I’m a bit embarrassed to post this question. I’ve been using openHab for 4+ years now. A few months ago I moved everything to a Pine64 with a new Aeon z-stick. Moving my legacy items was pretty smooth. I added the Z-wave devices through Paper UI using the Simple Mode (as in the tutorial) and just updated my item files. All went really well.
Now I’m finally trying to add a few new z-wave devices, I’m getting a bit confused with the various tutorials and documentation which are out there. I feel I’m rock solid on the Network Inclusion and Device Inquiry Part. It’s the configuration where I may be having my issues. I may also be not getting when to use PaerUI and when to use Habmin.
What are my next steps to add a z-wave devie one it has passed inquiry? I have been expecting that all of the channels should show up and be functional on Paper UI assuming I’ve used the Simple Mode. As an example, I have some Monoprice Door/window sensors (ZD 2102) which I can add to paper UI with no problem and see in the “Control” section. I have been expecting that I would see the items trigger and show new information in that control section but I don’t. Does that mean that the device is not working?
For the “legacy” devices I transferred over which are still defined in the items file, I see two entries for each “item” in Paper UI. Is that to be expected?
I really want to get to understand the best practices for adding these z-wave devices. It is my hope that once I have it figured it all out that I can post YouTube videos showing step by step instructions for getting each my 40+ devices to work with openHab.
OH2 Zwave Binding does not like .items files if I understnad the main Zwave thread correctly. They may be causing your issues, or at least complicating them.
I’d recommend moving them aside and then restarting openhab to clear them Then see what it finds and give it some time… Seems it discovers and set up new devices in a serial mode, as opposed to a parallel mode and it can take its sweet time about it (I believe it’s an actual Zwave controller/protocol limitation, not a binding one)…
Two comments upfront:
First, you must describe your installation state more clearly. You didn’t even mention which OH version you’re using.
PaperUI implies 2.X but you also say you’ve been using items files and OH for 4 years (when there was no 2.X), both of which hints to a OH1.X version.
Second, Which ‘tutorial’ recommends to use Simple Mode ? Using it only makes sense for beginners.
To avoid confusion: What I understand by ‘Simple Mode’ (and what I’ll be referring to hereby) is the functionality to auto-create items when a thing is created.
You defnitely shouldn’t use Simple Mode if you maintain items in .items files. You shouldn’t use it at all.
It’ll create items whenever a new thing is created, and a thing is (auto-)created when you include new z-wave devices, i.e. you run discovery and your stick exposes new items to openHAB.
And if there already is an entry in your .items file, Simple Mode creates an item, too, and you’ll have two items in the end which is what you’re seeing.
It seems that most of my confusion was coming from the items which were being created by simple mode. Unless someone suggests otherwise, I think that I’ll turn off simple mode and just define and create/link items through the items file. What are the advantages over defining items in PaperUI vs a file?
One of the problems I was having is that I was expecting all of the simple mode created items to show up and work in the control section of PaperUI. They were not all doing that. I would see the “serial_sof” ItemStateChangedEvent in the log viewer whenever I triggered a sensor but I didn’t see “hingStatusInfoChangedEvent” for the devices.
How do I delete all of the items which were created by simple mode? Removing a thing doesn’t seem to remove the items associated to a channel on a thing. I tried using habmin and paperUI to remove items but it doesn’t seem to remove all.
