Z-wave controller with ethernet connection to OpenHAB?

[Simon Bodger]

Does anyone have any guidance on a network connected controller that OpenHAB can interface with for Z-wave control? I'm running a virtual machine with Ubuntu to host OpenHAB and it would be much easier to use a network connected controller instead of a USB device.

[Matt Watson]

I'm not sure if the Ethernet Z-Wave interfaces use the same API as the USB/Serial devices.... if they do however, you could simply use socat (http://www.dest-unreach.org/socat/doc/socat.html) to create a file->tcp/udp gateway, then just point openHAB to the file created by socat.

Again though, that is assuming the API is identical.

If its not, you are going to have some work ahead of you, as the current binding is only compatible with usb/serial controllers.

What is your virtualization platform?  Most of them will support device pass-through.

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Matt

[Chris Jackson]

> On 29 May 2015, at 17:47, Matt Watson <ma...@mattgwatson.ca> wrote:
>
> I'm not sure if the Ethernet Z-Wave interfaces use the same API as the USB/Serial devices….

Is there such a thing (other than boxes like Vera etc)? I’ve never seen an Ethernet to ZWave interface other than a full up home automation controller but if you know of any please point me at the link as this would be something that could be looked at for the OH2 binding which should support multiple interfaces.

Chris

[Matt Watson]

HomeSeer makes a Z-NET, its quite pricey at $149 though - http://store.homeseer.com/store/HomeSeer-Z-NET-Remote-Z-Wave-Interface-P1902.aspx

Sigma also has the Z/IP / ZIPR reference design that looks like it might be exactly that, a IP->ZWave interface: http://z-wave.sigmadesigns.com/docs/brochures/ZIPR_br.pdf  Don't quote me on that though, i'm not clear on if that's exactly what this is.

I have a funny feeling the HomeSeer device is HomeSeer-proprietary though, I don't think its using that Sigma Z/IP design.  The HomeSeer device has USB ports on it, which makes me think its got a little bit more to it.  I'd guess its a small ARM chip with the standard Sigma ZM5202 PCB and probably some very basic software to do the IP->Serial protocol conversion.    If this truly is the case, then to anybody that would ever consider it -  a Wink hub could be purchased for $50, you'd need to root it, but with a little bit of programming you could do the same thing & also gain access to Lutron, ZigBee, and Bluetooth LE radios.  I know there is at least one person doing this using socat to remotely access the radio on the Wink hub from openHAB's zwave binding.

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Matt

[Håkan Persson]

You should be able to use an USB over IP adapter if you find one that have Linux drivers (this is an example for windows: http://www.amazon.com/SIIG-USB-over-1-Port-ID-DS0611-S1/dp/B00DQDSK0U )
If you have a spare RPi there seems to be a software that makes it act like a networked USB-port with Linux support: http://store.raspberrypi.com/projects/virtualhere

Or a NAS running: https://www.virtualhere.com/home

[Simon Bodger]

VMware ESXi. I got pass-through working for an Insteon controller so I'm confident a USB device will work for z-wave too. It's more of a ideology thing about not having a physical dependency as it kind of defeats some of the benefits of visualization (fail-over etc).

If I go with a plain old Z-Wave USB stick, is there a "preferred" one for OpenHAB?

Thanks a lot

Simon