Eva Logik ZW39 Doesn't respond after turning on/off/dimming

I'm having an odd behavior, not sure if there's a fix for it. In a recent set of release notes and on the compatibility list, the Eva Logik ZW39 is now supported. It also has its own device type, which tells me it's doing something different than generic. (I've also tried the generic dimmer device type, but the same problem happens).

When I send a command to turn the device on or off, or to adjust the dimmer setting, the device functions as intended, but doesn't seem to send a status back. The dashboard icon just sits with a timer as though the device isn't responding, and when I look at the device, the old settings are listed even though the device has actually accepted the command. If I refresh the device manually, the new settings come through.

I've resorted to adding a timed rule that automatically refreshes the status on this device every minute, but that's some big overkill for as often as I change settings on this device - a couple of times a day. I just don't want to wait longer than 60 seconds for the device info to update.

What is interesting is that someone has reported a similar issue with a Zooz dimmer (which I believe is what Hubitat initially discovered the Eva Logik as.) Zooz central scene dimmer doesn't refresh

Let me know if I can provide any additional details to help get to the bottom of this.

Thanks

Could you post your z-wave device list please? Checking for possible compatibility issues.

This is actually the only Z-Wave device I have so far. The rest are ZigBee. I have 4 ZigBee Sylvania RGB lights and 4 Iris v1 Sensors. I mention it because I know the Iris sensors are a little odd as far as contact sensors go.

How far away from the hub do you have it placed? I wonder if you might have poor communication. If you can move it closer to your hub and do a zwave repair (shouldn't take long) and then see if you get better reporting. If so, then you'll want to add more zwave devices to your mesh to make it stronger. If you are still having issue, then you might be looking at a bug, but it's very difficult to say with only one device in your mesh.

Thanks for the help. I don't think that's the issue though - the device is maybe ten feet away from the hub.

Happy to provide any other details if you think of anything else.

Through a wall/floor or in line of sight?

[EDIT]
@jon7 I reread your response and I'm just going to point this out to you. I and a few others happen to know zwave and how it works with Hubitat pretty well. So please leave your plug right where it is and struggle with it instead of taking the 5 minutes to move your only zwave device closer to the hub to see if it works. If you're not willing to troubleshoot the issue, then you won't find the answers that you need.

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@april.brandt has helped a lot of the community with troubleshooting their zwave issues among many other issues. I would recommend that you put the device in the same room with the hub within a foot or two. Go in to the device in Hubitat and turn on and off the switch and see if it reports in the device properly.

Building out a solid mesh is key for zwave and zigbee.

[Edit to add additional info below]
Also the driver should be the Eva Logic Smart Plug Dimmer. If you have not already done so switch to this driver. Then press Configure.

That is a weird situation. While it should just work, Zwave likes lots and lots of devices to reinforce the mesh. Until you get more Zwave devices on there, it probably will act flaky.

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If the data section shows firmware is 2.01 then it's not supported by Hubitat at the moment.

The manufacturer added central scene which broke the fingerprint, rearranged the parameter numbers so the setting #s in the driver no longer match the setting #s on the device, and they changed the type of report that gets sent back for digital control which is why the states aren't getting updated.

I don't think that's related because most, if not all, of the users reporting that problem with the Zooz dimmer upgraded the device's firmware and didn't factory reset it afterwards. That shouldn't be necessary, but it was for one of their firmware updates for some reason...

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Yep. It is 2.01.

This thing is weird. Out of box, it was incorrectly set up with the minimum and maximum dimmer values both apparently set at 1. I had to go through this dumb manual process using their poorly translated documentation to reset the max and min dimmer settings using a series of cryptic button presses. I actually returned the first one I bought thinking it was broken. That should have been my first hint to try a different brand. Oh well, live and learn.

Can I suggest removing it from the supported device list? Or putting some note about the firmware issue? Or just a big highlight that says "Please buy something else if you can"? :slight_smile:

Anyway, thanks for finding the issue!

That's an unnecessarily salty and unhelpful response. What's the point of this? I made clear that the device is literally less than ten feet from the hub. There is open air line-of-site. No walls, no floors, nothing. The device is receiving signal from the hub because it responds every time I send a command. The device is proven to be able to send its data back to the hub because when I request a manual refresh, it gets the data every time.

