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


tinman

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On 4/20/2018 at 10:01 AM, petergebruers said:

 

Define "everything" :-D

 

As I said:

 

 

And:

 

EDIT: by flashing "serialapi_controller_static_ZW050x_USBVCP_EU.hex" found in the SDK I was able to put back my stick in "controller" mode.

EDIT2: warning ,after all this, your stick will no longer be a real "Aeotec Sticjk", because we cannot but back the original firmware! If you want to use this stick as an AEOn device, please do not flash it. Buy A Z-Wave.me UZB (that one cannot be turned back into a Z-Wave.me UZB!)

Hi Peter,

 

Do you mind sharing your serialapi_controller_static_ZW050x_USBVCP_EU.hex.

I'm not able to find it in the 700 series SDK. Or if you have the 500 Series SDK, I would love that as well. 

 

Cheers,

Jesper

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To download SDK_v6_82_01 make sure you can log into silabs.com then try this link:

 

Please login or register to see this link.

 

Works for me, but Silabs likes to move stuff on their site...

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4 minutes ago, petergebruers said:

To download SDK_v6_82_01 make sure you can log into silabs.com then try this link:

 

Please login or register to see this link.

 

Works for me, but Silabs likes to move stuff on their site...

 

Thanks Peter,

 

That worked for me. 

Much appreciated!

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  • 1 year later...

Warning, this post reaches "geek level 11", stop reading now if you don't feel comfortable with that.

 

Some users might already know this, but I only found out today. The official way to get at "Zniffer" and "PC Controller" is still through installation of "Simplicity Studio". 

 

Current versions are:

 

Z-Wave PC Controller - 5.52.301 (june 2021)
Z-Wave Zniffer - 4.65.102 (december 2020)

 

And you'll also need Simplicity Studio to get at ZWare and Z/IP (v7.17.1, januari 2022)

 

But the Z-Wave SDK has been fully integrated in "Gecko" (which happened iirc a while ago in version 3 of gecko SDK)... But now the have gone a step further and Gecko 4, including the Z-Wave protocol, has been posted on github.

 

I wouldn't say it is "open source" though because I haven't studied the various licenses.

 

But this means, you can have a look at the code of the basic (and certified) examples... Without installing Simplicity Studio, by going here:

 

Please login or register to see this link.

 

That path tells you everything you need to know, and if you don't understand what I am saying then that is totally fine, it is like posting a link to an xray photo of a car and saying "look, doesn't that combobulater look great and isn't it machined to perfection?".

 

The commit history tells us the SDK4 landed Dec 15, 2021...

 

I fail to grasp the significance of this, because there are no cheap (for me that means < 10 EUR) develpement boards, and I don't have series 700 devices, so I'll stick to my ESP8266/ESP32

 

Maybe it is just a trend, maybe I don't understand and possibly they are trying to attract some attention? I don't know. If you do know, then please tell me :)

Edited by petergebruers
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  • 4 months later...

Hi! Found new interesting alternative of a Zniffer: 

Please login or register to see this link.

 

More expensive than the SiLabs Zniffer, but requires no SiLabs tools. They also claim to allow sending arbitrary commands and support of Linux/Mac, which is very good, as I have Windows only in VirtualBox. Have anyone already tried it? Looks very new, I found virtually no info about it across the Internet.

 

Looks a perfect companion to my HC3 and planty of my non-Fibaro devices, as sometimes I've no clue what is going on behind the scene.

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@Frederic

Hi,
have you bought and tried it yet?
I am now looking for ghosts in my network, so I was interested in your post.
Thanks, eM.

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  • 4 months later...

HC3 v 5.120.10

Dell laptop running Windows 10

ZWave.me UZB

 

Silicon Labs account created.

Simplicity Studio installed. PC Controller works fine. Problems with Zniffer.

 

I then following @tinman detailed guide, I’ve installed Zwave Programmer and Zwave Zniffer and read everything on this thread which includes lots of great ideas from @petergebruers which will be helpful when I get the Zniffer working!  

 

The problem seems to be flashing the hex file.

 

See steps below

 

Start with Device Manager which shows UZB in com port 6

Please login or register to see this image.

/monthly_2022_12/image.png.662e59179252f4ffdb101d70c168a21e.png" />

 

 

Next I open ZWave programmer and go to settings and select UZB in Com Port 6

image.png.9a5ff67cfbc8a7a5b2609c90fd8fbc13.png

 

 

Then on the Flash Code Memory tab I find the correct hex fie.

image.png.690f4bc125987b7a37848c5e2e07b47d.png

 

Then I go to the NVR tab and click the “run” button

image.png.0e9f149f98cd6d4f1e78918e354ba37b.png

 

The process starts and I get a pop up from computer saying device is being updates

image.png.08021791bef6e8380290317e7920f03a.png

 

Then I get a pop up from computer saying Device is ready

image.png.74aeb79c35a44360184121837bbc5388.png

 

 

Then I get a message from ZWave programmer saying interface not found and I click the “yes” button to “wait 30 seconds more”.

image.png.4bf988472a3a76adc64d12cf4c51450d.png

 

After I do this a few times I click the “no” button and I get a message saying that Port Com 6 does not exist

image.png.681e186afddeaa3f43ef5cfad4fbff96.png

 

When I press “OK” I get another message saying “could not read NVR content”

image.png.d809af3d6fffca6cf0ddcaf69b836815.png

 

When I go back to Device Manager the UZB now shows as an unknown device.

image.png.feda465115c31e89012183cf1f8b0d85.png

 

If I unplug the UZB and then put it back, it shows up in Coms Port 6.

