Project Team
Feel free to tag any of us with questions. I’ll (Kaleb) be the go-to’s for overall project management, timeline and anything other than firmware related questions, whereas Eric M is the go-to for any firmware related questions. Either way, we’re all here to help!
- Project Manager (Inovelli): @Kaleb_Inovelli
- Project Manager (Manufacturer): Steven
- Innovation Lead: @Kaleb_Inovelli
- Technical Lead: @EricM_Inovelli
Introduction
As per our tradition of working with you amazing people, here’s what this thread allows us to do as a community.
- Allows us to keep everyone updated on the project status (either good or bad)
- Allows you to participate and help us develop amazing products together
- Enjoy each other’s company and have fun talking home automation
How this initial post will be laid out is in five sections:
- Project Overview
- Initial Hardware & Software Requirements (edited to remain up-to-date)
- Timeline (edited to remain up-to-date)
- Pinned Ideas & Shout-outs (edited to remain up-to-date)
- Monthly Recap
Housekeeping
- DATES & FUNCTIONS ARE NOT SET IN STONE: Just a reminder that all dates and functions are sometimes fluid. We have to make choices based on feasibility, opportunity costs, and overall timeline. I will be as transparent as possible on these decisions, but just a heads up, they may not always be exciting.
- NO IDEA IS A BAD IDEA: Ok, some are, but honestly throw out anything that you can think of. If we use your idea, we’ll credit you and send you a free device, so take that shot!
- VERSION 1 VS VERSION 2: Some ideas may be fantastic, but may not make the cut for the first version of the product. Once the product is locked in from a function standpoint, we’ll keep a tally of V2 ideas and then once the product is produced, we’ll move the ideas over to a suggestions/wishlist section.
Ok, let’s get this party started!
Project Overview
Project Name - Pulsar
We went with Project Pulsar because, honestly, it just sounded cool. It has that futuristic, space-age vibe that fits the Red Series perfectly: bold, fast, and kind of mysterious. No deep symbolism here, just a name that felt right.
Pulsar - Hardware Requirements
The hardware for the on/off switch can be found below.
The Red Series On/Off switch will follow the same hardware as the Blue and White Series aside from the protocol chip.
Hardware - Switch (Look / Feel)
- Responsive Paddle - rests in a neutral state
(tap up = on // tap down = off} - Configuration / Favorites Button - button should be used for configuration of the switch as well as scene control.
- Should be able to be held (for configuration)
- Should be able to be tapped (for scene control)
- RGB LED Bar
- LEDs should be RGB (artificial white included)
- LEDs should also be able to be dimmed
- Humidity Sensor - there should be a humidity sensor built in
- Paddle & Faceplate Color - color should match Lutron Claro wall-plate white
- Slim Design - depth of switch should be as slim as possible so that it can fit into metal boxes.
- Air Gap
- No heat-sink tabs
Hardware - Features & Capabilities
The look and feel will be identical to our current switches.
- On/Off – switch should be able to completely shut off the load it’s attached to
- Z-Wave 800 Series
- 3-Way / 4-Way Ready – switch should auto-detect
- Should work with an auxiliary switch
- Should work with another smart switch
- Power Monitoring - switch should measure the power consumption
- Z-Wave Distance Estimator - should be able to estimate the signal strength of the Z-Wave signal and notify via the LED bar (see Appendix C)
- Instant On - when tapped 1x (and scenes aren’t used), switch should turn the load on instantly (no delay)
- Configurable delay in 100ms increments
- CFL & LED Compatibility - minimum buzz and flickering
- 1800W General Purpose Load for both 120V and 277V
- LED/CFL - 600W max load
- 120V/277V Compatibility – have the switch be compatible with both 120V and 277V
- 15A Relay – the relay should be able to handle 15A with an extra for overload protection
- Inductive Load compatible – the switch should be able to control an inductive load (On/Off only, no speed control)
- Overload protection – switch should have overload protection in case of a power surge
Pulsar - Software Requirements
- Multi-taps to activate various scenes
- RGBW Bar Config - bars should be able to change colors and dimmed to the customer’s favorite level
- Auto Timer - switch should have a timer that shuts the switch off after a certain amount of time
- Easy Config - switch parameters should be able to be configured via the associated rockers.
- There should be infinite customization via parameters in the firmware, but also set customizations for HUB’s that do not allow parameter changes (ie: Wink)
- Internal Relay Disable - internal relay should be able to be disabled locally and via Z-Wave
- OTA Ready - ability to update firmware via OTA
- Smart Bulb Mode
- Smart Dimmer Capabilities - if used in Smart Bulb Mode or Z-Wave Associations, it should have dimming capabilities
Timeline
Pre-Initial Timeline Milestones:
- Present PRD: Completed
- R&D Analyzation: Completed
- Initial Timeline Released: Completed
Timeline (Estimated)
The initial timeline will be shown below once released and will be updated monthly:
PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE TIMES ARE ESTIMATES AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
-
Structure & Hardware Design
Details: ID/Structure Design, PCB Layout & PCBA Making, Hardware Sample, Structure Tooling
Est Completion Date: Late October 2025
Status: COMPLETED -
Software Development
Est Completion Date: Late November 2025
Status: IN PROGRESS -
Beta Testing
Est Completion Date: Late January 2026
Status: NOT STARTED -
Certifications
Details: Z-Wave, FCC/IC, ETL
Est Completion Date: Late January 2026
Status: NOT STARTED -
Mass Production
Details: Materials Purchasing & Trial Run on Production Line
Est Completion Date: Late February 2026
Status: NOT STARTED
Pinned Ideas & Shout-Outs
Here are the ideas from the community. We sincerely appreciate them, we love them, and we couldn’t create the products we do without them. So, thank you for your input and let’s continue to innovate together and change the home automation category for the better (NOTE: if an idea is crossed out, it’s not because it wasn’t valid, nor was it something we didn’t consider – we’ve discussed it internally or with the manufacturer and unfortunately it was not feasible).
Hardware
Software
Monthly Recap
Every month I’ll provide a recap as well as edit the sections above so we can all keep track. If you have any specific questions you’d like me to ask, feel free to tag me and let me know so I can ask the manufacturer as well.
October 2, 2025 Update: Z-Wave On/Off Switch | Project Pulsar - #8 by Kaleb_Inovelli
October 29, 2025 Updated: Z-Wave On/Off Switch | Project Pulsar - #9 by Kaleb_Inovelli
Latest update: Z-Wave On/Off Switch | Project Pulsar - #10 by Phoenix_Inovelli
Latest update: Z-Wave On/Off Switch | Project Pulsar - #11 by Phoenix_Inovelli
