Rpi3 Board install...

[smargi]

Hi..

I just bought a zee gen5 with rpi2 board my question is can i swap the board inside the case with a new rpi3 board and still use the zee with the same hs3 software card and z-wave gpio board...?

[Pete]

still use the zee with the same hs3 software card and z-wave gpio board...

Yes.

The new build is using Jessie instead of Wheezy. Here diy'd everything. My base has a Z-Wave dot me GPIO card and a PiFace RTC clock. I repurposed the old RPi2 with Jessie to a Homeseer slave GPIO Z-Wave, X10, UPB and 1-wire slave to HS3 lite now running on a micro PC called the Xi3/Xi5a which is AMD based and using SSD and running Ubuntu 16.04 64 bit. (concurrently also tested the Pine64/2Gb device as a HS3 lite machine).

There is no need for an RPi desktop running Homeseer 3. There has never been a need for the desktop. You do not benefit from the RPi3 desktop.

I have found basic memory issues with the base new install of Jessie on the RPi2 which probably are there for the RPi3. That said I do not know if the HS base RPi3 includes these changes. Thinking Jessie will work better with the RPi3 than the RPi2 based on the difference in basic specifications.

Note that Jessie/Ubunutu on the RPi3 runs in 32 bit mode which is the same as the RPi2.

Mostly though for just HS3 use the RPi3 will just be a server not needing faster video for a GUI. OR the use of KODI for a much needed boost here.

Note too that the GUI / GPU processing will still RAM/CPU processing from Homeseer 3.

The Raspberry Pi 2 has a quad-core 900MHz CPU, the Pi 3 a quad-core 1.2GHz one. Both have 1GB RAM and both use a fourth-generation VideoCore CPU.

First, while the CPU only gains 300MHz, it also updates its architecture from a Cortex-A7 set to a Cortex-A53 one. This is an architecture boost from 32-bit to 64-bit, and gets you better performance for your clock speed.

Next up, the GPU. Both are VideoCore IV chipsets, but where the Pi 2 is clocked at 250MHz, this new one is 400MHz.

While they’re both designed to deliver 1080p video rather than 4K, this means the graphics chip has been scaled up with the CPU. The Raspberry Pi Foundation knows what it’s doing.

Perhaps the least well-documented upgrade is the RAM. Both models have 1GB, both are forms of DDR2. But where the Raspberry Pi 2 has 450MHz, RAM, the Pi 3 has 900MHz RAM.

Personally here never have utilized the RPi2 Wheezy GUI (x windows) and never have used it with a monitor and keyboard or mouse. The default Jessie OS includes an improved desktop experience that does eat CPU / RAM. Just found this out trying to install Webmin. It wouldn't install due to lack of resources. So base changes made using raspi-config are the following. Jessie OS put this stuff on the windows GUI and mentioning that the old command raspi-config is still there.

1 - changed the boot to go to a command line rather than GUI
2 - changed the GPU use to 16 rather than default (cuz I do not use a monitor)
3 - optionally overclocked it to 1 Ghz. (really don't need to do this)

Then edited the default Jessie swap from 99 Mb to 1024 Gb. Way better now.


IE:

Before any changes with stock Jessie installation on the RPi2.

free -m
             total       used       free     shared    buffers     cached
Mem:           925         681        [B]243[/B]          6         69        431
-/+ buffers/cache:        180        744
Swap:         [B]99[/B]          0         99

Changing the Jessie boot to command line prompt versus GUI.

free -m
             total       used       free     shared    buffers     cached
Mem:          973         234        [B]738[/B]          6         18        165
-/+ buffers/cache:         51        921
Swap:         99          0         99

Changing swap from default to 1024 Mb.

root@ICS-ZNet:~# free -m
             total       used       free     shared    buffers     cached
Mem:           973        204        [B]768[/B]          6         19         87
-/+ buffers/cache:         96        876
Swap:         [B]1023 [/B]         0       1023

[smargi]

hi.

Sorry if i didn't fully understand how to swap the rpi2 board with rpi3 board in my new zee s2 and still use the license hs3 software i will Appreciate a guide to do that...

[zwolfpack]

hi.

Sorry if i didn't fully understand how to swap the rpi2 board with rpi3 board in my new zee s2 and still use the license hs3 software i will Appreciate a guide to do that...

