Inovelli - Product Ideas & Suggestions

[Teken]

I wanted to start a new thread in hopes of bringing attention to a new American Z-Wave hardware maker named Inovelli. Their main web site can be found here which covers the initial product offerings: https://inovelli.com/ I wanted to take this opportunity to suggest ideas and possible future hardware for their consideration.

 

I've been heavily invested and involved in the environmental and energy monitoring / energy management space for many years. For the longest time neither of these aspects were covered by very many hardware vendors. Those that did offer products that covered environmental / energy offered what best could be described as lack luster.

 

What I would like to see are highly accurate, flexible, and integrated solutions that offer value to the Home Automation space. Specifically the Home Automation space needs methods to use Analog I/O sensors for environmental monitoring. There have been a few *Jack of all trades master of none* solutions that offer the ability to monitor: Light, Temp, Humidity, Pressure, Movement, etc.

 

A great example of a Z-Wave temperature sensor is seen in this forum post: https://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/17513-fibaro-fgk-101-doorwindow-sensor-plus-temp/page-3?hl=1-wire&do=findComment&comment=218155

 

More specifically this piece of hardware: https://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/17513-fibaro-fgk-101-doorwindow-sensor-plus-temp/?p=157366

 

I truly believe if Inovelli offered a multi 1-Wire sensor that could measure both temperature a humidity this would be a new revenue stream for them in terms of product sales. Another option is to use the extremely flexible, low power, and highly accurate Bosch BME280 or its variant: https://www.bosch-sensortec.com/bst/products/all_products/bme280

 

It should be noted there needs to be two versions battery vs 120 VAC to meet use case and needs of the customers. I prefer a 120 VAC unit that comes with a battery back up to offer short term interruption. 

 

With respect to energy monitoring & energy management this area has been championed by a handful of vendors from Aeotec etc. The problem with all of the vendors is the lack of accuracy and compensation factor. Meaning there needs to be a a method to enter the line voltage to compensate for real world conditions which obviously needs to adjust itself to that ever change in line voltage.

 

I am looking for any switch / outlet that offers the ability to measure and tell me the following accurately: Line voltage, power, KWh, current / amps, PF, low, mid, high of all of the above. Track how long something has been on, off etc. There are enough *Also Rans* in the market place so we don't need another!!

 

I am more than willing to pay that extra for a highly accurate, flexible, and integrated switch / outlet that offers these features. By all means offer a lower paired down version to help fund the more advanced version. This is done all the time in every industry we can all relate to a 4 / 6 banger Mustang!!

 

Which outsold the 8 cylinder Mustang by 100 fold . . .

 

Lastly, by all means if there are other ideas and concepts I would encourage the UDI forum members to state them here.

 

Thank You! 

 

 

[Eric_Inovelli]

Good evening,

 

First, wow... thank you so much for the warm welcome! I honestly can't say thank you enough -- everyone has been so kind to me in this forum! I came here simply to just monitor whether or not people were having any issues with our products and have since been overwhelmed with the positivity and passion you all possess. It's actually quite exciting and refreshing as I don't always experience that in other communities. So, thank you!

 

With that said, let me give you all a quick background on us and our story so you can get a better idea on us, what we stand for and what we're looking forward to in terms of Home Automation. Hopefully it doesn't bore you all, but at least it will help ground us all as a team.

 

Quick Background on Myself (Eric)

Currently, I live in Kalamazoo, MI (although, it's about this time every year where I'd like to live somewhere else due to the impending snow) and have enjoyed home automation for about 3 years now (I know, I'm a rookie compared to some of you -- but hey, we have to start somewhere). It really started when I was vacationing in Florida over the holiday's and I thought there had to be a way to control my furnace from down there as I was wasting a ton of energy keeping the house warm (so, I think we come from a similar energy management @Teken). Enter Nest -- my first smart home product. 