After seeing the developer response below from krlaframboise, it has been identified as an issue with the firmware, which means that that moving the device 3 feet closer wasn't going to make any difference - as I suspected based on the behaviors I had already seen.

Please reconsider your assumptions and attitude. Hopefully you're just having a bad day.

I don't work for Hubitat, but I work with that manufacturer on various projects so I'm very familiar with the device and very frustrated that they made a bunch of breaking changes for absolutely no reason...

The new firmware just came out so I suspect the device will be fully functional again in the next hub update...

If you're still using the built-in handler make sure you leave the power recovery on the default value because that's the auto on parameter in the 2.0 firmware and changing it will result in the switch turning back on every time you shut it off.

In her defense, it's extremely rare for manufacturers to release new firmware with breaking changes so a mesh issue is usually the most logical explanation for the behavior you were seeing.

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Salty? Your thanks but no thanks and then silence when I asked that exact question about line of sight, Jon, and got nothing. It's not my assumptions or attitude that should be in the spotlight here. Had you shared that with me, I would have probably agreed with you. You have one Z-Wave device. To insist that wasn't the problem, but share no further information has nothing to do with my attitude. Several of us take time to help others here and ask for nothing in return, so it's a bit flabbergasting to have read your response and I do believe that I interpreted it correctly. So did others. I'm glad that you got your answer.

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I'm sorry you interpreted it as a "thanks but no thanks" but that was not my intent. I was legitimately thanking you for your support. Again, I would challenge your assumptions there. Although rereading it I would get how you would interpret it that way, and I apologize for that.

But even you have to admit that "So please leave your plug right where it is and struggle with it instead of taking the 5 minutes..." was an unnecessary comment. It wasn't my intent to be stubborn. I could have been more verbose about why I was fairly certain that wasn't the issue, so that might have been my fault there.

Keep in mind that I can't spend all day on these forums so it might be a day or two before I'm able to respond. I thank that might be true of a lot of people, and that isn't an unreasonable time frame for a community form.

I do genuinely appreciate the help and suggestions that you've offered. These forums are better when experts and people with experience engage, which is why I came here in the first place.

I'm genuinely glad we cleared the air on this. Should you plan on expanding your Z-Wave mesh, I encourage you to give a once over to a few docs. I'll point you to the getting started wiki as there are some good write up's there all located in one spot, so, out of laziness, I don't have to go and find each individual link to share to you. The Z-Wave repeating documentation and the strong mesh documentation is a good one to peek at as you'll know what you're getting into with Hubitat. Hub connect is there and very useful. The compilation is not only for the new user, but a good place to find what works or makes things easier to automate for the more experienced user just moving to Hubitat as well.

Next order of business: return that big ugly plug and get something with a bit more eye candy. :grin:
Welcome to the community.

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Me too. Thanks for the link, I'll have a look.

Admittedly, In my excitement, I hadn't done a ton of research deciding before buying my first devices, so I started going with ZigBee. After reading some of the trouble people had with certain ZigBee devices acting as repeaters and not always doing a good job of it, I thought I might start switching to Z-Wave particularly because their mesh seemed more stable. I figured what should have been a simple plug would be a good start to building out the mesh.

I might just deal with it for now and hope for a driver update, but I'm gonna check return policies. I really would like something that just works without all these headaches. And you're right, the thing is huge - bigger than I thought. It blocks the other outlet for all but the smallest or standard lamp style plugs.

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Each mesh has pros and cons. Zigbee works really well for motion and contact, but you have to be careful of the devices you add to it. Some cause instability in the mesh. Those are well documented here. Before buying, just do a quick search in the community for the device of interest. If it's got a chronic problem, you'll figure that out quickly through the posts here. Z-Wave is not an easy nut either. The stronger your mesh the better. If you add locks, know that with Hubitat, you'll need a repeater that supports beaming if you go Z-Wave. The aeotecs handle that task very well. Since your mesh is very young, try to stick with Z-Wave plus. You'll understand later and be thankful that you did. Start close to your hub and work away. Powered mains are your repeaters. Battery powered never repeats. Check out the Z-Wave write up in the link. There's great information on repeating and mesh. Will save you hours of frustration. IMHO use both meshes. They both offer great capabilities. As long as you're aware of the limitations and benefits of each. That's where the community comes in

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Just tested - this was fixed with the most recent platform update. Thanks everyone for your help!

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