 

I seem to be going round in circles and really appreciate help to fix this so I can get Zniffing !

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  • 4 months later...

Just bought my Zniffer next step in controlling my system!

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  • 3 weeks later...

@Rosavision did you have any success in getting your UZB to read and flash as a zniffer.  I have the same issue with Sigma programming interface not found. 

 

Spent hours trying and reading Silabs and other forums which has been great in itself but still no zniffer.

 

 

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@Pica2017 @Rosavision If the PC does not detect the "UZB" then most likely your UZB does not run a "USB bootloader firmware". This is something you cannot know unless the manufacturer tells You. I see @Rosavision has bought a device from ZWAVE.ME - I cannot tell if recent firmwares have the bootloader. I do know that the most used and recommended device to turn into a Zniffer is the SILABS UZB3 (EDIT 2023-05-07: full order reference of the Silabs device is ACC-UZB3-E-BRG or ACC-UZB3-E-STA for the European version/frequency), last time I check that device was unavailable everywhere (EDIT 2023-05-07 I saw 2 available at Digikey)

 

BTW IIRC the PC Programming tool comes with a driver installer to detect the UZB and enable programming, did you install it? That might be another reason for the software to not detect the dongle.

 

If you want to flash a ZWAVE.ME UZB (tiny dark grey dongle based on series 500 chipset - not the newer based on series 700) which was "bricked" or does not have the bootloader then you will need (1) Good soldering skills (2) very thin wires (3) a CP2102 serial to UART converter (a few $ on Aliexpress) - then some patience and perseverance

 

If you "brick" the Silabs UZB3 it can probably be salvaged in the same way as the ZWAVE.ME device but I do not have the UZB3 and cannot give details.

 

You can flash those devices over "serial" port if you use that CP2102 converter, the Programming Tool will recognise the UART converter as a Silabs programmer and write firmware over uart...

 

If you have ever flashed microcontrollers like ESP8266 or ESP32 or STM8/STM32/PIC then you'll probable have the skills and will half understand what I am saying here. If you have never done this I could probable have written this explanation in any foreign language and it would have been equally (un)helpful.

 

Sorry for not being more precise, I have done this 5 years ago (I bricked my UZB and did not want to throw it in the bin) and I do not have all the details. I have a picture of how to connect the UART converter to the UZB but at the moment I cannot find it...

Edited by petergebruers
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Hi there @Pica2017& @petergebruers No I didn't succeed ! What I did was to set the parameters on all Fibaro units to eliminate absolutely all but essential traffic and this has helped. However I have not been successful getting our system reliable enough and I have made the difficult decision to move onto a different system. I've really enjoyed working with Fibaro, however for me it's important that the system is reliable. I'm going for a 100% wired solution which I hope will be more reliable. Fingers crossed!

Good luck and I do hope that you solve the Zniffer challenge

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On 5/12/2023 at 11:37 AM, Rosavision said:

I've really enjoyed working with Fibaro, however for me it's important that the system is reliable. I'm going for a 100% wired solution which I hope will be more reliable. Fingers crossed!

Thank you for reporting back. I am sure a wired solution increases reliability. There are many aspects to HA and we all have our preferences. Personally, I value reliability a lot, like you, and that's how I started with zniffer and deep dive into the protocol. I have discussed KNX and Velbus wired solutions. At times it was tempting but price kept me from implementing even a small test setup...

 

Maybe one day we will meet again.

 

Have fun with your new setup!

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  • 5 months later...

Hi i managed to acquire a z-stick gen5 only.

 

Can someone pls clarify I can now use this alone with Simplicity Studio to do:

 

1. device firmware updates on devices that support that

2. arbitrarily pair a device with the stick just to try it out

3. see what zwave traffic is "around". I don't know if zniffer is a separate hardware device or simple a software tool

 

Use cases:

- Sometimes you buy a new device but you don't necessarily want to add it to the main controller just to try it out.

- debug the network as HC3 doesn't seem to give you that great diagnostic modes/screens.

 

thanks

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4 hours ago, gurpal2000 said:

3. see what zwave traffic is "around". I don't know if zniffer is a separate hardware device or simple a software tool

 

It is separate hardware connected to your PC to listen to your z-wave network.

 

4 hours ago, gurpal2000 said:

Use cases:

- Sometimes you buy a new device but you don't necessarily want to add it to the main controller just to try it out.

 

So you don't interfere with your HC3. You only listen (snif) to your z-wave network. 

 

 

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