Leviton RZCZ4 Zone controller

Community Playground General Discussions
#1

I am having a lot of problems getting my Leviton Viza RF RZCZ4 to work with Vera.

On the wiki http://wiki.micasaverde.com/index.php/Leviton_Scene_Controller it is stated that the only way of making the zone controller work is with “method#2” which effectively means that the controller is close to useless, as you can no longer use the dim buttons on the controller, and you can not turn invidual scenes off from the controller, as right click on any of the 4 buttons are treated the same way.

I have researched the topic a bit, and it seems there has been a lot of confusion as to the difference between zone and scene controllers. As far as I can tell, the difference is physical layout of the buttons more than anything. This thread Vizia RF Zone vs. Scene controllers - HomeSeer Message Board on HomeSeer;s message board explains some of the confusion, and ALSO explains that the zone controller is in fact working like it should: it can send a ON command to devices in a specific scene and an OFF command to the devices in the scene. Each button is treated individually and the dim buttons are linked to the last used of the 4 scene buttons.

This extract from the thread is of interest to us I think:

I have 65 Zwave nodes installed (mostly Vizia, a few Intermatic plug-ins). I just completed installation of 3 Vizia 4-button zone controllers (rocker on/off style). They are each set up differently.

Controller #1 is set up with all Vizia nodes - each button triggers a scene of a few Vizia nodes. Button on = scene on, button off = scene off. Works beautifully.

Controller #2 is set up with some Vizia devices (switches and plug-ins) and some Intermatic devices (plug-ins only). Vizia devices are controlled via scenes, Intermatics via events triggered from the unique HS ID of each button. Works beautifully - would never know that there is a mixture of devices on that controller.

Controller #3 has one Vizia on one button and one Intermatic on another, so again, one scene, one event (actually, two events - one for On and one for Off). On this controller, when I hit button 1, both devices go on or off depending on which side of the rocker I hit (on vs. off is always consistent). When I hit button #2, both devices again go on or off together. They are NOT set this way in either the scene or the events - I triple-checked this. Very puzzling.

So, after reading this thread again, and seeing phrases like “HS can’t distinguish one button from another, just on or off from the controller”, I have to wonder if there are different firmware loads out there, and I have at least two versions, b/c one works with events and the other doesn’t quite - it doesn’t see each button as a unique entity.

Now knowing that the Leviton hardware is fully able to controll a list of devices in a scene like described above, I am wondering how Vera can be used to help programming this up. I do not have the Leviton remote control as I do not want to use it. I was expecting Vera could be used to program the links, but so far no luck. I was wondering if it is possible to somehow hardcode the links via Vera or if my only option is to purchase an expensive remote control ONLY for programming the links after which I can throw it away again.

Comments are welcome!

#2

The problem with Vera using the controller correctly is how Vera interacts with it.

You can read this thread for a little more explanation, http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php?topic=1960.msg7383#msg7383

#3

I have several leviton scene & zone controllers and after a lot of testing I really couldn’t make them work properly using vera. I added a thinkessentials usb stick as a secondary and setup the keypads using thinkessentials so now the scene/area commands are going directly to the dimmers/switches by passing vera. The end result is a very quick response although I can’t integrate with other vera events. It would really be nice if vera could recognize a native scene/zone controller button push to inturn toggle an event without have to use method #2. Remember that you need to disable automatic configuration of the scene/zone controller if you want to use the native leviton association method.

#4

Prior to using the Luup firmware, I used method 1, and the Leviton controller to program because I liked the simultaneous control of all the devices in the scene and I did not need to control non scene capable devices like locks and thermostats. However, with the new Luup, I have been able to program scenes using method1 without any problems. I just assign a Vera scene to the button, save, and click on configure device now. The only thing is all devices in that scene have to be scene capable.

Prior to that, it was laborious. I had to create separate scenes in the Leviton controller and link all the associations. Then set the scene using the programing mode. Vera could not access these scenes.

Looks like I will most likely stick with leviton scene capable devices where possible and if I want a Leviton scene controller to control it as part of a scene.

#5

nanckekr:

I don’t know if you’ve seen previous discussions on this forum about 4-zone Leviton controller working with Vera, but basically, the only way I could make it work, is to program it with Leviton Primary controller as a zone-controller, not scene (i.e. method #1) and use Vera as a secondary controller.

So, it controls 4 zones (but only lights) and can turn them on and off independently.

#6

I heard they are working on it. Leviton may not be to coopertive.

#7

I would be nice if the each of the four buttons worked as on/off.

#8

And they are, specifically for the zone controller, not scene controller. Each button is a rocker switch - left=on, right=off.

#9

So this weekend will be the next phase of my zwave installation in my vacation home. I’ve purchased several switches and dimmers, a couple of lamp modules (including a Schlage RP200 to act as a repeater to my Schlage lock and hopefully solve the polling problem), and a Leviton 4-button Scene controller. I’m anticipating using Method #1 to install the scene controller - I appreciate that I get a lot more flexibility with Method #2 (letting Vera control the scenes), but I don’t really need this particular controller to manage anything other than lighting, and Method #1 just seems simpler while giving me all the functionality intended for the scene controller.

My question, however, based upon what I’ve read, is regarding the ability to “Turn off” a scene. I had always assumed (ignorantly, I now realize) that when I pressed a scene button on one of these controllers, it would automatically turn off the other scene that might be active. For example, if I have a scene called “Evening” that sets my lighting while I’m at home, and a separate scene called “Going Out” to change the lighting when I leave the house, if I press “Going Out”, does it override “Evening” but “Evening” is still technically on? And is the LED in the button also still on? Can I, within Vera, when setting up a scene, have that scene “turn off” another scene so all the scenes on that controller become mutually exclusive?

