LZW36 Slow response on physical button press, yess all relevant parameters are zeroed

Ok, that sounds like the revision that needs to be made and this has been done on their other products, so that’s good.

The constraints are all understandable, but they should be balanced against maintaining an acceptable (doesn’t need to be perfect) level of fundamental function, i.e. it’s a lightswitch first and foremost and 700ms is just too much. I’d be happy to have this as a user accessible parameter.

This is the only fan/light Zwave single gang switch option on the market that doesn’t look hideous (it basically looks like a Lutron) and is easily understandable to use by guests, that’s the primary reason I purchased it. The scene features are nice, but seem like feature bloat to me. I’d be happy if I could turn them off to get the benefit of response time.

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I think a “dumb switch” mode would be easy to do. Just disable multipress actions for people that want instant press and don’t use scenes. I love what these guys are doing with their switches and will continue to support them. I personally don’t use scenes much and would prefer a better response time myself.

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I just installed FW v1.36, thanks for making that happen.
I realized I didn’t set parameter 51 to zero using Z-Wave PC controller before installing my Z-wave stick back in my Unraid box/Docker/Home Assistant setup and then realizing in HA Z-wave config parameter 51 doesn’t show up as an option to configure (probably a z-wave config xml update to achieve this).
However, before I swapped the stick back to my PC to configure parameter 51 to one, I tried the switch anyway. The response was instantaneous, issue resolved! FW notes say default is param 51 = 0 which means 700ms delay, if that’s the case I don’t seem to be experiencing this.

Update: I decided to check the parameters with the Z-wave PC Controller out of curiosity. A few issues: the parameter list is so long that some are off screen and it’s not a scroll-able list. Luckily I can rotate my PC tablet into portrait mode. The default reported for param 51 was zero, however it wasn’t behaving this way (700ms delay). I attempted to switch it to 1 just to see what would happen and help diagnose whether the settings were flopped in the FW. I did that, reloaded the parameter list and it then reported some large number. I could not successfully reset it to 1 nor 0. Some of the other parameters looked weird too. The physical switch response still behaved the same (very fast now), so I just plugged my stick back into my HA box. I noticed all the parameters for LED intensity, ramp rates, everything were screwed up, so I reset them all through HA and all is well. Lesson: don’t set parameters with Z-Wave PC Control I suppose. Still have no idea why the default parameter 51 is “fast response”, that’s not expected, luckily that’s the setting I prefer.

I’m going to go ahead an purchase a 2nd LZW36 now that the physical switch response is resolved.

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I have also experienced this with my Inovelli switches. I love the design and the notification bar, but when I press them I have to watch them to make sure they are turning off as the delay is so long. I never have to look at regular switches, so I do understand how it could be marked as “unacceptable” by many users. Step one of making something smart is to ensure it behaves just like the dumb alternative when used by someone unfamiliar with it.

I find it most odd that my response times when pressing the button in my Hubitat dashboards are instantaneous (minus the speed of electricity and light), but when pressing the physical switch it takes almost or over a second.

Please don’t be discouraged by my observations! I love my switches!

I am using firmware 1.34 in my LWZ36 fan/lights. I’m not sure what software version of the Hubitat driver I’m using, but it says it was last updated 2021-03-12 4:21:08 PM EST. I too am noticing slow response time for the fan’s lights to come on from the switch. I set the physical ramp speed to 0, which cut it from about 2.5 to 1.5 seconds from its previous setting of 1 - which makes sense as I would expect going from 1 to 0 cut a second off. I set param 51, Disable Physical On/Off Delay, to Yes, but that didn’t seem to make any difference. Any ideas on how I can make the fan light come on almost instantaneously ala the Red dimmer, LZW31-SN?
@Eric_Inovelli

Thanks,

Stuart

Hey @skarden – try updating your switch to 1.36

On Hubitat, your device should say the following, “The 700ms delay that occurs after pressing the physical button to turn the switch on/off is removed. Consequently this also removes the following scenes: 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x tap. Still working are the 1x tap, held, released, and the level up/down scenes. (firmware 1.36+)” indicating 1.36 is needed here.

Set Parameter 51 to 0… boom.