 

From there, I became intrigued on what else was possible in the HA realm and started tinkering with various products and before I knew it, I had an entire "smart" house. I put smart in quotes because half the time it was dumber than it was prior to installing those bulbs/sockets/switches, etc. But I didn't care if it worked or didn't work -- it was just cool to be able to remotely control things. I don't know, it brought out the inner kid in me.

 

How Inovelli Formed

I was actually working on an MBA course where we had to create a marketing plan for a company (could be existing or new) and I chose one of the smart home companies that already existed. After all was said and done and I finished my project, I thought, "you know, this could be something I could actually do myself - I enjoy home automation and I enjoy marketing, I bet I could do this!"

 

The goal of Inovelli when we formed it was and still is to provide the best products, at the best prices, with the best customer service. Yes, I know all companies say that, but the thing is, I'm a smart home user too. I know the astronomical prices I paid for a smart switch (I'm looking at you Quirky Tapt -- RIP) and what they actually cost. I remember opening up, "instructions" for these devices and then spending hours upon hours in various forums and Facebook groups trying to figure out how to get them to work, only to realize that the device didn't have that capability, or it was a different protocol than I needed, etc.

 

So, I'll stop rambling, but I try to put myself back in those shoes I was in when I started and structure my products in a way that can be easily installed, and also offer the best firmware I can based on realtime feedback (I don't purchase 50,000 units like the big guys, so I can typically upgrade my firmware offering quickly if there's no OTA available) and also try to answer my emails as fast as possible as I know the level of frustration there is when your smart home products aren't operating as they should (again, thanks Tapt switches).

 

What I'm Excited About

Honestly, we just brought on one of the smartest engineers out there when it comes to Z-Wave and he has already done some amazing work on the products that have been in market as well as the ones coming out. He understands what can and cannot be done and is able to take feedback and explain it to the product engineers who are actually making these things. It's really exciting to be able to take our products to the next level. I don't see very many truly customizable products out there, so I'm grateful this will be an opportunity area, especially for you all who have a platform where these customizations can be fully utilized.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Ok, whew -- my fingers are exhausted from all that typing. I'll respond to these requests as I can -- please note that I will definitely take them to heart and will pass them on to the engineers. I may also reach out to you individually for further questions. My goal is to be as transparent as possible (without tipping off any competitors  ) but if you ever have any questions or builds on our products, I'm all ears!

 

Have a great night all and @Teken, I'll respond to your temperature suggestion shortly!

 

-Eric

[Teken]

Hello Eric,

 

Given your short time on the forums and interaction I thought it would be nice if a long time UDI forum member started off a thread about your company, products, and services. 

 

The primary goal was to bring awareness of the company & product(s) ~ The secondary reason was to ensure none thought this was a shill Advert from a random person. Some other random product ideas I and many others have wanted and pondered about are these in no specific order of importance or relevance. I'm just throwing out the basic idea not really getting into the specifics to save bandwidth. 

 

- Presence Detection: More specifically something similar to a BLE iBeacon but based on the Z-Wave protocol. What I envision is something small & portable that uses a long lasting coin / A123 cell. A person can place said device say in a vehicle to determine *Home / Away*. This would allow them to automate what ever conditions / scenes they wished.

 

I don't believe Z-Wave has the ability like iBeacons to increase / decrease its signal strength to offer finer grain location awareness. But if it does that's great and would surely benefit many here who have been looking for a Plug & Play presence detector.

 

- Multi-Media Module (MMM): I can tell you with high confidence if you offer a module that can accept MP3, WAV, FLAC, etc that can be used as a Annunciator / Speaker / Alert Module. You will have a freaking gold mine that will forever keep on giving year over year. Take any siren, door chime, from Insteon / Aeotoc and expand on this basic concept.

