Associating Leviton VRCZ1-1LZ with a VRE06-1LZ

Other Devices & Integrations Lighting & Load Control
1

First off, I am new to z-wave, having come from an Insteon system. I am deploying Leviton VRE06-1LZ due to the need for a ELV dimmer that’s compatible with my lighting.

I am trying to associate a virtual remote VRCZ1-1LZ (device 19) with the VRE06-1LZ (device 16) dimmer. I was unsuccessful, so I contacted customer support and they remoted into my Vera Plus and they were also unable to get this to work.

Both devices have group 1 set and are associated with the corresponding device, but nothing happens when I press a button. Note that I’ve written a scene which handles turning them on/off, but I also want to be able to control the dimming from the remote and I see no way to do that via a scene/Luup code.

Has anyone successfully associated a VRCZ1-1LZ with another controller, and if you’ve done so, what’s the magic incantation to do so?

– Geoff

Here’s the output of LuaTest showing the device variables:

Device: 16 Kitchen Downlights
“urn:upnp-org:serviceId:SwitchPower1”,“Status” value = “1”
“urn:upnp-org:serviceId:Dimming1”,“LoadLevelStatus” value = “100”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:HaDevice1”,“IgnoreConfigFails” value = “1”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:HaDevice1”,“Configured” value = “1”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:HaDevice1”,“ModeSetting” value = “1:;2:;3:;4:”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:HaDevice1”,“LastUpdate” value = “1484056701”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:HaDevice1”,“FirstConfigured” value = “1484055382”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:HaDevice1”,“sl_Hail” value = “1”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:HaDevice1”,“PollRatings” value = “4.00”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“Capabilities” value = “211,156,0,4,17,4,L,R,B,RS,|38:1,39,43,44,114,115,119,133,134,145,”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“PollSettings” value = “0”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“ManufacturerInfo” value = “29,3585,820”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“VersionInfo” value = “3,3,52,0,7”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“NodeInfo” value = “26,27,2b,2c,72,73,77,85,86,91,”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“InitialName” value = “Unnamed”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“ConfiguredName” value = “Kitchen Downlights”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“ConfiguredAssoc” value = “1,19”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“Neighbors” value = “1,11,12,13,14,30,”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“LastReset” value = “1484055382”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“AssociationNum” value = “1”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“PollOk” value = “4”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“AssociationSet” value = “1,19”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“AssociationGet” value = “1,19,;”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“LastRouteUpdate” value = “1484056761”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveNetwork1”,“ConsecutivePollFails” value = “0”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveNetwork1”,“LastPollSuccess” value = “1484056766”

Device: 19 Kitchen DL Remote
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:SceneController1”,“ManageLeds” value = “1”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:SceneController1”,“NumButtons” value = “1”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:SceneController1”,“FiresOffEvents” value = “1”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:SceneController1”,“Scenes” value = “”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:SceneController1”,“sl_SceneActivated” value = “255”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:SceneController1”,“LastSceneTime” value = “1484056791”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:HaDevice1”,“Configured” value = “1”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:HaDevice1”,“CommFailure” value = “0”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:HaDevice1”,“CommFailureTime” value = “0”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:HaDevice1”,“CommFailureAlarm” value = “1484056409,0”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:HaDevice1”,“LastUpdate” value = “1484056628”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:HaDevice1”,“FirstConfigured” value = “1484056411”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“PollCommands” value = “X”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“ManufacturerInfo” value = “29,3330,548”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“Capabilities” value = “210,22,0,2,2,0,L,R,B,|114,119,130,133,134,145,”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“PollSettings” value = “0”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“NodeInfo” value = “72,77,82,85,86,91,”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“InitialName” value = “Unnamed”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“ConfiguredName” value = “Kitchen DL Remote”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“ConfiguredAssoc” value = “1,16”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“VersionInfo” value = “1,2,36,0,4”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“Neighbors” value = “1,10,11,12,13,14,25,”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“LastReset” value = “1484056410”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“AssociationNum” value = “1”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“LastRouteUpdate” value = “1484056471”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“AssociationSet” value = “1,16”
“urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:ZWaveDevice1”,“AssociationGet” value = “1,16,;”

2

All my association are setup up on the sending device only. I see you have associated both devices to each other. Don’t know if you can do that. Logic for your setup is you turn on device 16 and device 16 sends a change state to device 19, then device 19 sends a change state command back to device 16. Perhaps someone more experience can help.

