What ZigBee devices would get you excited?

[thechop66]

Hi All,
 
I posted this over on r/homeautomation on ye olde reddits but I figured I would pose the same question here.
 
We're a home automation manufacturer specializing in ZigBee devices.  We're looking to expand our offerings.  What sort of ZigBee devices would you like to see?  These will likely be ZigBee HA devices (I'm not engineering-side so not 100% whether 1.1 or 1.2)  What types of devices are missing?  What devices do you think could be improved?  Trying to take the temperature of fellow DIY HAers out there.  
 
Any feedback would be welcomed!
 
Stay Automating,
 
Alex

 

[Automate]

Can you list what ZigBee devices you already make and what DIY controller work with them? The interoperability of ZigBee does not seem too great right now.
 
I would like to see a reasonably price ceiling fan controller.

 

[thechop66]

Sure thing, Automate.  
 
I didn't want to spam the board but we're Smartenit (formerly SimpleHomeNet).  
 
Our ZigBee product line can be found here: http://simplehomenet.com/cats.asp?id=23
 
The HA certified products we have are: ZBMPlug15, ZBMLC30, ZBMLC15, ZBLC15, ZBWS3B, ZBPCM, ZBRE, ZBHT2, and ZBVC1 (Plus our gateways).  
 
Like I said, those are all HA 1.1 so any controller certified for HA 1.1 should control them in theory :cue collective groan:  I can tell you that we did our due dilligence to make these devices adhere to the profile specs and standards so incompatibility may be a controller issue.  I will wrangle up a comprehensive list of 3rd party gateways/ hubs that I'm confident support which devices.  

 

[thechop66]

Oops, so obviously the listed products all work with our Harmony line of gateways.  Forgot to mention that!
 
And roger that on the ceiling fan controller.  If your fan is controlled by a wall switch and adheres to the specs, you may be able to use our ZBMLC15/ ZBLC15 load controllers btw.  Or were you looking for direct control of the motor itself?

 

[neillt]

Real zigbee dimmer switches, ala Centralite Azalea.  Also would be great if they could do some kind of scene support.  Not sure how that would work with an HAI panel and ZIM, which I have now for door locks.
 
Also box mounted keypads, even better if they have LED talkback.
 
Also a +1 for the fan speed controller.

 

[az1324]

People usually mean speed control when they say ceiling fan controls.
 
Affordable in-wall dimmers/switches/keypads with appealing aesthetics, firmware-update capability, and lots of configuration options.
 
Insteon has a pretty complete offering so anything that exists in their product line could be converted to Zigbee and shortcomings addressed.
 
Interesting how the whole alliance, standard, certified, interoperable thing isn't worth much when nobody is using it.  I don't want to pay extra product costs to fund the alliance.  6LowPAN, AllSeen FTW.

 

[thechop66]

Real zigbee dimmer switches, ala Centralite Azalea.  Also would be great if they could do some kind of scene support.  Not sure how that would work with an HAI panel and ZIM, which I have now for door locks.
 
Also box mounted keypads, even better if they have LED talkback.
 
Also a +1 for the fan speed controller.

 
The dimmer switches are definitely needed.  We currently support the Centralite Azalea line but I think the more the merrier right?
 

People usually mean speed control when they say ceiling fan controls.
 
Affordable in-wall dimmers/switches/keypads with appealing aesthetics, firmware-update capability, and lots of configuration options.
 
Insteon has a pretty complete offering so anything that exists in their product line could be converted to Zigbee and shortcomings addressed.
 
Interesting how the whole alliance, standard, certified, interoperable thing isn't worth much when nobody is using it.  I don't want to pay extra product costs to fund the alliance.  6LowPAN, AllSeen FTW.

 
Noted on the fan control.  We support most INSTEON products but I would have to check if we support their fan motors.  Should be interesting to do the protocol conversion.  
 
