[OBSOLETE] Cooper Aspire Scene Controller RFWC5 and RFWC5D Device Handler [beta release]

Below is the set up that I am running on one of my controllers. You will notice that I am using Scene for buttons 1 and 2 to drive devices 08 and 16. For the sake of testing purposes I am also using association for the same devices on button 4. I have assigned scene numbers to all button but that is not necessary as the defaults will be used (the hub is always setup via scenes in the background)

Note: I could also have set scene 4 up in devices 08 and 16 and then use scene commands to control them both. The devices can be set up with more than one scene.

Of interest is to understand that zwave Scene commands are only for activating devices. It is a broadcast command. Any device that receives it and is set to respond to that scene will activate. The scene command class has no ā€œoffā€ command. Therefore node IDs entered in ScenCap1-5 are really used to set association commands so the RFWC can send basic OFF commands to the devices.

Below are logs after hitting the configure scenes command for the set up above. As you can see it is verbose with lots of commands. The big list of hex numbers are the commands sent to the RFWC. The text above is the response.

It is a similar association but different. Association allows one z-wave device to send commands (usually basicset) to another. You donā€™t really have control over what command is sent. The device manufacturer designs that in. The sending device must support association (85). The receiving device(slave) need only support the commands sent by the sender (master) usually basic but not always.

Your dimmer (05) does not support association commands (85) so it cannot control another device via association. I does support basic so it can be controlled by another. (Basic- 20 not shown in the RAW description because all devices must support it).

Do not use the minimote to try and set up associations with the RFWC - it will not work. The association and configuration commands must be sent to the RFWC in a specific order for it to work. Cooper has done a little trickery with how this thing is set up.

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I was just going from your original post where #6 says that #3 and #4 (associations) will work offline. So youā€™re saying #5 will also work if ST is offline. Good to know.

Iā€™ve switched everything over to scenes and still not getting anything. Iā€™m going to remove and readd the RFCW5 and see if thatā€™s the issueā€¦then if that still doesnā€™t work then I will focus on the tweak tool JD suggested. Bookedmarked it to save for later.

I added point 3 above and forgot to edit 6. Fixed it now

Send me a copy of the logs after hitting config scenes button. Remember it will take a few minutes.

You may want try to reset the device. Hold buttons 1and 5 until the indicators blink Then the all off button.

Left you a PM with the logs so I donā€™t fill up the thread.

So with a lot of help from Scott, I can say I have it working successfully. I had to remove and re-add (exclude, then re-include) my RFCW5 from the network (hold button one and five until the LEDs start blinking, then press the all on/off button).

I then had the particular scene set for 100, which Scott informed me translated to ā€œ64ā€ in HEX and apparently can only go up to 63 and the unit was registering 64 as off. We figured this out when the light was on and it ended up turning the light off. Once I set the scene to 99, it worked EXACTLY as planned. I have also tried it with multiple lights and it triggered both lights.

My next ā€œprojectā€ will be trying it out with CoRE or WebCoRE and seeing if I can control the Logitech Harmony. If you have the Cooper Aspire RFCW5 switches, this worked great! Special thanks to Scott and JD for their patience and help on thisā€¦Iā€™m ecstatic this is working.

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Just want to say thanks to Scott and ITR for this thread.

Iā€™m actually an Indigo Domotics user & plugin developer, not ST, but Iā€™ve been struggling for ages to add support for the RFWC5 to my Scene Controller plugin.

This thread with the github and the explanation of the order and timings of the commands (which I already had, but separately and random) has got me much closer - unfortunately I donā€™t have the RFWC5 as Iā€™m the wrong side of the Atlantic so my users are testing for me, but Iā€™m confident weā€™ll get there shortly.

Peter

Below is a simple WebCoRe piston that manipulates the indicators on the RFWC. I have set it up such that when a device is turned off (one controlled by the RFWC) the status of the appropriate indicator is checked. If the indicator is on the indicator is toggled to off. The result is behavior much like a 3 way switch. If I turn it on with the RFWC and then turn it off elsewhere the RFWC is set to indicator off such that I can turn it on again with the RFWC. I have set up logic for three indicators here all five could easily be set up in the same piston.

Reading this thread is super interesting but way over my head.

I am about to have a bank of GE smart dimmers, and 2 smart outlets installed that I want to control from some type of multibutton controller like this.
Iā€™m ok with things going through the hub (I think).

I am not a programmer, and Iā€™d just like to install the multibutton, add it to smart things, and then add lights (with dim %) to each button on the multibutton.

aka, button one sets switch 1,2,3 to 30%, switch 7 to 50% and turns on the smart outlets(or fibaro controller) and sets a dim% on those. Whereas button 2 maybe sets all switches to 100%.

What is the simplest controller/button to do this with? I wanted hard wired, but if a wireless battery one is plain easier to use, Iā€™ll go with that. Iā€™m putting a wall box in place to wire in a scene button controller, so if its battery Iā€™d like to install it somehow in the cover of this wall box so that it looks like its hard wired.

I really just donā€™t want to fiddle, and want it to work reliably. Even if its a little pricier.

Help and suggestions appreciated.

