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[Tutorial] Z-wave diagnostics with PC Controller and Zniffer


tinman

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Indeed, at the start of this topic I did include it as a secondary to my HC2. But that was only to do some quick tests. Then I removed it again from my network and flashed it to become a Z-Sniffer.

 

When you buy this stick, and it is still in its original state, you can use the controller software as mentioned in the first post(s). Inclusion is done by clicking the right button on that controller software on your PC, while your HC is in inclusion mode.

 

Then, when you want to sniff the network, you exclude it and flash the Sniffer firmware + run the PC sniffer software. No inclusion to be done.

 

After that, for testing purposes, I flashed the "generic" controller firmware (it's in the SDK) and used the same controller software as in the first posts to make a standalone controller and add one device. This is no longer the "Aeon" firmware version so for instance the LED on the stick does not work. I did not try to add it as a secondary controller, although theoretically that should still be possible.

 

Does this help?

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22 minutes ago, petergebruers said:

Indeed, at the start of this topic I did include it as a secondary to my HC2. But that was only to do some quick tests. Then I removed it again from my network and flashed it to become a Z-Sniffer.

 

When you buy this stick, and it is still in its original state, you can use the controller software as mentioned in the first post(s). Inclusion is done by clicking the right button on that controller software on your PC, while your HC is in inclusion mode.

 

Then, when you want to sniff the network, you exclude it and flash the Sniffer firmware + run the PC sniffer software. No inclusion to be done.

 

After that, for testing purposes, I flashed the "generic" controller firmware (it's in the SDK) and used the same controller software as in the first posts to make a standalone controller and add one device. This is no longer the "Aeon" firmware version so for instance the LED on the stick does not work. I did not try to add it as a secondary controller, although theoretically that should still be possible.

 

Does this help?

Yes, thanks :) one more question. Did you add it as a secondary controller to your hc2, or as a regular zwave device ? 

Edited by Comfortica
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Regular device. Like a "Minimote" or a (Fibaro) Keyfob or any other controller that you want to become a secondary. So "devices", "add".

 

Edit: I suggest... you make a back-up before you toy with this...

Edited by petergebruers
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That is the problem... I tried adding it, but it won't work o.O. As if the hc2 does not recognize the device. I will try with a different hc2 tomorrow... Thanks for the information. 

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8 hours ago, petergebruers said:

Regular device. Like a "Minimote" or a (Fibaro) Keyfob or any other controller that you want to become a secondary. So "devices", "add".

 

Edit: I suggest... you make a back-up before you toy with this...

Very strange.. used a different HC2 on the test bench, and it worked flawlessly. oh well, time to play around. Thanks! 

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  • 14 minutes ago, Comfortica said:

    Very strange.. used a different HC2 on the test bench, and it worked flawlessly. oh well, time to play around. Thanks! 

     

    because you have probably issue with z-wave network or HC config, you will have issues to add second controller. What you can do, is to power off each every mains powered device and try then to include the secondary controller.

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    11 minutes ago, tinman said:

     

    because you have probably issue with z-wave network or HC config, you will have issues to add second controller. What you can do, is to power off each every mains powered device and try then to include the secondary controller.

    I normally would, but both are test systems, so the most efficient way is to recover it :) Will sniff later and see if anything is flooding the network. 

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    I guess you have already played with "secondary controller" function on that malfunctioning HC2? Does it tell you it cannot include, immediately or after a few seconds? Then it has transferred its primary role to another controller and that controller is offline. If you have a backup that was created before this problem happened, you can restore it and that should fix the primary role issue. If you cannot do that (for example, if this was a production system and you have a lot of changes after that backup) then support can help you remotely.

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    Nope, that option was untouched. I notice that it also has problems adding "regular" devices now, so something must be wrong. I will test more extensively to find the cause, the other hc2 works like charm. Will update you with the cause when I find it. 

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    Hi, everybody!

    Great thanks for the tutorial. I bought two UZB sticks. One for the zniffer, second to use as a secondary controller to watch the network processes form the inside. Seems the pair of such sticks is a very powerful z-wave debugging tool.

