Wall-Mounted 120V Button Controller for Smartthings?

Devices & Integrations
1

I am interested in a wall-mounted (120V) Z-wave button controller that is readily compatible with SmartThings.

It is surprising that these are not readily available since it seems to be a basic requirement for automating lights etc. Does SmartThings not see that as a requirement? At the moment I am controlling certain lights in the home by voice control (Alexa) only. Actual Z-wave switches are located in a small room in the basement - so not convenient to use those.

Does anyone know of any such controller that needs no workaround.

Thanks

Robert

2

helpful for everyone who recommends devices:

  1. What Country are you in?
  2. What form factor are you looking for?

And to your specific ask - are you looking for multiple buttons, single button? Any special features like Z-Wave Scene capability? Do you have a specific color in mind? Etc?

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3

There are quite a few options that you might consider depending on your exact requirements.

Have you had a chance to look at the buttons FAQ yet? It includes both handheld and wallmount devices and both battery powered and mains powered, so read the descriptions carefully. ( this is a clickable link)

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Also, one bit of good news: since smartthings is a multiprotocol platform, the wall mount device does not have to be Z wave in order to control your Z wave devices in the basement. It can be zwave, zigbee, or anything that can communicate with SmartThings.

The wall controller will send a message to the hub, and the Hub will then send the messages to the switches in the basement. So they donā€™t need to be able to speak to each other directly as long as both can speak to the hub. :sunglasses:

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5

Is there even one multi-button wall-mounted 120V button controller that is readily compatible with SmartThings?

If you are aware of one, can you please post a link or make and model?

Iā€™m looking for something that is compatible with SmartThings out of the box without any workarounds.

Thanks for any comments/suggestions.

rbcap

6

Iā€™m from Canada.

7

Ok that means north America power and ZWave frequencyā€¦ Good.

So one option is a Cooper lighting scene controller:
http://www.cooperindustries.com/content/public/en/wiring_devices/products/lighting_controls/aspire_rf_wireless/aspire_rf_5_button_scene_control_keypad_rfwdc_rfwc5.html

You will need a custom DTH with this device:

And you will need a button controller smartapp to handle the commands if the endpoint devices are not ZWaveā€¦

I personally use mine as a wall mounted control to handle a bank of roller shades.

8

OK. So far Iā€™ve only used devices that were totally compatible with SmartThings, i.e. just press a button and the device gets added to the SmartThings hub. It sounds like this button controller is not like that. I donā€™t know anything about DTH or DH etc. Does anyone have an easy step-by-step procedure to set this up with SmartThings?

Any comments suggestions are greatly appreciated.

rbcap

9

Many threads out there about installing a device handler. Search the forum. If you need any help let me know.

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The custom code FAQ should answer most of your questions:

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11

Would someone be able to provide step by step instructions on using the custom DTH to add this device to SmartThings.
www.cooperindustries.com/content/public/en/wiring_devices/products/lighting_controls/aspire_rf_wireless/aspire_rf_5_button_scene_control_keypad_rfwdc_rfwc5.html

Is this a good choice for SmartThings? Are there others (120V) that donā€™t require a DTH?

Much appreciated.

rbcap

12

I wrote the DH for this device. I can answer your questions. The link for DH is below.

Iā€™ll make this brief as instructions are elsewhere in detail.
You will need to go to the Smartthings IDE web page. You will need your ST log in. Create a new device handler, From Code. Paste the code from the link above - hit create. Then you will be at the edit screen. Select Publish, For Me.

When you add the cooper device to your ST hub it should grab the correct DH. If you have already add it or it got the wrong one. Find it in my devices, click on it. At the bottom of the device screen select edit. You can change the DH on that screen to Cooper Aspire Scene Controller RFWC5 RFWC5D

Get an understanding of zwave associations and scenes. These are two methods zwave controllers like the RFWC can communicate with other zwave devices. There is info in the discussion

Follow the instructions in the DH carefully. You must configure the device once with the DH for it to work, even if you just want to use it to communicate with ST.

All the info you need is in the forum, if you get stumped feel free to ask questions.

Hope this helps.

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Using DH to make a controller work is a bit too complicated for me. Is there any wall mounted (120V) controller that is compatible with Smartthings without using DH?

I find it a bit surprising hat Iā€™m not able to identify such a device.

