Z-Wave On/Off Switch | Project Pulsar

Innovation & Firmware Discussion Innovation Projects
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21

Weekly Beta Program Update

Highlights

  • Initial installations and pairings reported as mostly smooth
  • Beta testing has begun for humidity and temperature sensor comparisons, with initial data shared.
  • Z-Wave JS config file updated to include more information for P121 and correct a previous error.
  • Hubitat driver is now feature-complete.
  • A shared spreadsheet outlining parameters and features for validation has been distributed to beta testers, with confirmations of access.

Risks/Blockers

  • Sensor placement and the environment within the J-box significantly impact humidity and temperature readings, leading to differences compared to dedicated sensors.
  • Inherent difficulty in achieving accurate temperature readings from a switch due to internal heat generation.
  • Lack of a parameter to adjust the humidity reporting threshold on the switch was noted.
  • Concern raised about how Inovelli positions ancillary sensor functionality (humidity/temperature) as a potential replacement for dedicated sensors, given observed differences in readings.
  • The generic SmartThings driver currently limits functionality to on/off; a specific beta driver is needed.
  • Suggestion for a multiplier or variance parameter in the driver to adjust sensor readings, as Blue Series previously reported lower values compared to other sensors.

Timeline

  • Comprehensive testing instructions and items are pending distribution, awaiting all test units to be received by beta testers.
  • Full parameter and feature validation can now commence with the distribution of the shared testing spreadsheet.

Decisions

  • Inovelli Red Series drivers are being consolidated into a single package to simplify installation, moving away from separate drivers for each product for SmartThings.
  • User preference expressed for exposing all sensor data, allowing users to decide how to utilize it.

Action Items

  • Eric M. to confirm SmartThings driver availability and status.
  • Beta testers to use the shared spreadsheet to log results for parameter and feature validation, with two testers required per hub/gateway for approval.
  • Evaluate the feasibility of adding a sensitivity or multiplier parameter for humidity/temperature readings in the driver.
22

Weekly Status Update

Highlights

  • Phoenix 2.0 Z-Wave firmware and v1.2 firmware do not exhibit the cumulative electric consumption reporting issue.

Risks/Blockers

  • Cumulative electric consumption reporting is off by a factor of 10 (e.g., reporting 20 kWh instead of 2 kWh). This may be due to hardware changes between Phoenix and Linus/Pulsar not being accounted for in firmware.
  • Individual LED default color/intensity parameters (e.g., params 60-63) were added to the On/Off and a question was asked about adding them to the Dimmers.
  • LED color consistency issues observed between Pulsar and VZM32, with Pulsar appearing more saturated. This could be related to differences in diffusers between products.

Timeline

  • Lab testing for Z-Wave certification is currently underway.

Decisions

  • Individual LED default color/intensity parameters were likely not implemented in Red Series (2-1s) due to firmware size limitations.

Action Items

  • Investigate the cumulative electric consumption reporting issue.
  • Dig up the Teams thread regarding diffuser differences between products, potentially related to LED color consistency.
  • Edit the market certification document.
23

Weekly Community Update

Highlights

  • Technical certification has been finished.
  • Market certification is currently ongoing.
  • Firmware testing for version 1.02.

Risks/Blockers

  • Firmware 1.02 Issues:
    • A temperature/humidity reporting issue has been reported, with humidity observed to go over 100% (e.g., 105%), suggesting a calibration problem.
    • Parameter P15 has an incorrect default value (2 instead of 100) after a reset.
    • Questions have been raised regarding the relevance of P32 (temperature) and P33 (overheat protection) for relay switches, as these parameters are typically associated with dimmers that have IGBTs to measure.
  • Load Level Indicator & Notification Interaction:
    • The load level indicator is being cut off quickly and seemingly randomly when a notification is active, leading to user confusion.
    • This behavior is attributed to a 2-second notification refresh cycle, which overrides the load level indication, even when Parameter P17 (timeout) is set. Community feedback indicates this interaction is unpolished and does not respect P17 as expected.
  • Development Blockers:
    • A Pull Request (PR) for parameters P142 and P145 is currently on hold, awaiting confirmation of P50 behavior.

Timeline

  • Technical certification: Finished.
  • Market certification: Currently being modified.
  • Firmware 1.02 testing: Ongoing.

Decisions

  • The interaction between the load level indicator and notifications (where notifications refresh every 2 seconds, overriding the indicator) is currently considered a “normal phenomenon” and “designed this way” by the firmware team, despite community feedback regarding its unpolished and confusing nature.

Action Items

  • Beta testers are encouraged to verify if previously logged issues for firmware 1.02 have been resolved.
  • Confirmation of P50 behavior is needed to unblock the Pull Request for P142 and P145.
24

Weekly Status Update

Highlights

  • Technical and market certifications have been finished.
  • Production for the VZW30-SN is targeted for late-March.
  • There is time for a couple more firmware iterations to address GitHub issues before production.

Risks/Blockers

  • A few bugs still need to be resolved before production.
  • Decoupled load control will not be included in the initial production firmware due to certification being finished.

