Aeotec Z-Stick Gen5 ZW090 New Firmware Update

dr.up · August 9, 2023, 10:51pm

Did you try it at the end? Any luck?

snicker · October 14, 2023, 2:19am

which version of the method 3 drivers did you use? I have a version 3 aeotec gen5 (not +) stick that I cannot get the DFU firmware tool to update at all. it’s on 1.01. I am having problems described here :

github.com/home-assistant/addons

Z-Wave JS failure

opened 07:02PM - 27 Sep 23 UTC

ablyes

add-on: zwave_js

### Describe the issue you are experiencing Since the last version of home as…sitant Home Assistant 2023.9.3 Supervisor 2023.09.2 Operating System 10.5 Interface utilisateur : 20230911.0 - latest Z-Wave JS Current version: 0.1.93 My Z-Wave devices are not working. I have this error in the logs: ``` 2023-09-27T16:30:01.702Z CNTRLR [Node 026] ping failed: The node did not acknowledge the command (ZW0204) 2023-09-27T16:30:04.424Z DRIVER no handlers registered! 2023-09-27T16:31:09.423Z CNTRLR The controller is unresponsive 2023-09-27T16:31:09.427Z DRIVER Attempting to recover unresponsive controller... 2023-09-27T16:31:09.518Z CNTRLR The controller does not support soft reset or the soft reset feature has been disabled with a config option or the ZWAVEJS_DISABLE_SOFT_RESET environment va riable. 2023-09-27T16:31:09.521Z DRIVER Recovering unresponsive controller failed. Restarting the driver... Error in driver ZWaveError: Recovering unresponsive controller failed. Restarting the driver... (ZW0100) at Driver.destroyWithMessage (/usr/src/node_modules/zwave-js/src/lib/driver/Driver.ts:2769:17) at fail (/usr/src/node_modules/zwave-js/src/lib/driver/Driver.ts:3484:14) at /usr/src/node_modules/zwave-js/src/lib/driver/Driver.ts:3533:5 at runNextTicks (node:internal/process/task_queues:60:5) at processTimers (node:internal/timers:509:9) { code: 100, context: undefined, transactionSource: undefined } Shutting down Closing server... 2023-09-27T16:31:09.541Z CNTRLR [Node 017] Assigning SUC return route failed: Timeout while waiting for a call back from the controller (ZW0200) Client disconnected Code 1000: Server closed [16:31:10] WARNING: Halt add-on s6-rc: info: service legacy-services: stopping s6-rc: info: service legacy-services successfully stopped s6-rc: info: service legacy-cont-init: stopping s6-rc: info: service legacy-cont-init successfully stopped s6-rc: info: service fix-attrs: stopping s6-rc: info: service fix-attrs successfully stopped s6-rc: info: service s6rc-oneshot-runner: stopping s6-rc: info: service s6rc-oneshot-runner successfully stopped ``` ### What type of installation are you running? Home Assistant Supervised ### Which operating system are you running on? Home Assistant Operating System ### Which add-on are you reporting an issue with? Z-Wave JS ### What is the version of the add-on? 0.1.93 ### Steps to reproduce the issue - start z-wave js addon - check the logs with errors ### System Health information Message in french : Aucune correction n'est actuellement disponible -> no correction ### Anything in the Supervisor logs that might be useful for us? _No response_ ### Anything in the add-on logs that might be useful for us? _No response_ ### Additional information _No response_

and thought a firmware update might help. I absolutely cannot get it to update no matter which driver I try

antidote95 · October 31, 2023, 12:19pm

Hi All,

I was trying to update but the tool to update shows virus in virustotal:
https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/6f6689d2fd2b6355fc67eb504d53a1e5995783d5a2a0a69a807624e64df5aefe?nocache=1
https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/0a87a04bb79a6618e7d24a86cbf5a11e36b27070e06a9a8004f32cdbad8026c3

Is that still safe?

sota · November 4, 2023, 8:42am

If you downloaded it from the Aoetec web site, you should be fine. Try scanning it with another app (MalwareBytes, Windows Defender). Also, you could try reaching out to Aeotec support, they have been very responsive anytime I needed them.

fritz9543 · December 7, 2023, 9:53am

same here, no update possible.
Method 2 drivers are correctly loaded but update fails (with reset button error)
Method 3 drivers are not loaded correctly in Win11, no matter which driver i chose (CP210x, CP210N etc…) - so did not try to update, i don’t want to brick my device.

ha_karel · February 25, 2024, 7:31pm

I have successfully upgraded V1 and V3 sticks to V1.02 (SDK 6.07). Herewith some points to share:

A native Windows machine is required, a VM will not work. I assume due to the restarting of the stick in the process where it will not be fast enough reconnected to the VM.
With some models it was required to reset the stick back to defaults. Disconnect from the USB port and press and hold the reset button until the led becomes blue.
With some models I had to make sure in the windows device manager that the z-wave stick is using the drivers that are shipped with the update tool.
Only with the V1.02 (SDK 6.07) firmware installed it is possible to backup and restore using Silicon Labs Z-Wave PC Controller. With any prior version, use the Aeotec backup tool.

Z-Stick Gen5 versions

digdug3 · August 23, 2024, 3:54pm

Had a GEN5 (non Plus v1.01) stick, but could not do the firmware update to 1.02 (“RESET” and “could not set firmware mode” errors).
After buying a new GEN5+ I resetted the old GEN5 stick to factory defaults. Then I made sure I had the “Sigma Designs ZWave programming interface” driver (was still the same…) and tried again. Voila, it could update… Probably the stick is too busy to be updated when not factory resetted before upgrading.

