IKEA Tradfri - Batteries in the remote controls are quickly discharged

Hardware
372

Yes - updating the firmware of the ikea remote would be my first recommendation also.

and regarding these…

Go to your z2m control panel, and go here:
image

373

Got it - managed to start the first update!

Regarding the controller stack:
Zigbee2MQTT version: 1.25.1
Coordinator type: zStack3x0
Coordinator revision: 20220219

1 Like
374

Just to report back - ZHA successfully upgraded the firmware of my TRADFRI remote control within 24h of configuring the integration to enable updates.

  • Before 0x23014631 (2.3.014.631 ?)
  • After 0x23080631 (2.3.080.631?)

The remote is working fine, so let’s see what the battery life is like…

1 Like
375

I have two remotes, one on the updated firmware and one not. I’ll let you guys know if the battery lasts any longer on the updated remote :crossed_fingers:

Screen Shot 2022-05-28 at 5.15.09 PM
Screen Shot 2022-05-28 at 5.15.09 PM2268×302 47.9 KB

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376

How far are the buttons from the dongle? Ikea buttons normally need a powered IKEA repeater close by.

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377

Hi,

Distance does drain batteries faster (e.g. a temp sensor in the garden drains faster), and adding ZR mains-powered routing devices may help. That said, my original system had one dongle plugged into a RPi4 and (pauses to get a measure) 480mm away, a remote. The remote battery drained in 1-2 weeks over a distance of under a half metre.

A quick look at Wikipedia for Zigbee and IEEE_802.15.4 suggests transmit power management is at least in the spec BUT the network can be mesh or point-to-point which is interesting as my initial test network only had 2x devices.

Based on my very short distance issues, I don’t think the high battery discharge rate the thread is discussing is explained by RF transmit power - a firmware or protocol interaction seems more likely. Like all good complex faults, the root cause is probably a mix of things across the Zigbee network.

My experience suggests fixing the battery drain issue can be fixed in different ways:

  • Don’t use a Sonoff ZBridge
    Tasmota works but the WiFi radio doesn’t.

  • Enable firmware updates in ZHA or check the remote firmware version in Z2M
    The latest Tradfri remote version seems to be 0x23080631 / 2.3.080

  • Add a mains powered Zigbee device(s) to act as a router (ZR) - e.g. a TRADFRI control outlet
    Mains powered radios can shout louder, and help move from point-to-point to mesh topology

  • Add any Zigbee device(s) to increase the amount of mesh coverage
    More devices help move the topology from point-to-point to mesh

  • Upgrade the firmware in the Zigbee controller stick (or try a newer device)
    Likely to need manufacturer software and a PC/Mac, so fiddly

Note Tradfri remotes are handled with custom Quirk code in ZHA, although on inspection, this looks to be more to remap the device into a general purpose device, than anything power related.

All the best,

James

2 Likes
378

I’ve been through the same path. Just don’t hammer your old zbridge yet, there’s a router firmware now and it works pretty well.

1 Like
379

What a good idea - reflash a crap controller into a useful router/repeater.

Sadly, I wasn’t kidding about the ZBridge going under the hammer! :boom::hammer:

2 Likes
380

I have the Conbee2 stick with Z2M and the batteries drain very quickly, so it may not be the stick

381

Any difference?

382

So far the updated firmware has made no impact on battery, however, they are not draining as quickly as expected.
image
image

383

Interesting.

I have a Tradfri 5 button remote that is still showing 100% battery (and works fine) after around 6 months now. I have 5 of them all having lasted that long but with various other battery levels.

Conbee2 and ZHA.

384

I managed to update the firmware (which took forever) and it seems to be a bit better now, but battery levels seem to go up and down (at least that is what the devices report). I’ll have to wait and see how long they will really last. I have a 5 button dimmer, 2 Symfonisk media controllers and an on/off switch.

385

Of the Conbee2 stick or the IKEA devices?

