Zwave and nodered

Configuration Z-Wave
1

Hello.
I installed the Zwave libraries to be able to find my two zwave-in / out in Nodered. It worked, unfortunately after a restart of my RPI 3, I wanted to restart Nodered but I find myself with a type error:

18 Nov 11:41:55 - [error] OpenZwave: no ZWave controller class defined!
18 Nov 11:41:55 - [info] Started flows
18 Nov 11:41:55 - [info] OpenZwave: driver failed, args: {}
18 Nov 11:41:55 - [info] OpenZwave: \ ==> ff1372fb.d0269 event: driver failed
18 Nov 11:41:55 - [error] OpenZwave: Driver failed. Please check if there is a ZWave stick attached to / dev / ttyAMA0
18 Nov 11:41:55 - [info] OpenZwave: \ ==> f0110b9f.7ff908 event: driver failed
18 Nov 11:41:55 - [error] OpenZwave: Driver failed. Please check if there is a ZWave stick attached to / dev / ttyUSB0
18 Nov 11:41:55 - [info] OpenZwave: \ ==> 785baa25.0e21c4 event: driver failed
18 Nov 11:41:55 - [error] OpenZwave: no ZWave controller class defined!
18 Nov 11:41:55 - [info] Started flows
18 Nov 11:41:55 - [info] OpenZwave: driver failed, args: {}
18 Nov 11:41:55 - [info] OpenZwave: \ ==> ff1372fb.d0269 event: driver failed
18 Nov 11:41:55 - [error] OpenZwave: Driver failed. Please check if there is a ZWave stick attached to / dev / ttyAMA0
18 Nov 11:41:55 - [info] OpenZwave: \ ==> f0110b9f.7ff908 event: driver failed
18 Nov 11:41:55 - [error] OpenZwave: Driver failed. Please check if there is a ZWave stick attached to / dev / ttyUSB0
18 Nov 11:41:55 - [info] OpenZwave: \ ==> 785baa25.0e21c4 event: driver failed

I am looking for, but I can not find how to solve my problem.
Someone would have any idea ? a suggestion ?

Thanks for your help

2

Is there some reason you arenā€™t letting Home Assistant handle the communication with the zwave controller? Then use node-red to automate them?

3

Yes. Because I wish to use the nodered dashboard to optimize the display of my objects. Also, node-red simplifies code design by inserting different blocks / functions without having to type all the code.

4

Iā€™m familiar with node-red. I use it for various things, but with zwave, I didnā€™t have to ā€œtype all the codeā€. I literally pushed buttons on the web GUI of HASS. Named the things I wanted, now I have access to those devices from node-red

5

Could you tell me how you installed the zwave protocol with Node-Red ?

Thanks

6

I didnā€™t install any zwave protocol with node-red. I let home assistant handle the connection.

HASS handles the devices, and I am working on moving all my automation to node-red. If you put everything in node-red I donā€™t see any reason to run home assistant at all.

7

Yes. Some raisons for me.

  1. Dashboard with Node-red is more ā€˜user firendlyā€™ and you can insert some jauge, some graphic, some buttons and other design without to have to modifie any files configuration,

  2. If you want send some notifications with Home-assistant, you have to configure the configuration file and other. With Node-red, is just a node that you can add very simply.

  3. You have some more security if you want to acces at your IoT objets by Node-red from the web,itā€™s just a screen, a representation (dashboard Node-Red) that will show you your switchs, tempĆ©ratures sondes, jauges, boutons, and other.
    And, you do not take the risk with that somebody can modifie your Home-assistant plateform.

8

I donā€™t think youā€™re understanding me.

For zwave, I donā€™t have to modify any configuration files. Letā€™s just make that part clear. I use the web GUI on home assistant and set them up. Itā€™s really simple. After they are configured you can use node-red and connect to your home assistant. It seems like you are getting wrapped up in what does what and not really understanding what I am saying. You can do exactly what you want, in the same manner, even if you let home assistant ā€œmanage the connection to the hardwareā€.

If you have everything in node-red, why do you even have home assistant? For what purpose does it serve?

9

I will present the situation differently.
My objects are connected to Home-assistant and like you, I can also access it through the web interface.
Their management is simple as long as you use them with their original configuration.
If you now want to interact with them and have them send you email and sms notifications, you have to modify the configuration.yaml file, for example, or the customization.yaml file. If you want to group your objects into categories (heat, water, light and other sensors), then you have to modify the groups.yaml file.

Aside from that, the Home-Assistantā€™s history is not user-friendly at all I find and itā€™s hard to navigate for a common user (lambda)
Your objects are displayed in a certain way in your web interface, as soon as you want to add graphics, a gauge for example, to show the temperature of the room, the heat, humidity, you have to make changes and go look for icons according to what you want, and so you have to modify the configuration file.

