ControlThink Forums

hi gang,

I need some help here. Im trying to setup the vizia 4-zone in my project.

Im using thinkessentials version 1.2.0.178, the H22 antenna and some intermatic switches and dimmers.

I check the vizia installation instruction: add to my system the 4 button (press 1 and 3 until amber light and then the "add device" button). I got a power plug with a question mark and I dont know how to associate with the light i want to control.

Any help will be greatly appreciated, Im stuck here.

thank you all in advance

PC

pcapelo,

The upcoming 2.1 update will add this functionality to ThinkEssentials.  The current version doesn't know what to do with the 4-button controllers (thus the "?").

Chris

Chris, can you please elaborate a bit on that feature of TE 2.1?

I have a Vizia 1-zone controller (RZCZ1-1L) and also a Vizia 1-scene controller (RZCS1-1L).  I am trying to figure out how to associate other Vizia devices with these controllers without using a Vizia remote (like RZCPG-OSG for example).  I do not want to use a Vizia remote because I also own a Harmony 890 and it has to be my primary.  The Harmony 890 is incapable of associating devices with the Vizia controllers.  I would like to know whether purchasing TE 2.1 and a ThinkStick will solve my problem.  This would be my approach:

1. Using Harmony 890 as primary, add a bunch of normal (non-controller) Vizia devices to my network (already done)

2. Buy TE 2.1 and ThinkStick.  Make TE/TS think it's the primary.

3. Use TE/TS to tell the Vizia controller (RZCZ1-1L or RZCS1-1L) which other devices are associated with the controller.

4. Maintain two "primaries" as described in your post dated 12/8/07 in this thread: http://forums.controlthink.com/t/1042.aspx?PageIndex=2

Will this work?  Thanks

chilicoopermark,

As long as you can add the ThinkStick as a secondary controller with the Harmony 890 (i.e. you can add a generic secondary controller to the Harmony), this will work great with ThinkEssentials 2.0 (Professional Edition).

If you want to do this today, you can use ThinkEssentials 2.0 and transfer the primary role over to the Leviton remote--and then use the Leviton remote to create the associations.

To elaborate on the feature: ThinkEssentials 2.1 will let you setup 1-button and 4-button Vizia RF zone/scene controllers.

Chris

Thanks, Chris.  I did some more research, and unfortunately it looks like the Harmony 890 does not have a function to add a secondary controller (nor can it be a seconday controller itself).

Do any of your products allow the user to somehow detect information in an existing network (like the IDs of the devices already in my Harmony 890 network), and then manually enter them into ThinkEssentials?  (My network is small, and I wouldn't mind manually entering all the ID information since the Harmony has no function to transfer it automatically to a secondary controller.)  Would that effectively turn ThinkEssentials into a secondary controller for my original network without disrupting it?  If so, then I could go ahead and do the set-up of the Vizia in-wall controllers.  Of course, my Harmony would have no clue that any of this happened, but that's okay.

Maybe it's just the "Pro" Harmony that has the feature.

If you can get the "Home ID" used by your Harmony, you can work around it--but otherwise there's not much we can do...

Chris

Okay thanks.  I am searching for a device that will read the Home ID off of my Harmony 890 (or any node in its network).  No luck so far, but I will keep looking.

When you set up a "light" on your network with the Harmony remote, is it possible to just add in the PC instead--and pretend that it's a light?  You'd do this by clicking on "join an existing network" on the Settings tab of ThinkEssentials and going through the standard "add/include device" procedure on the remote...

It's possible that they block adding controllers, but it's maybe worth a try...

Chris

the 890 as mentioned does not replicate to a secondary so you are sol there.  to top it off i went through this a year ago with the leviton 4 zone controller and homeseer.  it seems that they can get around this with the leviton scene controllers but the zone controllers need the leviton remote to do the add to the network for some reason.  after added to the network (with 1 & 3 button on 4 zone controller) you can create virtual associations via software however keep in mind this does not show instant update status without the leviton remote.  you will have to rely on polling method for status updates from the switch itself.  in other words if something other than the software clicks the function of the zone/scene controller (i.e. you walk up to the switch on the wall and click it), then the software will only note the status change upon next polling.  correct me if i am wrong here chris but that is what i was told with homeseer.

With ThinkEssentials 2.1, you'll be able to set up your Vizia RF zone controllers from your PC--and you'll be able to maintain "sync status" even when controlling from your PC.

Chris

My goal is just to be able to use a Harmony 890 and any of the Vizia in-wall controllers (1 or 4 zone or scene) in the same network.  I became interested in the PC software/hardware packages (especially ThinkEssentials Pro 2.1 with a ThinkStick) because I was hoping to use that to force the Vizia in-wall controllers onto the Harmony's HomeID and then define their associations. 

I am stuck at this point because I can't figure out how to detect the HomeID from my Harmony or any of the other existing nodes in its network.  Chris suggested above that if I could add ThinkEssentials as a non-controller node (like a light), then it would know the HomeID in my existing network.  This would only be possible if ThinkEssentials is capable of emulating a non-controller node.  By default, it will look like a controller node and that won't work.  (If you try to add any controller as if it were just a light to the Harmony 890, the Harmony automatically detects that the device you are trying to add is a controller and not a light, and it refuses to add it to the network.)  Does ThinkEssentials (or ThinkStick) have a kind of non-controller emulation mode that can trick a primary controller (in this case my Harmony 890) into thinking thet ThinkEssentials is not a controller?

There is one other way I can think of, but it would require the "2.0" alpha ControlThink Z-Wave SDK and temporarily reflashing your ThinkStick...

It would also be a few weeks before we could put instructions and code together for it.  But I have an idea ;)

Chris

Thanks, Chris.  I will look forward to that!