Turning on a Zwave light with another Zwave light

[mythtified]

Can this be done?  I have triggered on a Zwave light with an X10 motion or X10 remote by setting up an event.  I try to set up a similar event by using a Zwave light as the trigger when it is manually turned on at the switch but it does not work.  The software indicates that the Zwave light is on but no event is triggered when the light is turned on.  I have tried this in 0810 and with 0710 with the newer Zwave driver.  I am currently using 0710. 

[totallymaxed]

Can this be done?  I have triggered on a Zwave light with an X10 motion or X10 remote by setting up an event.  I try to set up a similar event by using a Zwave light as the trigger when it is manually turned on at the switch but it does not work.  The software indicates that the Zwave light is on but no event is triggered when the light is turned on.  I have tried this in 0810 and with 0710 with the newer Zwave driver.  I am currently using 0710. 

You need to associate the light switch with the load controller for that to work. Use the instructions that came with your modules to achieve this.

All the best

Andrew

[mythtified]

Thx for the reply.  By load controller you mean the device that allows linuxmce to talk to zwave devices?  In my case it is a micasaverde dongle only connected to a usb port.  Instructions were non-existent with that.  From what I can tell I can only enroll the zwave devices with that.  Can this dongle be used in the manner you suggest?

[totallymaxed]

Thx for the reply.  By load controller you mean the device that allows linuxmce to talk to zwave devices?  In my case it is a micasaverde dongle only connected to a usb port.  Instructions were non-existent with that.  From what I can tell I can only enroll the zwave devices with that.  Can this dongle be used in the manner you suggest?

Load controller is the device that actually controls the load ie turns the light on/off ot fades it up/down. The Micasaverde stick is a secondary controller it does not actually control any electrical loads directly at all.

Andrew

[mythtified]

After I posted again it dawned on me that was probably what it was.  Now a last question: (I hope) I gather that the commands are sent from linuxmce to the load controller to accomplish what I want to do.  Could you point me to the part of the wiki that explains this procedure or at least a search term that would yield good results?  In any case I appreciate the answers you have given me.

I guess playing with send command to device link of the Zwave interface can be a bad thing.  I managed to reset the device and blew away my lights.     Fortunately I only have 5 Zwave lights and they were easily re-inserted.    

[totallymaxed]

After I posted again it dawned on me that was probably what it was.  Now a last question: (I hope) I gather that the commands are sent from linuxmce to the load controller to accomplish what I want to do.  Could you point me to the part of the wiki that explains this procedure or at least a search term that would yield good results?  In any case I appreciate the answers you have given me.

I guess playing with send command to device link of the Zwave interface can be a bad thing.  I managed to reset the device and blew away my lights.     Fortunately I only have 5 Zwave lights and they were easily re-inserted.    

Try here; http://wiki.linuxmce.com/index.php/Z-Wave

Andrew

[mythtified]

That was one of the first pages I found in the wiki.  It does not really address what I want to do.  That page gives a general overview of zwave, shows compatible controllers, and then goes on to talk about using an external zwave controller to include/exclude devices in linuxmce.  With that controller you could associate zwave devices in the manner that I would want.  Also you could conceivably turn off the linuxmce box at that time and use the controller independently to control the zwave lights.  The problem is I don't have that kind of controller.  As I said before I have the micasaverde dongle plugged into my linuxmce computer.  This is how I include/exclude/control my zwave lights.  I consider linuxmce as my controller.  In the zwave interface advanced screen there is a link to send command to a device.  When that is clicked a new window opens with a drop down box that has several options of commands that can be sent to the interface.  So far I have been unable to find information on how to use that.  A couple of commands in the drop down that look promising are, "Set an Association" and "Send Command to Child Device."  Unfortunately, doing a search on either of those commands does not yield the results I am looking for.  The search function of the wiki seems to break up my search term into individual words and display results for those. 

Do you know if the Send Command to a Device would work?  Any direction as to find instruction for this advanced function?

Again thx for taking the time

Larry

[totallymaxed]

That was one of the first pages I found in the wiki.  It does not really address what I want to do.  That page gives a general overview of zwave, shows compatible controllers, and then goes on to talk about using an external zwave controller to include/exclude devices in linuxmce.  With that controller you could associate zwave devices in the manner that I would want.  Also you could conceivably turn off the linuxmce box at that time and use the controller independently to control the zwave lights.  The problem is I don't have that kind of controller.  As I said before I have the micasaverde dongle plugged into my linuxmce computer.  This is how I include/exclude/control my zwave lights.  I consider linuxmce as my controller.  In the zwave interface advanced screen there is a link to send command to a device.  When that is clicked a new window opens with a drop down box that has several options of commands that can be sent to the interface.  So far I have been unable to find information on how to use that.  A couple of commands in the drop down that look promising are, "Set an Association" and "Send Command to Child Device."  Unfortunately, doing a search on either of those commands does not yield the results I am looking for.  The search function of the wiki seems to break up my search term into individual words and display results for those. 

Do you know if the Send Command to a Device would work?  Any direction as to find instruction for this advanced function?

Again thx for taking the time

Larry

Well as far as I know you would use the Micasaverde stick to include all of your devices (as you would with any other inclusion controller) and then plug it into a usb port on the Core (or any of your MD's) and then LinuxMCE should detect it and the Lighting Wizard should automatically start. You then just follow the prompts for the Lighting Wizard to add the included lights to your LinuxMCE system....then when the Wizard if complete do a reload router...place you lights on your lighting floorplan in Web Admin...and do a Regen All...and your all set.

