Board for LG 3 Wire

Developer's Corner DIY Hardware
#1

Hi,

I?ve posted this in HVAC as well, but thought maybe someone here could help me with the below???

My experience with vera is purely plug and play, I?m hoping someone out there might have a read of this article and be interested in trying to get it to work with vera?? I?m happy to purchase the required hardware and assemble it, but I?m lost with any type of coding know-how… even happy to send a little cash for anyone?s help if we can get this to work??

GitHub link

#2

Update from Andrew who created the mqtt hack…

It all really depends. I am not familiar with z-wave or Vera. It all depends on how vera can communicate with connected devices.

I see that you can add a ‘custom’ device but not further than that - I don’t know how ‘custom’ you can get. Presumably it would give you the ability to generate HTTP requests to a device? If so, then we could use that sort of control somewhat easily but I am not sure how the device could actively update Vera (or does it just poll the device constantly?).

I don’t mind helping you out but I can’t do all the work - If you can tell me the methods/protocols Vera can use to control the device, we should be able to come up with a method that will work for you.

#3

Quickly reading the article seems to indicate to me that as they used an Arduino then you would be able to use a ZUNO and have native Z-Wave Integration…but…that may depend a lot on how Vera resolves the Command Classes needed.
I dont see any circuit diagrams or schematics to give me a better understanding of what he built so I can’t offer any further advice ATM but would like to if anyone can dig them up.

#4

Hi zedrally,

This attached picture is on the github link I posted???

Below from him earlier today re Zuno …

By the looks of it the Z Wave stuff does not look too complicated (based on some code examples I saw from the Zuno). But this is then hindered by the fact that it does not seem to support the low baud rates required on the SoftwareSerial port to communicate with the controller which is only 104bps (Software Serial)
The MySensors stuff does help but but if Vera supports direct Wifi or other network protocols/calls it will probably be a more elegant/reliable solution to use an ESP8266 directly on the controller.
If you go the MySensors route, it will probably need to go Vera → MySensors Gateway Arduino connected to Controller.
I dabbled with some of the MySensors stuff but have not touched it for a long time.
What plugins are available for Vera? MQTT?

#5

From Zwave.me forum

Z-Uno s/w serial can be extended to this baud rate. But such slow data can also be ruled via digitalWrite directly

#6

I am Andrew - The author of the Instructable referenced here. I have come here to help out.

If the Z-Uno will go to that low baud rate, then it should be able to run the bulk of the code I have written. Sure, you can bit bang it but why reinvent the wheel if you don’t have to*. All that we would need to do is remove the MQTT stuff and replace it with Z-Wave functions/capability.

However, I know nothing about Z-Wave (or Vera). From what I can tell, it Z-Wave uses defined data structure ‘packets’ which should work well in this application if i’m correct (better than MQTT).

If someone can fill me in on how we create the association between Vera and a random Z-Wave product we should be able to suss it.

Is there some sort of object definition we can create? i.e
Device: AC
Paramater 1 - {binary}
Parameter 2 - {DEC, minX, MaxY}
etc?

*Does anyone have a Z-Uno that can actually TEST this baud rate (104bps)? My initial tests with the ESP8266 and the standard softwareserial implementation compiled fine but would not actually work.

Edit - This looks like a pretty good start 10 Channels Certified Sketch

#7

Andrew,

I?m going to order the z-uno.

Given I?m a newbie, aside from the z-uno, have you got a list of parts I?d need that I could take to Jaycar to pickup everything else??

#8

You’re going to cost yourself a lot of money and aggravation. Since you admit to not being a proficient coder, you’re going to be stabbing in the dark at something you know very little about. If this is one of the ThinQ compatible units, there is a topic in one of the Home Assistant forums concerning controlling it. Looks like they’re making pretty good headway…

#9

These units are pre LG ThinQ.

