Bali/Somfy Blinds Not Adding

[mulu]

There was just a thread a couple of weeks ago about somebody having problems adding Bali/Somfy z-wave blinds. I can't find the thread, though. I am running into the same problem now. I reset the remotes (press the reset button for 15s until the remote LED stops blinking rapidly) and reset the shades (press button on shade for 7s until they move). After that I used the z-tool+ app on my phone to include the shades by clicking on Add Device (did that for many other z-wave devices last weekend) and then press the button on the shade for 3s until the light starts flashing green (it's solid first). However, HS doesn't see the device. I tried this with multiple shades and reset several shades multiple times. They are a bit further away from the controller but I don't think that is the problem as I did inclusions of those shades before, though that was on HS3 with a gen2 stick.

[Rupp]

I'd recommend moving one close to your Z-Wave interface and try again. Also which Z-Wave plugin are you using?

[mulu]

I am using 3.0.7.0. Moving the interface closer to the shades is kind of difficult. HS is running on a pretty big desktop computer that I can't easily move (heavy and many USB and RS232 connections). Unlike my Schlage lock that is easy to remove and bring close to the controller the shades are somewhat difficult to remove. Can those shades not be added indirectly, i.e. through repeaters? Every shade is probably within less than 10' from a z-wave repeater. I did this a few years ago. I recall it took a few trials but it wasn't as difficult as I experience it now.

Btw, with my old gen2 stick I had to bring the Schlage lock within like 3 feet to include it properly. With the gen3 stick I didn't have to remove the lock and bring it close. The lock was some 15 feet away and had to go through 2 (sheetrock) walls. I did some basic tests and the lock worked as expected. Kind of surprising because those Schlage locks gave me problems in the past when they were not right next to the controller during the inclusion process.

[Kevb]

There was this thread- https://forums.homeseer.com/forum/ho...torized-blinds
@pcgirl was having problems similar to yours. Sorry I'm not much help, mine added as a dimmer.

[Eman]

I suggest Amazon Basics USB 2.0 Active Extension Cable Type A-Male to A-Female Long Cord - 32 Feet (9.75 Meters)

And one more thing, exclude the Z-wave device always before inclusion (it doesn't matter a device is new or old/used)


Eman.

[mulu]

I do recall having has some issues including our Bali blinds properly (they kind of included but not with all features until trying several time). However, currently they are not integrating at all. I had another USB extension cord and was able to get the gne3 z-wave stick within like 12 feet of a shade with now wall in between. It still didn't work. I also completely reset a shade (to the point where it loses the low/high limits) but still no success.

[Kevb]

I'm trying to think back about when I included mine- I don't think I had any issues, but I remember sometimes if z-tool adds a device "weird", I've been able to include it using the HS4 interface in the zwave plugin. Maybe try that or including "non-secure", sorry if this isn't any help.

[pcgirl65]

I just went through this and to be honest, once you re-read the instructions carefully, and do it exact it works perfectly. I was at my wits end because one blind was being accepted fine and one just wasn't. I was about to call and complain that there was something wrong with the blind. I decided to give it one last try and bingo, added no problem and has been working great since. You have to unpair the remote from the blind first. Then reset everything. I think it gives you instructions in the manual under zwave. Then start fresh by resetting everything and make sure that when it says that the blind will jog that you hold the button until it jogs. I think I was releasing the button just after the light would start flashing and then sometimes the blind wouldn't jog. Anyways, I had tried everything including moving the blind within inches of the zwave stick and it didn't help. On my last attempt, the blind was hanging where it was supposed to be and it added no problem. Then once the blind is added you add the remote. Not really sure why because you don't really use the remote in HS. Then once that is added you pair the remote with the blind. Make sure that you follow the directions for the correct remote. Sometimes I read things too fast and I miss something or I am reading for the wrong remote. Read carefully and make sure that you do the correct sequence and amounts of pin jabs (sorry I can't think of the correct terminolgy) on the back of the remote to unpair, pair and reset. Also, you might have to reset your upper most, lowest and home settings on the blind again once you have it all set and added into HS and repaired with the remote. Really, start from fresh first and go from there. Good Luck! It will work if you do it correctly.

Oh and when you do get it in you can add it to Alexa. I say "Alexa Blind up/down" and the blind goes all the way up or all the way down. I can also say "Alexa blind 50%" and the blind will go to 50%, etc. The higher the number the more open the blind is so there would be more window exposed.