386

Of the IKEA devices. Depending on the device it took between 2 and 6 hours. But the hardest part was to get the (battery powered) devices to start the update in the first place. My Tradfri LED driver (mains powered) did accept the update right away. I placed the remotes near the Conbee stick to eliminate any unsupportive routers but to no avail. Then I placed them near the LED driver and the update started instantly.

(Conbee II with OTA firmware update through Zigbee2MTTQ)

387

Reading this and tenths of other blogs about the draining and general binding issues with IKEA remotes (i got 3x E1810) I see that there is still no solution. I was wondering to purchase e.g. conbee II to check the firmware version and probably to upgrade, but is looks like even the latest FW does not help.

Is that correct?
if so, is there any reliable other remote known that allows flexible group binding? I am satisfied with TINT remotes (4ch) but they all send to fixed groups and are a bit clumsy to use…

388

Pretty much… Everyone’s experience is a little differtent. Some have managed to get the Conbee stick to work. I could not. I did solve the battery drain issue using the latest Sonoff Zigbee stick running the latest firmware and MQTT but again there are lots here and elsewhere who could not get the Sonoff stick to work either. We see a similar challenge with people using Smartthings or Hubitate. Some are frustrated some are happy…

This seems to be a feature of the IKEA buttons. Sometimes they will work fine sometimes they just eat batteries.

In my large house, I have 9 IKEA roller binds, with 9 repeaters and 9 (up down) buttons… Since I switched to the Sonoff Zigbee stick everything as been fine and I have not replaced a battery in about 5 months. (on the blinds too)

Sadly there are lots here who claim to have followed the exact same firmware setup on both the Sonoff and the IKEA stuff who are still burning through batteries.

389
  1. I have “the IKEA remote control battery drain” problem (Y/N): Yes
  2. My zigbee dongle (or hub or bridge) is: Lidl SilverCrest Zigbee Gateway (TYGWZ-01) Zigbee compatibility
  3. Firmware version of the zigbee dongle: EZSP 6.7.8.0
  4. HA controller stack (zha / z2m / conbee): z2m
  5. The version of the controller stack:
  6. Name / model # of the IKEA Tradfri device: IKEA TRADFRI Wireless dimmer E1743 (Ikea article number 104.085.98)
  7. Firmware version of the IKEA Tradfri device: 2.3.079
  8. Other things to note (observations, battery drain rate, etc.):

Edit: it seems the issue disappeared if I changed the coordinator from Lidl to Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus

390
  1. I have “the IKEA remote control battery drain” problem (Y/N): Yes
  2. My zigbee dongle (or hub or bridge) is: HUSBZB-1
  3. Firmware version of the zigbee dongle: ncp-uart-sw-6.7.8. (https://github.com/walthowd/husbzb-firmware)
  4. HA controller stack (zha / z2m / conbee): ZHA
  5. The version of the controller stack:
"integration_manifest": {
    "domain": "zha",
    "name": "Zigbee Home Automation",
    "config_flow": true,
    "documentation": "https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/zha",
    "requirements": [
      "bellows==0.31.1",
      "pyserial==3.5",
      "pyserial-asyncio==0.6",
      "zha-quirks==0.0.77",
      "zigpy-deconz==0.18.0",
      "zigpy==0.47.3",
      "zigpy-xbee==0.15.0",
      "zigpy-zigate==0.9.0",
      "zigpy-znp==0.8.1"
  1. Name / model # of the IKEA Tradfri device: 2 x TRADFRI 5 button remote control - E1810/ TRADFRI SHORTCUT Button - E1812
  2. Firmware version of the IKEA Tradfri device: Firmware: 0x23080631 on the TRADFRI 5 button remote control /
    Firmware: 0x23080631 on the TRADFRI SHORTCUT Button
  3. Other things to note (observations, battery drain rate, etc.): Battery drains happens after Checkin event was fired on Home Assistant log
391

I searched this thread with various variables… and (if I am not missing anything) have not yet come across any successful story using this specific usb stick.
If I were you, I would consider removing this stick from my setup.

Well, for other users out there: if you have HUSBZB-1 and do not have the IKEA battery drain issue, please share your setup with us / with Gus.