New Zigbee 3.0 devices from Aqara - easier SmartThings integration?

Devices & Integrations
1

Aqara is finally making new version of there sensors and switches available, that are based on Zigbee 3.0. For example, the now have a Zigbee 3.0-version of there nice wireless double rocker switch:

First Look
Aqara Wireless Remote Switch H1 Double Rocker (WRS-R02)

Anyone had a chance to try on of these? Any chance to integrated those into SmartThings with a default device handler that is able to run locally?

Would be nice to be able to use the Aqara device without the setup hassle of the old ones.

2

That particular model is new, but they’ve had some zigbee 3.0 devices out for over a year. The consensus seems to be that they have less of a drop off problem, but many still need custom code.

In this particular case, I think you’re going to run into the same multi endpoint issue that most multi button devices have with smartthings. :thinking:

@johnconstantelo might have more to add.

3

I wish they’d hurry up and release the T1 zigbee 3.0 sensors.

4

Sorry, but I’m not familiar with this “multi endpoint issue”. How does this issue make itself felt?

5

So far that has been my experience, but they really do work well. Like @Automated_House said, hurry up with those sensors!

It’s all related to button presses and how the new app/platform (or can’t) deals them. There are a few topics in the community about that you can search for. I’m not able to look for those at the moment, my apologies.

6

In this context, a multi endpoint device is a single device that has more than one actionable part. So it might be a key fob with three buttons. It might be a wall switch, like the new Aqara model, which is a double rocker, so essentially A and B but with a single device address on the network. both Zwave and zigbee refer to these as “endpoints.”

There are lots of different styles of these.

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Internally, smartthings tends to treat these as “buttons.“. (Or as one button but with many different tap patterns, like saying that the top of the right hand rocker is a triple tap on one button. It isn’t, but that’s how SmartThings will handle it.)

Another problem is that the way in which multi endpoint Devices were handled in SmartThings has changed over time, And to be honest the platform was never great at them anyway. :disappointed_relieved:

The most common symptom you run into is that only one switch on the double rocker will work in smartthings. Or only one button of a multi button switch. So out of the box the device will add to smartthings and you will be able to control The first button/rocker, but the other endpoints will be invisible to smartthings.

There has been much discussion of this in the forums, as was mentioned, and the usual fix is new custom code that will create new constructs that will enable smartthings to work with the additional endpoints.

Technical note

Zigbee also allows for the use of multiple endpoints on a single device to handle different kinds of situations, such as having one endpoint for a ZHA profile and another endpoint for a ZLL profile. (The hue dimmer switch used to do this before the Zigbee 3.0 version.) or you might have a single device which has multiple functions, like a thermostat which has a temperature sensor on one endpoint and a power control on another endpoint. For anybody who’s interested in that technical aspect of multi endpoint Devices, there are lots of references, such as the following:

https://www.eetimes.com/zigbee-applications-part-5-addressing-within-the-node/#

But in a smartthings context, it usually comes up because of a multi button device where only one button works out of the box. :thinking:

3 Likes
7

Intersting, thanks for going into details on that topic. Wasn’t aware of this issue.

Has there been any word from the ST team regarding this issue? Is it going to be addressed how endpoints are handled on the platform?

8

They’ve been talking about the issue since 2015, they have implemented a couple of different ways of handling it, but nothing that makes these devices just work out of the box the way they do with other hubs. It must be something in their cloud architecture because, again, other hubs don’t have the same issue. :thinking:

You can usually eventually get it to work with custom code, but that process can be tedious if somebody already hasn’t written one for that specific model.

9

The t1 sensors are impossible to get right now even in China. I got the vibration sensor which I gave one to @johnconstantelo but if you’re used to the old vibration sensor I can tell you right now it doesn’t work the same way. It’s more of a movement sensor and not a vibration sensor. If you were using it on glass the new model won’t work. I even confirmed this with aqara support.

I want the temperature humidity sensor t1 so we can see if it works locally without a custom DTH but I haven’t been able to get one.

1 Like
10

Yup, I can confirm everything @mvevitsis said. I’ve tried it on glass with no success, but it’s been fine on pull out drawers, cabinet doors, and some standard size doors. Right now it’s attached to the underneath side of my heavy aluminum mailbox outside. So far it’s been working great detecting whenever our mailbox door is opened/closed, or whenever someone backs into the mail box.

11

I finally got my hands on one of the new Zigbee 3.0 H1 wireless switches.

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However, I’m having trouble getting it to pair with the SmartThings Hub. Even after multiple resets of the switch, the device just won’t register in the ST log:

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Instead the switch seems to establish a direct link to all of my Zigbee lights instead. When I push a button on the switch, it turns on every single Zigbee light and smart plug that I have around the house. It looks like the switch bypasses the hub altogether.

Any idea, how to proceed and get the hub to register the switch?

12

Anyone? I’d really like to add those buttons to my setup but can’t even get the device to show up as a thing.

14

I have this exact same problem…

Got to a solution yet?

15

Same issue here… realy hoping someone has a solution to this issue.

16

Same here. Maybe an issue to the todo list for edge driver progrmmers. (Sorry, i do have a little knowledge in programming but, for now, no time for learning making edge drivers.

17

do you have the device connected to the Zigbee thing driver?

18

My existing vibration sensors appear to have both tilt and accelerometer sensors to help detect vibration or change in orientation, which only matters if a vibration is present or change in orientation of the sensor is performed (about 8 degrees), and little or nothing to do with the material it is mounted on.

You’re saying if you mount the sensor on glass (permanently fixed position?) and rotate the glass the sensor does not detect anything? Or do you mean the new model is it less sensitive than the prior model?

If you’re saying it’s just not as sensitive to percussive vibration as the prior model maybe they removed the accelerometer, and only has the tilt pin sensor (angle)… meaning perhaps it’s not as sensitive to percussive vibration.

If you mount it on glass and hit it with a hammer, it should detect something? It’s not clear how you are testing this when saying “doesn’t work on glass”

19

Hi @JoeT , that post is over a year old and I’ve not used that sensor in several months. While I had that device i could only get vibration to be detected.

20

I too had the same issue where the H1 wireless switch just toggles all my lights and doesn’t show up in Smartthings as a device. Just want to share how I finally got it paired and working in smartthings.

Prerequisite: Install driver from [Edge] Driver for Aqara Switches and Remotes

  1. In app, add device
  2. Scan nearby
  3. At the switch, press and hold the right button until the blue led flashes 3 times, and release
  4. Wait until the led flashes once
  5. Press and hold until the led flashes, release, then quickly press and hold again
  6. Repeat step 5, keep holding between flashes until you either see 2 flashes or the switch showing up in the app
  7. If you see 2 flashes and the switch doesn’t show up, repeat 3 to 5

I think it took me about 20 tries to get it to show up in the app, this is the third time I re-paired and it still works. I observed that holding the button between flashes seems to extend the pairing period. Hope this helps.