[ksum]

I have the Somfy blinds and they added easily, but only after I followed all the steps in order. The Remotes were a little more difficult to add, but I finally got them added as well. Mostly they would go to sleep before fully polled so I had to keep them awake by pressing one of the buttons every couple seconds. They are actually from Springs Window Fashions and this is the Manual I have which came with them. I do have the new SmartStick, but that should not matter.

You start on page 41 of the manual (page 21 of the linked PDF)

First you handle the Remotes:

Exclude the Remotes by using a bent paper clip or other thin poker to press and hold the "program button" on the back of the remote for 15 seconds. The LED on the front will flash Green, then Amber, then Red before it stops flashing. You need to wait for it to stop flashing. This is for the two smaller remotes which have 2 or 3 buttons and no screen.
If you have the Premium remote you press and hold the Menu button (thin one, on the right side of the button) for 2 seconds and then you scroll down to ZWAVE and press the menu button then scroll to RESET and press the menu button and finally select LIKE NEW? and press the menu button.

Next, at each Shade:

Press and hold the program button for 7 seconds. A green LED will backlight the button (it may be hard to see). When the shade "jogs" (moves up/down briefly) let go of the button.
Now Add the Shade:
I use Z-Tool+ to add the shades. Start Z-Tool+ and Add Device. Press and hold the program button on the shade for 3 seconds. The LED light will start flashing green. Let go of the program button. Z-Tool+ should find the shade and start adding it to your setup. I believe the shade jogged after this as well.

Now you can add the Remotes to HomeSeer

Start Z-Tool+ and Add Device. Press and hold the "program button" on the back of the remote as above, but only for 3 seconds, until the LED on the front flashes green. I would then keep pressing the up and down buttons on the remote to keep it awake. Otherwise I had to rescan the device. You shoul dend up with a device which has 2 Children: Battery Status and Central Scene

For the Premium Remoteyou press and hold the Menu button for 2 seconds and then you scroll down to ZWAVE and press the menu button then scroll to LEARN and press the menu button after you hit Add Device in Z-Tool+.

You can now Pair Shades to the Remotes. This is done with the Remote and the Shade only. Press and Release the Program button on the back of the small remote and then press and hold the program button on the shade for 3 seconds until the green LED around the button flashes green. The LEDs on the remote and the shade should both turn green and then the shade should jog.

For the Premium Remote you hold the Menu button for 2 seconds then navigate to the ZWAVE menu as before but select ASSOCIATE and then press and hold the program button on the shade for 3 seconds until the LED backlight flashes green. Then you assign the various shades to channels. We had a few of the 12 channels left over so I have HomeSeer Events triggered by the additional channels/scenes.

[pcgirl65]

ksum the link isn't working for the manual. Here it is if you need it. Karl is correct. If you look at page 42 and follow the instructions exactly, it will work!

[ksum]

This link should work to get to the page which has all the z-wave manuals.

[mulu]

Thank you for all the responses. I already did exactly what ksum mentioned, i.e. reset all remotes (pin for 15s until the red light stops flashing), reset all shades (manual says 7s but it takes maybe 8 or so seconds until the shade jogs). After that I did use z-tool+, going into pairing mode, pressing the button on the shade for some 3s until it goes from solid green to flashing green but nothing happens. I also tried to do it directly from the HS computer but got the same result (didn't include). I think the z-tool+ app isn't actually doing anything, i.e. it's not your phone/mobile device talking to the device you try to include/exclude. Instead, z-tool+ just communicates with the HS computer and then displays you what the HS computer outputs. I tried all of this with multiple shades. I also used an extra extension cord so I can got to about 12 feet or so away from the shade with no walls in between. Still no luck.

[pcgirl65]

I didn't use Z-tool+. I used the current z-wave controller management and I first did an exclude to make sure that it didn't get into HS partly in all the times you have tried. I then started include, then I went to the blind and pressed the button until it started flashing and I think it jogged as well then I let it go. At that point I could see that HS was starting to add it into the zwave.

When I was not having success, I noticed that it would sometimes look like it was adding it but then I couldn't find the device anywhere in HS. So try the exclude first. When it adds it there will be quite a bit of infomation on the zwave controller screen as it adds in the information.