Understandable feelings about the Alliance etc.  We have faith in the tech and the companies trying to work toward a truly open system

 

[dgage]

Before I answer this in terms of HA, let me answer this in terms of portable hand tools that purchased within the last few years. I'm an advanced DIYer and my old set of power tools were starting to break and the batteries weren't keeping charges so I started researching new portable tools based on lithium ion batteries. I wasn't looking for the heaviest duty as I'm an advanced DIYer, not a contractor but I wasn't going to go cheap. I ended up buying the Sears Craftsman C3 series because they had the most varied tools and accessories that ran off of their battery system.

For lighting, I went with Lutron RadioRa2 for three primary reasons, reliability, wide selection of devices, and aesthetics.

So that is my answer for what you need. You need a wide and varied selection of devices that cover what most homeowners might want but here are some specific ones that I notice are missing from many portfolios. One issue I see with your portfolio is that it reminds me of X10 in terms of everything being plug in. That was fine when I was younger in an apartment but as a home owner, I wouldn't even consider most of the devices because you don't have in wall switches, dimmers, and plugs.

* a heavy duty 20 amp wall plug - many automated plugs are less than 15, even less than 12 amps. Will also help with the mesh network and therefore reliability.
* a 15 amp plug that can replace any wall plug outlet as most have limitations as noted above. Advantages as above.
* a single switch fan control that controls light and Off-L-M-H speeds for fan. Would need a wireless unit in fan canopy.
* Nice dimmers that also work with low Loads and LED lighting
* Remote dimmers/switches for 3-way use (or more than 3-way
* NICE looking light control keypads that can be engraved if desired. (Lutron does a great job here). Also, the keypad should also be able to control the local load as many keypads from other manufacturers can't.
* low profile, aesthetically pleasing, advanced thermostat control

I'm already set for lighting but I will likely purchase Zwave or Zigbee devices to setup a mesh network, primarily for door lock control.

Good luck.

David

 

[az1324]

Everyone always calls it Azalea (which makes sense since that is a word and sounds better phonetically) but it's actually called Azela.  Or maybe it's just auto spell check.  I also like to say Amtel instead of Atmel.

 

[dgage]

By the way, that wireless ball valve control is pretty cool and inventive.

 

[thechop66]

Everyone always calls it Azalea (which makes sense since that is a word and sounds better phonetically) but it's actually called Azela.  Or maybe it's just auto spell check.  I also like to say Amtel instead of Atmel.

 
Oops.  I was pretty sure it was Azela but I think I just went along with the way they spelled it.
 
 

By the way, that wireless ball valve control is pretty cool and inventive.

 
Thanks for all the great feedback in the previous comment and the the compliment here!  Great advice for expanding our line.  Our MLC/ LC units are technically in wall (for switches or outlets) but I think it might be wise to evaluate offering the switch/ dimmer/ outlet along with the controller.  Those are probably feasible.  Something like the thermostat control we rely on existing units (we control WiFi so things like a 3M thermostat or Honeywell can be used).  But these are all great and detailed suggestions.  I'm very appreciative!

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Just make sure you offer Cocooners a DISCOUNT in lieu of the free advice and advertising you are getting here!

 

[dgage]

I know I mentioned RadioRa2 before but I'd suggest you take a look at their product catalog. They have a pretty good system with respect to devices other than a fan/light single control and an in-wall plug. And door lock but I'm not sure they'll ever release one of those, which is why I will likely have Zwave or Zigbee one day. But what really stands out about them when I look at UPB, Zwave, or Zigbee is the polish or elegance of their offerings, they simply seem a step above. If I were designing devices, they would be my benchmark.

 

[thechop66]

Just make sure you offer Cocooners a DISCOUNT in lieu of the free advice and advertising you are getting here!

 
Of course!  I'll set something up when I get into the office this week.  Stay tuned...

 

[kwilcox]

+1 on zigbee dimmer wall switches.  How about lamp modules, appliance modules, and contact closure modules to go with them?  
 
Then drive some sort of firmware standard that allows independent scene creation etc.  I'd love to be able to program links/scenes for hue and other zigbee based light bulbs from the above suggested devices without a controller aka UPB/insteon.
 
If a standard emerges then the world of HA could change:  Tie hot to switched load in all switch boxes and make the switch itself a passive device that controls lights logically.  At this point, even switch loop runs can be easily automated.