GE Embrighten Driver has Stopped behaving

[ljp-hubitat]

I have dozens of GE Z-wave Plus switches installed. Some of them are Embrighten. Two of them have stopped responding to the Hubitat, but only for certain commands and only in certain directions. They are both using the built-in GE Embrighten Smart Dimmer Driver. Here is what I have observed so far:

1. The physical switch works for the basic on-off of the light by pushing the top button once to turn it on and the bottom button once to turn it off. Dimming works from the switch by holding the top or bottom button. Double tapping the top or bottom has stopped working. Double tap was set up on an HE Button controller for double tap and not using the switch's Association Group functionality.

2. The switch no longer responds to basic on-off commands originating from HE, whether from a rule machine command or manually pressing on or off on the device page in HE. Dimming no longer works from the device page. Double tap DOES work from the device page, so the driver is apparently communicating correctly.

3. I have some questions about the device State settings and variables on the device screen below:
   

   

3a) the Current States all change value appropriately on the screen when I populate the associated button and press it on the screen. Yet nothing happens. Logs seem to show nothing gets sent to the switch.

3b) Under the State Variables section, nothing seems to change the "holding:" variable. If you note the above, it is set to true. I must admit that I don't know what this variable actually does, but based on its name, I assume it is holding something or stopping something from continuing to function until the hold is set to false. I am just guessing on this. I can't find any way to set this to false.

If anyone can explain what the holding variable is for or what it does, I would appreciate learning about it. What are the allowable values for the Hold button on the screen?

Logs seem to show nothing coming back from the Switch, even on Configure or Refresh. Not even on Save Device or Save Preferences.

As you can see, these are pretty strange happenings. These switches have been functioning for years just fine, but now these two have become flaky. These two switches are both in the same 4-gang switch box with two other Embrighten switches, which are functioning fine. Any thoughts would be appreciated. I really don't want to have to remove these switches from HE and factory reset them and re-configure all the places in HE that they are used in automation unless it is the last resort.

@bobbyD

LJ

[csteele]

My experience is that when you see nothing in the logs, it means the Hub has sent the command but. not yet received an ACK back from the device. In other words a command not communicated is not logged. Said yet a different way, if I create a virtual dimmer, then change the driver from a virtual driver to a "real dimmer" there's no ZWave node to communicate with. If I then click commands on the Device Info page, they don't appear in the logs (for most built-in drivers.) Obviously, if there's no real device at the other end, then no ACK will be sent in response.

That makes me think something environmental occurred to reduce the signal at the specific dimmer.

You can use Settings: Swap App Device to move all the automations from the "bad" dimmer to a virtual dimmer you create just for this purpose. Then do a standard Exclude / Include on the device. Finally, use Swap Apps Device to move the automations back to the real dimmer.

Alternatively I don't know what equipment you have lying around, but if you have an Aeon Z-Stick or another hub, you can use it to reset the physical dimmer WITHOUT releasing it from your active hub. THEN you can use Replace to drop it right back into the hub.

[velvetfoot]

I don't read that you tried anything to fix it yet.
Did you try shutting down the hub and then pulling the plug on the hub for a couple minutes?
If that doesn't work, how about shutting down the hub and then cycling power to the hub and the devices (breakers)-I'd do the main breaker.

[ljp-hubitat]

Yes I did do all those things already

[ljp-hubitat]

@csteele

@csteele

You can use Settings: Swap App Device to move all the automations from the "bad" dimmer to a virtual dimmer you create just for this purpose. Then do a standard Exclude / Include on the device. Finally, use Swap Apps Device to move the automations back to the real dimmer.

I understand this process and may have to do that.

@csteele

Alternatively I don't know what equipment you have lying around, but if you have an Aeon Z-Stick or another hub, you can use it to reset the physical dimmer WITHOUT releasing it from your active hub. THEN you can use Replace to drop it right back into the hub.

I do have both an Aeotec Z-Stick and a second HE (C5) running. I am not sure I understand the replace step you mention.

LJ

[csteele]

What you need is a ZWave Controller that is NOT on the same mesh as your existing hub with that bothersome dimmer. The Aeotec Z-Stick is great because it's portable You press and hold the hidden button in the back for 20 seconds and it resets it to NOT be on the same mesh. At that point you can walk to your bothersome dimmer, click and hold on the Z-Stick to get it blinking Amber, then click the dimmer to put it into Exclude. The Z-Stick will flash Blue, indicating it's found and reset the dimmer then go back to amber. You can click the Z-Stick to shut it off, it's duty is done.

What you have done is to remove the Dimmer from you Hubitiat Hub without telling the hub. Now you have 1) a "zombie" on your hub that is still connected to all your automations and 2) a "factory fresh" Dimmer available.

Imagine that the dimmer burned it self out, and you bought another. You'd remove the dead one from the wall and replace it with the new. You haven't Joined the new one yet, but you are ready to. That's exactly what the steps with the Z-Stick did... gave you a "new" dimmer already back in the wall.

And now you go to your ZWave Details page and find the dimmer.

You'll find it looking a lot like mine.. with "Refresh" and "Repair" buttons showing. Click Refresh and give it a minute. This step is trying to get the buttons to change and include "Replace". It sometimes takes a couple tries but don't go too fast. The chipset needs time to do the behind the scenes. Once the "Replace" button shows, click it and then put the GE Dimmer into Include. A minute later it should all be done. The Dimmer will have re-used the node number it had before and all your automations will be intact.

[ljp-hubitat]

OK the first half of that I have done before. It was the second half I either forgot or was not familiar with. Thanks to both for your suggestions.

LJ

[rlithgow1]

Have you cut power to the switches in question then powered them back up to see if they work normally again?