Thanks again

rbcap

14

Adding a custom DH to your SmartThings Account isnā€™t quite as complicated as it seems - a few random vendors have provided video or step-by-step video instructions, or you can PM me and we could do a screen share for Ā½ hour or so for an agreed upon fee.

The number of Devices officially compatible and plug & play with SmartThings is large, but it grows slowly due to their current certification backlog.

The Community loves SmartThings because we can use great Things without waiting for official integration.

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15

Itā€™s been about 6 months since I first started this post regarding the availability of wall-mounted 120V button controllers compatible with SmartThings. In technology, 6 months is a lot of time these days so Iā€™m wondering if thereā€™s anything new in the way of wall-mounter 120 V button controllers. Has anyone come across anything?

It is surprising that such wall-mounted controllers, compatible with SmartThings are not readily available. I think itā€™s a basic requirement for automating lights etc. I guess SmartThings doesnā€™t see it as an important requirement.

Thoughts/comments/suggestions??

Thanks

16

There still are not any that donā€™t require custom code.

People have definitely been asking for this since at least 2015 since the devices exist, the issue is just getting smartthings ( The company) to write a stock device type handler for it so it could be automatically added. They said they were interested in doing it, but they just never have. Apparently other things were a higher priority.

I understand your frustration level on this, but the people in this forum are just other customers, if you arenā€™t interested in using custom code there really isnā€™t any way we can help you on this. :disappointed_relieved:

17

From my experience with the Cooper zwave scene controller, in general the devices do not really fit the ST model. ST would prefer that all sensors (a button controller) communicate to the hub and then the hub commands the actuators (relays and dimmers). In the zwave world devices like a scene controller are designed to communicate directly with the actuators, by passing the hub. When I wrote the DH for the Cooper scene controller I did my best to make both things possible. However, when you hold a button on the controller there is no information sent to the hub to tell it which button is being held. It is only told that a button is being held. This is because the device is designed to send the held information directly to other zwave devices it is controlling. I think this is why ST has not jumped on making these devices run local.

I use my Cooper controllers daily and they work very well. For the most part I use them as intended by the designers to control other zwave devices directly. The one big advantage I see to this is, I can unplug and disconnect my ST hub and the controllers still control those lights.

Turn on the hub and I can make switches act like three way switches that arenā€™t and tell Google ā€œGood Nightā€ and have all the lights go out. Excellent added functionality.

This big limit is: I cannot thru ST control a zigbee dimmer with the Cooper scene controller. I think that puts it out of contention for official ST support.

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18

All true. :sunglasses:

However, the Leviton Multi button controller does not have these restrictions, and is a zwave device that can indeed Be used to trigger zigbee or Wi-Fi devices because it does send all of its button presses to the hub. The main problem with it is that itā€™s very expensive, as much as $125 per individual device, so again, I think smartthings hasnā€™t got much pressure to add it to the official lineup. But there is good custom code for it and there are some community members using it.

IMG_4455

There are also a number of different battery operated multibutton devices which work very well with smartthings, but you do have to be willing to copy and paste the initial custom code to set it up. And they donā€™t meet the requirement of being mains powered.

FAQ: Full list of buttons and remotes confirmed to work with SmartThings [Not all devices listed work with the 2020 Platform]

image

So different people have Approached the question of a wall-mounted scene controller in different ways, I just donā€™t know one that exactly meets the requirements of the OP, since they donā€™t want to use any custom code.

19

I also have the same desire. I am looking for a simple on/off switch to replace current light switches, but NOT directly control the power to the lights. I have ST, Hue hub and hue bulbs deployed, and all work great from the ST app (or from the Hue app). The issue is that the ā€œnormalā€ light switch, when turned off, cuts power to them so they can no longer be controlled. I could bypass the switch all together, but then the wife and visitors cannot simply turn lights on and off with the switch. Elsewhere I have GE z-wave wall switches connected to lights without smart bulbs. This is fine. Can all be turned on and off remotely, or from the switch. I am just trying to find a solution when the bulbs themselves are actually smart, but we still need to be able to just turn them on or off from a switch -a wired switch with power - no batteries please. want it to go in an replace the existing mechanical switch.

Thanks

20

The solution you seek is simple I think. Bypass the switch as you suggested. But install zwave or zigbee switch and donā€™t wire the load to it. You can then flip the switch, ST sees the change and turns on the light.

Iā€™m fairly sure none of the switches would care if there is a load. Dimmers could be a different story. You could test the ones you have by simply removing the bulbs (no load) and see how ST responds when the switch if flipped.

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