Alternatives to Z-Wave switches, I have several Leviton Z-Wave anywhere switches (they don’t directly control a load). Simply Automated Anywhere 3-Way Switch, Remote switch, RF remote switch, I want to get them setup to control Linear dimmers that are directly connected to their loads. The instructions that came with the switch say to refer to my controller’s documentation on how to associate z-wave devices with each other…however (as usual) it’s not obvious how to do this with SmartThings.
I tried to setup Big Switch, but I cannot get the Big Switch app to work, in three different applications that I’ve tried (both related to this three-way problem, and others). The “slave” switches I setup in Big Switch never respond correctly to the “master” switch.
How can I get these three-ways working? Do I need some other device that is actually capable of associating z-wave devices directly, without involving the SmartThings hub?
Yes…I’m in the same situation as you are. I found an aeon labs minimote on ebay for $30 that should be in my hands on Monday. Hopefully that takes care of it and I can start using it.
Thanks for the confirmation…after digging around these forums some more, it seems that direct device association is indeed (still) not supported by SmartThings. I went ahead and ordered the Aeon minimote.
Even if the Big Switch app worked properly, I’d rather have direct device associations so the switches work even when the controller is down/unavailable. It’s frustrating to have to buy other controller hardware to do this.
FYI, got the minimote today. The one I got doesn’t have the associate button labeled. After doing some reading, it seems there may be 2 version of the remote. None the less, it still worked and did the job. The one thing I did prior to associating was update the firmware on the remote which can be found here: http://aeotec.com/small-z-wave-remote-control/1265-minimote-firmware.html2 Seems some people had issues associating prior to this firmware update. In the end, I’m finally able to use my 3 way switch. I hope SmartThings will get this functionality added in eventually.
Also, these are the steps I used:
Associate Transmitter (LTM-5) with Switch/Module
To create the three-way switching, do the following:
Press the Button labeled “Associate” on the Minimote. The Blue LED should blink slowly
On the switch/module to be controlled, double tap the set button. the LED will blink quickly to indicate proper Z-wave communication has occurred
Double tap rocker on the Transmitter to finish the association. The Blue LED will stay on for 2 Seconds to indicate Success
Repeat Step 3 for all additional auxiliary switches if multiple.
Press Any button to exit Association Mode.
I got my minimote today. Thanks for those steps chevyman. I still can’t get it working though, even after firing up an old Windows VM (no love for Macs!) to do the firmware update. I click the Associate button, and the blue LED flashes, but double-tapping the rocker on the master switch (the one to be controller) does nothing.
Any ideas?
Never mind, apparently I hadn’t gotten the minimote associated with the SmartThings hub correctly. It all works now. Virtual three-ways! Woot!
Related…is there a limit to the number of other devices that can be controlled by an aux switch at once? It seems to be four…I have a group of five lights I’d love to tie into one aux switch, but the last one just won’t do anything when I try to associate it.
Forum Source: http://community.smartthings.
About UPB Technology
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Highly Reliable — The UPB method of communication is 100 ~ 1000 times more reliable than current X-10 technology and 10 ~100 times more reliable than CEBUS or LONWORKS powerline technologies. UPB is 99.9% reliable versus 70%-80% reliability of X-10.* UPB transmits farther (over a mile), is less susceptible to powerline noise and capacitive attenuation (signal reduction) than other technologies for three reasons:
When put on one phase of a home’s two phase power line, the signals are so strong they go out to the street side transformer and are induced on the opposite phase, returning back to the home. Since UPB transmits at a low frequency, it does not affect other powerline devices or appliance/loads. No New Wires – UPB dimmer switches are installed exactly like regular dimmer switches. They connect to a home’s standard wiring. Since no new or special wiring is required, they work great in retrofit applications too. Affordable — UPB dimmer switches can be as affordable as high end non-communicating dimmers. When comparing costs of home upgrades (theater TV, remodeled bath or kitchen) adding lighting automation and control to a room or whole home provides a surprising improvement in quality of life at a comparably low cost. Simplicity – Adding lighting control can be as simple as plugging in dimming modules or replacing dimming switches Pre-Configured Series. Unlike radio frequency (RF) wireless switches, where reliability is proportional to the number of ‘mess-networked’ switches installed, UPB provides reliability and performance anywhere in the home without the need of repeaters. Peer to Peer – No host computer or central controller is necessary for single, point-to-point control or group (lighting scene) control. UPB is a no-host, peer to peer network. Interruption of power, or single point controller/repeater failure, will not affect a stand-alone UPB network. Two Way Communications – Hardware, software and protocol design allows for two-way communication in all products. Status can be confirmed with polling or automatically transmitted upon local/manual load changes. House Separation – Neighbors with UPB will not control each other’s lights. The UPB addressing scheme allows for 250 systems (houses) on each transformer and 250 devices on each system. It incorporates over 64,000 total addresses compared to 256 for conventional X-10. Interaction – UPB communication can be used in the presence of all X-10, CEBus, HomePlug or LonWorks compatible equipment with no interference between either. The UPB technology uses a completely different frequency range than any of the wide-band, narrow-band, or spread spectrum technologies. The physical method of UPB communication is entirely different than the modulation-demodulation techniques of all X-10, CEBus, or LonWorks. Higher Speed – 20 to 40 times the speed of X- 10 in terms of data transmitted. This is equivalent to over ten full commands per second. The average latency of command to action is less than 0.1 second.
* Reliability is defined as the percentage of transmitter/receiver pairs that correctly operate upon initial installation. The UPB test units are randomly installed in the environment typical of the target market. This market is defined as the single-family residential market in the US, homes with a median size of 2500 Sq, Ft. This environment is defined to be the existing base of homes, without any modifications, which means there should be no “fixing” the electrical system of the residence by adding couplers, repeaters or filtering. |
UPB technology provides an inexpensive and reliable solution for residential and commercial powerline communications applications. While other powerline communication technologies exist, none compare to UPB in cost per node, functionality and reliability.
Try Simply Automated, I’ve been using for the past couple of years,reliable and not too expensive.
This is the reason I stopped using zwave, non-compatibility with suppliers, very tough programming, little/no help from zwave community