 

But make it a 120 VAC with a back up battery to ensure it operates during a grid down event. Offer the ability to input as stated what ever sound file that can be accessed based on what ever condition(s) that person wants. Door bell rings it can make a ding / dong, or speak door bell has been activated in the front / back yard. Garage door left open? GDO is opening up? The temperature in X room is dropping below X?

 

Obviously this is a multi-channel device to allow the user to access and invoke what ever pre-recorded sound file. This device would also have a multi-colore LED that could also be linked to any specific sound file / condition. The LED could be made to strobe, blink, alternate colors etc. Add in a motion sensor in it? Sure why not then it can speak what it is you want that is defined etc.

 

This device is no where to be seen in the open market place and I assure you people will buy them in droves!!

 

- Power / Voltage Detector 120 / 240:  This product would monitor the line voltage and record the low, mid, high. It would alert the user if the defined value was met, exceeded, etc. It would alert the user if line voltage was lost / restored think: Fridge, Freezer, Sump, what ever is important to a user and his use case. This could be linked to the (MMM) Multi Media Module!    Added points to add a cheap siren / strobe / LED warning indicator from green *Good to go voltage is present* Red voltage lost or condition has exceeded defined threshold.

 

Yes a back up battery when the power is lost ~ doesn't help if there's no power how will it send that alert? Local notification because sometimes its just a stupid GFCI that has tripped and isn't the whole house / branch circuit.

[asbril]

Eric,

 

I just bought the dual plug to show my support for your development.  Keep the new products coming.

[danbutter]

I'd love to see a zwave plus module that works in the cold. I have issues with a zwave lock and lights on an outbuilding when it gets cold.

[Eric_Inovelli]

I'd love to see a zwave plus module that works in the cold. I have issues with a zwave lock and lights on an outbuilding when it gets cold.

Hey Dan -- how cold are we talking? I live in Michigan and the winters can get brutal. We're about to launch an outdoor module that has been tested to -30C (-22F) and went through and achieved the IP65 rating (so it will work in the rain/snow, etc). 

 

Were you looking for something to bridge the gap between the lights and lock?

Eric,

 

I just bought the dual plug to show my support for your development.  Keep the new products coming.

Awesome, thanks so much! I sincerely appreciate it and look forward to hearing how you like it and/or how we can improve it!

[Eric_Inovelli]

HI, Eric,

 

I can't emphasize enough how much we appreciate having a provider here. I am certainly looking forward to working with the Inovelli devices and with you personally. I'm impressed with the Z-Wave dimmer module and it's already in service. 

 

Best regards,

 

Gary Funk

The feeling is mutual Gary -- I've never received this much of a warm welcome, so I'm extremely humbled to be here. I'm looking forward to working together on developing products that actually can reach their full firmware potential with everyone.

 

I'm going to have my engineer also monitor this page so he can add in any comments as necessary as he's definitely a wizard when it comes to Z-Wave. I feel he'll be in good hands with you all as well!

[Eric_Inovelli]

Hello Eric,

 

Given your short time on the forums and interaction I thought it would be nice if a long time UDI forum member started off a thread about your company, products, and services. 

 

The primary goal was to bring awareness of the company & product(s) ~ The secondary reason was to ensure none thought this was a shill Advert from a random person. Some other random product ideas I and many others have wanted and pondered about are these in no specific order of importance or relevance. I'm just throwing out the basic idea not really getting into the specifics to save bandwidth. 

 

- Presence Detection: More specifically something similar to a BLE iBeacon but based on the Z-Wave protocol. What I envision is something small & portable that uses a long lasting coin / A123 cell. A person can place said device say in a vehicle to determine *Home / Away*. This would allow them to automate what ever conditions / scenes they wished.

 

I don't believe Z-Wave has the ability like iBeacons to increase / decrease its signal strength to offer finer grain location awareness. But if it does that's great and would surely benefit many here who have been looking for a Plug & Play presence detector.

