Care to apologise, Ryan?
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You still haven't answered my question. Even if this module was not able to provide the power needed to trip a mechanical relay, you really think that using ANOTHER relay is the correct way to fix that problem? I'm not responding to any of your comments until you respond to mine.
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I really have no idea what a Switchmate is (Iām sure Iāll Google it sometime) but I love the invent fullness and experimentation. Most of this was a good read, thanks !
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It was a good idea, poorly implemented. Only fits North American light switches. You didnāt miss anything 
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Yes, I did and seem like they pulled them from all inventory that was why I went to some of the stores.
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Ordered one of these to try. Has built in optocouplers so a 3V source with as low as 5mA can trigger a 5v relay fed from the primary power source for the Zigbee module.
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So, I got one of the Sengled Element Classic bulbs. If you are careful taking it apart, you can actually put it back together and still use it as a bulb! There's no need to remove the bottom part of the bulb with the regular E26 variety. Once you remove the globe, you can pull the metal divider out and then just pop the Zigbee board off the other board and slide it out. You can then reverse the process and get the board reconnected and it works as a bulb again.
The signal coming off the pin is in fact a PWM signal. This means that you are going to have to use something like an RC filter to "flatten" the signal if you want to use it for something with a digital input, like a relay. Otherwise you are always going to end up with some "flicker" in whatever you are controlling. I would suspect that the signal you are reading as 3.4v is actually a PWM signal that is switching between 0 and 5 volts. So, I would have to say that using this module to run something like a relay is always going to run into trouble if you want the relay to remain on for any length of time. If you are using it to do a momentary trigger of another device, then that wouldn't be a problem but driving something that isn't able to handle a PWM signal is definitely going to be problematic.
In the case of wiring the output directly to another input, like the button on your switchmate, it is likely that the pwm signal is trigger that button thousands of times every seconds and will burn up your switchmate.
Maybe. Would be no love lost. The Switchmates were only $7. Iāll get to it eventually. Just started back to a busy schedule yesterday, so little time for experiments.
Only thing Iāve built with them at this point is a better switch for my garden lights using the original LED driver and a 110v relay. Thatās been working perfectly for weeks.
And it could for a while. I'm just saying, this is not a constant digital output. So, things that require a constant digital input might not work, might not work well, or might not work as long. That's all.
You can easily correct it into a constant analog signal with an RC filter (resistor and capacitor).
You maybe misunderstand. The one that I have built is simply using the 100% output of around 90~95v DC from the bulb driver to activate a 110v AC relay. That should be fine. Yes, itās pulsing at a very rapid rate, but the relay at that voltage remains latched. I donāt hear any buzzing or anything like that.
Huh? The LEDs in LED bulbs do not run on 110v AC. That's why there is a buck converter in the bulb.
So, you hooked the Zigbee board back up to the main board that controls the LEDs in the bulb? That is not what your picture shows at all.
No it is not. I didnāt photograph what I did for this particular application, but did suggest in the original post that it could be done. Guess I wasnāt clear.
Not something I plan to do much, but for the incandescent garden lights, it works well. In the spring I may replace them with the OSRAM Gardenspots I got for cheap. Have not decided and probably wonāt until I see how looks.
Nice one.
I always find it interesting seeing others DIY projects.
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Very neat. You make me jealous, I wish I had more time to tinker. I had some switchmates, but what a POS. Now adding zigbee makes it actually useful. For 30 bucks I'd wire up an Inovelli switch instead and be done, but then I'd lose the "look what I made" fun.
I recently converted my shitty samsung motion sensors to AAA batteries, now I actually like them.
Yeah but in Canada they are not available yet, I can only get the dimmers and they wouldn't handle the load of a heater and air cleaner. Closest thing is a Zooz ON/OFF and that's $50 CAD ($38 USD) plus 13% tax. Yes, it's a better switch by far, with status, but the Switchmate was a $7 investment and the Zigbee module was $3. Got to be creative here or you'll end up having to spend a lot more on this stuff than you guys do in the US.
Plus the building part is fun as you mention.
Original post found here regarding conversion of a Switchmate to Zigbee was removed. There is now a separate completely revised post with new methods the stabilize the output, make building the conversion easier and simplified the reset and pairing procedure.
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