Hey everyone, I’m working on a project that I’m hoping I can get working because I have many clients that are requesting it.
We are working with a very closed platform (alarm.com) and they do not allow for any parameter changes or countdown timer rules.
The goal is to have a relay that can be controlled with a push button and/or toggled on remotely with the app using z-wave. Once that relay is triggered, it will start a countdown and turn off the relay after the time has elapsed.
The zen16 will work perfectly for this if I could change the parameters. I’ve tried with a different hub and unfortunately it does not save the parameters when you un-enroll it.
I know you can change the input type by clicking and holding the button a specified amount of times and change that parameter. I’m really hoping for a future firmware update where there is a way manually change the auto turn off timer.
Is there any way to modify the firmware and have the auto turn off timer be enabled by default? Our plan is to have 1 hour set and we have no need to modify it past that.
I’ve tried having the output relay trigger an external timer and that timer having its own relay that would then trigger the input if the zen16 but it doesn’t quite work when you have other inputs attached and also creates problems with things getting out of sync
Which security panel are you using with alarm.com? If you have a Qolsys (now IQ Security) panel, you can actually set parameters manually through those panel types (and others). Let me know and I can post details.
We only have a handful of qolsys out in the field. We do have a lot of 2GIG but the majority of customers that would want this product are actually using the PC-NK-200T-A hub connect to two PointCentral. (an Alarm.com sister company)
Hey @JoshuaM, great question! As it stands, currently there is no way to modify the parameters via the alarm panel you’re working with. If you’d like to pick our techs brains in detail, pleasereach out to our team directly with the specifics of your application and links to anything you plan to connect to the relay, and we’ll see if we have any recommendations!
I’ll go ahead and reach out to the support team and see if they can assist at all. I figured I’d post the plan here as well
We have automation systems inside of large resorts that feature single family homes with private pools and spas. Most have this pool automation system: https://www.intermatic.com/Product/RC2163BFE?setcontextlanguagecode=en. It uses a simple Intermatic timer (https://www.intermatic.com/Product/FD460MW) that controls a relay inside of the pool automation panel which then goes on to control things such as actuator valves to divert water, the pool pump, air blower for the spa, and the heater for the spa. It essentially is an on switch to start preheating the spa.
We have two reasons for wanting to eliminate the mechanical timer. The knobs break off often requiring maintenance to go out, and the homeowners would like to also preheat the spa from their phone and be able to monitor whether the spa is running when remote.
We have already started replacing the mechanical timers on a lot of properties with a digital timer relay and push button, but of course it lacks any integration with their existing automation system.
Our goal is to integrate a Zen16 controller on all of these properties. The momentary push button could be wired to one of the SW terminals and have that terminal set to the parameter for a momentary contact would turn on/off the relay. (This we can already program by clicking and holding the button). The second parameter would be to have the relay auto turn off after 60 minutes. The relay output would of course be wired into the pool systems relay.
We have already tested this design by using a SmartThings hub to set the parameter for the auto turn off function and it works perfectly, however, the parameters default when you un-enroll the device to then enroll to the customers hub.
It seems that the only solution going forward is either a firmware update that allows the ability to set this parameter using the button, or maybe custom firmware altogether that has the timer pre-set that we could flash to our devices.
We have hundreds of potential customers including larger property managers with existing automation systems that would benefit from this.
@JoshuaM Are you using the newer ZEN16 800LR series (800 series Z-Wave chip)? We are bout to release a new firmware 3.20, and we can easily add functionality so that all parameters will remember their setting after exclusion, and only a factory reset would bring them to factory default
I believe the one I have at the office might be a 700 series. I’ll have to double check. Regardless, if we had that option, that would be fantastic! I’ll go ahead and purchase an 800 series if you could include that option and if all goes well testing with 3.20, we’ll order many more.
Hi @JoshuaM : currently 3.10 FW version will remember parameters after exclusion. The new 3.20 firmware is also published in our firmware files as well.
