Buzzing open a fail secure door strike via z-wave switch?

[Dan_KE (Dan)]

I’m attempting to do something similar to lordorwell’s door strike implementation:

How i made my doors unlock... ON THE CHEAP (under $50) (electric strike)

Very nice! I suspect the main reason more people don't do this, is because of aesthetics. There isn't always a place to plug the device into the wall right near the entry door and if there is, people still may not like the look of it. Because I'm in a wheelchair, I know a lot of people who have electric strike plates and door openers, and usually the first discussion is aesthetics.

I’ll be using a fail secure strike lock (soon to be installed), so my understanding is that you apply power and it holds open until power is removed. I’ll have a paddle on the inside to ensure emergency egress.

Can I set a z-wave switch to BUZZ the door lock, as opposed to a single signal for open close? Ideally it would buzz for 5-10 seconds, plus allow for setting up some type of geofencing. GPS based, or perhaps if my phone connects to wifi between 4:30PM and 6PM, door strike opens for 2 minutes.

[JDRoberts]

( I’ve moved this to projects so you can get individualized advice based on your specific set up and requirements)

As far as can it be done, maybe. It will depend in part on the exact device that you’re using, but typically yes. Then as far as setting up the rules for it, you should be able to do it in core.

FAQ: What is WebCoRE? (And what was CoRE?)

CoRE (now WebCore) is a very powerful community – created rules engine for SmartThings. It allows you to set up stacked conditionals like “If A then B but only while C and not if D.” Setting it up can be quite complex, but there are many community members who will be glad to help you. For example, here is a piston that one member created to notify him if the dog had already been fed twice that day and he picked up the dog bowl for a third time. He needed this because he has a large family and people didn’t always remember whose turn it was to feed the dog. :dog::blush: [image] The original version of CoRE Has now been replaced by a new version, WebCoRE, which moves the data entry to a web interface. This allows for flexibility and an architecture that requires more memory than is av…

The only thing is I don’t think there’s anyway to have the rule run locally for this, whether it’s core or not, which means if the SmartThings cloud is not available, you won’t be able to get in.

That’s different from most smart locks which themselves have the unlocking code in the lock so that even if your hub failed all together you could still use the keypad on the lock and get in.

So I just wanted to mention that as something to think through.

[Dan_KE (Dan)]

Thanks JD - I appreciate the move and the response.

The CoRE rules engine looks to be a potential solution to the more involved functions I’d love to implement. Do you know if the basic functionality I’m looking for, i.e. buzzing a strike open for X seconds, is possible with a z-wave switch? Ideally this would be handled locally, avoiding both delays and failure due to WAN connectivity issues. I’d guess this is a switch capability question, but I’m out of my element.

[JDRoberts]

There are definitely relays that can be powered on for a fixed period of time and then powered off again, which should fit the general concept.

As for doing it for just a few seconds, that gets a little trickier. Unless the device has an internal timer, which a few of the relays do, you’re stuck with messages sent back-and-forth to the hub, one to turn it on and then one to turn it off again.

Core will allow you to write A rule that includes a sequence of just a few seconds, but the usual rule of thumb for Z wave is that you can’t schedule anything less than a minute apart and be certain of accurate sequencing. But you can try it and see if it works for you.

So I guess my general feeling is that it would be easy to schedule for a one minute power on, if you want to go shorter than that, it starts to get trickier.

@johnconstantelo , @Mike_Maxwell , or one of the other community members who have done a lot with the relays might have some more ideas.

[johnconstantelo]

Hi @Dan_KE,

FortrezZ’s Mimolite relay allows you to set how long it stays unlatched. It’s a simple parameter change you set via the device handler.

http://www.fortrezz.com/io-modules

[Dan_KE (Dan)]

That looks to be exactly what I need. Impressive reviews on Amazon as well. Thanks for the recommendation!

I wonder if I can take this a step further…do you think it’s feasible to add a bluetooth relay between the mimolite and the electric strike? I’m picturing it sitting on the door near the latch, activating when a BT key fob (or phone) nears the door. Maybe I’m reaching here, but I’d love to duplicate some of the functionality you see in a consumer smartlock like August’s.

