should be ON when the switch is OFF - and the LED is OFF when the switch is ON. Mine are not doing this.

I have RE-SCANNED all them. Following the steps of setting PARAMETER 3 to "0" - and applying it. Some of them give an ERROR - Some of them state the change happened...but the status of the LED does not change.

Very, Very, Very frustrating.

I have called and emailed GE and JASCO - they state the 5.25 Firmware for the ON/OFF plugs and the DIMMER plugs is the latest....but some of mine are 5.23 and I have one at 5.20...I cannot find Firmware update files for these....anyone know where one might find them?

I really wish there was a public repository for all of these. Would be SUPER-AWESOME if the Z-Wave Alliance group had them all.

Curtis

[SteveW]

As far as I know from my inquiry to Jasco a couple years ago, they don't provide firmware updates. I mostly use Homeseer switches and dimmers, but I have some Jasco products, too. Different models of their products will have different firmware versions (this is to be expected), and no doubt some of the devices were manufactured with different firmware versions over the years. I have:

Jasco wall dimmer: V 5.8
Jasco wall switch: 5.20 and 5.22
Jasco on/off plugin switch: 3.34 (Z-Wave, not Z-Wave Plus)
Jasco outdoor (water resistant) plugin switch: 1.25 (Z-Wave, not Z-Wave Plus)

The wall switches and dimmer are all set to have the blue LED on when the switch is off, and off when the switch is on.

I wouldn't worry about their firmware versions, since they are very simple devices (no scene control, for example). They simply work as-is.

[Guest]

SteveW,

I was able to get the LED light to be ON when plug is OFF and vice-versa. Plugged it in....and quickly pressed the BUTTON 10 times. The light switched and it is working as desired now.

Highly annoying that these manufacturers do not share things like this - or utilize the same PARAMETER SETTINGS.

Speaking of - Does anyone know of a way to PULL off these from a ZWAVE device - and then find out what they do?

I am sorry if I seem like I am trying to re-invent the wheel - but I truly feel that HOMESEER has the possibility of being the BEST PRODUCT OUT THERE.....but many of the 'spit-polishing' things need help. For example, there is still no HS4 manual.

There are settings in the application which make no sense what they are, what they do, etc. I have worked in the past on 'ground-floor' products and writing of the documents which end-users are going to need (in other words instruction manuals) and they got written as the product was being developed.

[SteveW]

While I agree that Homeseer's documentation is sorely lacking, their hardware products do come with instruction sheets, but the Homeseer hub software UI is confusing and takes time to understand, by trial and error. As has been explained many times here on this forum, the forum community is your best source for questions and solutions.

Regarding the GE/Jasco switches, it's not HST's job to document their parameters. Every Z-Wave product maker has different parameters and values, determined by their tweaks to the firmware. The GE/Jasco switches (now discontinued/superseded by their newer Enbrighten product line) were very simple, and only had a couple of parameters, which were documented in the instruction sheet that came with the switch.

See: https://manual.zwave.eu/backend/make...=ZC10-15080016

[Guest]

SteveW,

All of my JASCO/GE Switches are of the Enbrighten family. I was not expecting HST to provide these parameters and was not trying to imply that. But with the lack in documentation for the features and settings in HomeSeer - HST has the ability to host a 'documents' portal where things like this could be collected and stored. Some sort of knowledge base.

I looked at the documents for the plugs I am using - which is where I found the use of the 'button' to set the LED status....as the parameter setting was not working. I even reverted a few of them to FACTORY DEFAULTS (which according the posts and documentation) was to have the LED ON when plug/switch is OFF, and OFF when they are ON. Kinda of a way to find them in the dark - which is what I use that feature for.

According to every thing I could find on these items - this was as follows:

Parameter 3: LED Light


When shipped from the factory, the LED is set to turn ON when the connected light is turned OFF. This is the default setting and canbe changed if your primary controller supports the node configuration function. To make the LED turn ON when the light is turnedON, change parameter 3s value to 1. To turn the LED OFF at all times, change parameter 3s value to 2.

Size: 1 Byte, Default Value: 0

0	LED Light on when Z-Wave turned OFF (Default)
1	LED Light on when Z-Wave turned On
2	LED Light Always Off

I was finding this was not working.

[SteveW]

All I can tell you is what I observe, with my GE/Jasco switches, which are older than yours. Setting the LED behavior either via the Settings section or the Parameters section works, and it works regardless of which method you use. Remember, you need to click "Set" after changing the value.

[Guest]

SteveW,

Yes - always do that. It spins for a minute or so - then comes back with ERROR in the Parameter Value box.

I wish there was a tool to read these things from the devices.