Cannot get scene_activated events to show up in z-wave log

Configuration Z-Wave
1

I have two devices that are scene controllers – an Aeotec Minimote and (more importantly) a Cooper/Eaton RFWC5 5-button in-wall controller. The problem is I cannot get anything to show in the z-wave log when I press the scene buttons on either of these devices. I have read every single thread I can find (this is a big one) and I am stuck.

I have added the necessary COMMAND_CLASS_CENTRAL_SCENE as described in the Z-Wave device specific documentation for the RFWC5, and I have verified it stays there after multiple restarts. The RFWC5 is definitely part of the network – I can see it in the Z-Wave configuration settings page and I can successfully set some of its parameters (causing its indicator lights to stay on when I press one of its buttons, for example). But pressing the buttons creates absolutely zero visible events in the z-wave log.

I don’t know if it matters but my Z-wave controller is one of these Nortek USB sticks (apparently this is really the Sigma Designs UZB Z-Wave adapter). I note that in my zwcfg_*.xml file, under the controller node (id=1), it only has a single command class (COMMAND_CLASS_BASIC). Is that normal? Could that be part of the problem? I have nothing to compare it to.

I would really appreciate some help, as I have been dying to get an in-wall scene controller working for years… after seeing that z-wave scene activated events are now supported in HA, I figured I could get this to work and went ahead and bought one.

2

Did you configure the Aeotec Minimote in scene controller mode? In the control panel, option Mode must be set to Scene (value 1). Be sure to wake the remote to have it accept the option, by pressing the Learn button for 3 seconds.

3

I haven’t, but thanks I’ll give that a shot.

Any ideas about why the wall unit scene buttons won’t register? Is there any reason to think a different Z-Wave USB stick might yield different results?

4

Well, I gave up. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get the Eaton/Cooper Aspire RFWC5 scene keypad to show its button presses in the z-wave log on Home Assistant.

So I tried connecting it to my old SmartThings hub – and boom, instantly, I had 5 switches that worked perfectly, no additional configuration or anything. I then used my SmartThings Bridge + MQTT to interface with it via Home Assistant and Node-RED.

Why would this work perfectly in SmartThings but not Home Assistant? I don’t know enough about Z-Wave to be very useful here, but I’d love to figure out how to contribute device information so that when people buy these things, they’ll just work with HA. Z-Wave setup and configuration is still, after several years of using it, one of the clunkiest and hardest parts of Home Assistant.