ZME-UZB1 stick: How to backup a stick with an old firmware version (3.99)

I have been using openHab for years with a ZME-UZB1 z-Wave stick.
Now I would like to delete some zombie nodes which have accumulated over the years.
For this I have the Windows software “Z-Wave PC Controller” from Silicon Labs.
Unfortunately I get the following error message under the menu item “NVM Backup/Restore”: “CmdZWaveNVMBackupRestore is not implemented in the Z-Wave Device”.
I suspect this is because the software version of my ZME-UZB1 is too old.

Does anyone know if there is another way to backup the z-Wave stick before I play around on it?

Versions:

  • Z-Wave PC Controller: 5.38
  • ZME-UZB1: Firmware 3.99, Chip ZW0500

Here some detail information about the stick, captured with PC Controller:
grafik

That stick is AFAIK from zwave.me. I doubt you were ever able to run/backup that with the Silicon Labs software. Get the z-way software from the zwave.me website.
For RaZberry it’s the same and included but for the UZB it’s some dollars I think.

Thanks for the tip regarding Z-Way.

Nevertheless, one more question: The Silicon Labs software basically works with the ZME-UZB1. The stick is recognized and I can read and even control the z-Wave devices via the software. Only the possibility for a backup is missing, or seems not to be supported by the stick.

Do you think that the Z-Way software supports the backup function? Would be a pity if I spend € 59.- for it, only to see the same error message…

I am using it with Razberry but not UZB. Check with the manufacturer if you want to be sure.

The backup uses a standard API feature, so it should in fact work (unless the firmware is very old).

There is some options:
ZMESerialUpdater from Downloads – Z-Wave.Me :

ZMESerialUpdater serialapi_ripnvm -d $serport $backupfile
ZMESerialUpdater serialapi_restorenvm -d $serport $backupfile

But it will not work if the firmware is too old on the backup stick and the firmware on the restore stick is new(ish).

and the Aeotec backup utility for Windos.
(I briefly tested backup/restore on a UZB1)
The Aeotec tool did not give me a good feeling like a proper tool should.

There is also the possibility to upgrade the firmware.
I do not know what will happen with the NWM if the firmware is upgraded…
Take care, the stick may fail! One of my UZB1 died when I tested firmware upgrade.

Would you be willing to code that into the binding so we can backup/restore ZWave for any stick, without a need for secondary software and to take OH down ?
I think that would be a great improvement.

I have coded this separately, but it’s not very easy to add this into the binding as it would require quite a lot of change to the way the binding is structured.

Another thing to consider is the value of a backup when you have nothing to restore it on.
If I get the documents (I have seen) from silabs right; the NWM is not changed when upgrading the firmware.
But; if there is a change on how the data is organized inside the NWM between firmware versions, the backup will be of no use.
So when it is time to get a new stick, it is likely one get a stick with newer firmware.
I really hope I missed something here…

They avoid changing the NVM format when the firmware is changed to avoid this problem. New information is added to the end, and not somewhere in the middle of memory. This is pretty normal practice for these sorts of things.

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Thank you, I feel better now :slight_smile:

I would like to come back to my original question, I can answer it myself by now:

I found a software called “Zwave Cloner” from domotic-hobby.com. With that tool I was able to create a backup of my ZME-UZB1 stick.
In the meantime I bought a second ZME-UZB1 stick. I could then restore the backup to this second stick, also with “Zwave Cloner”, although this one has a much newer firmware version.

With the “Z-Wave PC Controller” I can now conveniently and without risk delete old zombie nodes.

Maybe this procedure will help someone else to clean up and stabilize their zwave network.

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