SmartenIT ZBWS3 [2014]

I’m having an odd result from these buttons. I’ve got it all paired and working as expected, until I try to use one of the buttons to dim a light 10% in Rule Machine. A single brief button-press gives five or six events and a series of debug messages in the IDE Logging.
This is with V2 ST hub - I’m wondering if the device driver needs an update?

5317b17b-3e35-4263-b199-23c8aa19c652 5:28:59 PM: info Button 2 Triggered
5317b17b-3e35-4263-b199-23c8aa19c652 5:28:56 PM: info Button 2: Buttons button pushed
9e347f5a-066b-41cb-bd96-98865d973538 5:28:59 PM: debug setLevel >> value: 59
0f7b3e78-2e92-41e3-bfc9-f1f02a89fdc2 5:28:59 PM: debug setLevel >> value: 59
8e1c44c5-790e-485b-b198-11221f8223e6 5:28:59 PM: debug setLevel >> value: 59
948dcde8-bf21-4e7f-9a18-4342190cafb1 5:28:59 PM: debug setLevel >> value: 59
9e347f5a-066b-41cb-bd96-98865d973538 5:28:58 PM: debug setLevel >> value: 69
0f7b3e78-2e92-41e3-bfc9-f1f02a89fdc2 5:28:58 PM: debug setLevel >> value: 69
8e1c44c5-790e-485b-b198-11221f8223e6 5:28:58 PM: debug setLevel >> value: 69
948dcde8-bf21-4e7f-9a18-4342190cafb1 5:28:58 PM: debug setLevel >> value: 69
9e347f5a-066b-41cb-bd96-98865d973538 5:28:57 PM: debug setLevel >> value: 79
0f7b3e78-2e92-41e3-bfc9-f1f02a89fdc2 5:28:57 PM: debug setLevel >> value: 79
8e1c44c5-790e-485b-b198-11221f8223e6 5:28:57 PM: debug setLevel >> value: 79
9e347f5a-066b-41cb-bd96-98865d973538 5:28:57 PM: debug setLevel >> value: 89
0f7b3e78-2e92-41e3-bfc9-f1f02a89fdc2 5:28:57 PM: debug setLevel >> value: 89
8e1c44c5-790e-485b-b198-11221f8223e6 5:28:57 PM: debug setLevel >> value: 89
948dcde8-bf21-4e7f-9a18-4342190cafb1 5:28:57 PM: debug setLevel >> value: 89
56e48f57-8808-4252-a228-59b2b57a4da0 5:28:56 PM: info Button 1 - 78F for One: Buttons button pushed
2f8b7d83-445d-4e80-a350-c7c438e552bb 5:28:56 PM: info Button 3: Buttons button pushed
b7c6e645-99e5-4177-a2c7-41984b82ff93 5:28:56 PM: debug Parse returned Buttons button 2 was pushed
b7c6e645-99e5-4177-a2c7-41984b82ff93 5:28:56 PM: debug Button 2 pushed
b7c6e645-99e5-4177-a2c7-41984b82ff93 5:28:56 PM: debug Parse description catchall: 0104 0006 02 01 0140 00 45A6 01 00 0000 02 00

Who wrote the device driver your using? There have been so many of us contribute to this guy I’m not sure who’s code your running.

I’m using this one by Gilbert Chan : https://github.com/obycode/smartthings-smartapps/blob/master/VirtualButtons/SmartenIt-ZBWS3B.groovy

soooooooo just to clear something up here, can each of the 3 switches/buttons on the " SmartenIT ZBWS3B " be used as like an ON/OFF switch . . . for instance could i have it setup like this:

BUTTON 1 - press to turn on light 1 / press again to turn off light 1
BUTTON 2 - press to turn on light 2 / press again to turn off light 2
BUTTON 3 - press to turn on light 3 / press again to turn off light 3

id like to put one of these at the side of my bed, and have the 3 buttons operate as follows:

BUTTON 1 - Turn On/Off the bedside lamps
BUTTON 2 - Turn On/Off the tv via virtual switch linked to harmony activity
BUTTON 3 - Turn On/Off All lights in the room

is this doable or does each button only have one command it can process as a pose to two per switch?

THIS VIDEO ANSWERED MY QUESTION:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67uWzVu6Obg

:slight_smile: - excited, now just need to find a way to get two of these shipped to the UK

Yes, each switch can be a toggle.

That said, for the UK I think I’d first look at the devolo or zwave.me battery operated zwave switches that @adamv has working with his custom device handler.

These have 4 usable buttons and lots of options.

just looking now and each of these only look like 2 button devices, where as this is a 3 button . . . is that correct or can each corner be used as its own on/off switch, thus making it actually 4 on/off (toggle) buttons?

Each corner is a button as shown with the cover off.

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You really are the Oracle aren’t you JD :slight_smile: what a legend, thanks mate

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I purchased the Smartenit Zigbee 3-button switch and followed the instructions here and it worked so well I just purchased another one yesterday. Today, I came across this GE Z-Wave wireless controller that appeared to do the same thing - http://www.amazon.com/GE-45631-Z-Wave-Wireless-Controller/dp/B003OUWABU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457081363&sr=8-1 . Does anyone know how this compares with the Smartenit? Thanks.

