STs broadcasts both Zigbee and Z-wave. You can easily use either type of peripheral. The only consideration is that if you want a mesh network to extend the signal to a device far from the hub, you have to have devices of the same type, Z-wave or Zigbee, to relay the signal. I don’t know if STs can automatically configure a Zigbee load-sensing switch, but since STs own switches are Zigbee,it seems likely. I would expect parameters to be different on different manufacturers’ devices.
Just FYI-
the auto detection doesn’t always work. I took two dimming wall warts out of my box of toys that i was using on an earlier hub. I reset them. Then addeded. One instantly picked up the load sensing- the second did not, i even tried it twice.
the one that worked was a “home pro” clone (I beleive that’s an “ACT” branded model from some time ago)
The one that did not work was a “GE Lamp Module ZW3101. Date Code 0927” .
both identical on the outside.
My fix outlined above with the custom device handler fixed the GE.
Also didn’t work on an “appliance module” - not sure if it is because they only look for dimmers and not on/off walwarts - that one wsa a GE ZW4101 Date Code 1215.
Again - they all look identical and i’d bet come out of the same factory iff the same line as all listed “made in china”…
Buy a 45601 on EBay, especially if you don’t feel comfortable with code. The thing rocks as far as a basic tool to change parameter settings and reset devices that don’t pair. I don’t look at it as a consumer device - it is a problem solver. Now, why Smartthings can’t do natively in the basic UI what this device can do on its own is a whole other topic.
The 45601 is useful. However, for me, the main use was to switch on load-sensing, which STs now does on its own.
I know this is an old thread, but is there any app or custom code that you can use to just query and see what config options a device has enabled ?
I’m not aware of any. While there are a lot of parameters that can be set, the one that bothered everybody was load-sensing, (#29) which by default is off, but needs to be on to enable you to turn on lights manually. When you install a GE switch, STs will now enable load-sensing at the time of install, solving this problem. If you want to know the device settings other than 29, and modify them, you will need a GE controller set up as a secondary controller.
I wish- but no one seems to have come up with that for smarthigns yet. Sadly I’m a coding moron so no help.
As I mentioned above other brands let you just go to a generic configuration page to send any bit to any parameter. Or to directly set associations on the device without the need to go through the hub (or potentially round trip the internet). Similarly they typically allow you to query a particular device for a particular parameter. I wish smartthigns had all that.
To be clear the others that I know are just basic like “hey what is the bit set in paramater X ?” or “hey set parameter X to 0” – one still has to do the footwork on the internet to find the device specs and see what parameter X does or doesn’t do on any particular device.
In theory a single custom device type and smartapp for temporary use could work for every device. You would change the device type for the device in question and then run the smart app to query or set a parameter then set the device back to the correct device type when done. But that’s mostly an educated guess from me poking around here- not from any ability to code for sure.
Hi, yes old thread as I started it when I had to purchase a GE controller to set load-sensing on the plug. Finally, STs implemented load-sensing in the app, making the controller superfluous. I don’t know of any way to query the device. The GE controller doesn’t have any easy query facility. There are a huge number of parameters to set, but I gather from lack of interest in setting all the others, that most people don’t care that much about all the other things you can set. Good luck with your quest.
Well, I spoke too soon. I had a malfunctioning GE Z-wave dimmer plug that I could not exclude and reset. Had to delete it from ST web page. When I put it back in system, it wasn’t load-sensing so rather than fool around anymore, I got out the old GE controller and reset load-sensing.
Follow up as of April 2018: Load Sensing is not implemented when installing plug in z wave switches to a Smartthings system. I looked up my account and there is a device handler installed that is supposed to do this but it doesn’t work anymore. I didn’t write it and a tech support rep at Smartthings claims to know nothing about it. I guess some tech person in the past wrote the code, which no longer works. The easiest work around is a GE controller, though there are device handlers on line that you can install, such as Z wave tweaker. You have to know how to do this, however. Here is a link:
1 Like