    I used IMA network view to get the network map, this is exactly what I lacked few years I install Fibaro. 

    But my UZB stick I added as a secondary controller also acts as a repeater so it interferes to see the real routing map (that was without it).

    Sorry for my stupid question, but is it possible to disable routing capability of it? 

    Thanks for any help!

     

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    • 4 months later...
    • 1 month later...

    Hi Guys

     

    i need help, actually i read this conversation many times for last few weeks, i want solve my issue without bother any one.  but im stuck. 

     

    my problem:

    I got some of zwave power outlet on US frequency. 

    I made bad purchased for a zwave gateway, realize it's running on EU frequency after arrive.( seller refuse to return )

     

    my progress:

    I built(not really) a programmer via atmega128a. (it's working).

    i tear down one of a power outlet. (based on zm3102? zw0301 chip);

     

    my goal is flash a serialapi_bridge_nosuc_norep_noflirs_mr_ZW030x_US.hex to the module and have a usb-ttl connect it to my Raspberry PI as a controller.

     

    flash the hex file is success,  and pass the comparing through programmer, after that i connect the module to FTDI usb-ttl adapter.  monitor the serial port,  no response

    i tried many firmware, including the static controller one. no luck. no serial data out.

     

    hope someone can help me out. thanks.

     

    although i wonder if possible change the frequency via programmer. there have a option you can choose any freq you want. 

    if so, i can make a jig to change all the power outlet to EU frequency that work with my non-returnable EU frequency zwave gateway. :(

     

     

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    9 minutes ago, xjcai said:

    monitor the serial port,  no response

    i tried many firmware, including the static controller one. no luck. no serial data out.

    I'm afraid I cannot help you with the 300 series but are you sending valid data to the chip first? Because when I connect my series 500 over USB, I also get nothing on "data out". 

     

    I would start by writing FUNC_ID_SERIAL_API_GET_CAPABILITIES.

     

    That's these hex bytes:

     

    01 04 00 07 00 fc

     

    My controller answers:

     

    Serial read: 06 -> ACK

    Serial read: 01 -> SOF

    Serial read: 2b -> length

    Serial read: 01 07 05 19 01 15 04 00 00 (...) = bitmap supported functions

     

    The docs say "As of Serial API protocol version 4 it is possible to call Serial API Capabilities Command to determine exactly which Serial API functions a specific Serial API Z-Wave Module supports with the FUNC_ID_SERIAL_API_GET_CAPABILITIES Serial API function"

     

    I am not sure if that firmware has API > 4 but I guess you'll get a "NAK" byte if it is older.

     

    17 minutes ago, xjcai said:

    although i wonder if possible change the frequency via programmer. there have a option you can choose any freq you want. 

    I am not sure. And there is a 2nd problem: there is a hardware antenna filter and it has to match the frequency.

     

    868,4 MHz EU; 908,4 MHz US; 921,4 MHz ANZ; 869,2 MHz RU; 865,2 MHz IN;

     

    So EU, RU and IN are relatively close together.

     

    But EU -> US = 40 MHz --> you will get lots of attenuation of the signal. I have not tried it, but I think it won't work. You'll see a small component with those 2 letters printed on, afaik that is the filter.

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    5 minutes ago, petergebruers said:

    I'm afraid I cannot help you with the 300 series but are you sending valid data to the chip first? Because when I connect my series 500 over USB, I also get nothing on "data out". 

     

     

    appreciate you reply, i use the pc controller software, just report no valid device found. 

     

    since the module still attached on the main PCB. there have a current analyse ic (ADE7763) on main PCB using serial data.  i suspect that IC may impact the serial data exchange. maybe i need desolder the whole module from main PCB.

     

    i have few 500 serial EU module laying around.  i will try those first if i got enough time..

     

    thank you again for your reply, the last option may just purchase a US frequency USB dongle.

     

     

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    3 minutes ago, xjcai said:

    appreciate you reply, i use the pc controller software, just report no valid device found.

     

    I see. Do you see any RX/TX activity when the app launches?

