Zigbee Sinope - Newbie Questions - Wrong Time / Outside Temperature

Devices & Integrations Connected Things
#1

I’ve tried to read the forums, but I’m lost.

Paired the Zigbee compatible thermostats to Smarthings. Figured out Automation, etc. Changed the Icon, which then shrunk the temperature text and checked the forums to see there is no way to “delete” an Icon once created, so unpaired and started again, etc.

So I think I’m slowly starting to get the hang of it, albeit I’m a little surprised with how kludgy the software is, but hoping someone can point out that I’m missing the obvious.

All I’m trying to figure out now is how to ensure the right time shows on the thermostats themselves. I’ve checked the location in “Home”, etc. but the time on my thermostats is showing an hour behind on the current time…I’m guessing it’s a Daylight Savings Time issue? But, even stranger, the clocks aren’t all synced. One will show 10:24, while the other is showing 10:25. That makes no sense to me if they are all pulling the info from the cloud.

Also, I don’t want the outside temperature showing, I’d rather show the thermostat setpoint, but, again, just can’t see any options, either via the Android app or the web API to change any of this stuff.

Can someone point me in the right direction? Part of me thinks I’m missing something pretty basic.

#2

Need to ask… are you using a ST hub v2, ST/ADT hub or Connect Home hub? Also, are you using the ST classic app or the Samsung Connect app?

#3

Sorry, ST Hub v2 and ST Classic on Android. Good point though…I forgot there was a second app available.

Update #1: On the Smarthings app (which used to be Samsung connect I presume), it says: “Can’t connect to the device. Check it and try again.” Seems to be able to connect to my Sonos and Arlo devices though, but no hints as to what I’m supposed to do to “check it”.

I have to say, Samsung sure doesn’t make it easy to understand their nomenclature…I thought I had signed up for a Smarthings account, but on the web interface it makes you pick either Smarthings or Samsung to log-in. Judging from my failed password attempt, it looks like it’s Samsung…but why not just merge the two sites so I don’t have to figure out which one? And not sure if I’m the only guy to not able to figure out how to let my wife change the temperature. Invite by email was easy on the Arlo, but no luck so far with Samsung.

Update #2 - After poking around more, I’m still at a loss to understand where the time is coming from and why it’s mismatched. For what it’s worth, the correct time shows up in the Smartthings activity feed. It just seems to be wrong by an hour on the thermostats…and they’re still off from each other by seconds (one will change first…and then 10 sec later or so another one does).

I must be getting older, stupider or both, because none of this stuff is intuitive to me (vs. Sonos/Arlo at least).

1 Like
#4

Obvious questions first. Are you using the latest API from sinope?

Do you have your zip code entered in the preferences? If so, try removing it. If not, try adding it.

#5

Thanks for the pointers!

To make sure I hadn’t screwed anything up, I factory reset the Hub, deleted the Samsung account and started again…giving a Postal Code (Canada), which I don’t see showing up in either the Android App or the API (PC)–although the coordinates and timezone are correctly showing. I also made sure I used the API from Sinope linked on their product page. I’m sticking with the Android classic app as the newer one didn’t “see” the thermostats.

I just don’t get it…for what it’s worth, it’s using a 24-hr clock (not sure if that’s a clue?), but, again, I would have thought it would be a simple option to change to 12-hr, but I have idea “where” that is being controlled…I don’t see any option like that.

#6

Sorry for the SPAM, but I can’t get my head around how these Zigbee things are programmable. Is it not directly via ST?

I guess, to make it really simple, how would I accomplish the things that you can do with non-“Smart” Sinope thermostats, such as adjusting the backlight settings, changing the 24-hr clock function, etc.? Of course, I’m also thinking of “automatically adjust for DST” and changing the outside temperature to the programmed heat setting, but, more generally, how do I control things like the 24-hr clock and backlight?

Surely, the Zigbee compatible thermostat must be at least as “smart” as the programmable ones?

#7

Honestly, I don’t know. I have the older sinope thermostats that require a hub, and the setup is all done from a website. There may be api controls for the thermostats that aren’t programmed into the smartthings driver. You might have to contact Sinope directly. I saw from the manual there’s a few minor things that can be changed from the keypad itself. Holding the two buttons for 10 secs or something like that gives you a menu. I looked it up, the only thing you can change on the keypad is short or long heating cycles (for baseboards and forced air heaters, respectfully)

#8

Thanks, that was helpful! Your e-mail gelled for me that if you’re doing everything on yours through the web interface, I must have to do it through the API. I went back to look for any documentation, and noticed that they have an API landing page for “authorized professional integrators”, and that it had a newer version (353) of the API than the one you get when you download it from the product webpage (331). Nothing jumped out at me that’s otherwise “alterable”, but at least the 24-hr clock has the right time on it now. Appreciate it!

PS: I figured out that long cycle setting after installing it for our kick heaters, and having the wife say “your fancy thermostat” doesn’t work…but at least that was in the installation manual!

PPS: If you update your API, any idea if you can implement the changes somehow without unlinking your “things” so you can delete the earlier API?

#9

If you go to your SmartThings web account, you can over write the code (delete the old, paste in the new) and save, and it’ll update the device driver without having to delete the devices.

#10

Ahh, makes sense!

