I’m thinking about cranking out a universal garage door controller smart app.
It would be a parent child app, each child would represent a single garage door and create a virtual garage door device type to interact with.
The garage door child app would accept a variety of sensor and relay configurations, allowing for independent configurations per garage door, and then present a unified view through the created virtual garage door type.
a, is there interest in this?
and b, if so, what IO devices are you using for your existing setup?
Sorry, MyQ (or whatever just tanked) isn’t on my supported list…
My current setup uses two contact sensors and a remotec relay module.
Yours?
Also what app(s) are you using to manage the separate devices?
I’d be interested if your app would offer something new.
Not sure what that would be.
I have an Ecolink door sensor on each of two garage doors, as well as a Linear FS20Z-1 relay controlling each door.
Hi @Mike_Maxwell. I have two garage doors both activated by the Linear Go-Control Z-Wave controllers. They come with the tilt sensor, to detect the open/closed state, and I have a presence sensor that I use to automatically open the door when it arrives. Even through all the platform instability issues these worked for me without any issues.
If you add a siren/strobe option for UL adherence, I would think it could be pretty useful for a lot of people. I’m not sure how much that helps from a liability perspective, but I dont think it could hurt. I ended up going the Linear GD00Z route, partialy due to the UL 325 concerns.
UL 325 states that in order for a residential garage door operator to be enabled for remote/unattended operation, the operator must be equipped with an audible and visual warning system. This warning system must indicate pending motion for 5 seconds before the door starts moving
I was under the impression that the audible warning was only for class III and class IV (commercial) and not Class 1 (residential) - despite the fact that UL 325 is completely voluntary and mainly for the manufacturer of a system to get the UL stamp of approval.
OSHA has different requirements - but then again, that is commercial.
It works pretty good but it requires me to create a new virtual switch for it. If there was something that worked like this, and would interface with the existing relay and sensor that I have without having to create a new virtual device, that would be a plus.
Currently I am using a Linear FS20Z relay and an Ecolink tilt sensor on the door - it seems to work pretty well with those.
yup, this is the intent, it will create a V2 (new tile layout) virtual garage device for each door that you add.
And that device type is already hacked to eliminate the delay.
I hear ya. I wish the specifications were more readily available. I haven’t personally purchased spec, but my understanding is that UL 325 audible and visual alerts requirement for unattended operation is for residential operators. For me, it’s not about whether my local codes require it, it’s that 1) someone with more knowledge on the subject thought harder about this than I did and decided it was a good idea, and 2) I have concerns over personal liability and insurance issues if the worst should happen. Based on this, getting the relatively inexpensive GD00Z controller was an easy decision for me personally, and if @Mike_Maxwell can add a strobe/siren warning as a feature option to a universal garage door control app, I think it could potentially be a great option for others.
Not sure if this helps this thread, but this is how my garage doors work, in terms of safety features.
If the trip sensor is blocked (ie something in the doorway):
if I use the original garage door remote, or doorbell button, the light on the overhead motor flashes a few times, and the door does not move. There is no audible warning other than a faint clicking as the light turns on/off as it flashes.
if I use my ST app to try to close the door when the trip sensor is blocked, the door moves about 1 to 1-1/2 feet, stops, and retracts to fully open. The light turns on steady but does not flash. This is using the Linear FS20Z-1 relay.
I also use the Linear Go Control GD00Z-4 controller with the tilt sensor and the default Z-Wave Garage Door Opener device type from ST. The thing that I am missing is the battery level indicator or low level battery warning from the tilt sensor which, to my knowledge, is not supported by the default device type.
I know there is a custom (not free) device type which does offer this functionality - covered in a different thread.
Let me know if you need to test it when you get something worth looking at.