3

The Vera logs can be wrong because it only knows what it sent to the devices, to setup the association, it doesn’t necessarily know what they have in their association tables.

My suggestion, You need to remove both devices from Vera (unpair them), this is the only way to ensure their association tables are completely clean.

Re-add them both to the Vera.

Use the Vera UI for Device Options to setup the associations (don’t try to do it via LUA code, or by manually editting the Advance tab values).

Do one device at a time, in Device Options add Group 1. Use the Set button and make sure you only check the other switch. Make sure you save after each step and give time for the device to configure (watch the banner at the top and make sure it succeeds).

Then do the other one.

Should work.

4

Shallowearth,

Unfortunately I’ve done exactly that and it doesn’t work. I believe that’s what the tech support person did also, although I couldn’t directly see what they were doing.

I spent some time with Leviton tech support yesterday and was able to associate the 2 devices using a handheld VRCPG controller. It worked as expected with the remote being able to turn the dimmer on/off and dim it. The LEDs on both dimmers remained in sync.

What was interesting was that Leviton uses the concept of “areas” and not groups. They still use the term “associate”, so I’m not sure what’s going on. I can’t find any documentation on areas and I don’t know if this is a private extension or what. Also, you don’t associate the primary dimmer with the remote as I was told that the remote listens for packets from the dimmer.

I tried making the Vera the primary controller for the VRCPG and it received the network configuration and saw both devices, but the remote no longer controlled the dimmer. When I looked at the associations, nothing appeared.

– Geoff

5

Yep scouring arround, the forum there are old threads that identifies that the VRCZ1-1LZ does not work for dimming scenarios… only for toggling. I had assumed these worked like the Cooper Dimmer and Aux Switch which you use Direct Association, but unfortunately they do not. Looks like the most you can do with these guys is do a toggle from the VRCZ1 no dimming… as you have already figured out.

Whats the scenario you are trying to accomplish? Another switch might better work with what you are trying to do. You can replace your VRCZ1 with a Cooper Dimming AUX switch if all you are trying to do is make virtual 3way with dimming, but of course… the switch style looks entirely different from the Leviton.

6

What I’m trying to do is to dim, and remotely dim, Philips Lightolier LyteCaster LED downlights. I’ve had problems in the past with flickering, etc, so I carefully studied their dimmer spec sheet ([url=http://www.lightingproducts.philips.com/Documents/webdb2/Lightolier%20USA/pdf/LED-Dim.pdf]Commercial Lighting Fixtures | Signify Lighting which shows compatible dimmers (see page 5). In this case, I only found 1 ELV dimmer that was Z-Wave based. As a result I went with Leviton’s VRE06-1LZ with a VRCZ1-1LZ remote. I’ve got 4 sets of these and at somewhere around $150/pair, I want to get this to work.

However, it appears that Leviton does something proprietary to associate dimmers with remotes, so yesterday I ordered a Cooper Wiring Devices RF9537-NAW Aspire RF 1000W Fluorescent ELV Smart Dimmer. I’ll give that a shot and see how it works.

Note that I’ve also am trying multiple controllers. I’ve tried the ISY-944, Vera, HomeSeer and a SmartThings Hub. The Vera has worked best, followed by the ISY-944. The ISY-944 is much more Insteon focused and is behind on Z-Wave. The SmartThings hub wouldn’t include the VRCZ1. The HomeSeer was overly complex and mis-identified the VRE06 dimmer, wouldn’t provide status information on the dimmer and wouldn’t include the VRCZ1.

I have a Leviton VRGCP handheld controller which I’ve been able to associate the 2 VRE06 and VRCZ1 and I know that there’s the Leviton USB stick, but I’ve read that it doesn’t play well with non-Leviton devices. I want open standards and not a proprietary solution.

