[OBSOLETE] MCO Z-Wave switch (DTH in post 31)

Hi Everyone,

Newbie here and loving my new installation of SmartThings at home.

I am not sure if this is the right category to post to but does anyone know if the following Z-Wave switch will work with SmartThings?

http://automate.asia/z-wave-mco-home-2-gang-touch-switch

Many thanks in advance.

Best,

Prem

It’s hard to say. That appears to be a discontinued model, the manufacturer no longer lists it on their website and I can’t find a zwave conformance statement for it.

Looking at the most current similar model, the MHS412, I’m pretty sure the one switch model will pair as a binary switch, but the 2 and 4 switch models aren’t multiple relays, they’re one device with multiple end points.

http://www.mcohome.com/index.php?m=Product&a=show&id=29

The device is using multichannel association to identify each endpoint (that is, to be able to control each switch separately) and I’m not sure ST has an official device handler that supports that, or indeed if it supports it at all.

@duncan @jim Can SmartThings use a device handler that has zwave multichannel association? The documentation discusses association groups but not multiple endpoint association. Thanks!

This is not a US frequency device. It will not connect to your US SmartThings hub.

Good point, but MCO Home does make a version of the same switch that is certified on the US frequency. Same multichannel association issue, though.

I should have asked about the hub, though, good catch! :blush:

Would really like something like this…

If it’s the glass panel form factor you like, Aeotec has one now that works with their micro relay. And they’ve promised a standalone with similar form factor for release this year.

This is the first generation model that requires the micro relay, but you can see the form factor. It also comes in white.

If it’s the two controls in one gang box you like, there are dual relays that can do that.

It’s the glass panel with two controls. I was aware of the aeotec panel but want a multi panel. Anything else out there?

Not that I’m aware of on the US zwave frequency, just MCO Home and Aeotec.

I’m Waiting to see what Aeotec actually releases, they’ve promised some multi switch options, but we’ll see.

So ST staff have confirmed multichannel association should work. :blush:
So as long as the zwave frequencies and electrical specs are compatible, there’s a starting place.

It may still need a custom device type, though.

That would be really awesome…

I have now tested the Dual MCO switch however only one switch of the two can be automated as the multichannel support crashes when activated in Smartthings I have reported the problem to them and I am awaiting resolution

1 Like

any update @Techvert

Hi Kyle,

Yes, the issue the ZWave multichannel default driver which would need modification to support a second channel. The MCO Switch is very cool bit without the driver modification then you can only control one channel (and one switch). You can download the file as a template, when I have time I will look into modifying it.

There maybe someone who already has ?

Brian

Is this the same for all 2 way zwave switchs like the Aeotec switch. It’s either this or using lightwave as the zwave switches are horrible…

Brian. Was you able to resolve the 2+ gang issue with smarthings?

Hi @Techvert

I recently asked this question then found this post:

Did you make any progress on the two button switch?

I have now tested the Dual MCO switch however only one switch of the two can be automated as the multichannel support crashes when activated in Smartthings I have reported the problem to them and I am awaiting resolution

I’m also getting the crash on activating the second channel.

I’ve raised a ticket with support.

Shame, this is a super-nice switch…

Any update on this?

20 charecters

Support wrote back saying it was an unsupported device. Fair enough…

The Z-Wave Multi-Channel Device is a very complicated handler and it installs an app and child devices for which the code is not published… so trying to find out what it’s doing or why it’s crashing is next to impossible.

I did hack together a handler for the switch though. The main problem with the multi-channel handler is that it associates association group 1 to the hub node id. However for these switches, group 1 is button 1, group 2 is button 2 and the last group is the group that will send back encapsulated commands. So I removed the hub from group 1 association and added it to group 3 (for a two button switch). After this it magically sent back encapsulated commands with endpoint ids in it.

There’s a good description of this behavior in this document at the bottom page 1 / top page 2:
http://www.vesternet.com/downloads/dl/file/id/697/product/1277/z_wave_mco_touch_panel_switch_two_load_manual.pdf

So what I did:

  1. changed the device type to my new custom device type - at the moment this is hard coded to the two button switch and would need modification for the 3 or 4 button switch.
    https://github.com/petermajor/SmartThings/blob/master/devices/MCO-2-Button-Switch.groovy

  2. in the IDE simulator for device types, I attached it to the switch device and hit the “Configure” button on the bottom right. This will do the setup.

  3. installed a simple app to listen for endpoint events and send them to other devices - in my case one endpoint is a hue light bulb and another is just a simulated switch
    https://github.com/petermajor/SmartThings/blob/master/apps/MCO-2-Button-Switch.groovy

This works well for this one switch but this device type could definitely be improved.

I would like it to behave so that turning the “switch” device on an off turns on and off all endpoints of the switch. This is possible because the switch supports the “switch all” command set.

I would also like it to work on 3 and 4 button switches. I could do this by querying the number of endpoints and then setting the association on the last association group. At the moment it is hard-coded to 2.

Finally, I would like it to automatically install the app when it installs the device type. Not sure if this is possible or not.

Anyway, I’m going to be buying more of these switches over the next few months, so I will improve this as I get more switches. But for now the switch is working awesomely, so I’m not going to play with it for a while.

1 Like

has anyone heard on an update on the multi gang Aeotech touch panel

1 Like