EZMotion - 3 in 1 Temp/Motion/Light Sensor (V1 & 2) Consolidated Issue Thread

Other Devices & Integrations Door Locks & Sensors
81

All the software vendors (MCV, HomeSeer, etc) will have to support V1/V2 for quite some number of years into the future.
There are enough EZMotions out there and Multi_Channel was the only way to support multiple sensors in 1 device using the ZWave libraries available at the time.
There are other sensors out there that also use Multi_channel so the software vendors will have to write custom code for those as well.

If you’re having problems getting reports:

  1. Please state if the EZM is wall-powered or not (if it is wall-powered, be sure to follow the instructions for the StayAwake parameter on page 8 of http://www.expresscontrols.com/pdf/EZMotionOwnerManual.pdf - basically Join, set StayAwake, Exclude, then join the network again)
  2. How far away is the EZM from Vera (this question here is if the sensor has to route or not - this helps narrow the problem down)
  3. What version EZM you have and what version of Vera you are running.
  4. Make sure you NEVER have devices that are being polled more than once/minute. If you jam the ZWave radio with 100% traffic your ZWave network will be very unreliable. The more devices you have, the less often you can poll.
  5. The motion sensor should be nearly 100% reliable since it sends the motion on/off commands without Vera having to ask for the sensor values (1 way radio traffic instead of 2 way).

Also remember that RF is never 100% reliable so occasionally any ZWave traffic will fail to get thru.

I’m not seeing the sensors fail to update though I don’t have a good utility for it (I’m using my ZNiffer which is way too much data to quickly look see a missing log file update). I looked at that datamine graphing app but I could not follow how to install it. I’m not a vera expert so SSH into vera and install various files etc is way beyond my abilities. If I can click on something and “install” then I’m OK, otherwise I’m busy developing new products for you guys! Is there an EASY to install app that will plot the data updates?

82

Also please state if you are using the defaults, or have you configured any other parameters in EZMotion.

83

Hi!
Do you know if there are any issues in this private beta that stops it from becoming public any time soon?

84

@LightsOn - What is your On Time variable set to under Device Options ? If I recall correctly this is the length if time it will stay tripped for?

85

Hi @shepardr

if you look at the last digits of your device version under settings, you said in an earlier post

Based on DrZwave’s guidance, I take that to mean you have version 3, which is the EZmotion+, which would also suggests that your issues will be greatly reduced (removed) if/when you move to Vera version 1.5.532.

Looks like you’re the lucky one :wink:

86

@hugheaves

After answering @LightsOn’s question above…

Please could you share the tool/method you are using to capture and graph the changes in your device variables ? It looks like you are using an RRD tool of some kind ? Could this be of use to DrZWave, as the plugin, Datamine only captures variable changes, so if temp or light reading remains the same, it will not log it.

87

Hi All,

Some possible further progress…?

So i have set my device up as described above by DrZWave, I have made some amendments to setting as per my screen shots. I have also ensure I add “0” to poll value in the child motion detector. I did suffer from the stalling red man (e.g fixed on motion detect) but i found this seemed to just sort itself if given a little time (say 30 minutes - will likely vary for each user) but in essence i just stoped wory about this as it seemed to ahppen every time i fiddled with settings and always seemed to sort itself out and cath up and work properly when left for a little bit. (sory I am not precises on that)

In the graph attached you can see in the red box when I was settting up and trying things out - a little hit and miss.

I then played with the polling code mentioned by hugheaves. I tried the master device as the device number and thn decided to change this to 2 lines of code, 1 for the temp child device and the other for the light sensor child device.

I thne found both polled and appeared to update untill the device went to sleep - not knowing how to acuratly sync wake up and polling with a scene i chnaged the setting so the parent device was always on. i know this will mean batterioes last 24 / 48 hours but thought i would test anyway.

The Orange bo in the graph shows that things seem to work well. Polling is regular and light updates common (i already havelights come on and off so natural that i get many peeks and troghs) Temp was a little less exciting but appeared to be reporting.

This morning I decide look at DC power since batteries were already almost nearly dead. I have not read the wikki on this - I simply just hacked appart an old usb lead and used that - sorry I know it is not deserving but when testing I just go for things, plenty of time to tidy up and neaten things later! :-\

so now we look at the green bo on the graph and the biggest notice so far is the polls seem to bve reporting more consistent results in that it looks like under battery power i was getting ocashional “0” reading from both temp and light which weher not the case as they are foillwed by a return to the actual readings 2 minutes later at next poll.

so next thoguhts perhaps:

  1. I shall contiunue to test and see how thinbgs progress as this is the best set up for the device i have had to date so at least some movement.
  2. Temp now seem the main issue as it seems pretty consistent at 18 degress and I am not sure the temp reading is corect and i would ahve thought it would move around more (up and down) so i will need to keep monitouring reports to see - if changes are iregular or not realy seen any one have any thoughts i can try?
  3. are there any ideas or knowledge around that would allow us to syncronise polling when a device wakes - or allow for a scene to be activated when a device wakes? this way we could return the device master setting to not be always on and as such have my curent set up working via battery power. my curent working set up would definatly not be possible under battery power.

sory for the long rant, less technical than both Parkerc and Zwave but my 10 pence worht - even if it is quickly bashed out before I have to get back to the real world!

