A Note for Wink device users updating the device firmware with a Wink Hub

Devices & Integrations
1

If you have Quirky Trippers, GE Link bulbs, Quirky Tapt, etc on your SmartThings, you will benefit greatly from a firmware update of the devices.

Do this by digging up a Wink hub and update it. then pair all your wink/GE devices to it and let it sit paired like that for quite a while. I paired about 20 quirkly tripper sensors and so far it has slowly taken an hour for it to update all of them one at a time to the latest firmware. Once all the devices are updated, THEN you can re-pair them with Smart things.

What I do is pair them as new devices one at a time then go into the IDE web page and copy the information to the old device ID that I did not delete when I paired them with the Wink hub. that way I dont lose my programming.

Luckily SOME devices jumped right back on to smartthings without a problem, just re-pair and watch the device. ST app will not tell you anything, butthe device did the paired led blink and it automatically jumped back into what it was supposed to be in Smart Things. My two Tapt switches I had to re pair, add as a new device, and then move them.

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2

how is wink doing firmware updates? other then it has access to the updated manufacturer firmware? if we could get a copy is there a way to do it from another means then the wink hub?

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Are there any firmware release notes?

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How can you tell when the firmware is updated ?

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The firmware numbers change when you view the device details.

I had to remove and reattach some tripper sensors several times to get them to update.

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none that I can find, Quirky doesnt like giving out information.

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What’s the latest firmware version number ?

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Do your GE Lights remember their on/off status when power is recycled after the firmware update?

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I have 22 GELink Bulbs - this will take a long time to accomplish - what’s the upside ?

What’s the new firmware number for these devices ?

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I believe all if not most smart bulbs are designed to turn on after losing power. I know the TCP, GE, Lifx, Cree and osram all work that way.

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Right, it’s a safety thing. As in, someone coming into a room and flipping a wall switch, especially in an emergency situation, should be able to get lighting to activate. If the bulbs are on a wall-switched circuit then they’d come on. Trouble is the bulbs aren’t able to distinguish between the switch being manually turned-on versus a power loss cycle.

All the more reason to use smart switches, not bulbs. Switches stay in their last state through power cycles.

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I agree that a smart bulb on a switchable circuit has issues. However, for those of us who use them on always hot circuits, the so call safety feature is neither safe nor convenient. LED lights strips on a Fibaro controller does not have this issue.

I always thought not having a setup option for this was an oversight that would eventually be fixed. If it is actually a feature, I’ll have to find an alternative.

Has anyone received an “official” answer from the manufacturers or find anything in the NEC (National Electrical Code).

13

That’s different, that’s not a 110V bulb in a light socket.

As mentioned it’s unlikely they’ll ever allow you to set it to remember the last state unfortunately. Is what it is and why I’m switching to smart switches.

14

Oh, I get why it’s a problem for you. But there’s also the issue of whether code allows for hard-wiring a residential lighting fixture as ‘always hot’.

I agree it’d be convenient if the bulb makers would allow for configuring bulbs for a unlit initial power state. I understand why they don’t (code and legal liabilities). Automation is full of gotchas like these, unfortunately.

15

You have good points. If SmartThings was reliable, we could write an app that recognizes when power is lost and then restores the state when power comes back on. It wouldn’t work when individual circuits are recycled. However, I don’t care about that. I just don’t want all the lights to go on while I’m sleeping or away.

Regardless, code is going to have to adjust. At some point in time, new construction will no longer switch circuits but appliances (lights). In other words all devices will be hot and have virtual or “soft” control. It greatly simplifies wiring and creates more flexible solutions.

Sorry if this thread got hijacked.

16

Back on topic - does anyone know of a way to get GE Link bulbs updated without buying a Wink hub?

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17

As of Wink firmware 2.19, there was no new firmware image for the GE Link bulb. I haven’t updated my hub to the absolute latest yet, but can anyone confirm that the latest hub firmware even has an update for the Link?

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18

I finished my updates. and nope GE link bulbs do not get an update. Pretty sure GE does not give a rat about any of us that bought them and suffer with them falling off the network. I have one bulb that doesn’t report any firmware version at all on the wink hub, and that one gives me the most trouble.

I’m slowly replacing them with Osram anyways. better quality and what seem like a lot better range.

But you should check from time to time anyways if someone wants to keep the GE bulbs. we will never ever get firmware updates for the devices over ST, I just wish wink would tell people when new firmwares were coming out for devices.

19

SmartThings is supposed to have over the air updates “within weeks”. However, I don’t know how easy it will be for manufacturers to submit changes since I think SmartThings has some approval process.

At least this is what I’m able to gleam from the Wednesday developer discussions.

20

ST is working on ZigBee OTA updates which will allow us to update the firmware of the bulbs however…

As it stands the word is that ST hasn’t received any firmware updates for it yet even though GE were apparently working on a fix. It’s currently holding back ST from officially certifying the GE Link bulbs.

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