Fibaro 2 Dimmer (212 not 211)

The simulator does not simulate the multitile setup at all. Even for other device types. I just plunged straight in, and it was working fine.

All,

I was wondering if you could help me. I have a Fibaro 212 dimmer and have hooked it up to my ST Hub V2. I am adding it to a standard single 2-wire switch and am having few niggles.

Is the wiring below correct for a single 2-wire switch?

  • L - connected to mains live
  • S1 - Connected to Live 1 on the switch
  • Sx - Connected to Com on the switch and bridged into N on the dimmer
  • Output - Connected to the neutral wire from the mains.

I paired the device using the B button on the Dimmer and it connected as a Z-Wave Device Multichannel which I would expect.

I’m getting a couple of issues. Firstly, the SmartThings app ALWAYS reports that the switch in ON. Even when I’ve switched the light off using the app, close the app and go back in. I’m having to press the switch on and off to turn the lights on or off manually? Is this expected?

As you can tell I’m totally new to this so any assistance gratefully received.

Thanks,

-N

You can find the wiring info here http://www.vesternet.com/downloads/dl/file/id/703/product/1718/z_wave_fibaro_universal_dimmer_2_250w_manual.pdf

As for other questions I cant answer, since I´m still in progress of getting these myself.

Welcome Neil, wiring sounds correct.

I have found that sometimes the light is shown as ‘On’ when off, and vice versa. However I’m having building work done at the moment (5 days a week) with people flipping the circuits on and off frequently and had put most of it down to that.

Tapping ‘On’ if the light is off restores the situation though, and I can use ST to operate the lights with no issues. Are you saying that you can’t use ST at all, and can only use the manual switch?

What kind of switches are you using? Momentary or regular?

Hi John,

Thanks for coming back to me - much appreciated. Glad the wiring looks ok. I thought it was worth checking :smile:

I can get it to work in ST, so when I toggle it from on to off, etc. it does work - and its state is reflected accurately in the App. However, once i close the app and go back in it appears as on - even when it isn’t. At the moment, i have removed the dimmer from the switch entirely and it is still appearing as on in the app and its current state in graph-eu01-euwest1.api.smartthings.com is Switch: on. Bit of an odd one.

Would it be worthwhile reinstating it, removing it from SmartThings, carrying out a factory reset and then adding it back in do you think?

I am using regular switches but I think Momentary are the way to go. Are there any you would recommend?

Right you are, I’m getting exactly the same behaviour as you. Well noticed!

Nothing wrong with your setup then, just a minor incompatibility issue. I’m sure this can be improved either through a custom device script (there is one for the Dimmer 2 which I’ll give another go), or with time as it’s added to the compatible device list.

I’ve given my recommendation on momentary switches before. There are lots of options available, and you can spend between £3 and £70 upward per switch. Here’s what I’ve chosen:

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I’ve just created a custom device type using the code and process that Rajiv added to the thread and the switch is now working perfectly. I had to change the properties to allow for switch type, etc. but that’s all in the manual.

Thanks Rajiv !! :smile:

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One consideration to make depending on how reliable your connection is: custom device types are cloud based and not stored on the device. Therefore if you don’t have an internet connection you won’t be able to use ST to turn your lights on and off.

On balance, I’m going to re-instate Rajiv’s code as well.

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So I’ve installed the Dimmer 2 in the light switch (2 wire system) and installed the code (the code works great by the way), however, the light never turns off. It only dims down to the lowest level and then flickers a little.

Anyone know what I’m doing wrong and how I can fix it?

With all the issues of Smartthings in the UK, am I wasting my time on this system? I see it’s potential in a few years, but it’s just nothing more than frustrating at the moment.

Sounds like you’re using led bulbs? The draw must exceed 50W total. What is the rating of all bulbs added together on that switch?

Good news, there is something called a dimmer bypass (by fibaro) for that very purpose. Bad news is that it’s not quite on the market for the dimmer 2 just yet.

This can be resolved by using a more power hungry bulb (just one will do). You can change this when the dimmer 2 bypass becomes available.

Two wire installs never switch off completely, as they need enough residual power to operate the module. In your case this is also enough to continue to power the lights.

John is right on. However I believe the requirement is 35W total. I have the same issue and the flickering turns off completely after a few minutes.

