On the home security side, door/window sensors exist with terminals for connecting external contacts - examples are things like the PG9945 or the QS1137-840. I use these in a ton of scenarios to get simple dry contact based signals into my alarm panels with great success.
It would be awesome if a Z-Wave device like this existed. Yes, we have devices like the ZEN58 which works great to accept dry inputs, but it is not battery powered. I’m thinking more like the ZSE41 but with a pair of external contacts, and a parameter that switches the input from the reed to those contacts.
Of course I might be able to customize a ZSE41 with a soldering iron, but it would be nice to not have to do that. LOL. At the moment the driver for this is to install a water level indicator in my pool’s skimmer connected to a float switch, and a battery powered sensor stuck to the underside of the skimmer lid would be great.
What does everyone think? A ZSE41 with external contacts? Usable? or am I the only one?
Other thoughts on a better way to do this?
This type of device is definitely on our radar. In fact, we just had a discussion about it internally a couple of weeks ago. Let’s hope we can figure out a way to pack as much functionality as possible to a battery powered device that will meet your needs. In the meantime, let’s hear some more use cases from anyone looking for this type of device! It will help our product development team with the specs and the business rationale as well
We’re using an (old) Fibaro FGK10X Z-Wave+ Door/Window Sensor w/external Temperature input on our chest freezer to communicate with the Z-Box Hub. This Z-Wave+ device was “updated” and removed the external temperature input in favor of an on-board sensor, IIRC. It also had an external contact sensor input. I don’t believe the device is even available any more.
Configuration: In our application, the external temperature sensor is inside the freezer compartment and the door contact sensor is mounted externally with the device on the lid and the magnet on the cabinet base. (We do not use the external contact sensor at this time–although I’ve used other old Z-Wave devices with external inputs for other reasons in the past, when I was on SmartThings and could write custom device drivers.)
Use Case: alarm us if either a) the temperature falls above a setpoint below freezing and b) alert us if the door was left open for greater than some period of time.
If you want to make the door/window sensor ‘hidden’ or ‘pretty’ - where you’d fish a short wire from the window frame into an adjacent location where the battery powered sensor itself can reside. (Do this sometimes on windows that are non standard - like a casement window and need to hide an ultra small or custom magnet, etc). or anywhere the physical form factor of something like the ZSE41 or the Aeotec recessed sensor just doesn’t fit.
Also have done this on vinyl fence gates with sensor hidden inside the post using concealed magnetic contacts/reeds. [white on white so it’s literally invisible, and sheltered from the elements. Don’t ask about temp swings and humidity… so far they are still working after 1.5 years! ]
The earlier referenced case was the use of a Kidde SM120X Interconnect Accessory Relay Module with an old Linear/GoControl WADWAZ-1 Door/Window Contact Sensor (which had an external input) on my old SmartThings installation to integrate the Kidde smoke alarms with a routine to turn on lights if the alarm went off at night. Worked well.
That being said, in our current home a Zooz ZEN55 Smoke & CO Detector Bridge performs the same function on our Z-Box Hub.
A Z-Wave device with say 2,4 or 8 dry contact inputs. If you want to go a step further put a three wire port for DS18b20 temp probes you could hang off the unit (say up to 8 probes to keep it manageable)…
With LR you might start seeing some process control markets open up. You need more digital input output devices for those segments.
Re-purpose the ZEN16/17 mechanicals to keep development costs down??? This application needn’t fit into a small junction box.
Use cases:
sump pit high water float sensor
hardwired dry contact door switches (reusing legacy alarm switches).
limit switches for mechanical status (garage door open/closed, process control limit switches)
latch detect for mechanical latching devices.
HVAC application, duct damper state detect, makeup air dampers, duct static pressure sensing.
I like it… similar to a hardwire takeover module in the alarm space!
Might as well go crazy and add trouble supervision with EOL resistor support, too. (controlled as an option via a parameter, of course). So literally existing wired alarm circuits could be transplanted. You may need a parameter to select the resistor type or sensitivity level- maybe even a learning mode like the IQ Hardwire 16-F uses - such that it can takeover whatever EOL resistor is existing.
I know I’m in fantasy land right now… …could even put other niche products out of business, but I digress.
You’ve almost exactly described the Fibaro Smart Implant. I have one I am setting up to use in the garage to monitor two garage doors (magnetic reed switches) and temperature/humidity–replacing three antique original Z-Wave devices that don’t play well with our Z-Box Hub. Alas, the Smart Implant is older non-LR Z-Wave+, has a flock of extremely thin gauge wires for connections, and just isn’t for the person with little or no experience soldering electronics!
@Agnes Regarding use cases for connecting external devices to a Zooz sensor. I re-wire out of bed sensors ,out of chair sensors and help buttons, to make them work with SmartThings so speakers can make announcements. we can track data, etc…
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