So I have the Aeotec Z-stick Gen5+ on 1.2 firmware running on Z-wave JS UI. I read the migration guide scenario 2, so I’m quite confident I can migrate. (66 devices in hard places would not be fun to pair again). However, some questions remain: with Z-wave-JS UI:
Will the ZWA-2 still autodiscover and should I accept or ignore?
Will I be able to update the ZWA-2 firmware when it is on Zwave-JS UI?
Will I be able to turn the darn light on top off when connected through ZwaveJS-UI? I do not want a giant pole to light up the night. Even if there’s some kind of error.
I’m guess ing the device acts like any other Z-wave device connected to z-wave JS-UI, but I’d like to be sure.
I received mine today and migrated from a Z-Stick Gen5 (not Gen5+) with FW v1.2.
It went absolutely smooth and the whole migration took about 5 minutes total.
You can update the firmware when using ZJS UI - this was the first thing I did (the update was offered in the HA integration overview).
The led on top can be turned off.
I believe there is also requirements for SDK to be at least 6.61+. If you are on FW 1.1 (as I am) most likely you are on SDK 6.51.10… So seems FW upgrade is a must to migrate.
1.02 is 1.2. That tripped me up as well. You’ll still need windows to update from 1.1 to 1.2, you can thank aeotec for that.
Yes, the limiting factor is aeotec. The only way you can update that stick prior to 1.2 is through their utility. Any future updates should appear in HA as long as aeotec provides us with the binaries.
Yes, the 1.2 firmware from aeotec allows us to use the backup/restore ability in zwave js. Their previous firmware did not have this capabilities, which is why we can’t update it from Zwave JS or Zwave JS UI.
So much this! Why on earth no unity in the user interfaces?!
They all have the weirdest non intuitive places to add, interview, rebuild, backup etc.
But hail for having attention to antenna’s. I work with radio networks and good antennas make or break wireless systems and are sadly often tucked away “because ugly”. But it can easy increase reach with a factor 10.
The device network configuration (like paired devices, node IDs, routing info) is stored on the dongle itself, not in Home Assistant’s internal database or backup system.
Depending on how old your Z-wave dongle is and how old is the firmware inside, you may have a backup button in the Z-Wave JS UI add-on.
Restoring to a backup controller that is an identical model.
Neither of those require any kind of parsing or converting of the NVM, Z-Wave JS can just write the binary data back.
Z-Wave JS has implemented the conversion of NVM formats between the different chip series and SDK versions, but this requires a minimum of SDK v6.61 as mentioned. It cannot parse the NVM from pre-1.2 firmwares of the Gen5 which have an older SDK (< 6.61 SDK).
I only have one Z-wave device but because of the ZWA-2 and Long Range I’m definitely thinking about it investing more in Z-wave for sensors rather than Zigbee when I need stability more. And I want to create a Thread mesh for everything else. So a very good antenna ZBT-2 for Thread as the Border Router Gateway would be dope!
It’s really quite tough to find a good Thread radio antenna that is simple to on-board without having to tinker a Zigbee coordinator with new firmware to make it work with thread etc. That also has a good antenna with good reach as a base for that mesh.
