Black series config button (scene control)

@Eric_Inovelli and @EricM_Inovelli, with the black series is there any way to enable the config button so that it can be used by button control app (Hubitat) like Advanced Button Controller. Not sure if this in not possible due to firmware or hardware but this would be an awesome addition to the black.

It’s not possible (currently) to use the config button for scenes. Adding that functionality would be a nice teaser to interest people in upgrading. I’ve got two black dimmers and two black switches I would love to upgrade, but they work so it’s hard to justify the cost.

@amdbuilder, yeah that is what I understand. What am a wondering is if the hardware is capable or if it is just a firmware upgrade.

I’m about 90% sure I bugged @Eric_Inovelli about this in the past, and it was noted as a hardware limitation.

I would think they would want as few hardware differences as possible to streamline manufacturing. That being said there is a reason I do IT and not manufacturing :smiley:

You need the Red series to use taps and the config button for scenes, as a button, etc. Pay a few more bucks, get more features.

Almost all of my Inovelli devices are the red series so the black were to be used in areas that I did not need nor want scene control but I needed to use a black series dimmer because I was not able to get the red(out of stock). So just an inquiry on the hardware capabilities. So I will be getting more red ser4ies in a month or so and then move the two black dimmers.

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It may be too little too late here, but we did add basic scene control to our Black Series so that it can be used in Smart Bulb Mode (held/released, 2x tap on config button).

Feel free to update to the beta firmware if this interests you :slight_smile:

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Nope not too late, still installed so I will be updating firmware, thanks @Eric_Inovelli and @EricM_Inovelli !

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So I am very interested in this! I have a couple black series dimmers (LZW31) and would love to get the basic scene control. I upgraded the firmware to 1.52 beta on one of them (which in of itself was an adventure, but I think I can do it pretty fast moving forward). So being a total newbie here, what’s next in order to configure scene control from the config button (at least that’s how I read your statement). Searching around, I was trying to follow the instructions on setting up the scene control for the red series. I got to the part in Lighting App where you supposedly can select a virtual button, except I don’t see any buttons (smartthing said no buttons available or something like that). I then searched around some more and watched a youtube video that indicates I need something called Advanced Button Controller smart app? So I found the maintained link I think maintained by one of your engineers and installed that via the SmartThings IDE. Tried playing with that but the app creashes (says "we’re having trouble connecting…check network connection) when I try to create a new button mapping. So I assume I don’t have the right app.

At this point I think I’m shooting in the dark. I am wondering do I need a LZW31 device handler with scene control? I tried looking for one but I don’t see anything.

Please any guidance on using the updated firmware (v1.52) to get the scene control would be helpful. I have a few red series dimmers and I hope to God that the button mapping and all that is for the most part works out of the box :slight_smile:

Is this firmware beta version also available for black series on/off? Bought these hoping I’d be able to disable internal relay and use up and down to control smart bulbs but have run into a road block. Thanks!

To paraphrase…are you trying to use an on/off switch to control dimming of smart bulbs? : :thinking:

I’m not that poster, but there’s no reason you can’t, at least with new firmware. :slight_smile: You get Z-Wave Central Scene commands now for push, holds, and releases of the Black Series Dimmer, which are the same events you get for (single) pushes, holds, and releases of the Red Series dimmers and switches. The same could be done with the Black Series switch if the firmware were updated in a similar manner. Again, you can already do this with a Red Series switch (plus a bit more given the multi-tap possibilities, but that doesn’t really matter just for this), so this would just be an analogous firmware update.

Then: just map the central scene commands to an automation that controls the smart bulb with your hub (e.g., turn on with a single tap up, off with a single tap down, start raising/lowering bulb level on a hold, and stop raising/lowering on release). Basically, the switch (or dimmer) is just a hardwired button device at this point.

What I don’t see is any firmware newer than v1.19 for the Black Series switch, the one that added/fixed white as an LED color and added the option to disable the physical tap event “delay” (there was an analogous update for this for the Red Series around the same time). My guess is that they wanted to test this on the dimmers first and it will eventually make its way to the switches…

No. Looking to disable internal relay (which I can currently do on black on/off w/ current firmware) and then capture button hold or press to turn on/off a zigbee light (which is the part I can not do at the moment). I’ve got this working on my red series already but I don’t think there is a firmware release for the black series on/off to do it yet (sounds like it is currently available though for black series dimmer). Latest firmware I could find was 1.22 which I tried without luck. @Eric_Inovelli @EricM_Inovelli

We have not yet brought these features to the on / off, but it has been planned. We are struggling with storage space on the Z-Wave chip which has been a hold up as we see what we can do with refactoring the code.

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Just curious, any time frame on when you think such features might be available? Debating on whether I need to replace some switches or if I should hold tight until a firmware version becomes available. Thank you!

Unfortunately I am not sure. It is something that will likely be a little bit down the road as we have other projects that are taking priority right now.

nice so quick question single tap up nd down CAN work to control a scene if relay is disabled? bought a few while on sale have not gotten to install yet.

Yes, up x1, down x1 and config should report scenes regardless IF the right firmware is installed on black series. To the best of my understanding (I don’t have one to test).

okay, i want to control smart bulbs with it so thats mainly what i want to accomplish otherwise i bought 5 for no reason lol.

Honestly that is where the red series was supposed to come in. I think Inovelli is gifting scene control to their users, so big thanks to them, but originally you would need red series to do that.

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