Timeline

  • Next week: Beta firmware update for the VZW30-SN.
  • Late-March: Target production date for the VZW30-SN.
  • Late-April: Current ETA for product release.

Action Items

  • Resolve remaining bugs before production.
  • Update VZW30-SN firmware next week.
  • Address GitHub issues in upcoming firmware iterations.
  • Plan for adding decoupled load control via firmware update post-production.
25

Weekly Product Development Update

Highlights

  • ETL certification for VZW30-SN has been completed.
  • FCC/IC tests for VZW30-SN have been completed.
  • Firmware V1.03 for VZW30-SN has been released, including:
    • Modified parameter ranges (P140, P141, P143, P144).
    • Disabled temperature/humidity reports when specific parameters are set to 0.
    • Changed default value of P15 to 100.
    • Fixed device reporting issues after update, factory reset, or exclusion.
    • Fixed undesirable LED notification behavior (Parameter 255).
    • Optimized interaction between P17 and LED notifications.
  • Successful firmware updates to V1.03 reported using zwave-js-ui.

Risks/Blockers

  • Some beta users are encountering difficulties and failures when attempting to update VZW30-SN firmware to V1.03 via Hubitat, with updates getting stuck or taking excessively long. This issue appears to be specific to Hubitat, as updates have been successful using zwave-js-ui and Z-Stick.

Timeline

  • No new timeline updates this week.

Decisions

  • No new decisions were explicitly stated this week.

Action Items

  • Beta users experiencing Hubitat firmware update issues are advised to try updating using a Z-Stick and Z-Wave PC Controller software as a workaround.
26

Weekly Status Update

Highlights

  • Firmware Version 1.04 Released: This version includes fixes for temperature reporting not following configured rules, corrected dimming speed calls, and resolved unintended behavior in LED notifications.
  • Temperature & Humidity Reporting: Initial testing indicates that the firmware is now respecting reporting time rules for temperature.
  • Firmware Rejection of Negative Values: The firmware correctly rejects negative values for parameters, which simplifies configuration updates.
  • Parameter 5 Testing: Successful when using the “Start Level Change” command.
  • Parameter 19 (Energy Events): Confirmed working as expected for scheduled reporting (e.g., 30 seconds), with clarification that some hubs (like Hubitat) may hide events if the value has not changed.
  • Config Updates Pushed: A new commit has been pushed to address parameter configuration issues, specifically allowing ‘0’ for P140, P141, P143, P144, and P145. This update requires a minimum supported Z-Wave JS version of 15.20.0.

Risks/Blockers

  • Parameter Validation Issues:
    • Parameters P18 and P20 currently allow negative values, which is incorrect and needs to be restricted.
    • A general validation issue exists where validation is not applied when a dropdown option is configured, potentially indicating a ZUI bug.
  • Parameter 5 “Set Level” Command: Parameter 5 still fails when using the “Set Level” command.
  • Config Push Delays: A recent config push failed, causing a temporary delay in deploying fixes.

Timeline

  • March 2: Firmware Version 1.04 was released.
  • March 4:
    • A new commit was pushed for testing config updates, requiring Z-Wave JS 15.20.0.
    • A subsequent config update push initially failed but was successfully pushed later to address parameter ‘0’ allowance.

Decisions

  • Minimum Z-Wave JS Version: New config updates require a minimum supported Z-Wave JS version of 15.20.0.
  • Config Update Strategy: Update config files to explicitly define allowed values to resolve parameter setting discrepancies.

Action Items

  • Beta Testers:
    • Upgrade firmware to the latest version for stability improvements.
    • Mark Treadwell to upgrade firmware and re-test LED notifications.
    • Re-test parameters P140, P141, P143, P144, P145 with the latest config update to confirm ‘0’ is allowed.
  • Engineering:
    • Provide guidance on whether to use existing or new parameter checklist spreadsheets for testing the updated firmware.
    • Investigate the ZUI bug where validation isn’t applied with dropdown options.
    • Clarify where Z-Wave commits were published and if zwave-js has the latest config file.
    • Investigate why Parameter 5 fails with the “Set Level” command.
    • Request specifics on the environment (ZUI, HA, etc.) where P14x parameters were observed not allowing ‘0’ prior to the latest config push.
27

Weekly Status Update

Highlights

  • Beta Testing for the VZW30-SN was completed mid March.
  • Production is currently in progress and scheduled for completion early April.

Risks/Blockers

  • None reported.

Timeline

  • VZW30-SN production completion expected early April
  • Expected Release: late April
28

Will there be pre-orders for this switch?

30

We’ve decided not to offer a pre-order for the VZW30 and instead will release it once inventory has arrived at our warehouse. This approach allows us to avoid committing to estimated shipping timelines that can sometimes shift due to manufacturing or logistics delays. Rather than risk setting expectations we may not meet, we feel it’s better to ensure the product is ready to ship before making it available for purchase. This way, customers can order with confidence knowing their switch will ship promptly.

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31

Phase 7 completed — Production

We are excited to announce that Production for Project Pulsar has been successfully completed!

Disclaimer: This update was generated automatically using AI to draft community-facing context based on internal project data. It may omit details or misinterpret context; please reply if clarification is needed.

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