All the best

Andrew

[mythtified]

You need to associate the light switch with the load controller for that to work. Use the instructions that came with your modules to achieve this.

All the best

Andrew

   Which brings me back to my original post.  I understand the basics.  I have included my zwave lights with the dongle and linuxmce picks them up wonderfully.  In order to associate two zwave lights together so that when one comes on the other comes on too, I would need a controller, according to the directions that come with my switches(load controller) similar to the one described in the link you provided me.  The micasaverde dongle does not have the ability to associate devices since it only includes/excludes zwave devices for linuxmce.  So my question is, can linuxmce be considered the controller in this case?  Can linuxmce provide the mechanism to associate lighting devices?

Larry

[totallymaxed]

You need to associate the light switch with the load controller for that to work. Use the instructions that came with your modules to achieve this.

All the best

Andrew

   Which brings me back to my original post.  I understand the basics.  I have included my zwave lights with the dongle and linuxmce picks them up wonderfully.  In order to associate two zwave lights together so that when one comes on the other comes on too, I would need a controller, according to the directions that come with my switches(load controller) similar to the one described in the link you provided me.  The micasaverde dongle does not have the ability to associate devices since it only includes/excludes zwave devices for linuxmce.  So my question is, can linuxmce be considered the controller in this case?  Can linuxmce provide the mechanism to associate lighting devices?

Larry

The association is between the 'wall switch' and the load controller (ie the ZWave device actually controlling the power in the circuit). You can setup those associations by following the instructions provided with those devices. Merten & ACT wall switches and load controllers, for example, have instructions for setting up associations in their instruction booklets.

All the best

Andrew

[mythtified]

I hope I am not trying your patience yet.    Sometimes it takes me a while but I eventually get there.  By reading what you wrote, you are implying that the switch is seperate item from a load controller.  Could you define what you mean by switch for me?  I associate a switch and a load controller as one unit.  Like the ACTZRW103.  The directions for that say that if you are using a ZTH100 controller refer to the Setup Menu, Association section which implies to me that it requires a controller of some sort to set up the association for the zwave device.  Thx for the help.  I will see if I can download the manual for the ZTH100 to get some insight as to how this may be accomplished

[totallymaxed]

I hope I am not trying your patience yet.    Sometimes it takes me a while but I eventually get there.  By reading what you wrote, you are implying that the switch is seperate item from a load controller.  Could you define what you mean by switch for me?  I associate a switch and a load controller as one unit.  Like the ACTZRW103.  The directions for that say that if you are using a ZTH100 controller refer to the Setup Menu, Association section which implies to me that it requires a controller of some sort to set up the association for the zwave device.  Thx for the help.  I will see if I can download the manual for the ZTH100 to get some insight as to how this may be accomplished

:-)...

Well if you are using an ACT ZRW103 then you have a combined wall switch & load controller. If you include the ZRW103 to your Micasaverde dongle then your all done - just plug the stick into your Core or an MD and it will be detected etc. However the ZRW103 can also be used to remotely control two other load controllers (ie another two ZRW103's or other ZWave load controllers). If you want to remotely control these other load controllers with your ZRW103 (by double tapping the paddle for example) then you need to associate it with the load controller in question by following the association instructions provided by ACT. After making all the associations...you then include all the load controllers to your Micasaverse stick...and then plug it into your Core or an MD.

All the best

Andrew

[mythtified]

Ok I did it through LMCE.  Log on to the lmce admin web page.  On the left side of the page under Wizard, click interfaces.  In the main part of the page, select Advanced for the Zwave interface.  When that page displays, click Send command to a device link.   A new window opens.  Click on the drop down box and select Set Association.  Enter the necessary indicated information and click send message.  As long as the switch/load controller you choose to set associations with has the capability to do associations you will be able to control up to X number of Zwave lights.  The ZRW103 can associate up to 5 devices into two association groups that can be used, group 2 and group 3.  It works well.  I really wanted the light switch in the garage to do this but it does not have that capability.  I guess I will buy a switch/load controller that does.

Thx for your responses.  They were a great help.

[tschak909]

looks like we need to extend the lights wizard page to deal with associations. Any takers?


-Thom

[mythtified]

What can I do to help?  I am not a programmer.  Does the wizard page really need to be updated?  This I would consider to be advanced functionality which places this right where it needs to be.  If you don't mind my opinion, what is lacking in some cases is documentation, mainly in the advanced pages.  I figured this out by playing with it ( which included removing my zwave lights from the dongle by not understanding what a reset could do to me) and speaking to totallymaxed.  He pointed me in the direction of exploring associations. 

Because I do not fully understand all of the different fields in the different advanced sections and not being able to find that information in the wiki, I am not able to fully utilize the system.  I have, on several occasions, found it easier to reload/reinstall the system after making a change somewhere that broke something somewhere else. 

I would love to be able to set up an advance event that would turn on a zwave light based on whether another zwave light is on or not.  I know from posts I have read that it isn't implemented, but I look at the logs and can see the nodes that are on.  I keep thinking if I can see it in the log and the orbiter shows that it is on by changing color and displaying the word ON I should be able to set a condition that takes advantage of that. 

What I can do is try to write something up in the wiki, unless it is already there and I missed it, that describes what needs to be done to make a zwave association.  I guess that adding material to the wiki is described somewhere?