Thanks in advance for any guidance on this.

#10

[quote=“denix, post:5, topic:164905”]nanckekr:

I don’t know if you’ve seen previous discussions on this forum about 4-zone Leviton controller working with Vera, but basically, the only way I could make it work, is to program it with Leviton Primary controller as a zone-controller, not scene (i.e. method #1) and use Vera as a secondary controller.

So, it controls 4 zones (but only lights) and can turn them on and off independently.[/quote]

You don’t need to make vera the secondary if you use Leviton’s thinkessentials USB stick and software. It will allow you to assign associations to the controllers (Scene or zone) even if you are using the software as a secondary so that won’t effect vera. Just make sure that you go to the Leviton controller in the vera gui and you select “no” under configure this device. If you don’t vera will wipe out the assocations that you create using the Leviton method. The advantage to using the leviton method is that the controllers are talking directly to the lights so it’s much quicker than having vera send out commands in response to an event trigger. The negative is that you are only working with devices that Leviton can control directly which right now is limited to lighting, shade and HVAC control.

#11

And they are, specifically for the zone controller, not scene controller. Each button is a rocker switch - left=on, right=off.[/quote]

If you setup the associations using a Leviton programmer the left/right rocker will work as expected. If you assign an area or group of lights to the button it will for the rocker (zone controller) turn them on with a left push and off with a right push. If you assign the same group to a (scene controller) it will toggle the lights on or off with a push so each button will toggle the association on or off not just one command.

#12

I haven’t tried ThinkEssentials, as I don’t have one. But I have tried setting Leviton zone controllers with the Master Remote Controller when Vera was primary, and/or shifting roles with Vera. Unfortunately, that has some issues. Leviton uses HAIL extension to send feedback from own light switches and dimmers back to zone/scene controllers, telling their current state. When Leviton Master Remote Controller is not Primary, some (but not all) switches/dimmers stop sending HAIL properly or to the correct controller. Basically controllers go out of sync with the current state of a switch or dimmer.
It is clearly visible with 1-zone dimmable controller associated with a real dimmer - when controller is clicked, it sends an ON command to the dimmer. The dimmer is turned on and LEDs on both, controller and the dimmer, ramp up. Within couple of seconds, controller is supposed to receive a HAIL feedback (this only works between Leviton devices) with the status (i.e. ON at what level), but if Vera is Primary, it does not happen for some devices. Hence, the controller decides the dimmer was not turned on, and ramps up its state to OFF, while the dimmer actually stays in state ON.
In case of 4-zone controllers, there is only 1 LED per zone, indicating if it’s on or off. With HAIL not working properly, the controller also goes out of sync with the actual device(s) it controls - turn ON the device, LED goes ON, wait couple seconds for HAIL, not receive it, turn the LED OFF, while the device was actually turned ON properly and it still ON…

Yes, I do all that now, but with Leviton Master Controller, keeping Vera as secondary…

#13

The hail status updates from the leviton dimmers and switches should not be effected when using Vera as a primary as long as you don’t let vera configure the leviton keypads. When you turn on the light it will send a status update to the controller to update the status light. This has nothing to do with vera. The issue is that the leviton handheld programmer will not allow you to setup associations with the leviton keypads unless it is the primary. If you use think essentials you can setup associations with the thinkessentials USB stick as the secondary and it will not be effected by vera as long as you explicitly told vera not to configure the scene/zone controllers. In that case vera will not recognize the button pushes for events. The Leviton status updates will continue to work within the network as expected. I’ve been using it this way for a while without any problems.

#14

I do already set Vera to only configure my sensors, as all of my other Leviton light switches, dimmers and controllers already configured by the master controller… I still have seen some specific lights stop sending HAIL if Vera becomes primary. Not sure why. Especially strange, that not all fail, just some. Could be something specific to their internal firmware…

Having Vera as primary would not make much difference for me. AFAIK the only feature not available to me right now is “Healing”, which is still questionable… And, according to messages on the forum, not very reliable anyway…

Buying ThinkEssentials just to be able to configure switches and controllers while Vera is primary seems like a waste. Unless I’m missing something else… :slight_smile:

#15

Over the next few days we’re setting up a complete Leviton test suite and will have an update within a week or two to simplify the configuring of Leviton scene/zone controllers.

#16

That’s great news! Thanks!

#17

Awesome.

#18

Excellent! Can’t wait!

#19

So now I’m really stuck.

I successfully installed a Leviton Scene Controller (4-button, RCS4) and had it working using Method #2 - running my scenes through Vera. I did this because when I originally installed it using Method #1, my HomeSettings Lamp Module wasn’t responding. Someone responded to a posting stating that the Homesettings module should respond to Leviton’s scene mode just fine, so I decided to go back and revert to Method #1 to do some testing, and now my Scene Controller is no longer working.

I’ve tried excluding/re-including, and even factory resets, and it’s just not working. Vera sees it when I plug my dongle back in, and seems to add it just fine. But when I go to configure it, it fails saying it’s getting an “Empty Response” and the controller itself only shows red lights when I press a scene button.

How frustrating - I guess I should’ve left well-enough alone when it was working in the first place.

Any ideas on how to remedy this would be appreciated.

#20

I finally got everything working again after a complete and total reset/reinstall of my network. I’m still not sure how the system got so screwed up, but now all my devices are working, and my Leviton Scene controller (using Method #2) is also working very well. I just wish I could’ve used Method #1 for snappier response, but my Homesettings HA03 lamp module wasn’t responding to native Leviton scene control. I suppose I’ll probably end up replacing that module with a Leviton one and switching the scene controller back to Method #1 at some point.