 

- Multi-Media Module (MMM): I can tell you with high confidence if you offer a module that can accept MP3, WAV, FLAC, etc that can be used as a Annunciator / Speaker / Alert Module. You will have a freaking gold mine that will forever keep on giving year over year. Take any siren, door chime, from Insteon / Aeotoc and expand on this basic concept.

 

But make it a 120 VAC with a back up battery to ensure it operates during a grid down event. Offer the ability to input as stated what ever sound file that can be accessed based on what ever condition(s) that person wants. Door bell rings it can make a ding / dong, or speak door bell has been activated in the front / back yard. Garage door left open? GDO is opening up? The temperature in X room is dropping below X?

 

Obviously this is a multi-channel device to allow the user to access and invoke what ever pre-recorded sound file. This device would also have a multi-colore LED that could also be linked to any specific sound file / condition. The LED could be made to strobe, blink, alternate colors etc. Add in a motion sensor in it? Sure why not then it can speak what it is you want that is defined etc.

 

This device is no where to be seen in the open market place and I assure you people will buy them in droves!!

 

- Power / Voltage Detector 120 / 240:  This product would monitor the line voltage and record the low, mid, high. It would alert the user if the defined value was met, exceeded, etc. It would alert the user if line voltage was lost / restored think: Fridge, Freezer, Sump, what ever is important to a user and his use case. This could be linked to the (MMM) Multi Media Module!    Added points to add a cheap siren / strobe / LED warning indicator from green *Good to go voltage is present* Red voltage lost or condition has exceeded defined threshold.

 

Yes a back up battery when the power is lost ~ doesn't help if there's no power how will it send that alert? Local notification because sometimes its just a stupid GFCI that has tripped and isn't the whole house / branch circuit.

 

Whew! These are excellent ideas and I sincerely thank you for taking the time out to write them! Let me pass this on to the guys and see what we can come up with. I may be PM'ing you for more info as the time comes. I can tell you I'd love to come up with a reliable presence detection, that's for sure. 

 

The Power Voltage would be awesome too -- I swore Aeotec made one at one point, but I'll have to double check. They make some incredible stuff so I wouldn't be surprised.

 

Love the MMM too -- that sounds like a big undertaking, but you know what they say, "no risk, no reward"!

[danbutter]

Hey Dan -- how cold are we talking? I live in Michigan and the winters can get brutal. We're about to launch an outdoor module that has been tested to -30C (-22F) and went through and achieved the IP65 rating (so it will work in the rain/snow, etc). 

 

Were you looking for something to bridge the gap between the lights and lock?

Exactly, although I also use it to control a floodlight. The last zwave plus module I had out there quit working somewhere in the 20's F. So that should be overkill and work great for me.

[giomania]

If we only had that ISY Z-Wave Plus module...Michele???

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[kohai]

I'm going to buy one to try with my Christmas lights (indoor decorations).  Last year I bought some leviton but for some reason the pricing and models have changed.  I think a low, competitive price is an opportunity right now.  

[Eric_Inovelli]

I'm going to buy one to try with my Christmas lights (indoor decorations).  Last year I bought some leviton but for some reason the pricing and models have changed.  I think a low, competitive price is an opportunity right now.  

Awesome! I know I'm biased, but I use the 2-Channel for my Christmas tree lights every year.

 

In addition, we'll be launching an outdoor version this week and next (1-Channel arrives this Wednesday and 2-Channel will be live in a couple weeks) which is super exciting as we'll all be hanging our outdoor lights around Thanksgiving.

 

Anyway, thanks so much for your support

[paulbates]

Hi Eric. There are 2 key product requirements for my existing Insteon system that have prevented me from going to z-wave, in general, from Insteon:

1. Instant, local statuses from the device when its manually switched on, to the controller. Single and double tap. This is has been part of Insteon since it came out 10 years ago and has sometimes been "lost" for those switching over. I don't want to replace switches to have to replace them again until I find something that works.
    