There is much discussion of the GE controller in the forum so you should search for those threads. But the short answer is this:

Like the Aeon minimote and the Enerwave SC7, the SmartenIT can be configured as what smartthings called a “button controller.” This means that it sends its request to the hub and the hub then sends a command to the end device. This is why the minimote, which is a Z wave device, can also be used to control a Zigbee device through smartthings. And why the smartenit 3 toggle, which is a zigbee device, can also be used to control Z wave devices via smartthings. And why both can control a group which mixes, say, some zwave light switches and some WeMo switches. The protocol of the end device doesn’t matter because everything goes through the hub first. :sunglasses:

In addition, button controllers can be used to run routines or smartapps or change modes. And because the requests are going to the hub, the devices being controlled can be anywhere on the network. You could be upstairs in the bedroom and use a button controller to turn on the front porch lights. Or close the garage door.

In contrast, the GE devices are Z wave scene controllers and can only be used to control other zwave devices which are within one hop of it, typically in the same room. They do not send the request to the hub. Instead, they communicate directly with the other Z wave devices. This is why they can’t be used with other protocols. They also generally do not update device status on the hub.

There are people who find a use for the GE devices as a parallel means of control, but they’re just not as flexible or powerful in an ST installation as a button controller device. :sunglasses:

Here’s the discussion thread for people using the GE devices:

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@JDRoberts - I spent a lot of time searching and reading multiple threads. Thank you for the excellent explanation.

I just installed (2) Lightify light strips in my kitchen. I’m looking for a stick on wall switch which will allow me to turn both strips on and off. Hopefully, low profile. I don’t care too much for dimming. The light strips use ZigBee. As a pro at this, what would be your recommendation give the current hardware we have?

Fortunately, it doesn’t matter what protocol the light strips use as long as they can talk to the smartthings hub. :sunglasses:

Are you using the strips as RGBW or just white?

And were you looking just for on/off/dim control, or something more from the switch?

And are you in the US or the UK? (Some of the devices are different.)

To be honest, if you want to get color controls, it’s often easiest to just wall-mount an inexpensive Wi-Fi phone:

Then you can use anything you like just as a manual on/off control for times when the Internet isn’t available.

Other than that, it will depend on your answers to the questions above. :sunglasses:

I have the RGBW strips in the US. To be honest, I’m most likely going to set a color and keep it. Dimming is a bonus. I just want to be able to have a switch in the kitchen to turn them on and off. Right now I have to use the app to turn them on and off.

If you just want on and off, you can use anything that talks to SmartThings. :sunglasses:

There are several wallmount options for battery powered devices in the button FAQ:

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All this custom code for consumer devices is beyond annoying in my experience. I’m not a programmer though I can set up home automation. There are so many confusing steps and incomplete instructions full of vague abbreviations. In my opinion Samsung needs to take control here and make these operations possible. “Paste in code” and other confusing vagueness is not something consumers should be asked to do.

You are responding to a thread which is over four years old and a lot has changed in that time. In particular, there are now more devices which will work out of the box with smartthings, thus simplifying the process. If you just stick with Devices which have integrations available through the app, you won’t have to go through any of those other steps. :sunglasses:

I have started a new 2021 thread for battery operated Devices, most of which don’t need custom code, in case that’s what you were specifically looking for. :sunglasses:

[2021] Battery Power Switches and Buttons

Thanks. That’s useful. The Zooz looks like it might work and I’ve ordered it.
The GoControl switch code gave me a bunch of errors and it was downhill from there.
It’s great that people like you are so helpful and tolerant but I still think Samsung could take more responsibility.
Why does Zooz need a custom handler? Why can’t they use code that already works with ST?
Duck

The third-party Z wave standard only requires that controllers, like the smartthings hub, support the basic level of zwave commands. (“Basic“ has a very specific meaning in this context.)

There are a whole bunch of additional advanced commandsets.

Typically a hub which only supports Zwave and is trying to compete in that space, such as Homeseer or Fibaro or EzLo vera, Will support most of those additional commandsets and Their user interface will be set up to let you do all kinds of things with that, such as assign actions to central scene commands or create direct associations. or for that matter, just give you a routing table.

Because smartthings from the beginning set out to be a multi protocol platform, they tried to hide all of the protocol specific stuff from the user and raise it up an abstraction level. Consequently they don’t expose stuff which is only available with one protocol like, you know, central scene actions or direct associations. Customers can still get to it, but they have to write their own code (or use code that somebody else wrote) to do so.

What all of that means is that the Z wave Alliance protocol requires that smartthings be able to send a command to turn a switch on and off. Which it can do. but if you want to take advantage of advanced features like double tap, long press, changing the colors of LEDs, supporting panic mode, and other optional stuff, you have to use custom code.

In the case of that Zooz model, its use of central scenes is what allows it to handle double taps and long press. I haven’t looked at the details, it might also be using advanced notifications for low battery alerts.

It’s possible, although again I haven’t verified it, that you could use that device without any custom code, but you’d only be able to do on and off. If you used it with a different Z wave hub, you’d probably get the advanced features straight out of the box, no custom code needed. But with smartthings, if you want those advanced features, you need the custom code. It was a decision smartthings made at the very beginning of their architecture, before they were ever purchased by Samsung, and it continues to shape their development today.

Thanks for the explanation. I’m learning, thanks to generous people like you.

But I can’t get the Zooz to do anything without the custom handler. In fact, now I’ve installed the custom handler and it still won’t do anything, even though it appears in my Device Handlers online and on my phone in the list of devices in the Samsung app. I’ve written to Zooz and they answered me, so maybe this will straighten things out. Just seems like this stuff is harder than it needs to be.
Thanks again,
Dick

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