When you use the Basic ZW Tool driver to update unexposed parameters, how do you save (for lack of a better term) those changes...
I've somehow successfully bumbled my way thru all of this several times in the past, but I feel like I'm totally making it up each time as I go -- I'd be grateful to nail down a specific methodology to follow.
Do you hit "Save Device" when switching back to normal driver?
Do you hit "Save Preferences"? I have a feeling doing this may overwrite your custom inputs with whatever default values are exposed there by the normal driver, but I'm not sure.
Do you hit "Configure" and/or "Refresh"? Again, I worry that Configure might overwrite any custom parameters with the normal driver's defaults, but I'm unsure here again.
Thanks in advance for any words of wisdom on this!
If you mean changing parameters using the Basic Z-Wave Driver, as soon as you set them they are saved, you do not need to complete a separate "save" step.
Set your parameter(s)
You can then verify them in the logs using the Get Parameter Report option. Leave the parameterNumber field blank to see all parameters, fill it in if you just want to see one:
Yes, you always have to do that to save the new driver settings.
If you change preferences w/the "normal" driver you have to save them. Changing & saving preferences using the normal driver after using the Basic Z-Wave tool to change parameters should not cause conflicts, unless of course any of the normal driver's preferences are designed to change the same parameters you just changed w/the Basic tool.
Same w/hitting "Configure." If the driver is designed to set the same parameters you modified w/the Basic Z-Wave Tool, hitting Configure will change those parameters. I'm not sure, frankly, how often that could be an issue, but it definitely could occur. You could always hit Configure, and go back to the Basic Z-Wave Tool and run a quick parameter report to see if anything changed. In that case don't hit Configure after changing back to the original driver.
In some cases the normal device drivers may not update the displayed parameter values shown on the Device page after you change the parameters (I've seen this w/the Zooz double plug), so rely on the Parameter Report for an accurate list of parameters and current values.
Thanks Dana - I'm definitely clear on how to use BZWT to make configuration changes and verify params via logs and all that, but it's exiting that process that always gives me pause...
Every time, I'm like "Yikes, this again... How did I do this last time - did I hit 'Save device'? Did I 'Configure'? Ugh..." I just feel like I'm reinventing the wheel blindly every time, so I'm hoping to finally start working smarter not harder
Your thoughts all make good sense to me -- I'll be configuring a new Aeotec plug this weekend, so I'm going to pay closer attention to that whole process this time and try to document for myself what worked and what didn't.
I was just wondering if there were any definite "Do this, not that" guidance I should be aware of to help narrow down my trial-&-error bumbling.
Unfortunately the amount of "definite "Do this, not that" items is relatively small:
Save both when changing to the Basic Z-Wave Tool, and when changing back to the normal driver
Check using the Get Parameters Report in the Basic Z-Wave Tool to confirm your changes were applied as you expected before changing back to the normal driver
Everything else, including whether hitting Configure in the normal driver will reverse any of your changes is unfortunately a YMMV issue.
In general if the original driver doesn't support the parameter in question, it won't change it on a preference save either. So you are safe to do whatever after changing it with the basic zwave tool.
The one caveat to that is associations. It is very common for drivers to reset associations when saving preferences or hitting the Configure command.
You can't set associations with the basic zwave tool anyway, but I thought I would mention it as it is an exception to the "the driver will leave unsupported parameters alone" comment.