2. Lack of a flexible, functional, and end user friendly keypad device like the Insteon one. If you look at the manual in depth; the Insteon keypad can be 6 or 8 button, the buttons can be put in coordinated groups, and toggle modes configured. I have 5 of these currently with custom labeled buttons and they provide simplicity with control when used with the ISY. They've been great for solving automation requests from my wife. Maybe these exist in zwave, but I haven't seen them.
   • Trying to migrate my system to zwave without a comparable keypad will mean creating cumbersome "Rube Goldberg" scenarios with regular switches. Nobody will be happy with big steps backwards.
   • Leviton has some horribly expensive four button toggle switches that look almost identical to their 15 year old X10 product. There is no way I'd spend that much, to go backwards after using the Insteon keypad. (Not even sure if the ISY supports them)
   • I'm not asking for a patent violation, but there is a big, open space there to be filled and filling it makes migration to z-wave compelling for me. 

I'll join others in thanking you for you logging in here personally and your direct support of this community.

 

Paul

 

Anyway, thanks so much for your support

[asbril]

Hi Eric. There are 2 key product requirements for my existing Insteon system that have prevented me from going to z-wave, in general, from Insteon:

1. Instant, local statuses from the device when its manually switched on, to the controller. Single and double tap. This is has been part of Insteon since it came out 10 years ago and has sometimes been "lost" for those switching over. I don't want to replace switches to have to replace them again until I find something that works.

    

2. Lack of a flexible, functional, and end user friendly keypad device like the Insteon one. If you look at the manual in depth; the Insteon keypad can be 6 or 8 button, the buttons can be put in coordinated groups, and toggle modes configured. I have 5 of these currently with custom labeled buttons and they provide simplicity with control when used with the ISY. They've been great for solving automation requests from my wife. Maybe these exist in zwave, but I haven't seen them.
   • Trying to migrate my system to zwave without a comparable keypad will mean creating cumbersome "Rube Goldberg" scenarios with regular switches. Nobody will be happy with big steps backwards.
   • Leviton has some horribly expensive four button toggle switches that look almost identical to their 15 year old X10 product. There is no way I'd spend that much, to go backwards after using the Insteon keypad. (Not even sure if the ISY supports them)
   • I'm not asking for a patent violation, but there is a big, open space there to be filled and filling it makes migration to z-wave compelling for me. 

I'll join others in thanking you for you logging in here personally and your direct support of this community.

 

Paul

YES a well working keypad would be a great addition. Somewhere in a box I have an Enerwave 7 button keypad (   https://www.amazon.com/Enerwave-ZWN-SC7-Controller-7-Button-REQUIRED/dp/B00RY4LP5Y  ) that did not work with my ISY when I got it. I have not yet tried it with 5.0.10 but something like this would be nice.

[Teken]

YES a well working keypad would be a great addition. Somewhere in a box I have an Enerwave 7 button keypad ( https://www.amazon.com/Enerwave-ZWN-SC7-Controller-7-Button-REQUIRED/dp/B00RY4LP5Y ) that did not work with my ISY when I got it. I have not yet tried it with 5.0.10 but something like this would be nice.

That's not a bad looking multi switch. Sadly, it still doesn't come even close to Insteons KPL. I'm pretty surprised none of the multi billion dollar corporations haven't tried to offer one that mimics the Insteon version.

 

It's clearly wanted and needed in Insteon. Maybe the demand isn't the same in Z-Wave?!? The current multi button Z-Wave offerings honestly look to be from 1980 dollar store generics!

[kck]

Actually what I'd love to see is a reasonably priced version of the touchscreen wall switch that I built from a Pi and Touchscreen.  Even at retail pricing of the parts it can be constructed for under $50 which I'd think means a company could profitably built and market one for well under $100 (i.e., competitively to KPLs).  The only thing you'd lose compared to the KPL is tactile experience but in return you'd get ultimate flexibility in terms of buttons, appearance, and overall capability.  Heck - they could even take my software since it's open source if they wanted to get a jump start.  I'm happy with mine but I'm a hobbiest and mine isn't a product but at this point in the cost/capability curve for hardware I think a real touchscreen wall unit would make a lot of sense in the market.

