Upgrading HomeTroller Zee S2 or HomeTroller Pi to 800 Series Z-Wave
Use this guide to upgrade any HomeTroller Zee S2, Pi or Pi G3 to 800 series Z-Wave technology.
Overview
Users of previous model HomeTrollers (Zee S2, Pi or Pi G3) hubs now have two options to upgrade to the latest 800 series Z-Wave technology:
Option 1: Buy a new HomeTroller Pi G8 and then follow the HomeTroller Pi G8 Migration Guide. (the easy option)
Option 2: Upgrade your existing unit with the new 800 series kit and then follow the steps below (the less easy but more cost effective option)
In this guide, we’ll focus on option 2 with the steps required to upgrade your unit.
Requirements
HomeTroller Zee S2, Pi or Pi G3
500 series upgrade kit (required for HomeTroller Zee S2 and any HomeTroller Pi flashed with Z-Wave SDK 6.51)
ZWave JS UI is required to fully support 800 series Z-Wave controllers. That means you’ll need to upgrade to Z-Wave Plus as part of this process, if you are currently using the legacy Z-Wave plugin.
First Things First
In order to determine the steps required to migrate your Z-Wave network successfully, you’ll need to verify the Z-Wave SDK version of your current HomeTroller.
Units with Z-Wave SDK v6.81 (or higher) will be able to migrate directly to the 800 series controller using only the Z-Wave Plus plugin.
Units with Z-Wave SDK v6.51 will need to be upgraded to SDK v6.81 using the legacy Z-Wave plugin and 500 series upgrade kit before being upgraded to the 800 series controller using the Z-Wave Plus plugin.
Here’s how to determine the Z-Wave SDK of your unit
Using HS4:
With the Z-Wave Plus plugin: Navigate to Plugins > Z-Wave Plus > Z-Wave JS Front-End and check the FW column for node #1 in the Control Panel. The SDK will display there.
With the legacy v4 Z-Wave plugin: Navigate to Plugins > Z-Wave > Device Information and check the Lib Version for node #1.
Lib Version 4.05 = SDK v6.51
Lib Version 6.01 (or higher) = SDK v6.81.x. (or higher)
Alternately, you can examine the Z-Wave module installed into your unit as shown below:
500 Series modules will have a date and revision letter. Those dated 2014 (C & D) are flashed with Z-Wave SDK v6.51. Those dated 2015 (E) are flashed with Z-Wave SDK v6.81.
700 series units will have QR code stickers and will be flashed with Z-Wave SDK 7.1x.
500 Series Module (HAT) | 700 Series Module (HAT) |
|---|---|
 2014=SDK v6.51, 2015=SDK v6.81 |  700 series SDK v7.1x |
Upgrade Procedure
The following steps are for users migrating from older 500 series controllers with SDK v6.51. If your existing controller is running v6.81 or higher, skip to Step #8
Ensure that the legacy V4 Z-Wave plugin is installed and enabled.
Navigate to Plugins > Z-Wave > Advanced Functions and select Backup Interface. Take note of the file name (or rename it if you like) and start the backup.
Remove the older 500 series v6.51 controller and install a newer 500 series v6.81 controller, following these steps:
Disconnect your HomeTroller from the power adapter and network cable (if using Ethernet)
Using a very small Phillips head screwdriver, remove the 4 bolts holding the enclosure together. One of these bolts is only threaded about 1/4” into the enclosure. This is normal.
Open the enclosure and remove the main motherboard. Locate the existing HAT. It will be green colored with a press-fit connector attached to the GPIO pins on the left side of the mother board (as show below). “2014 Rev C (or D)” will be printed on the HAT.
Grip the motherboard firmly and gently pull the HAT upward so that it comes off the pins. It may be necessary to rock it back and forth as you do this. Be careful not to bend the pins.
Now install the newer 500 series HAT by pressing it onto the same GPIO pins that were used for the older HAT. “2015 Rev E” will be printed on the newer HAT.
Reassemble the HomeTroller
Navigate to Plugins > Z-Wave > Manage Interfaces, disable and delete the existing interface, then add a new interface to connect to your newer controller.
Disable, then Enable the V4 plugin to initialize the newer controller.
Navigate to Plugins > Z-Wave > Advanced Functions and select Restore Interface from Backup. Select the backup file that was created in step 2 above and click START. Wait for this process to finish.
Disable the V4 Z-Wave plugin and enable the Z-Wave Plus plugin. Follow the steps in the next section to migrate from the newer 500 series controller to the 800 series controller.
The following steps are for users migrating from newer 500 or 700 series controller with SDK v6.81 or higher.
Ensure that your existing 500 or 700 series Z-Wave controller is connected to your system and working with the Z-Wave Plus plugin. If you’re new to the Z-Wave Plus plugin and have not already set it up, see Setting Up the Z-Wave Plus Plugin
Navigate to Plugins > Z-Wave Plus > Advanced Functions and select Backup Interface. Go through the steps to create your backup file and save it. Remember the name of this file; you’ll need it soon!
Remove the existing 500 or 700 series Z-Wave controller from your system and install the 800 series Z-Wave controller using the same steps outlined the section above. When done, the installed HAT will look like this
Connect the G8 controller to your system using the steps in Setting Up the Z-Wave Plus Plugin
Navigate to Plugins > Z-Wave Plus > Advanced Functions and select Restore Interface. Go through the steps to restore the latest Z-Wave backup file to your 800 series controller. Wait for this process to finish.
Navigate to Plugins > Manage and restart the Z-Wave Plus plugin by disabling and then enabling it. If the migration was successful, you should now be able to monitor and control your Z-Wave devices.