[JDRoberts]

Once you have it on the SmartThings platform, or any other Z wave controller, you can just use a button or fob that works with that controller. Or of course do it from your phone. You don’t need Bluetooth in the picture.

The following list shows the buttons and fobs that work with SmartThings:

FAQ: Full list of buttons and remotes confirmed to work with SmartThings

I’d like to know which buttons and remotes are currently supported or might be supported in the future. Ideally, I’d like to find something similar to the following: http://www.evolvecontrols.com/devices/control-devices/glass-series Though alternatively just a simple nice-looking button which actually works unlike this Aeon according to Amazon reviews: There is an Aeon Key Fob as well, but it doesn’t seem to be very durable or stylish: What else is available?

If you want something that will work even if the SmartThings cloud is down, you can use any of the zwave fobs that support direct Association.

[Dan_KE (Dan)]

Hah. I really can’t wait to put this together. Thank you both!

[Dan_KE (Dan)]

JD you referenced z-wave fobs for this project - is there a consensus on the best and where to buy it? The Aeon fob looks to be poorly reviewed. I found this:

Z-Wave Plus 4-Button Key Fob Controller - Z-Wave Products

That’s available in a US frequency, per my conversation with zwaveproducts.com, but I can’t find it in stock anywhere.

Thanks again.

[JDRoberts]

Since it’s Z wave plus, it’s probably new.

If you’re looking at Amazon reviews, they don’t tend to be as reliable for Z wave and zigbee products as they are for other items because a lot of people buy them without really knowing how to set them up.

You can always start a topic in the forum under devices and ask for a community member reviews of a specific model. Or key fobs in general.

[Dan_KE (Dan)]

Thanks, wanted to confirm I wasn’t missing something obvious. I’ll keep hunting for the fob above.

[Mobo]

Hi Dan, I wanted to know if you were able to get this to work for you.
I have a similar project. I want to connect a door button, a bell, and a door strike connected to ST Hub.
I am thinking of using a harmony remote POP button, Harmony Hub + ST Hub as a standalone button.
Any advise would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

[JDRoberts]

The Pop button has its own official cloud to cloud integration with SmartThings, you don’t use the harmony hub for that purpose.

You do need the Pop Bridge, but you always need that to make the buttons work, even with the Harmony Hub.

http://support.logitech.com/en_us/article/Working-with-SmartThings?product=a0q31000009vuqLAAQ

[Mobo]

Hi
Thanks for the heads up.
Can you help me out with setup for the door?
Is it possible to get everything setup on the mimo?
Do you have a setup diagram for it?
Thanks
Alex

[Dan_KE (Dan)]

Apologies for the long delay in getting back to you - I did end up completing this project. Two doors, two commercial fail secure electric door strikes, and two mimolites (which took some effort) connected to ST. I use presence sensing to auto-open my doors when I get home, and Alexa to let someone in when I’m home but not near the doors, e.g. “Computer, turn on front door.”

So far it’s been a fantastic setup, and being able to remotely open my doors from anywhere (for cleaners, contractors, etc), has been a huge time saver.

-Dan

[TESTPILOT (Adam)]

Dan, can you share exactly how did you wire up the device. I want to do the same thing but not sure where to place the remote control relay, and where to connect it to the buzzer. Also how did you manage to have it open for x number of seconds ?

[Dan_KE (Dan)]

Hi Adam - I installed a fail secure electric door latch, then put a mimolite relay above the door, connected between that door latch and the wall power. It isn’t a buzzer, although there may be a way to do that. I’d guess that a buzzer would be more appropriate for a secure business.

I use smartthings to trip the mimolite when either I get close to home (in which case it unlocks the latch for 10 minutes) or when I manually tell smartthings to trip it (same thing, 10 minutes and then relocks). 10 minutes is enough time to cart in groceries, take the dog out, etc. Also perfect when I known someone has nearly arrived and I just tell Alexa to unlock the door and then forget about it.

I still have a key in case the internet or smartthings is down, but the setup has been surprisingly resilient. Feel free to shoot me other questions.