I guess I either need to hassle my tween to teach me python or bug Sinope to update the API, but at least I have it functional now for the clock (I guess this was the new code)…thanks again!

def mytimezone = location.getTimeZone()
long secFrom2000 = (((now().toBigInteger() + mytimezone.rawOffset + mytimezone.dstSavings ) / 1000) - (10957 * 24 * 3600)).toLong()

#11

Hi,
The newer version (353) of the SmartThings driver was updated on the product pages of the smart Zigbee thermostats.
Our apologies for the confusion!

Best regards,

#12

No sweat. Steep learning curve for me as a complete newbie trying to understand even the basics of SmartThings , so when any little thing is off, it’s hard to figure out what went wrong.

BTW, I’ve been dealing with your support group on a hardware issue on one of the thermostats, and I have to say…you guys have been great. Top notch customer service.

Not a big deal, as everything’s working well on the Sinope side of “things” (although still trying to understand the nuances of SmartThings, and realizing I probably need to figure out CoRE to do anything more than the basics), but…can I do things like change the clock to a 12-hr clock, pick whether it’s the outside temperature or target temperature, etc.? I don’t think it’s done via a menu on the hardware accessed through the buttons (like for the long/short cycle), but how do I set those sorts of functions on the thermostat? Is it done via the API? Again, no big deal if it’s not possible, but I’m mostly curious (particularly as I would have thought–being controlled by software–that “everything” would be customizable.

Thanks again!

#13

The time format is determined by the temperature format. Selecting Fahrenheit will give you the 12h format and Celcius will give you the 24h format. SmartThings doesn’t allow otherwise. You can change the temperature format from the device or you can change it in the hub’s parameters, then refresh. This should work.

As for the setpoint and outdoor temperature: you can select either one or the other from SmartThings. To have the setpoint featured on your thermostat display, you need to go in your thermostat parameters on SmartThings and leave the zipcode field blank. To have the outdoor temperature displayed, you put the zipcode in the field.

We can send you screen captures on how to do all of this. You just need to send an e-mail to our support service (support@sinopetech.com) and we’ll happily assist you.

Thanks for your interest in our products!

#14

Ahh, that makes sense. I knew it was different before I reset everything and installed the new driver, but I couldn’t figure out why/how it had changed. Thanks for the prompt response!

#15

Hi Sinope. Any idea if the driver can be updated (or anything else can be done) to report changes made at the physical thermostat buttons to the hub? I have figured out how to setup a piston that takes the temperature reading from one main thermostat, but I did that so that we could physically adjust that one thermostat, and have the other change autmagically. But if we use the buttons, that change doesn’t seem to get registered in the ST software. Thoughts/Ideas?

The question/answer I posted on the WebCore forum…

Me: One thing I’ve noticed…if I “manually” adjust the temperature on the thermostat itself (Sinope Zigbee), then it doesn’t seem to be reflected in the “software” control. Is that right, or is there something else I’m missing? I would have thought that if I adjusted at the thermostat, it would pick it up in the app?

Reply by other member: I think it may have to do with polling and status updates. Some devices, some lightbulbs for example, do not report status changes back to the hub. The hub may only poll your thermostat for changes at intervals as well. In your case, the thermostat is not reporting the setpoint change back to the hub. I don’t know specifically if/when/how the thermostat updates status with the hub, but that is likely the issue. Hopefully someone here knows more detail about the hub/thermostat communication.

#16

Any idea if you can add a “polling” function to the Sinope driver? I’d like to have one thermostat control all my heaters (which I’m doing via webCoRE), but I have to use my app to adjust the setpoint on the “master”…if use the hardware buttons on the thermostat itself, the software doesn’t seem to reflect changes made on the screen of the thermostat using the physical buttons. Thanks.

#17

Another option is just lock the thermostat buttons and put a zigbee 2 button controller next to the thermostat for control, if you can’t get polling to work.

#18

Hi BGrudgingLee,
Our sincere apologies for the late reply! We hadn’t received any notification from the forum regarding your latest message. Were you able to have that issue fixed? When you change the temperature on your thermostats, is the temperature updated on the SmartThings platform?

We tried on our end and everything looks normal and the temperature is updated correctly… Please let us know if you still experience the issue, we’ll be more than happy to help you!

Best regards,

#19

Hi, thanks for the response. I had forgotten about this until just now, as I haven’t turned the heat on since, but went to turn it on today (from the thermostat) and noticed it wasn’t updating in Smartthings.

Updated the driver to 431 and noticed it started working right away. Thanks!

One other question…I noticed in the driver it now has a reference to “backlight”. Is there a cheat sheet on the functions that can be enabled with the driver, like being able to choose the 12 hour clock but with the temperature in Celsius)?

Thanks.

#20

Hi BGrudgingLee,

Glad to hear that everything is working well on your end now that you have updated the driver.

We don’t have a cheat sheet explaining the features available, but noted your suggestion to have one for our users.

As for the features and functions with SmartThings: the backlight cannot be changed, but it will adapt automatically throughout the day or night. As for the time display and use of temperature in Celcius, we unfortunately have no control on that as it is the SmartThings hub that sets this combination (12h with Fahrenheit / 24h with Celcius). I hope this helps!

Best regards,

© 2020 SmartThings, Inc. All Rights Reserved.