[Teken]

Actually what I'd love to see is a reasonably priced version of the touchscreen wall switch that I built from a Pi and Touchscreen. Even at retail pricing of the parts it can be constructed for under $50 which I'd think means a company could profitably built and market one for well under $100 (i.e., competitively to KPLs). The only thing you'd lose compared to the KPL is tactile experience but in return you'd get ultimate flexibility in terms of buttons, appearance, and overall capability. Heck - they could even take my software since it's open source if they wanted to get a jump start. I'm happy with mine but I'm a hobbiest and mine isn't a product but at this point in the cost/capability curve for hardware I think a real touchscreen wall unit would make a lot of sense in the market.

Kevin,

 

Your generosity is incredible.

 

Thank You Sir!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MWareman]

Actually what I'd love to see is a reasonably priced version of the touchscreen wall switch that I built from a Pi and Touchscreen. Even at retail pricing of the parts it can be constructed for under $50 which I'd think means a company could profitably built and market one for well under $100 (i.e., competitively to KPLs). The only thing you'd lose compared to the KPL is tactile experience but in return you'd get ultimate flexibility in terms of buttons, appearance, and overall capability. Heck - they could even take my software since it's open source if they wanted to get a jump start. I'm happy with mine but I'm a hobbiest and mine isn't a product but at this point in the cost/capability curve for hardware I think a real touchscreen wall unit would make a lot of sense in the market.

Kind of like a Wink Relay, but zwave and with a fully custom UI that we can fully customize, as well as post status to via an API...

[Teken]

There is a need for a remote Z-Wave web enabled multi strip power bar which offers the following options and features:

 

- Independent 8~12 outlets

- WiFi / Ethernet

- RTC (Real Time Clock)

- NTP time polling from multiple sources

- Scheduling / calendar / Timers for DST and other use cases

- Energy monitoring of each circuit indicating watts, amps, PF, KWH, voltage

- Supports: REST, SOAP, HTTP, UDP, SNMP, / Open API

- Built in email / sms client

- Options to return to last known state, on, off, cycle independently of each outlet

- Delay start of outlets in sequence

- Auto Ping a device to see if its still on line / alive

- LCD Display to relay status, operations, time, date, etc

- On board (local) switching of each outlet from on, off, cycle, delay

- Ring Status: Having the ability to assign colors to indicate a state would be fantastic

 

I have eight Digital Loggers which offer these same features but sadly they are rather expensive. I also have many other 3rd party web enabled remote switches which offer similar if not more features. One of the major failings of these switches is not having the ability to schedule an outlet to cycle power based on DST roll forward / backwards.

 

If your fine company is able to produce such a product which hits the sub $75.00 USD mark. I can assure you this will be yet another money maker for the company along with filling a huge gap in the market place. Of course its important to offer surge protection, low energy (below 2 watts consumption), and reliable hardware.

 

Because this would fill a Enterprise role its important to offer a solid 5 year warranty.

[Teken]

I've been working on a digital reader board with a company during their Alpha trials for a while. The ideal and concept is quite simple you have something you want to know about this digital display will render the same on this wall mounted frame. The device will have a open API and various I/O's to connect physically and wirelessly to support BLE, WiFi 2.4 & 5.0 AC, Ethernet, and Serial.

 

It will offer support via smart application, local internal web browser, and IFTTT & Stringify.

 

I would encourage your company to offer a much simpler display that is the size of credit card. This of course would be Z-Wave Generation 5 Plus enabled but also support WiFi to ensure the highest compatibility and market penetration. The use case is being able to *At a glance* see and know the status of various pieces of hardware in and around the home.

