Let’s say my kitchen lights are already on (using a Z-Wave switch), if I push the top paddle (like turning it on) does the button push get recognized by the hub even though the lights are on?
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Depends on the device and driver.
For a GE Z-wave switch, non-plus? No, turning it "on" again will not get recognized by the hub. Once it's on, it's on. That's it.
No, GE switches will not.
On the other hand, the Inovelli and Homeseer switches do.
Obviously a user driver could make every ON tap create a state change event.
My custom drivers did that at one point, but I may have removed it. I can't remember, and I'm not in front of my code.
It would also require custom firmware for the device. If the switch is on and the paddle on is pressed there is no z-wave message to the hub to my knowledge.
The switch sends a message every time it is pressed. Unless I'm getting confused between the 6 models I support. But I don't think so.
I know for 100% sure the motion switches send a message every time (that how the software triple tap driver works on ST).
I would have to double check the non-motion ones but I thought they sent every time too.
Kind of hard to do that when the GE switch doesn't even send any button press event when pressed. Obviously.
Except they do, depending on model... I'll verify on the non motion version tonight, though.
I'll wait to see the proof because I can't see anything logged for mine when it's already on. It doesn't actually report the button press, it reports the dimmer state and only reports that after it has "ramped" to the level it is set to. So, for example, if you have a 10 second fade to on, when you press the button, nothing will happen in HE until 10 seconds later after the dimmer hits its programmed level.
I would suspect that the switch only reports when it is switched on or off, not the button being pressed. That is unless you use double tap.
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That's the way my drivers work, too. The switch definitely doesn't send the multilevel report until the ramp/fade is complete.
The basic report (on/off) is a different story though (at least on some of the models), as obviously there is no ramp time. The only 'gotcha' even on the motion switches is that the basic report only comes slowly, so double and triple taps on the motion switch have to be - press, one Mississippi, press, one Mississippi, press.
I'll try to check tonight, if not I know I'm home tomorrow night.
But reporting On/Off is not reporting paddle button press. Once it is on, it won't report turning on again because it isn't turning on again. It's already on. If you could, someone would have developed a driver to do it. If you could press once to go to previous level and then press again to go to another level, don't you think someone would have written a driver to let you do that?
That's what I'm saying - the motion versions of the switch and dimmer DO send an ON event to HE when the button is pressed, even if they are already turned ON. 100% sure of this. The built in driver doesn't do anything with that event, but it is indeed sent from the device.
I think the non-motion version does too, but I will double check - I could be remembering wrong.
I'll post back after I check.
Then why has no one written a driver to take advantage of this? these are not new devices,
There ARE drivers that take advantage of this for motion switch and dimmer in ST. I don't think they work very well, so I didn't bother to use that kludgy software based triple tap in my drivers...
But I did initially port that functionality to HE and test it. Worked the same as ST (kludgy).
For the non-motion versions, double tap is already supported in hardware (although not in the built in driver), so I'm not sure how useful the extra ON event would actually be...
Maybe a use case example for that would be useful?
Triple tap? You didn't say triple tap...you said single tap while it is on.
And what use-case? You said that it reports every paddle press. Now you want a use-case?
Use case.....so I have a switch on my rear flood lights that support the double tap feature. I use the double tap to turn off a set of string light on a section of my back patio. My front Flood light switch does DONT support double tap. Thinking was if every push was registered. I could assign them to do certain things. Truth be told I had a much more detailed idea. But it was super late. I was super tired. And whatever I was working on in my head is totally gone now. Lol
The generic central scene driver class all support, push, hold, release and double tap.
But the switch only reports On when it is previously Off, correct? If the switch is on and you hit the top paddle, will anything be sent to HE?
Same for dimmers...if the dimmer is on and you only hit the top paddle (not hold it to increase level) will it report anything to HE?
Yes. But the triple tap is done in software based off of repeated single taps. So it wouldn't work at all if the switch didn't report on after it was already on. If that makes sense. Sorry for not explaining more clearly earlier.
