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


tinman

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All instructions are in the first post of this topic. About halfway. The proces starts with:

 

The other zwave.me usb stick can be converted into Zniffer, all one need is to install and run PC Programmer and burn Zniffer Firmware. This will give you fully functional zwave zniffer.

- Install PC Programmer

- Insert brand new zwave.me stick into usb port

- Install ZW050x_USB_Programming_Driver

 

(...) 

 

See post 1.

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Hi,

 

ok i have all installed, it seems to work. 

 

i try to check my z wave network. i have many crc errors. where can i see which device send the crc error.
I search the device number but the device number is not written at the device.

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  • A device does not SEND a CRC error... your Zniffer most likely gets a weak signal... Check the RSSI value. Move your Zniffer and you'll see different CRC errors and see RSSI change.
  • If the packaged is damaged, the CRC check fails and you cannot reliably say "which node" because you do not know which part of the package got damaged.
  • CRC error is very likely a "red herring". It can be the result of interference, but that is hard to tell.

It is better to post what problem you are trying to diagnose. For example "Node 7 is slow to turn on", then capture a bit while sending the turn on command.

 

AFAIK there is NO tutorial on "how to use Zniffer"... And this is my hobby, I toy with it in my spare time, so I am not going to write one. I can give you a few tips though but explaining how Z-Wave works and what to see in Zniffer would take me a whole week.

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I probably don't understand your question, because the answer I am going to give is rather obvious to spot in Zniffer: Column Src and Dst... So you probably want to find out something else... Please elaborate. I am guessing you want to look on your HC2, device, "advanced" tab and scroll down a bit and find label "Node ID:" - is that what you're asking?

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not quite, I wanted to know where I can see which NodeID communicates with which node or controller.

 

If there are NodeIDs in the source and destination then that is fine.

 

My question is, if I now want to check my existing ZWave network who is talking to whom, I need a reference to my existing ZWave network.

 

Right now, I'm fishing the data from my existing network. I now have problems with one or the other device.

 

When a ZWave device is trained, does it get the NodeID, which NodeID is the device in the ZWave network?

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On 6/9/2019 at 12:39 PM, mactoolz said:

not quite, I wanted to know where I can see which NodeID communicates with which node or controller.

Hmm, I answered that question in my previous post.

 

Still don't fully understand your question.

 

The controller is node 1, see Src an Dst column.

 

Src = Source Node ID

Dst = Destination Node ID

 

On 6/9/2019 at 12:39 PM, mactoolz said:

I need a reference to my existing ZWave network.

 

Hmm, I also answered that question in my previous post, Node IDs and Device IDs and names in your HC browser interface. But this scene might help:

 

Please login or register to see this attachment.

 

It prints all your devices, like this:

 

Please login or register to see this code.

So if "Plafondlamp" sends data to "Nachtlampje" in your Lua code you will see "991" and "596". If you look at sniffer, that is node 3 and 5

 

Node IDs never change.

 

On 6/9/2019 at 12:39 PM, mactoolz said:

When a ZWave device is trained, does it get the NodeID

 

I don't understand the word "trained" in this context. You mean "added" or "included"?

Edited by petergebruers
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You don't have to apologize for your English... It's fine, part of the problem is: we don't have the same context. I am not at home, maybe we can continue this evening or tomorrow.

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ok its fine, i think so we not the same context, but we find a way and we discuss the problem ready

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Hi, so far the Zniffer colums are self explaining.

Just play with one of your devices, wake it up and look at the Zniffer. There is not to much magic to understand the principle. Understanding

the whole zwave is another story :-)

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43 minutes ago, mactoolz said:

why if i have so many CRC Error Data?

 

Please ignore CRC errors (at least for now)! If you focus on CRC errors, you are not going to make any progress!

 

It is better to post what problem you are trying to diagnose. For example "Node 7 is slow to turn on", then capture a bit while sending the turn on command.

  • A device does not SEND a CRC error... your Zniffer most likely gets a weak signal... Check the RSSI value. Move your Zniffer and you'll see different CRC errors and see RSSI change.
  • If the packaged is damaged, the CRC check fails and you cannot reliably say "which node" because you do not know which part of the package got damaged.
  • CRC error is very likely a "red herring". It can be the result of interference, but that is hard to tell.

