{"id":16968,"date":"2013-08-09T18:03:44","date_gmt":"2013-08-09T17:03:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automatedhome.com\/?p=16968"},"modified":"2020-04-19T17:07:17","modified_gmt":"2020-04-19T16:07:17","slug":"z-wave-compatibility-guide-choosing-the-right-home-automation-devices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automatedhome.com\/zwave\/z-wave-compatibility-guide-choosing-the-right-home-automation-devices.html","title":{"rendered":"Z-Wave Compatibility Guide: Choosing the Right Home Automation Devices"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the advantages of choosing the Z-Wave Home Automation standard is the wide variety of modules available from the many manufactures that support it.<\/p>\n

However as things get more complex, compatibility issues can sometimes start to creep in, even with a system of devices that support the same protocol. \u00a0We asked Mark Onions at Vesternet to give us some background on the reasons behind these interoperability issues and what they recommend their users do to minimise them…<\/p>\n

Z-Wave Compatibility<\/h2>\n

The Z-Wave wireless protocol is one of todays most widely adopted home automation technologies. It delivers a reliable and easy to install network suitable for\u00a0almost any smart home. One of its great benefits is that it’s supported by more than\u00a0160 vendors who\u2019ve introduced over 700 Z-Wave-based devices. This means that\u00a0whatever type of device you’re looking for, there will be a Z-Wave version available. \u00a0Furthermore, each of these devices is tested and certified by the Z-Wave Alliance, so\u00a0compatibility is assured.<\/p>\n

However, this doesn\u2019t mean that all Z-Wave devices will work with each other. This\u00a0article looks at issues users need to be aware of and how they affect device\u00a0compatibility.<\/p>\n

Z-Wave Backward Compatibility<\/h2>\n

Interoperability is at the centre of Z-Wave. All newly certified devices are backward\u00a0compatible with existing Z-Wave products. This means today’s latest devices work\u00a0with products from the earliest days of Z-Wave.<\/p>\n

\"zipato_3\"However, forward compatibility is a different matter. It’s not possible for a device\u00a0released today, to support future device types or Z-Wave commands. You can’t\u00a0support things that haven’t been defined or developed yet.<\/p>\n

For instance, a remote control released in 2007 will control lights (On\/Off\/Dim); it is\u00a0fully certified and works well. During 2010, new command classes were introduced\u00a0allowing LED colours to be controlled as well as their brightness. Our remote control\u00a0from 2007 can still control the new LED devices, but it can’t control their colour. This\u00a0could be considered incompatibility, but this wouldn’t be fair, as these commands\u00a0weren’t even invented when it was introduced. However, it does mean that a user\u00a0needs to be careful when choosing a controller for devices that incorporate new\u00a0command classes.<\/p>\n

Certification vs Full Command Class Support<\/h2>\n

When a device is certified, it doesn’t have to support all Z-Wave command classes, it\u00a0only needs to support the command classes for its intended function. It will be fully\u00a0certified so long as these classes are correctly supported. This makes sense for\u00a0devices such as actuators where they only need to support the relevant command\u00a0classes for controlling lamps and appliances attached to them.<\/p>\n

\"zipabox-panel\"Problems arise when Z-Wave controllers don’t support all command classes. For\u00a0example some controllers don’t support the classes used for locks and other security\u00a0devices. There is nothing wrong in a controller not supporting particular classes, so\u00a0long as this is documented to ensure customers know which device types can be\u00a0used with it. Sometimes this information isn\u2019t freely available in vendor\u2019s\u00a0documentation, so users usually need to dig a little deeper.<\/p>\n

Also, it\u2019s worth noting that controllers regularly receive firmware updates where new\u00a0device and class support are added; so if a particular class of device isn’t supported\u00a0now, it probably will be in the near future.<\/p>\n

Firmware Versions<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s not just Z-Wave controllers that have regular firmware updates, some more\u00a0complex devices such as multiple sensors or even wall plugs can have firmware\u00a0updates. So it\u2019s always worthwhile checking if a new device has the latest firmware\u00a0before trying to install it. If you\u2019re not sure, check with your reseller, the best ones will\u00a0be able to tell you what the firmware is and how to update it.<\/p>\n

Documentation<\/h2>\n

There is a huge variation in Z-Wave documentation quality and consistency. The ZWave Alliance enforces common language for critical functions such as Include,\u00a0Exclude, Association etc., but vendors can use their own terminology for other\u00a0functions and processes. This can be confusing to the user as different vendors may\u00a0describe the same process in different ways. This is made worse as most\u00a0documentation is also translated from the vendor’s local language. Device\u00a0documentation is now often supplemented by tutorials and videos showing how to\u00a0install and use the devices.<\/p>\n

\"HomeTroller<\/p>\n

Old Devices – Old Classes<\/h2>\n

As Z-Wave has matured over the last 10-years, its certification processes have\u00a0become more strict and controlled. Through this time, some devices have gained\u00a0certification that wouldn’t receive it today; these devices are now rare but will have\u00a0incompatibilities with other devices. In many cases these devices had support for\u00a0early implementations of Z-Wave classes, or classes that quickly became
\nsuperseded. For instance the ‘Multi Instance’ class was deprecated in favour of the\u00a0‘Multi Channel’ command class.<\/p>\n

For most users, this won\u2019t be an issue unless you\u2019re trying to use a very old device.<\/p>\n

Choosing the Right Devices<\/h2>\n

There has never been such a wide choice of Z-Wave devices and the level of\u00a0compatibility and interoperability has never been higher. But users still need to be\u00a0careful when selecting devices to work in their system.<\/p>\n

\"Z-Wave<\/a><\/p>\n

For this reason, Vesternet created and maintains the only Z-Wave Compatibility\u00a0guide. This helps users choose the devices that work well together and with a variety\u00a0of Z-Wave controllers. And, to make it even easier, all verified products carry the\u00a0‘Vesternet Certified’ badge, taking all the guesswork out of choosing the right\u00a0devices. Vesternet also has a huge library of tutorials, videos and resources that\u00a0make it easy for people to install and use the devices.<\/p>\n

References:<\/h2>\n