Guys - what am I missing - I got the dimmer working using the Universal code that the app picks up - I have added the new device through the graph api but I dont know how to change the device to use the new device type

Is this of any help? (This is a clickable link.)

Or were you asking about specific parameter settings?

Got it - it was the obvious bit of editing the device and changing the type - thank you

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Thats not true - I have the 211 and it does support 2 wire setups - the video on their site is for the 211. I have this installed currently. http://www.vesternet.com/z-wave-fibaro-universal-dimmer

Every lighting circuit has three wires (well, 4 counting the earth), it’s just that most European homes don’t have three distinct wires at the switchbox.

So in wall relays like the fibaro can be made to work when there are only two wires at the switchbox by essentially rewiring the circuit to break out the third wire and run it and the load through the relay.

It’s generally quite simple for an electrician, but not necessarily for a DIY project.

These pictures are from the Vesternet site and I think illustrate it very well.

So “will work if the current switchbox is set up for two wires, but requires circuit rewiring” is accurate for the 211.

( I thought “can be retrofitted into an existing two wire switch box without having to split wires and reroute” would apply to the 212, but now I’m not sure. Can someone verify?)

Existing two wire switchbox

After the circuit is rewired to accommodate the 211 relay

I’m fairly certain both work in the same way. The 212 does require a feed from Sx to the neutral terminal when only 2 wires are available.

I think the terminals are in different places though, so make sure you use the right instructions!

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The diagram is spot on for the wiring for the 211 - As per the video on the Fibaro site and matches how I installed the 211 on my own light swithc. I ran a cable between N and O. The Neutral runs into N. As per the support video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ8oCvIPT4s . As mentioned (and appreciate I dont have the 212), the 211 supports 2 wire installs.

Hi

I’m not sure if anyone can help. I have had to wire a Dimmer 2 into the ceiling rose, as per the instructions for the Dimmer 1. This is because the 2-way switch wiring in my kitchen only has live and strappers; it doesn’t have the switched live available in the switches. There must be a buried junction box somewhere. I’m using momentary switches.

Anyway, it works fine mechanically, most of the time. However, I have these problems in the app:

  1. The app doesn’t update when I switch off at the wall
  2. What keeps happening is that when I switch off at the wall and then try to switch on from the app, the lights come on for a fraction of a second and go out again. Turning back on from the wall is fine. The inverse is true, sometimes. Switch off on the app and the wall will work once and then stop working. Same happens with custom code or letting ST default to the multi device.

Is there some weird latching because I’ve wired it into the ceiling rose (I can’t see how…) or is there something odd happening in software. It looks to me like an ‘off’ event is coming straight after the ‘on’. Here is the Live Log from trying to switch on from the app and it going out immediately:

947ebac0-36ae-49f0-add2-084f314731b1 21:10:05 GMT: debug Parsed 'zw device: 11, command: 3202, payload: 21 32 00 00 00 00 ’ to [‘name’:‘power’, ‘value’:0, ‘unit’:‘W’, ‘isStateChange’:false, ‘displayed’:false, ‘linkText’:‘Dining Room Light’, ‘descriptionText’:Dining Room Light power is 0 W]
947ebac0-36ae-49f0-add2-084f314731b1 21:10:05 GMT: trace MeterReport(deltaTime: 0, meterType: 1, meterValue: [0, 0], precision: 1, previousMeterValue: [0, 0], rateType: 1, scale: 2, scale2: false, scaledMeterValue: 0.0, scaledPreviousMeterValue: 0.0, size: 2)
947ebac0-36ae-49f0-add2-084f314731b1 21:10:05 GMT: trace zw device: 11, command: 3202, payload: 21 32 00 00 00 00
947ebac0-36ae-49f0-add2-084f314731b1 21:10:05 GMT: debug Parsed 'zw device: 11, command: 3202, payload: 21 32 00 00 00 00 ’ to [‘name’:‘power’, ‘value’:0, ‘unit’:‘W’, ‘isStateChange’:true, ‘displayed’:true, ‘linkText’:‘Dining Room Light’, ‘descriptionText’:Dining Room Light power is 0 W]
947ebac0-36ae-49f0-add2-084f314731b1 21:10:05 GMT: trace MeterReport(deltaTime: 0, meterType: 1, meterValue: [0, 0], precision: 1, previousMeterValue: [0, 0], rateType: 1, scale: 2, scale2: false, scaledMeterValue: 0.0, scaledPreviousMeterValue: 0.0, size: 2)
947ebac0-36ae-49f0-add2-084f314731b1 21:10:05 GMT: trace zw device: 11, command: 3202, payload: 21 32 00 00 00 00
947ebac0-36ae-49f0-add2-084f314731b1 21:10:02 GMT: debug Parsed 'zw device: 11, command: 9881, payload: 00 26 03 00 ’ to [[‘name’:‘switch’, ‘value’:‘off’, ‘descriptionText’:Dining Room Light was turned off, ‘isStateChange’:false, ‘displayed’:false, ‘linkText’:‘Dining Room Light’]]
947ebac0-36ae-49f0-add2-084f314731b1 21:10:02 GMT: trace SwitchMultilevelReport(value: 0)
947ebac0-36ae-49f0-add2-084f314731b1 21:10:02 GMT: trace SwitchMultilevelReport(value: 0)
947ebac0-36ae-49f0-add2-084f314731b1 21:10:02 GMT: trace SecurityMessageEncapsulation(commandByte: [0], commandClassIdentifier: 38, commandIdentifier: 3, reserved13: 0, secondFrame: false, sequenceCounter: 0, sequenced: false)
947ebac0-36ae-49f0-add2-084f314731b1 21:10:02 GMT: trace zw device: 11, command: 9881, payload: 00 26 03 00
947ebac0-36ae-49f0-add2-084f314731b1 21:10:02 GMT: debug Parsed ‘zw device: 11, command: 9881, payload: 00 20 01 00 ’ to [[‘name’:‘switch’, ‘value’:‘off’, ‘descriptionText’:Dining Room Light was turned off, ‘isStateChange’:true, ‘displayed’:true, ‘linkText’:‘Dining Room Light’], physicalgraph.device.HubMultiAction@51c3ae5e]
947ebac0-36ae-49f0-add2-084f314731b1 21:10:02 GMT: trace BasicSet(value: 0)
947ebac0-36ae-49f0-add2-084f314731b1 21:10:02 GMT: trace BasicSet(value: 0)
947ebac0-36ae-49f0-add2-084f314731b1 21:10:02 GMT: trace SecurityMessageEncapsulation(commandByte: [0], commandClassIdentifier: 32, commandIdentifier: 1, reserved13: 0, secondFrame: false, sequenceCounter: 0, sequenced: false)
947ebac0-36ae-49f0-add2-084f314731b1 21:10:02 GMT: trace zw device: 11, command: 9881, payload: 00 20 01 00
947ebac0-36ae-49f0-add2-084f314731b1 21:10:02 GMT: debug Parsed ‘zw device: 11, command: 9881, payload: 00 26 03 04 ’ to [[‘name’:‘switch’, ‘value’:‘on’, ‘descriptionText’:Dining Room Light was turned on, ‘isStateChange’:true, ‘displayed’:true, ‘linkText’:‘Dining Room Light’], [‘name’:‘level’, ‘value’:4, ‘unit’:’%’, ‘isStateChange’:true, ‘displayed’:true, ‘linkText’:‘Dining Room Light’, ‘descriptionText’:Dining Room Light level is 4%], physicalgraph.device.HubMultiAction@5675de80]
947ebac0-36ae-49f0-add2-084f314731b1 21:10:02 GMT: trace SwitchMultilevelReport(value: 4)
947ebac0-36ae-49f0-add2-084f314731b1 21:10:02 GMT: trace SwitchMultilevelReport(value: 4)
947ebac0-36ae-49f0-add2-084f314731b1 21:10:02 GMT: trace SecurityMessageEncapsulation(commandByte: [4], commandClassIdentifier: 38, commandIdentifier: 3, reserved13: 0, secondFrame: false, sequenceCounter: 0, sequenced: false)
947ebac0-36ae-49f0-add2-084f314731b1 21:10:02 GMT: trace zw device: 11, command: 9881, payload: 00 26 03 04

Any help is very much appreciated. I’m totally at a loss.

Many thanks.

Sorry, I meant to say. Keep trying on the app or the switch and eventually it seems to work.