 

A working example such as these in no specific order of importance or relevance:

 

- Leak Sensor: Visually see all the current states of wet vs dry.

- Windows & Doors: Visually see the current states of open vs closed.

- GDO: Visually see the current state of open vs closed.

- Temperature & Humidity: Visually see the metrics for those sensors in various zones.

- Energy: Visually see the watts, amps, KWH, voltage, current, low, high metrics. 

 

There is nothing like this *Visual Reader Board* anywhere on the market. This would be a game changer and if it supported a open API to allow other third party appliances and hardware it would be a money maker for the company. The device should support both line and battery to offer the user the best deployment that meets their needs.

 

The device should offer a method to assign tones, beeps, or even better custom MP3 files to represent what ever the user desires. The intent of the *Reader Board* for me is for a global view for the entire family. The smaller version of this product would be placed in locations where I needed specific zone awareness. 

[lilyoyo1]

Welcome to the forums. I'd love to see a receptacle (I'm not a fan of wall worts) with some type of sense circuitry that can detect the state of something that is plugged on

[Teken]

This is a campaign that failed but the concept is very sound which you can see here: https://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/22960-dot-the-other-one/ I can say if your company wanted to take a chance on something that has legs this is it. Based on the backers in this small segment its clear there is a demand for such a product. If your company can offer the very same but execute well and sell it for sub $25.XX it would sell millions.

 

Key take away's for this product are these in no specific order of importance or relevance:

 

- Small form factor using high quality materials

- Multi-color LED which can be programmed and assigned to reflect what ever condition or meaning

- Long battery life of at least 12 months using common lithium button cells

- Include a multi-tone beeper for extra signaling

- OTA so any firmware can be pushed with out issues

- 2.4 / 5.0 WiFi, BLE, Z-Wave supported

- Pro Model: Using e-ink displays which consume extremely low amounts of energy which render simple icons, symbols, words.

- This device is a multi-function device which can be pressed, heard, seen, maybe felt? vibrator?    

[asbril]

I'd like to share my experience today with a Inovelli switch. 

 

Over the past few years I had replaced every light in  my home with Zwave. I encountered a problem with a 3-way in my hallway because one of the switch boxes was too small to accomodate the companion switch with no way to make the box larger because of the concrete wall. As such I had to protrude the switch from the wall with an extender box and it did not look nice.

 

A few days ago I read about the Inovelly 3-way setup which allows the Zwave on/off switch to work as 3-way with an ordinary (non-Zwave) switch. This has been successful and now the switch fits again in the switchbox. Not only does it work well, but the Inovelli switch is cheaper than either a GE/Jasco or Homeseer switch, and it is Zwave Plus as well. Furthermore you do not need to buy the companion switch, in other words a savings of about $ 30.

 

Initially I was unable to include the switch into ISY but then I read on the Inovelli website that I should try to first exclude and then include by pressing the top of the switch six times rapidly.  That did the job.

[MWareman]

Does the Inovelli support instant status to ISY, both when controlled from the zwave switch itself and when the light is controlled from a wired three-way (I love that you don’t have to program companions - it means you don’t need a scene...)

 

I’m considering choosing between Inovelli and the HS switches, and I think I’m favoring these - but instant status is a requirement...

[asbril]

I am

 

Does the Inovelli support instant status to ISY, both when controlled from the zwave switch itself and when the light is controlled from a wired three-way (I love that you don’t have to program companions - it means you don’t need a scene...)

I’m considering choosing between Inovelli and the HS switches, and I think I’m favoring these - but instant status is a requirement...

I am almost sure that they are instant status (when manually switched). At least the status changes in my ISY and if I am not mistaken (?) Zwave Plus includes instant status reporting anyway.

BTW I am a fan of HS switches and they are soon coming out with a new series that include additional features, but Inovelli is a real alternative and for sure also cheaper. In this particular situation, the Inovelli switch was a no brainer for me.