Since I’m so new I haven’t done a firmware upgrade to any of my devices yet. I started at this page:

I saw the table for the Black and Red Series which said the latest OTZ is 1.48 and the BIN that goes with it is 1.47. But when I clicked on the link to take me to the Red Series, LZW31-SN, firmware, it took me here:
https://files.inovelli.com/firmware/LZW31-SN/

and there is no 1.47 BIN file. For 1.48 the BIN file is 1.41 and even for 1.53 Beta it is 1.43. I know that is for the Red Series and we are talking about the Fan/Light LZW36 here, but I don’t know what I can trust. It seems the chart on the Wiki page should be the official page with the correct version. If those numbers aren’t right I don’t know what else to trust about the instructions.

Plus, those instructions talk about having to do the update in 2 steps: step one is for the OTZ and then a second step for the BIN file. It also says the files should be downloaded first and I have to change the parameter to 0 for the OTZ file and then to set it to 1 for the BIN file. But then I found other instructions that seem like they are saying there is a new firmware install app that does it in one step and I just need the URL without having to set the parameter between 0 and 1. Here are links to what seems the newer version of the Z Wave Firmware Updater:

and

I’m also confused by the instructions for the “new” URL based version as it seems like there are 2 URLs, one for the OTZ and one for the BIN but neither of the above 2 links say to do one and then the other. The instructions just say:

Your screen will refresh and the box on the far right will say Update Firmware. In the firmwareUrl: box paste the URL you need from above (obtained in the “Firmware Location” section above). Once the URL is there, click the Gray Update Firmware box directly above the URL. The Current States section will begin to update and you will see a percentage indicator. It will say 100% complete when the device is done updating. We have seen the update process take somewhere between 3 and 40 minutes per unit. For better performance, update your device closer to the hub.

Step 10

Once the device has completed updating, change your Device Driver back to your old driver, click Save Device and you are all set! :+1: Enjoy your new firmware!

As you can see, those above instructions don’t say anywhere to then repeat pasting in the URL but with the other URL before changing the Device Driver back to the old driver. It only mentions pasting in the URL once.

Maybe that is obvious to you that this process is then repeated with the other URL, but I’ve never done this before, so nothing is “obvious” - especially when it warns I can brick my device if I do it wrong. So I don’t want to paste in 2 URLs and repeat when I shouldn’t and likewise don’t want to only paste in 1 URL if I should then repeat that step but with the other URL. I’m going literally step-by-step as to what it says to do and it doesn’t say to repeat with the other URL.

So, I’m happy to try it, but I still need some guidance.

BTW, am I correct that this means we do NOT use the Hubitat built in Device Firmware Updater and I don’t have to change the parameters for 0 and 1 like the first link I started with says in the official Knowledge Base? (here:)

Final question: I’m 99% sure I got the newest version of the Z-Wave Firmware Updater, but how can I be sure? The version said it was 1.00 at the top of the code when it was brought in, which seems wrong if there was a prior version.

Thanks,

Stuart

Tagging @bcopeland as he is our resident Hubitat firmware update expert (he literally coded it).

It’s been 4 days and @bcopeland hasn’t responded here. Can you contact him or help me some other way? My main questions are:

  1. How can I be sure I have the most current version of the Firmware Updater (they both seem to be version 1.00).
  2. Do I only have to run it once for each such device with the link for the most recent firmware?

Thanks,

Stuart

I sent him a message over on the Hubitat forums (he’s staff over there and I saw he posted recently).

I know only the C7 supports the built in firmware updater app, not sure if that’s the reason for the separate driver and documented approach or if both work for this if you have a C7 hub.

Edit, can use either tool if you have a C7 hub, otherwise just follow the documented procedure and driver here if you have an earlier hub -

Second edit, if you’re using the binary driver, that also only has a version 1.00 to my knowledge, so that’s the current version. It’s just a question of which you need to use. And I believe you just have to run it the one time to update to current.

I’m 99.9% sure I got the latest version as it was asking for the URL. For the Fan/Light I pasted in:
https://files.inovelli.com/firmware/LZW36/Beta/LZW36_1.36.gbl

When I clicked on the Update Firmware button just above where I pasted in the URL I saw the Current States change firmwareUpdateProgress to Please wake up sleepy device and lockedBy changed to This process (See screen shot below).

