My fun with zWave via CQC & (indirectly) the Elk

Chris,

Would it be possible for you to put together a matrix of all z-wave certfied devices and non-certified devices? This question comes up often and it would be really nice if we had a list to took at before purchasing.
 
I get a "no acknowledgement" failure from CQC. Using the remote, it doesn't always come on, but i haven't done enough testing there to definitively say it's at a Zwave level, not the CQC driver.

I'm only using Intermatic switches (HA06?), 1 intermatic appliance module, and 1 external lamp module. I'm using the ACT wireless controller to program, and the ACT USB controller through CQC to control there.

The other issue i'm finding is latency of the network. It's proving to be a PITA is in my "automagic light on if closet door opened". It's taking about 2s to have the light start to come on, it's a 1-2s dim-up process, so net net: 3-4s from door open to light on. Once I add the other 6-8 switches to my system, latency will be worse, so zWave is certainly looking less attractive from a performance perspective.

Then again, whaddya expect for $1K for 20 switches...
 
Using the remote, it doesn't always come on, but i haven't done enough testing there to definitively say it's at a Zwave level, not the CQC driver.

If it doesn't come on via the remote, then it's almost certain that it's not a problem with the driver, since both of them are obviously having trouble getting to the module. The remote control just doesn't bother to tell you that it failed, it just fails silently. The remote control may retry more times than our driver, which can't stay locked for a long time because it's serving many masters so to speak, so it may manage to get through more often.


The other issue i'm finding is latency of the network. It's proving to be a PITA is in my "automagic light on if closet door opened". It's taking about 2s to have the light start to come on, it's a 1-2s dim-up process, so net net: 3-4s from door open to light on.

As I mentioned elsewhere, this isn't to do with number of modules, it's the same thing you are seeing above, but just not to the point of failure. It's just taking a while to get the module to respond. In some cases, it takes too long and it just doesn't work at all. In others, it'll work after a delay. Also, it has to wait for the current poll to complete before it can process the new outgoing command, and if they are being piggy, that adds to the delay.

In my system here, outgoing commands are effectively instantaneous 95% of the time, with a short delay sometimes, for reasons unknown. I've only had two failures to respond to a command in the law few days since the driver re-work.

So I'd imagine that you are just having problems talking through that thick sub-floor plus perhaps other interference of types unknown.
 
Yuk. And a little yum.

I've moved the USB controller into the MBR, drilled through the subfloor. I was still having some mesh issues, both with CQC and with the ACT wireless controller.

So, I was looking to take steps to beef up the zWave mesh this weekend. I went to move a few light fixtures and put zWave switches in, and my dang 96yr old wiring started disintegrating in my hand. It's pretty well shielded in rubber/yarn, but the rubber is old and didn't take well to being moved several inches and stripped.

I could have worked slower and more carefully, but the wiring isn't in the right location anyhow, so i'm going to rip it all out and do it all "correctly". Well, i'll mount the gangbox and get a licensed electrician to do the HV work. And, as long as i'm calling him in, i'll re-route several switches.

So net net: I have a feeling it'll be a few more weeks before I can properly beef up the mesh in the weakest part of my network. I'm getting a few plug-in appliance modules, i may try and put those in an outlet nearby w/o anything actually plugged in as a stopgap measure.

One token good thing: The latest iteration of the CQC zWave driver has more error checking for bad environments like mine, so the setup as a whole is more stable. Obviously I'd prefer that my software not be forced to work around bad network architecture as it's driving up my latency/etc, but at least it's usable. I still think that for $1K, this will be a very useful learning experience.
 
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