[Help]: Is there a way to send an z-wave Alarm Cancellation Message ?

[dionmes]

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How can we help?

First off, Awesome project. I first used the OpenZWave implementation but this is so much better.
So I have not used my zwave nodes like lights, dimmers etc. as alarm nodes. This because I do not know how to cancel a wave alarm. I know it is possible for zwave nodes to send and/or receive an alarm cancellation, but if I want to create my own manual switch for this (for example via the node-red Dashboard UI), I do not know what type of message to sent.
Anyone got any ideas on this ?

Any more details?

A node-red Home Automation implementation using z-wave nodes, Phillips Hue, wifi devices and media equipment. Dashboard UI and Homekit used to control.

Version

6.1.1

Node-RED Version

2.0.6

What hardware are you using?

Raspberry Pi

Any code to add?

NA

[marcus-j-davies]

HI @dionmes ,

Are you referring to a z-wave siren of sorts?
we first need to define what your 'alarm' is, is it a z-wave siren of some kind?

or are you using your z-wave lights as a strobe of some kind?
I use a z-wave siren, and controlling it is a breaze.

I would also update to 6.2.0 - this has some killer features that allows to streamline all your commands with incredible ease!

[dionmes]

Hi Marcus, going to update this weekend. So the Alarm I am talking about is the specific Alarm Command Class (0x71). A node can generate such an alarm, such as a door sensor or motion sensor, and if I understand correctly this will be broadcasted. And nodes configured to receive this command class like lights and other will respond (like lights connected to a Fibaro zwave switch which will start blinking) . You can see this in the z-wave device configuration.
So I am able to trigger the Alarm via a sensor, and devices will respond, but I do not know how to send an Alarm Cancellation Messages (so these lights will stop blinking, Siren will stop sounding etc.).

[marcus-j-davies]

So,

The CC 0x71 and the Reference to Alarm was deprecated by Zwave Alliance quite some time ago.
0x71 is now called Notification - and its used for many types of notifications.

There are 1000 ways to achieve what you want: Easy -> Not So Easy

NOTE: I am creating the commands manually here, but the new CMD-Factory (6.2.0) - will construct them for you.

Triggering:

1. Just listen for your door being opened or motion being triggered within Node-Red
   • When that happens - send a command to your lights (presumably they have a flash function?)
   • If your lights depend on a notification, send the expected event and type they want, in order to trigger said strobe.

  {
       "mode": "CCAPI",
        "cc": "Notification",
        "method": "sendReport",
        "params": [
             {
                "notificationType": 7, /* Home Security */
                "notificationEvent": 1 /* Intrusion */
             }
         ]
     }

2. Use Associations
   Whilst this works, both devices needs to support each others output messages
   you will use the UI to set this up - it can be very simple or extremely annoying - really depends on your devices

Stopping:

If Using 1:
just send the commands to stop everything (usually the Binary CC) - but it depends on the devices
and if your lights need a notification to stop

  {
       "mode": "CCAPI",
        "cc": "Notification",
        "method": "sendReport",
        "params": [
             {
                "notificationType": 7, /* Home Security */
                "notificationEvent": 0 /* Idle */
             }
         ]
     }

I am using Home Security - but there are loads

If Using 2:
I would have thought the associations would take care of this

How I do it (I only have a siren):

When my motion is triggered I send this to my siren

  {
       "mode": "CCAPI",
        "cc": "Notification",
        "method": "sendReport",
        "params": [
             {
                "notificationType": 7, /* Home Security */
                "notificationEvent": 1 /* Intrusion */
             }
         ]
     }

when I want to stop the alarm, I send this (but I could use idle in a notification - but have never really tried it with my siren).

    {
         "mode": "CCAPI",
          "cc": "Binary Switch",
          "method": "set",
          "params": [false]
       }

see attached notifications types and events

SDS13713-Notification-Command-Class.xlsx

What notification types/events you devices support will be in their manual, as well as there supported CC's obviously.

[marcus-j-davies]

@dionmes ,
I have moved this to a discussion (hope you don't mind)

[dionmes]

Great info Marcus, thx.
So to me it seemed as if the notification message for an alarm is a broadcast instead of an association. From that perspective I do not have to sent an individual message to each node, but just a cancel notification broadcast. And that was what I was looking for, but I can be mistaken here.
I had the idea that is a sensor sends an alarm notification and all the nodes in the network respond to it (even the not directly associated in a group). But I do not want to try this to often because cancelling is such a burden.
But now I might try it by creating that cancel message and wire it to all the nodes.

[marcus-j-davies]

You're almost there.

Here are the possibilities:

Associations: One device sends to other(s) (software/You are not involved - BUT it is to setup the associations prior)
This is quite advanced - not always the easiest (but is supported in the UI)

Multicast: The software/you simply send ONE message to the nodes you want to stop
Can be quite fiddly in some cases - I.e the command you are sending must be supported by target devices

Simple Message per Target Node(s)
Simply send a command for each target node type (lights, sirens) - a device node per group

The latter is by-far the easiest / less headache way
Its best to picture it (My example assumes the same commands are supported by my lights and Siren)

and its using 6.2.0 - with CMD-Factory

[dionmes]

Thank you again for time you put in my question. Maybe the per-device approach might be the best one. But the :

Multicast: The software/you simply send ONE message to the nodes you want to stop
Can be quite fiddly in some cases - I.e the command you are sending must be supported by target devices

Is actually the essence of my question, how do you create such a message and where would you sent it to ? But I will probably go to the per device approach.

[marcus-j-davies]

There is no special message - you set the device node to Multicast - and choose the devices you want to target.
the message will then be sent to those devices using Multicast.

But devices need to all support the passed in command - else it wont work

[crxporter]

I just want to come in real quick and say:

Use the command factory node

All those complicated JSON messages that marcus loves so much... will be created for you!!

[marcus-j-davies]

2nd it 😉

[dionmes]

Now I am curious, gonna look at it this weekend.