The light for the fan I was trying to upgrade was on, so I don’t know what they mean to wake up a sleepy device or how to do it. What do I do now?

Thanks,

Stuart

It looks like that’s happened before to others - [RELEASE] Z-Wave Firmware Updater - Code Share - Hubitat

Solutions seems to vary between resetting the device by pulling the airgap, restarting the hub, and/or doing an exclude/reinclude before reattempting the update.

Yea, I saw that a whole bunch of people had that exact same issue. It seems this is just too flaky to trust. I get Windows and my Mac computers and iPhones to update, my LG TV does firmware updates. I basically get get a message it wants to do the update and it does it. Having to depend on this tool seems scary.

What happens if I pull the air gap? Will I have to reset up the device from scratch?

Are you on the C7 Hub? I’d go this route instead if so (just seems simpler in my mind) - Device Firmware Updater - Hubitat Documentation

If you pull the air gap and go down the exclude/reinclude path, then yes you’d need to remove and readd the switch to the hub to the best of my knowledge. Downside there is obviously any dashboards or automations set up involving the device will need updated too. But if there’s something there that is causing the hang up, that may be your best option. (I guess as a side note, are you using S2 auth?)

I am on a C7. I accepted security as is, so S2 for everything except those that I expected to work with a smart bulb, and those I picked no security.

So the advice is to use Hubitat’s Firmware Updater instead. I’ll look into that now. I had originally started down that path, but thought Inovelli was recommending this one.

Gotcha, I saw where that thread referenced updates taking longer if you’re using any form of security so that could factor into timing also.

And that’s my personal suggestion if you’re able to. I don’t know that it will change anything as far as next steps with airgapping the switch and doing the exclude/reinclude, but it’s generally more convenient since you don’t have to mess with changing the driver back and forth also and you’re pushing the code from the hub vs pulling it down per device.

The purpose of the air gap is to remove Line power from the device (switch, not canopy). You will not have to reset or include again. It’s basically the same thing as opening the circuit breaker in the panel or losing grid power; just closer.

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I am using a C7 hub firmware version 2.2.5.131. For my Inovelli Fan/Lights LZW36’s I currently have firmware 1.34. I decided to try Hubitat’s built in Firmware Updater. Things did not go any better.

I went to the below URL to follow Hubitat’s instructions:
https://docs.hubitat.com/index.php?title=Device_Firmware_Updater

First I made sure it would support the GBL file I downloaded:

Here is the link to where I got the file to use for the LZW36 (Fan/Light):
https://files.inovelli.com/firmware/LZW36/Beta/LZW36_1.36.gbl

That auto-downloaded it to my Downloads. I left the file there but also copied it to my Inovelli\Firmware\LZW36 folder. Then I chose the copied file and uploaded it successfully:

I then clicked the Update Z-Wave Firmware button in their step 5. When I did I got this error message:

This is what was in the Logs:

I have no idea what the getWeatherData() would have to do with the Device Firmware Updater. I’m not sure what to do about that.

Since the Update Z-Wave Firmware button should have taken me to the screen where I pick the device and version to update (Step 6) it was device independent at that point, and pulling the airgap, resetting the device, etc. would have no effect on this initiaal step. So I have no idea why I keep getting the error message.

BTW, I deleted the file then went back and did everything again starting with the file upload, but from my Downloads folder, and I got the exact same error message.

Any idea on why I’m getting this error message and what to do about it?

BTW, I’ll post this over on Hubitat’s community board too.

Stuart

Update:
I removed the Weather Dot Gov app but I’m still getting this error:

However, when I go into the logs I don’t see anything marked as an error, so now I’m totally confused what is causing this or how to fix it.

There are 2 versions of the firmware updater, one allows .gbl files, the other does not (one is binary and the other isn’t).

Recommend “bcopeland” search so you can work it out. One version will only allow .otz files and verifies a valid firmware. The other is at your discretion but allows any file type.

I am not on Hubitat so can’t tell you how/which one to use.

Proceed with caution.

I finally got the firmware to update by removing the device, re-including it with no security and then using the Z-Wave Device Updater, which I believe was written by @bcopeland.

One word of warning/advice though: at the very end it says it is flashing the device which never goes away. I waited over 20 minutes for that to go away before doing a post about it and was then told that was the case. I wish they update the instructions to let people know that.