An example:

 

Zniffer --------------  controller ------------- node (that can act as repeater) ------------ <this node is really far away from the controller and the Zniffer>

 

The Zniffer MIGHT be able to hear the far away node, but register CRC error because of a weak signal. But you probably do NOT have a communication problem, because the "<this node is really far away>" will send to the "node (that can act as repeater) " and that repeater will send it to the controller.

 

I suppose you have a big network, with many nodes (50? 100?) and maybe you have a large house, or many floors, and many nodes are "far away". Then you get many CRC errors but that does not mean you have a problem.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 4 months later...

Hello,

 

Can anybody share PC Programming software and sniffer_ZW050x_USBVCP.hex ? Because looks like it was removed from silabs web site. I have downloaded SDK but no sniffer_ZW050x_USBVCP.hex and zniffer was removed from tools folder . Link to download PC Programming was replaced by PC Controller.

P.S. if you have downloaded it before then it should be in your list at 

Please login or register to see this link.

 . Could you provide link to this files form this page

Thanks

Edited by ddv2005
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  • Topic Author
  • i think this is part of the "move to 700 series" path. One can get all older files from support, but if you don't have customer id, here the direct external (public) link to them:

     

    Zniffer

    Please login or register to see this link.

     

    Programmer

    Please login or register to see this link.

     

    • Like 3
    • Thanks 2
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    @tinman

    Excellent tutorial at the start of this post on how to setup zniffers.


    Can you please add in some comments on installing device drivers which I have added below?

     

    It has been many years since I actually installed a device driver and it took me a few mins to figure it out and remember...

     

    Please add in a reminder:

     

    "To update the driver of the zniffer, go to device manager in Windows. The device will appear under the Ports (COM & LPT) grouping. In the downloads from Silabs there may be multiple drivers to choose from. Use the "uzb.inf" file to update the driver.

     

    Also there is a complication that my PC auto-installed a driver and then would not allow me to update the driver. From the device in device manager you need to click on update driver and then browse for drivers on your computer and in the next screen do not browse for the driver itself, instead pick "Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer" at the bottom of the dialogue box and then select uzb.inf. 

     

    Otherwise if you browse for the driver like I did you will go in a circular loop where Windows will not allow you to update the driver.

     

    Regards

    Aleks

     

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    Another one that is hard to find now (for me): Thought it was on the main website but like Zniffer disappeared - am I going crazy?

     

    ZWave_500_SDK_v6_82_00

     

    Please login or register to see this link.

     

    BTW Zniffer in "Simplicity Studio" is more recent than the one at the links posted by @tinman but afaik there are no firmware files for Zniffer in that version. Studio version is 4.62 instead of 4.60

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    On 11/14/2019 at 9:00 PM, petergebruers said:

    Another one that is hard to find now (for me): Thought it was on the main website but like Zniffer disappeared - am I going crazy?

     

    ZWave_500_SDK_v6_82_00

     

    I also only get "Insufficient Privileges" - I've raised a ticket with them. 

    Pain - finally get a proper USB stick and can't use it!

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    Imho The "proper" way to get started on Silabs site and get Z-Wave stuff is this:

     

    Register an account

    Download Simplicity studio

    Run it and select you want to de Z-Wave development and want Z-Wave SDK

    You'll notice "request access" along the way.

     

    In Studio there is a tools button, hidden under that is newest Zniffer and PC program.

     

    The only thing missing is the hex file. It is in the Zniffer package, link posted by tinman.

     

    Maybe you get access to the links after you got that Studio thing going.

     

    EDIT: 2019-11-18 seems you also need to download from here, that's the "Z/IP Gateway Software Development Kit"

     

    Please login or register to see this link.

     

    Edited by petergebruers
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    4 minutes ago, petergebruers said:

    Register an account

    Download Simplicity studio

    Run it and select you want to de Z-Wave development and want Z-Wave SDK

    You'll notice "request access" along the way.

    Thanks @petergebruers - this was the way I did it. 

    But if I click @tinman's link to get the hex file, it also gives me the "Insufficient Privileges" issue.

    Can't find a way around it.

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