Fibaro Movement/Multi Sensor does not seem to work

Just_A_User

I have a Fibaro multi sensor, this one: 

https://www.robbshop.nl/fibaro-bewegings-sensor-met-z-wave-plus?sqr=fibaro&;

I have added it to Homey, it has been detected, and so on. I have placed this Sensor at the top of the stairs, so it picks up movement if someone walks downstairs. I have created the following flow: 


Now, I have NOT changed any settings of the sensor itself; they are as they were since I connected it to Homey: 




The flow does not work, in that it does not turn on the light, and it also does not send a message to my phone. 

When testing this flow, the light is turned on and a message is sent to my phone, but since there is no actual movement, I can not test that part. As I said, when I test it for real, the sensor sees movement. The 'eye' flashes blue, but that does not result in the light being turned on. 

What am I doing wrong? 

Rocodamelshe

Can u try to delete the middle colom and then try again?
That way we can see where it goes wrong maybe.

Just_A_User

Rocodamelshe said:

Can u try to delete the middle colom and then try again?
That way we can see where it goes wrong maybe.

Hang on, will try. 

Just_A_User

Rocodamelshe said:

Can u try to delete the middle colom and then try again?
That way we can see where it goes wrong maybe.

Tried it, does not work. Same thing happens. The sensor flashes blue, but the light does not turn on. I also do NOT get a message on my phone. 

Rocodamelshe

Then the sensor can be out of reach maybe?

Just_A_User

Rocodamelshe said:

Then the sensor can be out of reach maybe?

I'm afraid I don't understand you. You mean out of reach of the Homey? or what? That would be weird by the way, because the distance is not that great. 

Just_A_User

Rocodamelshe said:

Then the sensor can be out of reach maybe?

I have the sensor here now at the table. Homey is about 8 meters away in the living room. I have changed the flow to turn on a lamp connected to a KaKu unit AND send a message to my phone. 

Does not work. If I use the test button, the light goes on and the message is sent to my phone, but I can freakin' dance in front of the sensor, which lights blue ever so often, but nothing happens. 

Rocodamelshe

And can u define "not that great"? Like on top of the stairs is not really close to Homey me guess? And how many non-battery powered Zwave devices u have running? Maybe a pic of ur Zwave Mesh network?

Just_A_User

Rocodamelshe said:

And can u define "not that great"? Like on top of the stairs is not really close to Homey me guess? And how many non-battery powered Zwave devices u have running? Maybe a pic of ur Zwave Mesh network?

I can. Its on the top of the stairs in a windowframe. From downstairs to that point is about 3 meters. From the bottom of the stairs to Homey is about, 5 or 6 meters. That would make a total of 9 meters. If I stand at the point where Homey is located I can look into the hallway, and I can almost see the top of the stairs. So it's not that far away. I would expect it to work on that range, easily. 

Now I have the sensor here in the kitchen, which is about the same distance to Homey (9 meters) and even has a direct line of sight, and it still does not work. 

Non-battery powered Zwave devices? This sensor IS battery powered. There are no other non-battery powered devices, and only 2 other battery powered Z-Wave devices. 

Rocodamelshe

Then try 4 meters and check again if it works if u please?

Just_A_User

Rocodamelshe said:

Then try 4 meters and check again if it works if u please?

Hang on. 

Just_A_User

Just_A_User said:

Rocodamelshe said:

Then try 4 meters and check again if it works if u please?

Hang on. 

Does not work. The strangest thing just happened to. I picked up the sensor from the table (still 9 meters away from Homey), and it turned on  the light and sent the message to my phone. Then I went with the sensor to 4 meters away, nothing. Then I went right next to the Homey. Nothing. 

I also can NOT reproduce it at the kitchen table. It just now turned on the light when I picked up the sensor, but I have tried to repeat that over 10 times now already. Nothing. 

Rocodamelshe

Plz keep in mind to leave the sensor alone for at least 30 seconds before he can yell movement again. It's in the settings of ur sensor (annuleringsperiode)

Just_A_User

Rocodamelshe said:

Plz keep in mind to leave the sensor alone for at least 30 seconds before he can yell movement again. It's in the settings of ur sensor (annuleringsperiode)

I know. The sensor flashes green when it sees movement, but it does not turn on the light. It worked 1 time, so obviously the thing CAN communicate with Homey and as a result execute the flow, but it seems like it's...I don't know, extremely insensitive or something, however, the sensitivy setting is pretty high, so I would expect this to work much easier than it currently does. 

Rocodamelshe

It flashes 1 time short when he is resuming the movement. That way it keeps the movement ON, not sending a ON signal to Homey. When is flashes 1 time long, the signal should be sent to Homey.

Just_A_User

Rocodamelshe said:

It flashes 1 time short when he is resuming the movement. That way it keeps the movement ON, not sending a ON signal to Homey. When is flashes 1 time long, the signal should be sent to Homey.

Apparently it is the distance after all, or something is blocking the signal. I removed the sensor from Homey, reset the sensor and re-added it. After that, the sensor works perfectly....as long as the thing is in the living room. As soon as I step out of the living room, it stops working. It does not work at the top of the stairs, but it also does not at the bottom of the stairs. 

The weird thing is that it does not work, but my front door has a Fibaro door sensor 2, which is also Z-Wave, and THAT works perfectly, even though it is further away from Homey as the motion sensor is at the bottom of the stairs. 

Since both devices have Z-Wave, it should work for both devices, but it doesn't. 

I will try another motion sensor, and tomorrow I will receive my second Fibaro Door Sensor 2, so I will take that upstairs to see if it works. If it does, it has to be the motion sensor?

