HC2 Reset Z-Wave

[alex88 71]

I noticed this in the z-wave network menu of the configuration tab in my HC2:

 

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Does this mean that when I want rebuild my HC2 I can just hit this button and then start adding back devices?

 

I hope this is the case as it would take a HUGE amount of time out of rebuilding my system.

[Kage 37]

i wonder that myself too, i think it will delete every zwave mod and you have to include them yourself. I hoope i am rong

[petergebruers 1,268]

It is a bit more complicated than that! Don't do it!

 

I recently wrote this post (slightly edited) in an answer to a problem, possibly caused by hitting that button.

 

TL;DR don't erase that chip if you want to start from scratch. Instead, properly exclude every device. You will have to do that anyway!

 

Explanation I gave:

 

When you buy a Z-Wave device, it is "empty". It can do nothing. Every Z-Wave network starts with a Z-Wave controller, and it has a few unique capabilities. One of them is it stores a unique HomeID. Every device and every controller can pick up Z-Wave packets, but it only acts on packets having the correct HomeID. So your neighbours can have Z-Wave too, use the same RX/TX frequency but they will be unable to control your house. They do use bandwidth in the same radio spectrum, in fact your Zniffer will show data from both networks, but they ignore each other.

 

To make that new, empty device part of the your network, you have to "include" it, or "add it". This means: put the controller in "learn mode" and then do a button sequence on your device. It will transmit a packet "Hey, I am empty (I have node ID 0), does any controller want to give me and ID". Then the controller looks up the next available node ID and assigns it to node. It replies by send his HomeID and that (new) NodeID, eg node X on HomeID Y. Now the device can communicate. You could compare, in a way, this process with a DHCP server assigning IP addresses to nodes. Your Wall Plugs and other devices with similar "power/energy" measuring capabilities will start sending reports to the controller. It will do that whether the controller exists and is only and has booted or not...

 

To make your device empty again you have to "unlearn". You put the controller in "delete" mode (any controller, any network, any time). Then do the button sequence and the device will send "Hey, I am node ID X on HomeID Y does anybody want to do something with that info". The controller replies "I want you to forget everything". Then the device returns to an empty state (Node ID 0 and Home ID 0 an almost all devices also do a factory reset and forget all settings), and the controller removes id X from its table. The DHCP equivalent exists too, you can do a release. When DHCP has accidentally assigned duplicate IP addresses (which might happen if you erase the DHCP database) you probably know the advice "try a DHCP release and renew".

 

So, when you click that "Reset" button under "Reset Z-Wave" you only erase all controller info... But the devices do not know the controller is gone.

 

Now here is an interesting and important question I cannot answer... Does your controller generate a new, random HomeID if you factory reset it? I think it does, but I am not sure and I am not going to try, because I only have one HC2 and it is my production system. Theoretically I could try, because backup and restore also backup and restore the Z-Wave chip memory.

 

To summarize... If you erase Z-Wave memory of the controller aka (factory) reset aka "start from scratch" aka "delete everything" your devices will still try to send to a non-existing controller. To "include" them (again), you will have to "exclude" them anyway, because "inclusion" can only add empty devices. the fact that your old controller is not online anymore is not important, your new controller can reset any node, at any time.

 

Alternatively, you can also exclude all nodes that you have added after your last know working backup, then do a restore. This should put back the memory of the controller and it will again know nodes (at that point in time) and use previous HomeID. It is important to remove those nodes that you have added after the backup, because after the restore the controller won't know about them. It is a bit tricky, you might not remember which ones and end up with duplicate IDs. A somewhat related problem can occur if you have "force deleted" devices without resetting them.

 

You can use this function if you plan to sell your HC2 or if you are going to restore to a recent backup that has the correct NodeIDs (which might be something you might not really know).

 

The other topic I posted this in is here for reference:

 

For sake of completeness, when I write this, the OP has not yet answered if my post explains and/or solves his issues.

[alex88 71]

2 hours ago, petergebruers said:

If you erase Z-Wave memory of the controller aka (factory) reset aka "start from scratch" aka "delete everything" your devices will still try to send to a non-existing controller. To "include" them (again), you will have to "exclude" them anyway, because "inclusion" can only add empty devices. the fact that your old controller is not online anymore is not important, your new controller can reset any node, at any time.

 

Thanks for the thorough response. 

 

If I have understood correctly, when I want to do a COMPLETE rebuild of my system this button just might work.....let me explain.

 

My usual COMPLETE rebuild (from memory) involves:

 

(A) first walking around the house and deleting all devices - this takes at least one day for 2x people 

(B) factory resetting the controller and doing whatever firmware updates etc to get it back to a blank canvas

(C) adding back every device - this takes at least one day for 2x people

(D) then all the config of devices, scenes, panels etc etc

 

If I can merge (A) and (C) into one step it will speed up the process considerably.

 

 

What would happen if I tried to include a device onto a system where the devices was already included on another system?

(1) I assume it wouldn't work right, so I expect in merging (A) and (C), after completing step (B) I would just do an exclusion of the device first and then include it, if it includes and had a new device ID assigned then I assume it has worked and the settings from the previous build have been overwritten.

(2) If it is possible to add the device to the new system, after completing step (B), even though it hasn't been excluded from the old/original system, this would be EVEN better as the config that I have set for each device would remain --- this would be the best / fastest rebuild option. I would save days of work, literally.

 

Any thoughts on (1) and (2)?

 

 

[petergebruers 1,268]

7 minutes ago, amilanov said:

My usual COMPLETE rebuild (from memory) involves:

It seems... Like me... You have done at least one complete rebuild... It is doable, but it is no fun with 100 devices, would you agree?

 

8 minutes ago, amilanov said:

(A) first walking around the house and deleting all devices - this takes at least one day for 2x people 

(B) factory resetting the controller and doing whatever firmware updates etc to get it back to a blank canvas

(C) adding back every device - this takes at least one day for 2x people

(D) then all the config of devices, scenes, panels etc etc

Yes... I'd start by adding mains powered devices to get good mesh... Also try to use NWI to include "far away nodes" so you do not have to bring the HC closer to the device to get inclusion to work...

 

10 minutes ago, amilanov said:

What would happen if I tried to include a device onto a system where the devices was already included on another system?

That cannot be done. You'll have to exclude it first. Or factory reset. But "factory reset" IMHO is a bit more difficult because of all the different procedures. If the node is "out of reach" of the controller, you cannot "exclude" it and you'll have to find the factory reset procedure.

 

I recommend to remove all devices before you erase the controller because your HC will tell if if everything got properly removed. To avoid issues later.

 

Indeed, you bring up a good point when you say "this would be EVEN better as the config that I have set for each device would remain" AFAIK that is not possible. You'll have to exclude (or reset) devices so they will get default parameters. This means, you'll have to document parameters, eg switch type "toggle" or "momentary" (although that one is pretty easy to spot) or "Parameter 40 Illuminance report" on an FGMS before you decide to "start from scratch" again...