And yes, I?m not a coder, but hopefully there are a few people around who might have the same LG system that could help/input and get it to work…

#10

Ah. Well, in that case, best of luck! Be careful and don’t do anything you can’t undo…

#11

Andrew,

This is apparently the way to set the z-uno down to 104…

https://z-uno.z-wave.me/Reference/Software-Serial/

Josh

#12

From zuno zwave.me forum

I have not tested it, but I don’t see any reason not to work. Here GitHub - Z-Wave-Me/Z-Uno-Core: Core files for Z-Uno support in Arduino IDE 1.6.5 … Serial.cpp baud is used only to calculate bit_time and it fits in the data type size.

Please try it and if it will not work we will check it. Please use a logical analyser if you have one.

#13

If you want to send me the Z-Uno, I should be able to program it up and board up the interface to at least talk with he LG unit - I have a CNC machine that I can use to make PCbs so it would be a proper solution. However, I can’t test the z-wave unless you have something else you can send me to test it with (or someone else here). If nothing else, it would give us a good base point that we could then build up the z-wave stuff.

Up to you though, just trying to come up with a workable solution for you.

You should be able to find the parts you need at Jaycar to at least breadboard the interface up but I am not sure if they sell the opto-isolator.

I also have a logic analyser that we can use to test the baud rate but looking at the code for the softwareserial implementation it should work.

FFS: How many posts do I have to get to on this forum before I don’t need to answer all the questions before I can post anything!!!???

#14

[quote=“elnino, post:13, topic:199925”]snip:
FFS: How many posts do I have to get to on this forum before I don’t need to answer all the questions before I can post anything!!!???[/quote]

5 posts, 2 to go…

#15

I could loan you a [font=verdana][size=1em]Black Cat UZB[/size][/font] which is a static controller but you would need to download free software such as Homeseer 930day), OpenHAB etc off the net.
Probably not ideal as Josh is using Vera as a HAC.

#16

Andrew,

I ordered the optoisolator off eBay… so they and the Zuno are on the way… I?ll swing through Jaycar for some other bits and pieces when they get here.

:+1:t4:

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

#17

[quote=“zedrally, post:15, topic:199925”]I could loan you a [font=verdana][size=1em]Black Cat UZB[/size][/font] which is a static controller but you would need to download free software such as Homeseer 930day), OpenHAB etc off the net.
Probably not ideal as Josh is using Vera as a HAC.[/quote]

I am running OpenHAB at my place already so it would be relatively easy to test/implement I would have thought. It’s an option if OP want’s to go that route…

#18

[quote=“elnino, post:13, topic:199925”]If you want to send me the Z-Uno, I should be able to program it up and board up the interface to at least talk with he LG unit - I have a CNC machine that I can use to make PCbs so it would be a proper solution. However, I can’t test the z-wave unless you have something else you can send me to test it with (or someone else here). If nothing else, it would give us a good base point that we could then build up the z-wave stuff.

Up to you though, just trying to come up with a workable solution for you.

You should be able to find the parts you need at Jaycar to at least breadboard the interface up but I am not sure if they sell the opto-isolator.

I also have a logic analyser that we can use to test the baud rate but looking at the code for the softwareserial implementation it should work.

FFS: How many posts do I have to get to on this forum before I don’t need to answer all the questions before I can post anything!!!???[/quote]

Hi Andrew,
Picked everything up today and bread boarded it, I took the logic converter to 3.3v as the z-uno only likes 3.3 from what I can read.

I was toying with the idea of trying to buy or borrow someone?s old vera unit to send to you as well…???

Josh

#19

[quote=“doinitsideways, post:18, topic:199925”]I was toying with the idea of trying to buy or borrow someone?s old vera unit to send to you as well… ???

Josh[/quote]

The problem is that it can’t be any old unit as the earlier ones are not Z-Wave Plus radio (Z-Wave Plus SDK, GEN 5 Chipset, whatever…).
If is was possible to use a Z-Wave HAC, then there are plenty to be had as many have been discarded to make way for new tech (Z-Wave Plus). I’ve got a Vera G that used to be useful as a Sandbox, your welcome to it but it won’t work with any of the newer devices.

#20

Does the vera lite support z-wave plus???

ive asked over at the upgrades forum page for anyone willing to part with an old lite or edge for a month for some $$$