@DrZwave - you can install datamine stright from apps in vera, just log in and click install. once installed format a pen drive to fat 32 and add to a free USB slot on vere, then add the slot particulars into the setting of the device created following the install of the app. the wiki offeres advice on which particulars you add depending on top or bottom usb slot used and vera moddel. once done just click and go - hope this helps.

88

[quote=“LightsOn, post:79, topic:173825”]@hugheaves

just to clarify - in your code did you use the parent device of respective child devices in terms of the vevice number? in essence is the “291” in your code the parent device or perhaps the temperature child device or light child device?

also could you confirm the setting you have different to thouse explained in @DrZwave’s post if you do have differences.

Just wanted to runs some differing test myself to see if i can replicate others finding to support conclusive findings.

Many thanks.[/quote]

@LightsOn,

291 is the device id for the parent device. I hadn’t tried polling using the child device id’s, but I suspect it would have no effect. (might be worth trying though)

After reading some more of the documentation, I’m not sure that my finding is actually contributing much (if anything) new. As my EZMotion is externally powered and set to “always on”, the temp / luminosity values are only reported on polling. I forgot that the 60 seconds I had set for the “polling interval” is actually the minimum time between polls, not the actual time between polls. The actual time between polls is much longer as each zwave device is polled in sequence.

89

[quote=“parkerc, post:86, topic:173825”]@hugheaves

After answering @LightsOn’s question above…

Please could you share the tool/method you are using to capture and graph the changes in your device variables ? It looks like you are using an RRD tool of some kind ? Could this be of use to DrZWave, as the plugin, Datamine only captures variable changes, so if temp or light reading remains the same, it will not log it.[/quote]

@parkerc,

The RRD tool is “Zabbix”. It’s a general purpose network monitoring / data collection tool., similar to nagios and some of the others. I wrote a Vera plug-in that sends data from Vera to Zabbix. However, it only sends data when there are changes to the variable values, which sounds like the way data mine works as well. (I’ve never actually used data mine)

So, the only reason the graphs were useful in this case, is that light level is a fine grained enough variable to show that the changes happen much more often when polling occurs more frequently.

Hugh

Hugh

90

Hi @parkerc

Ha yeah sort of lucky, the new one I bought is version 2. Welcome to the world of parent and child devices! Not had time to play yet.

Also not that lucky because my gripe of the light sensor has bitten me again. I changed the sensitivity of the V3 motion sensor (to be cat friendly) which reset the min and max values of the light sensor meaning that the lights didn’t come on because the dark value had moved.

There seem to be a few differences between the two versions such as the lack of triggers on the V3 as well as the guess your own Configuration Settings where as the V2 is a bit easier on that front.

91

Hi All,

Quick update.

Using the lua code to poll the child devices works well so have stuck with this. I still suffer from frezzing running man (motion) on occashions but this seems to be when i tinker. what i would like to fix is why i cant get the device to pick up any neighbours? I have tried many times but no joy and it is only 4 maybe 5 meaters from two plug switches that have 8+ neighbours found fine? with the neighbours issue fixed i think i may solve the freezes with motion as i have noticed when thease happen the unit cant be polled at all.

92

Hi @LightsOn

I will admit I’m unsure how polling a ‘child device’ helps ?

Because as I understood it, the children are simply a graphical representations of the sub devices that are part of the parent - hence you’ll notice under settings they claimed to be ‘controlled’ by the parent, plus they do not exist individually as a ‘node’ for routing etc. only the parent does…

BUT if it seems to make the EZmotion work more efficiently, then that’s great news.

As for updating neighbours, have you tried an overnight repair/heal?

Also we need to keep in mind the EZmotion needs to be fully awake for Vera to try and poll and position it in the mesh network with any new neighbours …

93

Hi parkerc,

Fair enough on the poling child device - i shall change back to the parent only and see what happens - as you saw from the attachment int he rpoevious post however, it did help. lets try the perent pol - will change now and keep you posted.

I have tried the “update neighbour nodes” under the parent device options - not sure on the overnight heal - am i right in thinking: setup>zwave settings>repair and then just adding the parent device number in the “node” box?

in terms of the fully awake - i have this setting on device options “on value” set to 255 (always on) so i think this ocvers the always on - or have i missed something?

Thanks as always :slight_smile:

94

if nodeID is not the same as dvice ID - how do i find the node ID to heal just that node? ???

95

I’m too new to Vera to understand it yet, but what I’ve done so far has worked except the EZmotion.
According to me it’s a too much of an toy, and even my expensiviest part ?79 (except fo Vera). For that price it shoud be top notch, but ain’t, far from.

