Ember Coordinator always OFFLINE

Add-ons Bindings
1
  • Platform information:
    • Hardware: Intel Core i5 4th gen / 8 Gb RAM DDR3 / SSD PCI Exp 128 Mb
    • OS: W10 Home with extended safety pack until october 2026
    • Java Runtime Environment: Zulu 21
    • openHAB version: 5.1.1.
  • Issue of the topic: Ember Coordinator always OFFLINE
  • Please post configurations (if applicable):
    • Items configuration: nothing specific
    • Sitemap configuration: nothing specific
    • Rules code related to the issue:

Zigbee is definitely a mistery to me since I started to deal with OH in 2021. I have been trying to set up Ember Coordinator for more than two years with no success. First I got a Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 Dongle and after dealing with it with no success for two weeks I simple decided to give it back and get an Aeotec Zi-Stick, with the same result. As I considered that the item could be defective, I asked for a substitution and got a new one, and again I had no success, since Ember coordinator was always showing an OFFLINE status (COMMUNICATION_ERROR). I stored the dongle in its box and kept in a safe place until last week when I decided to try again…with no success again.

I have updated firmware to the last Zigbee version in Aeotec Help Desk wep page (7.4.4), using Elelabs ESZP utility master tool, and checking version according instructions. All seems to be OK.

This is the YAML of the coordinator

version: 1
things:
  zigbee:coordinator_ember:5b6632da81:
    isBridge: true
    config:
      zigbee_port: COM6
      zigbee_flowcontrol: 0
      zigbee_baud: 115200
      zigbee_powermode: 1
      zigbee_txpower: 0
      zigbee_childtimeout: 86400
      zigbee_networksize: 25
      zigbee_concentrator: 1
      zigbee_initialise: false
      zigbee_channel: 11
      zigbee_panid: 62446
      zigbee_extendedpanid: BFC01E259F037A0A
      zigbee_networkkey: 411268A80DA74A69F384847FBC3DA962
      zigbee_linkkey: 5A6967426565416C6C69616E63653039
      zigbee_meshupdateperiod: 86400
      zigbee_trustcentremode: TC_JOIN_SECURE
    channels:
      rx_dat:
        type: ember_ash_rx_dat
      tx_dat:
        type: ember_ash_tx_dat
      rx_nak:
        type: ember_ash_rx_nak
      tx_nak:
        type: ember_ash_tx_nak
      rx_ack:
        type: ember_ash_rx_ack
      tx_ack:
        type: ember_ash_tx_ack

I can’t see any specific log related with this, and I must recognize that I am not completely sure about what set to Trace Level in the binding:

image
image1546×1564 157 KB

Can anybody help?

Thank you all

Diego

2

According to the docs there are two supported Ember chipsets: EFR32MG and EM357/8. do you know which chipset you have and whether it’s one of these two?

Furthermore, it says different dongles have different settings:

Note that there are generally two versions of the Ember NCP firmware in use. One operates at a baud rate of 115200 with RTS/CTS flow control (i.e. hardware flow control), the other operates at a baud rate of 57600, and XON/XOFF flow control (i.e. software flow control). If you are programming your own stick (e.g. the CEL stick) then it should be advisable to use the hardware flow control version - many commercial sticks seem to use the lower speed and software flow control (e.g. Bitron and Nortek HUSBZB-1).

Since this a commercial dongle, I’d definitely use baud of 57600 and XON/XOFF flow control. Your coordinator Thing is not.

You just updated the firmware so I would assume you’ve met this:

Firmware versions higher than 6.4.0.0 may be required to work with some newer devices (i.e. those conforming to the Zigbee 3.0 standard). If your dongle has older firmware then devices may appear to join the network, but will not work as they will leave the network if they do not receive updated security information.

Finally, there’s this:

If the USB dongle is not recognized, it might be necessary to make the dongle’s device id known to the CP240x driver by Silicon Labs:

On Linux you usually don’t need to install separate device drivers. But for Windows you almost always need to install separate device drivers. Have you installed any drivers for this dongle?

3

Hi Rich

I have just noticed that the issue is surely related with the USB port driver, since either W10 or W11 set up by default the CH340 driver instead of the CP210x USB to UART Bridge, so the Zigbee dongle can’t connect at all.

I have tried different ways to install the CP210x with no success since whatever I do I always get the same result that is the CP210X not working at all and the windows system always trying to set up the CH340 again.

Besides, I don’t understand properly how to perform this in windows, and how it could help:

" If the USB dongle is not recognized, it might be necessary to make the dongle’s device id known to the CP240x (CP210x) driver by Silicon Labs:

  • Find the device id (as listed by the command lsusb). For the Bitron Funkstick that might be 10c4 8b34.
  • Unplug the device
  • Enter the following commands (replace the id 10c4 8b34 with the one listed by lsusb):
sudo -s
modprobe cp210x
echo 10c4 8b34 > /sys/bus/usb-serial/drivers/cp210x/new_id
  • Plug in the dongle. It should now be recognized properly as ttyUSBx."

(Copied from config instructions of OH ZIgbee Binding)

On the other hand, I really don’t need zigbee at all, and I am very thankful for any help. I am happy with z-wave and other sub-systems like Tado, Tahoma, Homebridge, etc. I would like to get Zigbee working just to keep on learning more OH topics, mainly zigbeetomqtt, but this is getting too much energy from me…

P.D. Please, take into account that the driver mentioned in the configuration instructions of the OH Zigbee binding is not CP240x (LCD controllers). It is CP210x:

https://www.silabs.com/software-and-tools/usb-to-uart-bridge-vcp-drivers?tab=downloads

Unless I am in a mistake…

Thank you and regards

Diego

4

I don’t either. I don’t use Windows so I can’t offer more than what the docs mention.

But I would imagine you’d open the list of hardware devices, find the dongle and see if you can install a driver from there. Back when I had Windows I remember doing similar things for other types of devices.

5

Another loooong story about choosing the right driver in Windows, maybe it helps …

6

Hello

Finally I managed to solve it editing the file Openhab-wrapper. conf file adding some code as mentioned in:

Now Zigbee binding is ONLINE

On the other hand, in spite some recommendations about installing drivers like CP2102N or CH9102F, nothing works (in my case) and windows always reject the setup and come back to CH340 either it is W10 or W11. This should be taken into account since Aeotec specifically points to the use of CH340 in windows set up for the Ember Coordinator with Aeotec Zi-Stick (EFR32MG21), and so it seems to be working for me.

On the other hand, in Zigbee OH Binding instructions is mentioned that “If the USB dongle is not recognized, it might be necessary to make the dongle’s device id known to the CP240x driver by Silicon Labs”, so perhaps it would be interesting to mention that the reference driver is CH340, and that in case that windows don’t recognize it, wouled be neccesary to try first this and CP2402N as an option.

Im not sure if it would be convinient to open an issue about this detail, since I wouldn’t like to make a mess of this, and for sure that my personal experience could not be the same than others.

Thank you and regards

Diego