SONOFF MINI-ZBDIM - externalTriggerMode issue with SmartThings

Devices & Integrations
1

SONOFF MINI-ZBDIM - externalTriggerMode issue with SmartThings

I have been troubleshooting a SONOFF MINI-ZBDIM connected to a SmartThings / Aeotec hub.

Initially I assumed the problem was related to SmartThings, wiring, or firmware, but after testing the device with Zigbee2MQTT I found something interesting.

Device details:

  • Manufacturer: SONOFF

  • Model: MINI-ZBDIM

  • Firmware: 1.0.5

The device exposes a manufacturer-specific attribute called:

customClusterEwelink.externalTriggerMode

Possible values are:

  • edge

  • pulse

  • double pulse

  • triple pulse

When externalTriggerMode is set to pulse, the device works perfectly with a single momentary push button:

  • short press = on/off

  • long press = dim up/down

I verified that:

  • pulse mode works correctly

  • pulse mode survives power loss

  • firmware 1.0.5 appears to work correctly

However, SmartThings does not expose this setting.

The interesting part is that after removing the device from Zigbee2MQTT and rejoining, the device reverts to double pulse, which produces behavior very similar to what SmartThings users have reported:

  • dimming up works

  • dimming down may not work correctly

  • on/off behavior can be inconsistent with a single push button

It appears that the issue may not be the dimmer itself, but rather that SmartThings does not expose customClusterEwelink.externalTriggerMode.

Questions:

  1. Has anyone created an Edge driver that exposes this attribute?

  2. Is there a way to read/write attributes in customClusterEwelink from an Edge driver?

  3. Has anyone successfully used MINI-ZBDIM with a single momentary push button in SmartThings?

Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks.

2

Update:

I managed to set externalTriggerMode = pulse in Zigbee2MQTT and then re-pair the device with SmartThings. The pulse mode remains active and the device works correctly.

This provides a workaround, but there are around 20 devices already installed behind wall switches, so reconfiguring each one individually is not an ideal long-term solution.

It would be great if an Edge driver could expose the manufacturer-specific attributes of this device, especially externalTriggerMode.

For anyone interested in adding support, I found a ZHA quirk implementation for the MINI-ZBDIM that contains the necessary information, including:

  • Custom cluster: 0xFC11

  • Attribute: 0x0016 (externalTriggerMode)

  • Enum values for Edge, Pulse, Double Pulse and Triple Pulse

The ZHA implementation also exposes several other device-specific settings such as calibration, brightness thresholds, transition time and dimming rate.

Thanks!

3

You can try using mariano’s (EDGE Driver-Mc). New Zigbee Device Config Mc driver to configure the correct cluster attribute as a workaround, so you don’t need to connect devices to Z2M to reconfigure and reconnect back in smartthings.