Aeotec Help Desk

illumino Dimmer Switch can be used to control other Z-Wave devices wirelessly without the need for a wire in between. It can be used wirelessly to control other Z-Wave devices without having to use the hub. 

This article serves as an expansion of illumino Dimmer Switch user guide as one of its most advanced functions in an attempt to explain all aspects of illumino Dimmer Switches group association advanced control. 

What is Group Association?

Group Association is a specific function in Z-Wave that allows you to tell the Z-Wave device what devices it can speak to directly. 

Some devices may only have 1 group association meant for the gateway, or multiple group associations that can be used for specific pre-programmed controls (varies between devices and manufacturers). This type of function isn't used too often, but when it is available, you may be able to use it to directly communicate to Z-Wave devices instead of controlling a scene within a gateway which can have undesirable delays.

Some gateways have the ability to set Group Associations to devices that have these special events and functions. 

For illumino Dimmer Switch's case, it can speak directly to the devices it is associated with for directly toggling On/Off/Dim controls without communicating to the gateway, then have gateway relay the command to the Z-Wave devices.

For example:

• Using Group associations will talk directly to a Z-Wave device, this will process less than 1 second usually within 10-100ms.
• Triggering a scene, a device will need to update its status to your gateway, then have the gateway process the status update then send an action or change to a Z-Wave device based on the trigger. Sometimes there may be delays if your gateway is already processing other data which can cause some noticeable delays from time to time. 

How many devices you can control?

For illumino Dimmer Switch, you can control 5 devices per Group in its Group Association Command Class for a total of 40 separate devices over button over 8 different Groups. Realistically, you will only use some of the slots, but it is possible to do so and have a single illumino Dimmer Switch control 40 devices directly. 

The different groups give you plenty of options on how you would like illumino Dimmer Switch to control your devices.

A checklist before assigning devices to Groups.

Group association is possibly one of the more complicated functions of Z-Wave itself. What group association can do varies between Z-Wave devices and manufacturers. 

General checklist:

• The security level between illumino Dimmer Switch and the associated Z-Wave device must use the same Z-Wave security level. So if illumino Dimmer Switch is connected as an S2 Authenticated secure device, the Z-Wave device associated must also be S2 Authenticated security level. 
  
  There are 4 security levels in Z-Wave:
  • Non-security (unencrypted)
  • S0 Security
  • S2 Unauthenticated
  • S2 Authenticated
• Z-Wave Dimmers associated with illumino Dimmer Switch must support Multilevel Switch V3 as V3 adds in the commands "Start Change Level" and "Stop Change Level" for dimming. 

How do you program Group Association?

This part is much more difficult, and in some cases may not be possible depending on the Z-Wave Hub that you are using. We will list a few hubs and known methods/steps to programming Group Association below that have outlined steps to associating devices. 

Hubs confirmed to support Group Association. 

• Aeotec AutoPilot
• Z-WaveJS to MQTT

Other external information and sources. 

• Vesternet - Associating Devices in Z-Wave Controllers

If you're not sure if your hub has the capability to program group association, please reach out to our support team who should be able to help lead you through if it is possible.

illumino Dimmer Switch group association and what they do.

The illumino Dimmer Switch has 2 buttons that can perform a multitude of functions per button. Top or bottom buttons can act as only up or down dimming, or you can utilize the top or bottom buttons individually to control other Z-Wave devices directly without a Z-Wave hub needing to process each command.

The external switch that can be optionally connected between Neutral + Traveller terminal can act as a 3rd set of wireless controls for other Z-Wave devices directly. 

Below is a table of usable Group's in illumino Dimmer Switch group association and what each group does:

tldr;

• Group 1 is primarily to determine where it sends its status to the controller.
  
• Group 2 + 3 allows the top button to control other Z-Wave devices on/off or dim (respectively).
• Group 4 + 5 allows the bottom button to control other  Z-Wave devices on/off or dim (respectively).
• Group 6 + 7 allows the connected external switch connected to control other Z-Wave devices on/off or dim (respectively).
• Group 8 + 9 allows the top and bottom button to control other Z-Wave devices ON/dim up only, and the bottom button OFF/dim down only.