I have the lastest Vera firmware. One of the latest version 3.3 sensor, which some said those with 'em sould be the lucky onces - but I don’t agree.
I do have not three child devices, can only see the main box with armed/bypass buttons and battery status. No temp or light level for my part, don’t even now where to find them.
But that is not the main problem, it is still the motion detection. Suddenly it works, the led flashes on, and for test it turn a test bulb off. Then nothing happens, it’s like it’s cold dead. Some hours later it can suddenly act - last time for me right now was 1,5 hour ago (have it right besides me) and don’t know when it will trigger again.
Any device like this should report a motion detection instantly, turning a light on, to be useful - can’t even wait 10 sec for a light to switch on. There are several battery operated (non z-wave) motion detections both in alarms and for light that works. If they wouldn’t then no one would have bougt any wireless home alarms.

This is a 0 in 0 sensor, a bad and expensive toy according to me - only a battery killer. Because as it should be set up it’ll drain too much batteries. Which I’ve never bought this crap.
Guess it’s much better to get real ones and add in fibars universal sensor into them. It would also be even cheaper (and thousandfolds more reliable). A sensor should be almost 100% false proof, and become fail proof because it almost everytime trigger more than once (you get infront of it and it trigger, then trigger agian moving out).

Data:
EU-version
Vera lite running version: 1.5.408
Device #38 Automatically configured
Battery level: 100%
Wakeup interval (seconds): 1800
ID 23
Poll this node at most once every 1080 seconds
Capabilities 83,156,0,4,32,1,R,B,RS,|48,49,112,114,128,132:2,133,134,155,
Version 6,3,40,3,3
Manufacturer Ryherd Ventures
Model
Neighbors 1,3,4,5,8,12,18,20,
Configured at 24-JAN-2013 19:37

96

Hi Quaniki,

altid - i found it thanks.

yes should be a much better devcie i agree its a shame - a soloution must be possible so will keep trying…

97

@LightsOn

Don’t quote me on this, but while you can have physical and virtual devices, only ZWave devices can act as Nodes and thus form the basis of your ZWave mesh network.

From the App Store anything you install will create a new device on the UI with a unique ‘Number’, however if you look at any ZWave device you’ll see under settings they have another number but this time its referred to as an ‘ID’, and it this ID that identifies that node in your mesh network. (Vera has the node ID = 1)

So doing a heal (also known as repair) will go off and reconfigure your zwave mesh network for you, updating nodes with new neighbours where necessary …

98

@qunaki

Have a quick read back over some of the earlier posts on this thread, and youll see that the chip in your v3 version is different to those in v1 and v2 and as such it sounds like it’ll be treated slightly differently by Vera too. Plus you’ll need to be on the next Vera firmware in order to benefit from the expected improvements

To help you, you might want to see if you can get the latest beta release,

Feel free to share all your device options as we might be able to help in that area.

99

qunaki,

You have a V3.03 and thus you need 1.5.532 or later which is only available from MCV as a private beta.
Please file a ticket with MCV to ask them to please release this version very soon.

Also please understand that EZMotion is an occupancy sensor. It does NOT send a command with each motion. That would drain the batteries in a couple of days in a room with any reasonable amount of motion.
Instead, it sends on ON command when it first detects motion, then it starts a counter (OnTime parameter) and begins counting down to zero. If motion is detected again, the counter is reloaded again and begins the OnTime countdown again. If there is no motion detected once the counter reaches zero, then an OFF command is sent.

Also, there are many thousands of EZMotions out there and they are working fine for most people.
It does appear that MCV has changed the defaults to make it quite confusing to get the devices to update when you might expect it.
MCV also needs to release support for V3 asap.
They also have a bug in setting the wakeup time properly.
They are working on a solution and I hope they will release an update soon.

100

Hi @qunaki,

Not sure if this helps but the V3 as DrZWave mentioned you need to set the OnTime Parameter, unfortunately with the V3 there is nothing that helps you to set this unless you read the docs and make a few guesses. The V2 has a all the config set with labels and all helpful things. It took me a few goes with the V3 as I didn’t know what type to set the OnTime variable as. Also as a quick note because the device will probably be asleep when you config it in Vera you can either wait for it to wake up or click the blue button and the config will be dropped on the device then.

I have attached a screenshot of my V3, the OnTime variable is the one variable 2 and it’s a “1 byte dec” both are important. The other variable is 1 which is the sensitivity which I use to stop the cat switching lights on.

As far as the temp and light for the V3 these can only be accessed by Lua code or by going to the Advanced settings on the device Temperature being logged as CurrentTemperature and light being CurrentLevel.

As far as testing the device, I would not put it right next to you because of the way the device works as DrZWave mentioned. If you are sat right next to it then you will be tripping it constantly so you will never get an Off trigger from it which means it will then never go On. Your best bet is to create two scenes to do something (like switch a light of and on) and get it to switch a light on, then turn the device towards the wall and wait it it should go off.

Don’t despair, whilst the documentation on things is really patchy and some of the modules are quite pricey and the UI is a bit unintuitive the Vera Lite is definitely cracking value for what it does do and for what it is. I think some of it is just a matter of thinking a different way to get things working.