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I am looking at a number of opensource home automation systems and OpenHAB is looking like may be the one I will settle with. However I have a few questions. The main one I want to deal with here is how OpenHAB users go about backing up and restoring the ZWave network information from the USB controller chip in case of loss of that chip (eg. should the hardware fail). I feel this probably is fairly important to save on time on having to rebuild the network in such an event.
Looking around OpenHAB does not seem to have a backup/restore feature for the ZWave controller chip. In fact most of the opensource solutions seem to be lacking here (IE. Open-ZWave also is lacking backup/restore). So do people use other software, if so what, or do people just generally not backup their ZWave controller chip?
The only opensource option I found which seems to contain backup/restore of the ZWave controller chip itself is fhem. If I understand the information in the fhem documentation about ZWDongle is correct, then it is just copying the NVRam into a file and restore would be copying it back. From what I know the bin file it creates will be specific to that model of chip, may be even the firmware version on the chip. So how good is this approach?
However I notice that Aeotec ZStick5 is listed as having backup/restore feature and they have a Windows only tool for doing this. I do have a ZStick5 and my guess is that it is doing something similar to fhem and just copying the NVRam to memory. Comparing the .bin files from the Aeotec tool and fhem suggest may be they are.
Out of interest, what approach do you plan to take? Just copying the
chip memory into a file or the more advanced restore possible with the
ZWave.me UZB1. I did read some things on the HomeSeer forum where it
seems like people were able to use HomeSeer to back up one brand of
ZWave stick and restore on the UZB1. That discussion though shows that
the restore function on the UZB1 changed around firmware 5.02 of the UZB1.
The final issue is with that tool being Windows only. It would mean
stopping OpenHAB on the ODROID, disconnecting the stick and connecting
it to a Windows PC when ever I want to do a backup or restore. Why
should everything else OpenHAB controls be offline just because of a
ZWave task? Having backup/restore in OpenHAB would be very nice and
convenient.
I agree that probably copying the memory can be done the same way on
different ZWave sticks, but I was not certain whether a backup made
using one stick could be restored to another model (eg. if I backed up
my Aeotech ZStick5 could I use that backup file to restore to the ZME UZB1).
I guess my reason for thinking that it would not be possible is that may
be different manufacturers may lay out the memory differently. They
might lay out the standard stuff the same way (home ID, node
information, etc), but might the custom extensions cause an issue. As an
example for the ZME UZB1 the Z-Way license is stored in the chip, the
operating frequency of the chip can be changed to different regions,
etc, the Aeotec does not have these and instead has the LED which can be
turned on and off.
Also according to the FHEM documentation, the size of memory may differ
depending on the chip and fhem requires the user to specify the memory
size. A backup from a stick with 256k memory (eg. the UZB1) could not be
restored to a chip with less.
Cloning the chip memory will definitely be better than nothing and also
better than having to disconnect the stick to backup using the Aeotec
tool on a Windows PC. I just wanted to get an idea of what the
limitations might be.
I also would like to know if there is some progress in that topic?
I just read your very good deep dive presentation about zwave and the OH2 binding in which you also have backup and restore on the roadmap.
Once you upgrade, you can't downgrade the chip to the previous firmware version as I haven't been able to source a firmware hex file from sdk version 6.51.06 and the chip has read protection enabled.
If you click on an erase button by accident in the programmer, you will lose your calibration data for the stick and render it useless, unless you took an internal NVM backup (this is different from external NVM backups from tools like the Z-Stick Gen5 tool or ZMESerialUpdater).
If Hubitat ever opens up manual radio backup/restores within the UI using the raw nvm files, the new serial api would potentially allow backups/restores to this stick. Bruce had mentioned that the stick was missing functionality that would allow this to work, and this appears to be it. Even if this is not the case, you could manage your own backups yourself using PC software.
Make sure your usb stick extension cable is not plugged in and practice grounding pin 15. Ensure that you can place the other end of the wire on that single pin. You will need to do this several times throughout the backup and programming process. You must take care to not let it contact other sections of the board as it could short out the chip.
WARNING - When using this tool do NOT click the "Erase code space and lock bits" button. This will erase vital calibration data, than can't be restored unless you have a backup of the NVR section later in the guide. Even then, I don't have the steps to restore the calibration data if it is lost.
Click the "Read button" to try and backup your existing firmware. Note that the chip is most likely locked, so it will only return the CRC which could be useful if the original firmware is located, or if for some reason your chip isn't read protected. Please let me know if it isn't so we can have a way to restore the original firmware.
Congrats! You now have an updated firmware. You can play around with the NVM backup/restore using this tool, as well as with SmartStart and including s2 devices as the controller will now show as S2 capable.
There does seem to be a plated-through hole (down slightly and to the right of pin 15) that is connected to the pin. Seems like you could solder to that pad if you first scraped the green solder mask from the pad/hole, thereby greatly reducing the chance of damaging the chip. Or, you could scrape the solder mask off the pad/hole and touch the wire there, reducing the chance of shorting an adjacent pin.
Ah you want updated firmware for your chipset - apologies misunderstood. I dunno where that is.. I've only used replacement firmware for zniffing otherwise the usb sticks, in my case Z-Stick+ (500 series) and UZB-7 (700 Series) just work.
Hi, I am new to this forum. Thank you so much for the detailed info and It is very helpful.
Can you please clear my doubts.
1) I would like to flash my Intel mobo chip. I have only the ".bio" file (955 KB) not the ".bin" file. Can I Use this ".bio" file to flash?
( My mobo is very oldDG35EC, please see the attached image of the chip)
2) Did the device and software support the chip in the image?
@junjoo - Thanks for keeping this up to date, and for all the added new stuff in latest update!!
@doripto - Sounds like you may have 1.8v adapter setup wrong, please check the updated parts of the guide on page one if you have not already.
You may also need to connect PSU cables, and or main battery if laptop (or remove both, or only one of either etc), keep at it, you will get it.
The chip you mentioned is 1.8V, but only 4mBIT / 512KB, are you sure that is your target chip?
If this is on graphics card, you may need to remove the chip, or put the card in a system with power connected (NOT POWERED ON) and try again
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