Rocodamelshe

Well, best thing to do is buy some Fibaro wall plugs (Or other non-battery powered Zwave devices ) which will make a mesh network. That way the range of all ur devices is extended .

Just_A_User

@Rocodamelshe

Wait, what? Those wallplugs extend your network??? I have 2 of those wallplugs, I just haven't plugged them in yet. That actually works? 

That's awesome. I have to look for those things, but I will do that tonight. Maybe that fixes the problem. 

Rocodamelshe

Plz tell us ur findings tonight!

Just_A_User

Rocodamelshe said:

Plz tell us ur findings tonight!

I will. I found those plugs this morning, but did not have the time to fiddle with them. I will try, although there is not really a wall outlet close to where the sensor is located on the stairs, but, I can always try. 

Does this mean I have to start over, or can I just add those wallplugs to Homey, and then plug them in where I want to, and the motion sensor will automatically make contact with whichever wall plug is closest? Or do I have to start all over again and also add the motion sensor AFTER I have added the wallplugs? 

Rocodamelshe

Should make no difference.

Just_A_User

Rocodamelshe said:

Should make no difference.

But I did some reading, and apparently you have to configure the devices so that the sensors/whatever too far away from homey make a connection with a non-battery-powered device, such as a Fibaro Wallplug? If you try to do this with your normal sensors, you can, but it will drain the batteries really quickly. 

So the question becomes. How are those sensors configured out of the box? Because if they do NOT act as a range extender, then it's fine. But those Fibaro Wallplugs I have to configure to act as an extender I guess? So if I have a window sensor in the bedroom, I have to configure it in such a way that the window sensor in the bedroom contacts the fibaro wallplug in the hallway, which then connects to the Homey, or whatever? 

Or are non-battery-powered devices configured out of the box to act as extenders, and battery-powered devices connect to those extenders automatically when in range, without any configuration being necessary? 

danone

Just_A_User said:

Or are non-battery-powered devices configured out of the box to act as extenders, and battery-powered devices connect to those extenders automatically when in range, without any configuration being necessary? 

@Just_A_User Correct! You don't have to do anything basically. Once you have included the z-wave mains powered devices, the magic will happen and the z-wave will create a mesh network. No configuration necessary. Just allow some time for this to happen, maybe few hours... or less. After that you can have a look yourself under Settings-->Z-wave-->Stuff for geeks.

The more mains powered devices you have, the better and stronger the mesh.

Just_A_User

danone said:

Just_A_User said:

Or are non-battery-powered devices configured out of the box to act as extenders, and battery-powered devices connect to those extenders automatically when in range, without any configuration being necessary? 

@Just_A_User Correct! You don't have to do anything basically. Once you have included the z-wave mains powered devices, the magic will happen and the z-wave will create a mesh network. No configuration necessary. Just allow some time for this to happen, maybe few hours... or less. After that you can have a look yourself under Settings-->Z-wave-->Stuff for geeks.

The more mains powered devices you have, the better and stronger the mesh.

A few hours?! Well, ok, if that is what it takes.. 

Yeah, I'm a little bit nervous about going from downstairs to upstairs. Since apparently the top of the stairs is too far away from Homey for the motion Sensor to connect to Z-Wave, and I don't have a wallplug on the stair case, plugging in a wallplug in of trhe bedrooms will also be too far away I guess.

danone

Yeah, I'm a little bit nervous about going from downstairs to upstairs. Since apparently the top of the stairs is too far away from Homey for the motion Sensor to connect to Z-Wave, and I don't have a wallplug on the stair case, plugging in a wallplug in of trhe bedrooms will also be too far away I guess.

Maybe some of the z-wave experts here can correct me if wrong, from my experience, a z-wave powered device (like a plug) has a much better range than Homey itself.
What really helped a lot in my z-wave network, was the Aeotec range extender 6. I have this plugged in a powerpoint just 1 meter away from Homey. Since I plugged it, even the farther battery power device is in Homey's range.

Just_A_User

danone said:

Yeah, I'm a little bit nervous about going from downstairs to upstairs. Since apparently the top of the stairs is too far away from Homey for the motion Sensor to connect to Z-Wave, and I don't have a wallplug on the stair case, plugging in a wallplug in of trhe bedrooms will also be too far away I guess.

Maybe some of the z-wave experts here can correct me if wrong, from my experience, a z-wave powered device (like a plug) has a much better range than Homey itself.
What really helped a lot in my z-wave network, was the Aeotec range extender 6. I have this plugged in a powerpoint just 1 meter away from Homey. Since I plugged it, even the farther battery power device is in Homey's range.

This is interesting. So there is an actual range extender. That´s awesome. I will try the wall plugs tonight. If that does not work, I will buy that Aeotec range extender.

Just_A_User

OK, so I am now using the Fibaro wall plugs. One in the kitchen, the other one in our bedroom. The motion sensor now apparently works at the top of the stairs, at least, the couple of times that I tested it. I also have a window sensor at the windows in the attic, and they also work, so apparently the Z-Wave mesh network is now available in the whole house! 

Rocodamelshe

Now gief pic of the mesh! settings-zwave-stuff for geeks

Just_A_User

Rocodamelshe said:

Now gief pic of the mesh! settings-zwave-stuff for geeks

As you wish  


Number 13 has the name of my wife in it, I erased that  

It's not so much a closet, as it is a whole (smaller) room. 

Rocodamelshe

Very nice, cheers. But.....but.......ur wife has a walk-in closet???

Rocodamelshe

Soon u will have this kind of mesh!