While with Node-red (I have currently no connected object, or my question), you can easily have a friendly and understandable display for the common mortal.
Example:
Display on my HA
image

The same graph but with Node-red

image
image662Ɨ588 62.7 KB

The graph with Node-red is much more ā€˜user friendlyā€™ I find, hence my interest.

The purpose is to design a small application available on android that displays all your objects connected in a very visual and readable for anyone.

Node-red would only be used to simplify certain functions (send message, sms or other) and as a simplified display platform searchable for Mr ā€˜everyoneā€™.

I do not know if I was clearer and if you understand my intention better?

Now, Iā€™m experimenting, and I discover little by little the different features and possibilities with RPI and Node-Red. So any suggestions welcome!

In the meantime, I still have my problem ā€¦ :wink:

10

I guess you just arenā€™t going to understand me.

I donā€™t know why you have home assistant if you arenā€™t using it.

Again, just hook zwave up to home assistant and connect to it from node red.

11

We will get thereā€¦:wink:

Yes, thatā€™s what I want to do! I want to be able to connect to my assistant with Node-red!

But the problem I have is that when I start Node-red, I get an error message that comes to me saying:

18 Nov 11:41:55 - [error] OpenZwave: Driver failed. Please check if there is a ZWave stick attached to / dev / ttyAMA0
18 Nov 11:41:55 - [info] OpenZwave: \ ==> f0110b9f.7ff908 event: driver failed

My Home-Assistant platform, installed on Rasbberry Pi 3 works very well.
I want to be able to interact with her now using Node-red nodes.

But since I installed the libraries for node-red-contrib-home-assistant, Node-red does not start anymore!

I want to continue to use Home-assistant for my connected objects and to be able to interact with them too with Node-red ā€¦

12

My Zwave USB key is connected to my Raspberry and everything works well with home-assistant.

You had to do a zwave library installtion with Node-red to be able to have zwave in / out plug-ins ā€¦

Because they do not come with the basic installation.

13

So connect your zwave to home assistant and use node red to control home assistant. I donā€™t know why I keep having to repeat this.

1 Like
14

I understand what youā€™re saying to me and thatā€™s what Iā€™m trying to do, but I can not do it and Iā€™m having trouble controlling my home-assistant with Node-red, I do not know what heā€™s doing. is not clear or I do not understand.

My current situation.
Rasberry Pi3 - Linux v. Stretch
Zwave key connected to Raspberryā€™s USB port
Home-Assitant installed
image

Node-red is installed and working before I installed the booksellers which allows it to detect my Zwave USB key and thus, to interact with my objects.

If I do not install these books in Node-red, I can not communicate with my zwave USB keys installed on my Raspberry.

Currently, Node-red does not start anymore, following the error message that I have.

I want to do exactly what you say, and I do not understand what is not clear to you.

But maybe Iā€™m not going the right way ā€¦

How do you interact with your home-assistant platform installed on your raspberry or elsewhere? maybe Iā€™m not doing it well ā€¦ itā€™s not impossible ā€¦

15

Iā€™m simply out of words.

I keep saying it and youā€™re not listening.

Forget node-red for a second.

Plug in zwave, add the single line in config in home assistant required for zwave. Restart home assistant and use the GUI to add your zwave devices. Full stop.

Remove whatever node, hook, or flow you have in place for DIRECTLY communicating with zwave in node-red. Start node-red. Then connect your node-red to your home assistant and start controlling.

I have said it many times in this very thread. I interact with my home assistant with node-red using the link I already provided. I DO NOT attempt to control the hardware DIRECTLY from node-red. It all goes through home assistant.

Your issues arenā€™t related to home assistant at all, and Iā€™m not sure why you think they are.

2 Likes
16

ok, I see better what you want to say now, this is where I am wrong.

Thank you again for your patience.

I must not seek to act directly on my hardware but with the home-assistant platform.

Tomorrow, in the late afternoon, Iā€™ll do what you say, and redo a clean installation of Node-red without installing booksellers zwave, a basic installation.

After that, you will tell me how (and if you want), I must proceed to interact with my home-assistant platform.

Is it ok for you?

17

I provided a link already how to interact with home assistant. It works well. Just play with it.

18

Ok,

Realy thank you for your help.

I try and I keep you in touch

19

Hi flamingm0e,

So I reinstalled everything by following the installation procedure of Node-red contrib home-assistant, and Node-red works.
I do not have any old knots or anything.

I find myself at the same point as at the very beginning ā€¦
I only found your link for the installation of Node-red but not the one that allows me to interact with Home-assistant.

How should I go about communicating directly with my platform?

Thank you in advance !

20

I believe that I have understoodā€¦

I need to install these nodes from Node-red to interact with my Home-Assistant ā€¦

image

in fact ā€¦ I swim completely! lol