– Geoff

7

Note that I also posted the following on Leviton’s forum early yesterday morning. Before it appears, it needs to be approved by a moderator. Guess what, no one has approved it. I wonder why?

I am trying to associate a VRE06-1LZ dimmer with a VRCZ1-1LZ virtual remote dimmer. I was able to do with using a VRCPG controller using something that Leviton calls "areas", but I want to do this using a non-Leviton controller. So far I have tried to create associations using a ISY-944 controller, a Vera Plus controller and a HomeSeer controller. Today I'm going to purchase SmartThings hub and am going to try that, but I have the sinking feeling that won't work either.

Note that I have other Z-Wave devices that I can associate using the standard concept of “groups”. However, the Leviton controllers seem to ignore groups and associations. As a software engineer, I’m guessing that the problem is due to Levition using the concept of “areas”, which appears to be a proprietary extension of the z-wave protocol. When I read the Leviton documentation on associating devices, it states “Associations can be created by using a primary controller, or a PC software program which has implemented Vizia RF+ association protocols.” To me this implies that Leviton uses a different protocol from the standard z-wave protocol.

If this this is true, where is this defined?
If not (or in general), why do these controllers not handle group associations properly?
In either case, can you please explain how to associate 2 devices, which as the VRE06-1LZ and VRCZ1-1LZ using non-Levition controllers?

– Geoff

8

Oh, I know the feeling, I have this huge LED ceiling chandelier and I hate to tell you it flickered with the Coopers. However, if you use the Leviton to control the load, and then get the Cooper Aux Dimmer in the other box to control the Leviton that will work. My three way didn’t have a neutral in one of the boxes so I was out of luck, without doing some electrical work.

The only thing I found that worked for my application was using a Lutron Caseta with Pico remote (as the virtual three way), as they dim beautifully with my chandelier and don’t need a neutral. I then got a Wink hub and tied the Caseta in that way to my Vera.

9

Shallowearth,

I’m confused by a couple of things:

[ul][li]How is it that the Cooper Aux Dimmer can control the Leviton dimmer when the Leviton LRCZ1 can’t?[/li]
[li]Why did you require the use of a Wink hub to control the Caseta? Why couldn’t you use the Vera to do that?[/li][/ul]

– Geoff

10

Actually now that I actually think about it, was this wired as a three way circuit in the first place? If so than all you need is the Leviton VP00R-10Z to do what you need.

If you are trying to create a virtual 3 way circuit then the Cooper will work as the Cooper Aux switch uses basic direct association, and doesn’t turn on/off the local load so the Vera can configure it correctly. You might also be able to use another VRE06-1LZ in this situation and use direct association as well, as long as you can get power to the switch without actually controlling a load. I haven’t messed arround with the Levitons much to know if that will work. I do know the associations work, just don’t know if it would be happy not controlling a load, but my guess is it will work.

The Caseta switches are not z-wave they use their own proprietary frequency, only the Wink and the Caseta Hub have a radio that can talk to Caseta lights there is a Vera plug in for both the Wink and the Caseta Hub so either will work, but the Wink is usually cheaper and supports other interesting stuff like Zigbee bulbs and the ring doorbell.

11

Yesterday I received an Aspire RF Accessory Smart Dimmer RF9542 and wired it up. I was able to associate it with the VRE06 and it controlled it without any issues! This included on/off and dimming. To me this implies that the issue lies with the VRCZ1.

– Geoff

12

Excellent! Note that you will need to create an association from the VRE06-1LZ to the Cooper, to keep the LEDs on the Cooper in-sync with the Levitons state.

Another thing to note, direct associations only work when you physically use the switches. You are going to want to setup some scenes to keep them in sync when setting them via scenes or using the app, etc. look at the thread http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,31000.msg222690.html#msg222690

For more info. Since the Leviton doesn’t support parameter 10, follow the final solution section to create some scenes to help keep the state on your Cooper insync as possible with your Leviton.