It should be as simple removing the zwave daughter card and the micro sd card from the original board, then installing those two on the rpi3.
I just ordered an rpi3 so I can do the same with my z-net.

[smargi]

So that it's all needs to be done just swap the board and install the card to the new rpi3..? no need to install other os or something else...? every thing will work like on the original rpi2 board...? when you get the new rpi3 board and install it let me know if everything went well with the upgrade.

[Pete]

So that it's all needs to be done just swap the board and install the card to the new rpi3..?

yes

no need to install other os or something else...?

HomeSeer 3 is just a directory. No need to install it. Just copy it over.

RPi3 uses the new Jessie OS. The new Jessie OS includes the Bluetooth and Wireless drivers but does not include the GPIO Z-Wave serial set up.

You have to disable the Bluetooth GPIO drivers to use the Z-Wave GPIO drivers. This is the same running Jessie on the RPi2 or RPi3.

every thing will work like on the original rpi2 board...?

Yes.

You can short cut the process by downloading the new PiHS3 stuff and then changing the OS for the Z-Wave GPIO card.

[zwolfpack]

So that it's all needs to be done just swap the board and install the card to the new rpi3..? no need to install other os or something else...? every thing will work like on the original rpi2 board...?

Yes. It should work as well as the old one. You indicated you had a fairly new zee, so it likely comes with the 'jesse' os that Pete is referring to. Even if it's the older 'wheezy' build, the new board will work as well as the old one; some of the newer rpi feaures might not be available.

To see what version you have , try this command
$ uname -r
4.4.13+
If the returned version starts with 4, its jesse and you are golden. If it starts with 3 its wheezy and you might need to upgrade if you want to use the onboard wireless, etc. But that can wait.

when you get the new rpi3 board and install it let me know if everything went well with the upgrade.

Will do - I'm impatiently waiting...

[smargi]

so just to be clear if i see after the version check that my os is version 4+ jesse all i need to do is just swap the board with the new one rpi3 and everything will just work include on board wifi and bluetooth and there will not be any hs3 licence issue...?

[zwolfpack]

so just to be clear if i see after the version check that my os is version 4+ jesse all i need to do is just swap the board with the new one rpi3 and everything will just work include on board wifi and bluetooth and there will not be any hs3 licence issue...?

That is my understanding. Re license issues, Homeseer sold you the software and the hardware. But as far as I know they don't tie the two together in any way. So you can move an HS license from Windows to Linux, for example.
Regarding the hardware, if something doesn't work (because the build on the SD card is older or missing some driver for example), its relatively painless to update. Just post your issues and help will be forthcoming.

[Pete]

Regarding the use of the GPIO Z-Wave card on the RPi3 you will need to change it a bit.

ttyAMA0 is the serial device of the onboard bluetooth adapter.

You have to configure the GPIO Z-Wave me card differently.

Bluetooth on the Pi3 uses the same ttyAMA0 UART as the GPIO Z-Wave me card.

Reading some so far it looks like you can have one (Z-Wave GPIO) or the other (wireless-bluetooth) working but not both.

This is posted on the Z-Wave me forums relating to using the ZWave me GPIO card.

Many folks turned their RPi2's to NTP servers with GPIO GPS's for a stratum one clock for that perfect NTP time thing.

Here using a GPS test board with serial, USB and bluetooth outputs. Never did utilize the USB / bluetooth on it.

Reading a bit more you may be able to use the 2nd GPIO serial port for the Z-Wave me card or vice versa.

Have a read here and give it a try. IE: using bluetooth and the second GPIO serial port - best guess here.

Configuring The GPIO Serial Port On Raspbian Jessie on an RPi2/3

Here never have used Bluetooth or Wireless for my HS servers. All of my HSTouch consoles are wired except for a few test ones. That has been my preference. (I have no sure bet automation dependencies on anything wireless even though I do play with it). That said my Davis weather console is connected wirelessly to my Davis Vantage Pro weather station. The hard rain switch though is a digital rain gauge which is wired along with an old fashioned and large rain tipping bucket.

[zwolfpack]

Good info, thanks.
On the znetv2 config.txt they have

dtoverlay=pi3-miniuart-bt

as mentioned in the article in you link. That way the /dev/ttyAMA0 can continue to be used for the zwave comms.