     

    This is a long shot: Try a CP2102 UART to USB instead of FTDI.

     

    7 minutes ago, xjcai said:

    since the module still attached on the main PCB. there have a current analyse ic (ADE7763) on main PCB using serial data.  i suspect that IC may impact the serial data exchange. maybe i need desolder the whole module from main PCB.

    Might be, but I had a look at that chip and it uses serial, but synchronous instead of asynchronous. Would they have used UART0 of the Z-Wave chip? I don't know.

     

    BTW: awesome pics! Thanks for sharing.

     

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    On 1/11/2019 at 7:11 PM, petergebruers said:

     

    I see. Do you see any RX/TX activity when the app launches?

     

    This is a long shot: Try a CP2102 UART to USB instead of FTDI.

     

    Might be, but I had a look at that chip and it uses serial, but synchronous instead of asynchronous. Would they have used UART0 of the Z-Wave chip? I don't know.

     

    BTW: awesome pics! Thanks for sharing.

     

    sorry for late reply, it's busy on something else.

     

    i do try a zm5202 module(which salvaged from one of zwave touch switch), it come with read protection. i erased and unlocked the lock bit. but when i try upload the fw on it. get (FF, 255) error. verification fail.

     

    i also tried cp2102 with 2 different PCB version on 3xx serial module. still no luck. 

     

    i will try one more time after i got enough time to desolder the module from main PCB. if still no success. i will just buy a uzb dongle. 

     

    again, thanks very much for your help.

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    On 1/11/2019 at 6:40 PM, petergebruers said:

    I am not sure. And there is a 2nd problem: there is a hardware antenna filter and it has to match the frequency.

     

    868,4 MHz EU; 908,4 MHz US; 921,4 MHz ANZ; 869,2 MHz RU; 865,2 MHz IN;

     

    So EU, RU and IN are relatively close together.

     

    But EU -> US = 40 MHz --> you will get lots of attenuation of the signal. I have not tried it, but I think it won't work. You'll see a small component with those 2 letters printed on, afaik that is the filter.

    oh right, as you predicted, it's not working, change frequency on programmer with original firmware, no success. no response at all on EU frequency gateway. :)

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    Thanks a lot to all for this great tutorial, got it working (with a few glitches here and there). Always happy to see that the community is active and helping out where Fibaro sometimes lacks support!

     

    Now I see lots of traffic in the list (wow,  was not expecting that much although... well, 170 devices...;-)) - but how to interpret the data?!? reading the manual gave some hints but I would appreciate if someone could just quickly explain the link/hops/routing info of IDs I see on the screen and the ones with Fibaro? Very confusing... thanks!

     

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    6 hours ago, xjcai said:

    no response at all on EU frequency gateway.

    I am glad I was right but I am also sad it does not work for you. :-(

     

    So you need a new controller? I have the Z-Wave.Me UZB1 but I recently discussed another (cheaper, UART only) option here:

     

     

     

    28 minutes ago, dcspock said:

    Now I see lots of traffic in the list (wow,  was not expecting that much although... well, 170 devices...;-)) - but how to interpret the data?!? reading the manual gave some hints but I would appreciate if someone could just quickly explain the link/hops/routing info of IDs I see on the screen and the ones with Fibaro? Very confusing... thanks!

     

    I have many posts about routing, unfortunately I have not yet found the time to bundle them.

     

    First thing to understand... Z-Wave routing is not like IP routing, it is completely different. The sending device is the "router" and the hops in between are repeaters. The routing decisions are made by the sending node and that is why they call this a "source routed network". Replies are send by reversing the route (unlike IP, which treats a reply as any packet that has to be routed).

     

    I do have some relevant posts here:

     

     

    EDIT:

     

    There is not a single document with in-depth discussion of routing. You'll find plenty of high level stuff telling it is "a mesh network" and that it has something to do with "neighbors"...

     

    If you want to start somewhere, I recommend the book by dr. Paetz, although it is from 2014 and pre-dates Z-Wave Plus... it is still the only book going (a bit) in-depth:

     

    Please login or register to see this link.

     

    Edited by petergebruers
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