How To use the ACT ZIR000 Z-Wave motion sensor with HomeSeer

[rjh]

The ACT ZIR000 Z-Wave motion sensor works quite a bit differently then X10 motion sensors. This "How To" will help you get the sensor working with HomeSeer.

Quick summary:

To program the OFF delay for this device (this is the time that the sensor determines there is NO motion), use a ZTH100 remote, or click the Configure Device link in the device properties from the status page and program the required OFF delay. You cannot use HomeSeer to detect when no motion is detected.

Details:

The sensor has 3 modes, use the default mode, which is the Lighting mode.

The sensor is normally asleep to save battery power. Because of this, HS cannot communicate with it directly. When setting up the sensor, you need to make sure the sensor stays awake. To do this, remove and re-insert the batteries. This will cause the sensor to stay awake for 10 minutes.

At this point, you can set up the sensor.

To install the sensor, install it as you do any other Z-Wave device. There is a button under the cover that you press when requested to add the sensor to your Z-Wave network.

After adding the sensor, it does not report motion to HS or any other device because it does not know who to communicate with. To have it notify HS or any other device you need to use the Z-Wave association feature. When you associate the sensor with another device (or HS), it then knows who to send a command to.

To set up an association, first make sure the sensor is awake, as described above. In HomeSeer, view your devices, find the sensor, then click on its name to view its properties. You will then see buttons to add and remove associations. These buttons are for associating the sensor with HS only. See below for associating the sensor with other devices.

Click on the Add Association button. If successful, the sensor will now be associated with HS. When it detects motion, it will send an ON command to HS, and then the HS devicie will show "Motion".

When the sensor detects motion, it will light its red led under the cover. You will notice that you can wave your hand in front of the sensor and nothing happens! In order to conserve battery power, the sensor only sends one command, when it detects motion. It will not send any more ON commands until it first detects no motion. By default, the delay is 2 minutes. So after 2 minutes of not detecting motion, it will then send an OFF command to HS. To change the OFF delay, you can send a configuration parameter to the sensor, either with the ZTH100 remote, or click on the Configuration link under the device's properties in HS. HS 2.1.162 or later has the configuration link that allows you to set the Off delay.

To associate the sensor with other devices, use the ZTH100 remote, or go into the HS Setup, Interfaces, Manage, and select the sensor from the source drop list, and the device you want to control from the destination list. Then click "Add". HS will set the association for you.

To create events in HS, use the Device Value Change event. Select the sensor, then select "No Motion" if you want to trigger when the sensor detects no motion, or select "Motion" for when it detects motion. Then set the action as desired.

You cannot use the "Has been on for" trigger since the sensor only sends one ON command, when it first detects motion.