Aeotec Z-Pi 7 vs RaZberry 7

This is what we need to be careful about. Unless Chris is rewriting the docs, the Z-Wave binding still doesn’t officially support 700-series controllers, but you and some others have managed to get the Razberry 7 working (which I think is great).

In contrast, I don’t believe that anyone has managed to get an Aeotec Gen7 USB stick working. So, I think we should be very specific about the Razberry 7 being an exception to the rule at this point in time. I just don’t want to accidentally point people in the wrong direction and cause them to buy something that’s not going to work (and make it harder for them to set up OH).

totally agree with you… :+1:

By the way: my OH 2.5 runs well on the RPi3 with the RaZberry2 from 2018. I just wanted to update now to OH 3.2 and at the same time clean up everything and make new in parallel. Why not then also immediately with current hardware? I know this from the IT industry: Devices older than 5 years should be replaced if possible and if you do all the work, because your work is also expensive and if you also want to do things new… also because most of the time the devices are no longer supported and are out of service … Sooner than you would like … and then you stand there and start again… (Ok, I realize that this is not the case with a toaster;-))

Anyway… In any case, I’m glad that the Razberry7 shield is basically up and running (at least with the thermostat) and I can now gradually move everything to the new hardware in parallel with my existing OH system. The feedback, if something does not work as expected, I then pass on to the developers and hopefully is then for the next 5 years peace, until I move to OH 4 … :wink:
Cheers Nick

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Before I started this thread a wrote an e-Mail to Aeotec (regarding the Z-Pi 7).
Would be great if we could push the development/communication between Chris and Aeotec somehow. Course in my convolut the Aeotec Hardware works much smoother than all the others. Hopefully Mr. Jackson is reading this too and has enough time for that great work.

Unfortunately, there’s a lot more to it than someone finding time to work on it with Aeotec. See this thread from a year ago where it was discussed extensively. I don’t know how much has changed since then.

After reading this thread I decided to flash a UZB-7 with 7.17.1.334 firmware and see how much works.

I added this to 3.3 M1 and the device comes up and the counters on the controller increment.

I then added a Fibaro FGWPB-121 wall plug. The device added but the interrogation is failing. The requests are ACK and the reports are sent and ACK but something is failing and the device is not fully initialised. The config file is created but many values are not populated correctly.

I will play a bit more but would say this is not working.

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Tried a few versions of the controller firmware and all fail. Possibly this is because this is a z-wave plus device and something it sends when using a very recent controller is not handled by the binding. I don’t think this is worth pursuing unless others find they can add a wide range of devices without issue to a 700 series.

RaZberry2 is also a “Z-Wave PLUS” Controller. And MOST of the time inclusion-time is to small for initialize all properties (as mentioned above) I call “heal” after all inclusions and get more or even all properties (including the “reinitialize button”, which was not there when it fails)
Not sure if the TOPIC is still correct, couse we discuss most of the time about “700er Controller working in OpenHAB” Should we open a new topic?

I was referring to the capabilities of the slave device.

Also a uzb-7 with 7.17 is a z-wave + v2 device with a bridge controller firmware. A RaZberry2 is a z-wave + device with a non bridge controller firmware.

Swapped the UZB-7 with bridge controller firmware for a UZB-3 with non bridge controller firmware and Fibaro FGWPB-121 wall plug adds and initialises in seconds on same platform.

If you guys can add a wide range of devices then it might indicate that Aeotec and zway have built their own version of the 7.xx firmware that is compatible. Alternatively the device you added being an older device did not try to use any of the more advanced features that a the latest controllers supports. i.e. you have only tested support of old compatible features.

I have tested a uzb-7 (the reference 700 controller design) with pre and post LR firmware.

If I use the same UZB-7 in a zware/z-IP setup the Fibaro FGWPB-121 works as expected. Also in PC controller and I am sure in z-wave MQ.

I could analyse further but will not unless Chris expresses a whish to go down that route. Just now he has not indicated he wants to.

If you can shed any light on what the firmware in the Aeotec 7 or RaZberry 7 is I would be interested

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We definitely haven’t talked about Aeotec very much, but it was still your original question. I wouldn’t worry too much about it, but you can edit the topic title.

Please could you share the controller xml from user z-wave folder. Normally node 1.

Cheers,

Robert

Yes, for sure… I´ll provide two xml: node_1 = RazBerry7 Pro (Z-Wave Shield for Raspberry Pi) and node_5 = devolo radiator control (identical in design to Danfoss Living Connect Z Wave Thermostat).

…maybe it helps…
Cheers, Nick

network_fa46e3e8__node_1.xml (1.8 KB)
network_fa46e3e8__node_5.xml (7.8 KB)

Many thanks.

So it appears that z-wave.me has compiled a PC controller firmware or Silicon labs have provided one for them.

a 7.16.01.02 (2021-12-08) was not distributed by silicon labs so I think it is a build they have done. It sounds promising.

I looked at why the initialisation was looping. I think the issue is that both Fibaro FGWPB-121 wall plug and UZB-7 support Version Command Class V3. The binding currently only support Version Command Class V2 but I would need to setup a dev environment to check before reporting this as an issue.

It would be worth testing Aeotec or RaZberry 7 with a newer device that supports Version Command Class V3 if you have one.

I bought a FIBARO FIBEFGWPF-102-5 FGWP-102 Wall Plug (Typ F), 230 V for testing, but is still not delivered. I would test if this device will also work in my setup…

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The UK version was produced a little later and I think the firmware is a little different.

…successfull paired :+1:

Pls follow also:

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That is good news.

From what I can find the Aeotec is still using a Bridge controller firmware so it is different from the zwave.me. Has anyone had success with one on openHAB?

It sounds like the zwave.me might be the working for many devices and from the xml sent by @C.Griswold is a PC controller which is what openHAB supports.

As I noted earlier the binding does not have support for some recent versions of some control classes so if you get a new device and a new controller that tries to use these you might get issues.

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