Zooz tilt sensor angle

[MihaK]

Somehow I was certain that tilt sensors return an angle, not just a binary open/close interpretation of tilt. So, I got Zooz tilt/shock xs sensor and realized that the driver only returns contact [open/close] and shock [detected/clear]

Question: is it the actual Zooz sensor that doesn't return the actual angle of tilt, or is it the default driver that is too smart and thinks that nobody will need an actual angle value in their automations? In other words, do I need a new sensor or a better driver?

[csteele]

The original tilt sensors used a metal ball in a tube with two contacts at one end. when the ball rolled to the end of the tube with the contacts, then Closed is indicated, when the ball rolls away, then Open is indicated.

Better is if the ball is replaced by mercury since it can't get stuck like the ball often does after a couple years.

Obviously mercury is toxic and the number of manufacturers is probably reduced, but many of us have purchased after-market mercury switches to replace the rolling ball tubes in our older Tilt Sensors.

But the point is, tilt sensors generally means this "contact" mechanism vs an angular. I think accelerometers provide that.

[MihaK]

while this totally makes sense, modern mass-produced tilt sensors that are used in all mobile phones detect tilt with (super-cheap) accelerometer and are used in most tilting applications. See the thread below that led me to (falsely) believe that all zwave tilt sensors use accelerometers and return an angle:

Do tilt sensors send the tilt angle?

I googled around but was unable to find out - do tilt sensors like the Ecolink garage door tilt sensor send the angle of tilt? I have an older model Litter Robot (cat litterbox in which a globe rotates and dumps waste in a container) that occasionally gets stuck partway through a rotation. If it gets stuck, power cycling it will get it moving again so I was thinking of attaching a tilt sensor to it and writing a rule like 'if tilt angle is not 0 for more than 1 hour, turn the power outlet off a…

[csteele]

Products in the Zigbee/Zwave space named "Tilt Sensor" mimic those original mechanical designs.. drop in replacements from a Marketing viewpoint. I believe I mentioned that Accelerometer was a term to use when looking for something in this marketplace that will return an angle. The device most closely matching your description might be:

SmartThings Multipurpose Sensor v5

I'm not arguing about what can or even what should have been built. I'm just answering your original puzzlement.

I have two of the EcoLinkTilt Sensors. An original (v1) that used a steel ball in a metal tube that sticks so often I replaced it with a v2 that has a gold plated ball to prevent dissimilar metal "welding".. which I replaced with a mercury one, because I have adequate soldering skills. I didn't choose to replace the first one because buying mercury switches comes in packets of 10 and what would I ever do with 9 spares?

[aaiyar]

@MihaK

So, I got Zooz tilt/shock xs sensor and realized that the driver only returns contact [open/close] and shock [detected/clear]

This is all the Zooz device can do. There is a vibration sensor made by Aqara that can report the information you desire.

[marktheknife]

@MihaK

is it the default driver that is too smart and thinks that nobody will need an actual angle value in their automations?

Probably not this.

I have a couple SmartThings multipurpose sensors, which can report position with xyz coordinates, and so the built-in Hubitat driver for that device makes the info available.

[aaiyar]

@marktheknife

Probably not this.

Definitely not. The device is a binary sensor. It does not report tilt angles, or xyz coordinates. I’d linked to the product manual/specs on another thread started by @MihaK for the same sensor.