After reviewing the multiple threads in reference to Z-stick and/or USB Dongle I’ still confused…(not that it’s that hard!)
I have a brand new Vera Edge and Aeotec ZW090-A usb Z-stick; I want my Vera Edge to continue to be the primary controller and the z-stick to be a secondary controller that will allow me to get to various devices through out the house (without moving Vera) and be able to include/exclude devices and then be able to update the Vera Edge with these newly added/removed devices. The secondary function of the z-stick is to be able to perform OTA firmware updates for Gen 5 devices.
[ul][li]1st question is it possible to have Vera as primary and the Z-stick as mobile inclusion/exclusion device and if so what is the process to successfully accomplish this?[/li]
[li]2nd question will the Z-stick be able to perform OTA updates, if so how?[/li][/ul]
While you can certainly have the Z-Stick be a secondary controller, only the master controller can include new devices into the network. In this case, only teh Vera Edge would be able to include new devices.
There are a couple of options. The first option is that Gen5(Z-Wave Plus) supports Network Wide Inclusion(NWI). This allows you to include a new device anywhere in the Gen5 network, without moving the controller. The issue with this is that if your network is mostly the older generation Z-Wave devices, then NWI is less likely to work as desired.
The second option is to use the Z-Stick as the primary controller, with it plugged int to your Vera Edge. With a simple setting change in Vera, you can forgo the Vera Edge’s built-in Z-Wave radio chip and use the Z-Stick as Vera’s radio instead. With this setup, you can, power off your Vera, unplug the Z-Stick, take it and perform your inclusion, and then bring it back and plug it into Vera.
[ul][li]2nd question will the Z-stick be able to perform OTA updates, if so how?[/li][/ul]
Yes, the Z-Stick can perform OTA updates and I think it can even do so as a secondary controller, though I haven't verified this.
Unless your controller has a method for doing OTA updates(Vera does not yet), then in order to perform OTA updates, you would have to plug the Z-Stick into a PC and run the necessary software. The only example of this, that I’ve seen on the consumer market, is Aeon labs own firmware updates. These are simply a Windows .exe file that you run with the Z-Stick plugged in.
In a similar vein, is it possible to use an Aeon Labs Z-Stick with European frequency in a US model Vera Edge and enable access to mixed frequency z-wave devices? I appreciate that mixed frequency associations will not work but so long as you use the Vera as a controller can you get mixed devices to communicate?
You can physically use a European Z-Stick in a U.S. Vera. However, it is not legal to use the European frequency Z-Stick in the U.S. as it’s frequency is restricted and licensed for other purposes. The 868MHz European Z-Wave frequency is a frequency licensed for cellular network use in the U.S.
Vera can use only one Z-Wave radio. Whether that is the Z-Stick or the internal radio, it does not matter. It can use only one radio. SO, if your goal is to operate both the internal radio and the Z-Stick radio on a single Vera simultaneously, then no that is not possible.
Hello. Could someone please help describe process for adding a AEOTEC USB stick as secondary controller to Vera Edge. I would like to use stick on Pi and act as secondary.
Rafale77 - Thank you. Just to add clarity, my Vera Edge is my primary controller and I would like AEOTEC USB Stick as secondary. I have used ZenSys Tools and put the AEOTEC USB into learn mode and then from Vera Edge done an inclusion for generic zwave device. It detects and allows me to add and in Zensys tools it shows up as secondary controller on the same house id. As I am so new to zwave, does this sound right ? or should I do another way ?
The aeotec will however not be primary unless you make it so so you won’t be able to add devices from it unless you make one of your controller the SIS.
Following this, how do I make one of them to SIS and which one will act better as SIS?
BTW - from some reading if the SIS fails than I lost the entire network, is this correct?
Another question, should I put both controllers in the same location or different ( different floors )
Vera does not support any SIS manipulations at the moment and yea losing the SIS would cause a mess so the SIS should be backed up. You still will be able to control devices without a SIS but including devices may not work.
Got my PI and Aeotec stick and plugged it.
From Vera i than tried to add a generic device but the Vera can’t find anything ( device are less than a meter apart).
Do I need to do any configuration on the Aeotec before inclusion?
I also saw the the Aeotec show the stick as ZWave not Zwave+
Then are you sure your device is virgin? Try excluding it first? The controllers will function independently. The secondary primary (the aeotec stick) will need to update the vera when it includes something but the vera will not update the aeotec when it does. You do not need to set the aeotec in learning mode.
You can however include a device using the aeotec using a host controller software which is the whole point of having a secondary.
Sorry I completely misunderstood you. I thought you already included the aeotec stick.
If you are trying to include a secondary controller then you indeed need to put the secondary into learning mode. It is an function of your host controller connected to the stick.