ConnorZW · August 24, 2024, 12:39pm

Hi, z-wave stick Gen5 v2 here with v1.1 here and the aeotec backup tool works fine (with the manual driver install on the COM port, and only on some USB ports USB3 ports don’t work for me while USB2 ports do work). But upgrade to v1.2 won’t work, not in any way documented, not an a win11 machine, not on a win10 machine. Did never try the device reset however, and am not so eager to do so…

phrfpeixoto · October 11, 2024, 3:13pm

Is there a way to update the firmware straight from HA? I don’t have a windows PC to fiddle with

sota · October 13, 2024, 12:25pm

I haven’t tried it myself, but you can update the Z-Stick firmware from Z-Wave JS UI. You will need to download the files from Aeotec first.

phrfpeixoto · October 16, 2024, 12:38pm

I managed to get a windows PC to update it. Thanks!

american_engineer · February 28, 2025, 5:41am

Aeotec’s firmware update page says “Z-Stick Gen5 (production date 2018 or later, the update simply will not work on much older hardware versions).” My stick was purchased in 2016. Has anyone had luck updating a stick that’s that old? My firmware version is 1. I see people referencing a hardware version, but no hardware version is printed on my stick.

sota · February 28, 2025, 8:33am

Mine was older than 2018 when I flashed it, but if you are in any doubt I wouldn’t bother. I never saw any improvements with the upgrade. See this note on their upgrade page:
If you are not using SmartStart in Z-Wave or not planning to, this firmware won’t change much for you.

freshcoast · February 28, 2025, 8:40am

You also gain the ability to use NVM backup and restore (via Z-Wave JS), which would allow a migration to an 800-series controller, for example.

american_engineer · March 1, 2025, 5:01am

That’s why I’m doing it.

american_engineer · March 1, 2025, 5:10am

I ended up flashing my 2016 stick and it went fine. Beforehand, I asked Aeotec support and they said that attempting to flash an older stick does NOT risk bricking it.

sender · March 2, 2025, 10:20pm

What did you update it to?

jprates · May 7, 2025, 1:42pm

Like others here, I’ve a version 3 aeotec gen5 stick currently with firmware v4.54 that refuses to upgrade to 6.07 unless I factory reset it, in which case it upgrades fine.

In my view this means there is a software bug in the upgrade tool, since the driver and the hardware are exactly the same and while it upgrades fine when on factory version it does not when on v4.54.

I just opened a support case on Aeotec site, let’s see how they answer back.

Using the gen5 backup tool from Sigma’s rewrites the entire eeprom, so we are not able to load only the NVM part, I just suspected as much and confirmed it in practice.

Using the HASS ZWave JS UI and try to restore a NVM file backed up while on 4.54 to the new 6.07 fails with something along the lines of “error while calling restoreNVM: Message dropped because of an unexpected error: (0, import_serial.isSendData) is not a function (ZW0202)”.

So it seems we’re stuck.

I’ve several dozens devices, some like the Qubino 3-phase meter have over 40 customized entities, and I have 4 of them, so pairing them all again and customizing them again would be a perfect nightmare - no thanks.

Hopping aeotec engineering team can fix the upgrade tool so that it can upgrade to 6.07 from any version.

Next I’ll do an nvm backup that hopefully can be loaded on a brand new 800 series controler without any fuss.

jprates · May 8, 2025, 6:59pm

Good news everyone.

Apparently I was missing a reboot or something alike, or perhaps I was day dreaming, because the truth is the stick is on the new upgraded firmware even after rewriting the eeprom with the backup.

Recapitulating:

If you are having trouble upgrading your Aeotec Stick Gen5 with their software getting the “reset” error messages, fear not and do this:

With the Gen5 Aeotec backup tool take a backup of the eeprom as described in this link: How to use Z-Stick Gen5 backup software (Backup, and Restore). : Aeotec Help Desk
The step above only saves the NVM info, not the firmware, so relax and do a factory reset of the stick, i.e. with the stick unplugged press reset button for over 20 seconds till the led stops flashing.
Now you can proceed with the upgrade which should run fine on the stick this time.
After the upgrade, remove the stick, wait a few seconds, re-insert it on your pc usb, and load the backup/restore tool once again - it should show firmware version 6.07 on title bar this time.
Use the backup/restore tool this time to restore the backup you made on version 4.54, it’s compatible, just press “write eeprom” and select your previously saved export file.
You can remove the stick, close the backup and restore tool, reinsert the stick, and open the old Gen5 Zensys ZWaveController, and check the nodes are all there already as they were at the start.
If previous step is confirmed, you can now unplug from PC and plug it back on HASS machine. - Hurray!

At the end of the process HASS ZWave JS UI reports:

```
productLabel: ZW090
```

productDescription: Z‐Stick Gen5 USB Controller

```
manufacturer: AEON Labs
```
```
firmwareVersion: 1.2
```
```
sdkVersion: 6.81.6
```
```
protocolVersion: 3
```

Aeotec’s support confirmed this is the correct data, and we can now use NVM backup and restore:

"I can confirm that the Z-Stick Gen5 has been updated appropriately which you can see in the SDK version and firmwareVersion given. With this version, you can use any method of backup/restore since this SDK version supports the NVM backup/restore feature of Z-Wave. "

sender · May 9, 2025, 5:03am

This feels so risky