Thanks

From your initial description, I would go with the battery powered remotec 90. Itā€™s very reliable, very easy to use with SmartThings, under $50. Eight main buttons and each button can be tapped, double tapped, or long-held so you have 24 total options. Very popular in the community. :sunglasses:

IMG_2378

Iā€™m not sure which is the best and there are many other discussions about the merits of various multi button devices.

I can say this about the Cooper RFWC: It is designed communicate directly to other zwave devices and seems to work well for that. If your GE dimmers are z-wave it will work for what you ask and allow you to adjust the dim level on the fly (hold the button). Minimal fiddling as you just enter the device IDs and the levels in the ST app for the controller (assuming you use associations, scenes are a bit more complicated). Once its programmed it just works, even if the hub is off line.

If they are non-zwave it will work for (on/off) but you will have to set up the logic in ST using another app like webcore. There is more fiddling with this route but it works. There is no on the fly dimming though.

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Thank you. This looks good if its ready to talk to smart things kind of, ā€œout of the boxā€.

I wanted hard wired, but I also want easy to configure. Iā€™m trying to build this room, have a 20 month old, and probably in the next 3-4 days Iā€™ll have another newborn, and donā€™t have time or desire to fiddle with custom programming etc.

Youā€™ll need to use the custom device type handler at the link I gave above, but after that you can use it with any of the existing routines or smart apps that recognize ā€œbuttons.ā€ Including the official smartlighting feature. :sunglasses:

If you havenā€™t used custom code before, itā€™s pretty straightforward. Basically you just copy the authorā€™s code and paste it into your account. The following FAQ describes the process:

I bought GE Zwave switches that were in the recent lowes deals. Iā€™ll be using their dimmers for this room build, as well as need to energize and set a couple fibaro controllers. I plan to use Fibaros to turn on and set brightness or color of some floor and ceiling soffit rope lighting.

I thought the cooper device would be the way to go, but when I search smart things and the RFWC I find threads talking about all sorts of custom code etc.

With this cooper device can I add it to smartthings, have a config page inside smart things where I can go in and say for button 1, add 4 dimmers and set % brightness on each one and add a fibaro controller set to some value, and then button two and add other set points with those same dimmers?

The talking direct seems nice, but Iā€™d also like for the hub to know if stuff is on, so If Iā€™m upstairs and forgot to turn off the lights in the theatre, I can check the app, and turn them off. If they talk directly to the switches, the hub wont know if they are off or on.

Can you possibly link to the right cooper model on amazon? I see a few diff ones and some say eaton, and I think I read theirare slight variance models with diff end letters and I want to be sure and get the right one. Iā€™m wiring power to a switch box for it, whether I end up using just a battery one on the wall or hardwire.
Thanks

BTW, I like Cooper devices in general, and I think this one is a good example of a local scene controller, itā€™s just that technically itā€™s a little more challenging to set up then the remotec because of having to get the associations correct.

With the remotec, every button press is just sent to the SmartThings hub, which can then turn around and send a message to any SmartThings control device. You donā€™t have to worry about the protocols or association or anything like that.

Different devices will work for different use cases and for different people. I definitely donā€™t want to discourage you from considering the Cooper if it meets your requirements and preferences, it just sounded from your original post that the remotec might be a little simpler for you to get set up as long as you are OK with a battery powered device. :sunglasses:

But for anyone who comes to this thread who already has the Coopers from another Z wave system or who really wants a hardwired solution, definitely consider the Cooper first.

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Eaton is the Company, Cooper is the Division, Aspire is the model line. You can find the same device listed under any of those three names depending on the retailer.

The last few letters of the model are usually the color code.

alSo, aspire devices come in ā€œdesignerā€ (curved lines) and ā€œdecoratorā€ (straight lines) styles, with different colors available in the two styles.

So for the device being discussed in this thread, the designer version is on the left and the decorator version is on the right in the following picture. Those are the two models in the thread title. RFWC5D is the decorator version on the right, those are usually special order because they arenā€™t as popular.

IMG_3409

For ordering, include Cat No. followed by the color code. For Designer look: AW (Alpine White), DS (Desert Sand), SG (Silver Granite), WS (White Satin). For Decorator look: BK (Black), LA (Light Almond), V (Ivory), W (White)

Iā€™m not able to add my RFWC5 to my v1 hub. When I press the ALL OFF button the LEDs illuminate sequentially but then stop and go back to all blinking in unison. The app never discovers the device.


I rebooted my hub and tried again and was successful. However now only button 5 produces commands; no other button registers presses in the log.

Iā€™ve done no testing with the V1 hub. However, it is important to note that the RFWC5 will not send commands until configured properly. In the DH go into the settings. If you wish to control other Z Wave devices directly enter their node ids and levels - reading instructions carefully. Then exit the setting page and hit the Configure Scenes button. It will take several minutes but should configure the RFWC5 properly. At the very least it sets it up with the hub ID associated to each button. This is required for you to see any action in the hub logs when you press a button.

I have no idea if there are any hardware limitations in a V1 hub that would cause this not to work. If it does not appear to work please send me a copy of the logs generated during the configure scenes process and logs as you press buttons.

Thanks Scott. I donā€™t want to control devices directly or use scenes, I just want to use the buttons to trigger Smart Lighting apps and Routines.

Let me know how it works out. Iā€™ve primarily used mine to control Z-wave devices directly. I have messed round with interacting with webCore and that seems to work fine.