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White Series On/Off Switch • Setup Instructions • Amazon Echo

Setup and Pairing instructions for the Inovelli White Series On/Off Switch (VTM30-SN) on your Thread enabled Amazon Echo

Eric Hines avatar
Written by Eric Hines
Updated this week

DISCLAIMER: You may notice there are a lot of overused keywords or phrases as well as English that seems a little off. This is because these articles are used to feed our AI Robot (Ira) and she needs the data to be structured in a certain way.

REMINDER: This switch is only to be used to control lights (except ballasts or any lights connected to a transformer). Do not use the switches on outlets, fans, or any other inductive load.

NOTICE: If you're having trouble pairing, please ensure the following:

  • Matter Devices and Controllers Must Be on the Same L2 Network

  • VLAN Use Requires Matter Controller/Server to operate on that VLAN

  • Make sure your Amazon Alexa app and your Echo Border Router firmware is up-to-date

  • IPv6 Networking is Required for Matter Networks. Link-Local Addresses Are Allowed, Look for a Setting in your Router Called “Enable IPv6.” (Note: This does not require you to configure the IPv6 connection for your entire network)

This is the digital setup instructions for the White Series Smart On/Off Switch on the Amazon Echo platform.
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Navigating the Instructions

Please click on any of the sections in the Table of Contents to get started. We recommend working your way down as it follows an intentional flow that is user friendly and hub/gateway specific. As always, any questions, please see the Additional Resources links section or submit a ticket, we’re happy to help.

Quick Setup Instructions

Follow these if you have already installed the On/Off switch before and are just looking for some quick pairing instructions. If this is your first time installing the On/Off switch, please skip this section and work your way through the various sections below starting with the Prerequisites.

This section assumes the following:

  1. You have a compatible Amazon Echo

  2. You’re aware of the limitations

  3. You’ve wired the switch and it works manually

Let’s begin:

  1. Open up your Amazon Alexa App and click "+" at the top right

  2. On the, "Add" popup menu, click on, "Device"

  3. Then click on, "Switch" under, "Which device would you like to set up?"

  4. Next, on the, "What brand is your switch?" scroll down to the bottom and select, "Other" (Do not select, "Inovelli")

  5. Click on, "Matter" on the, "Which logo is on your device"

  6. Next, on the, "Does your device have a Matter logo", click on, "Yes"

  7. On the, "Is your device powered on?" screen click, "Yes" (assuming your switch is wired and powered on)

  8. Click on, "Scan QR Code" and scan the QR Code located at the bottom left of the switch

  9. Amazon will then start searching for your Inovelli device and your LED Bar will start to pulse blue as shown in Video #1 (if it’s not, please exit out of the setup process and factory reset your switch (see Video #2) and start again)

  10. Your Echo should continue to search for, find and let you know that a switch was found and connected

  11. Feel free to add your device to a group

NOTICE: If you're having trouble pairing, please ensure the following:

  • Matter Devices and Controllers Must Be on the Same L2 Network

  • VLAN Use Requires Matter Controller/Server to operate on that VLAN

  • Make sure your Amazon Alexa app and your Echo Border Router firmware is up-to-date

  • IPv6 Networking is Required for Matter Networks. Link-Local Addresses Are Allowed, Look for a Setting in your Router Called “Enable IPv6.” (Note: This does not require you to configure the IPv6 connection for your entire network)

Video #1 & Video #2

Video #1: Switch Pulsing Blue after QR Code is scanned

Video #2: Factory resetting your switch
​

If your LED bar refuses to pulse blue, hold down on the top of the paddle (on) and the config/favorites button simultaneously for 20 seconds until the LED Bar (D) turns green, yellow, then red. It will blink cyan, green(non-neutral) or yellow (neutral), and then blue confirms the switch has been reset as shown in the video below.

Amazon Echo Limitations

Amazon Echo is a fantastic hub that offers a ton of features along with voice control and is backed by an amazing company.

With that said, there are some limitations with the hub that you should be made aware of.

  1. There is no way to access the advanced features on your switch from the Alexa app (ie: parameters, animated notifications, scene control, etc) and you will only be able to change select parameters locally at the switch

  2. You will still be able to control the LED Bar when the switch is in On/Off mode (other platforms, the LED Bar only shows on/off like it should)

  3. Three devices will show up for each switch where one of the three devices is not used and cannot be hidden

Prerequisites

There are a couple of prerequisites required for pairing your Matter switch to your Amazon Echo and they are as follows (NOTE: Most of these are enabled by default on your router, so you likely won't have to do anything):

  • Make sure your Amazon Alexa app and your Echo Border Router firmware is up-to-date

  • Matter Devices and Controllers Must Be on the Same L2 Network

  • VLAN Use Requires Matter Controller/Server to operate on that VLAN

  • IPv6 Networking is Required for Matter Networks. Link-Local Addresses Are Allowed, Look for a Setting in your Router Called “Enable IPv6.” (Note: This does not require you to configure the IPv6 connection for your entire network)

Installation Instructions

Before setting up your switch within the Alexa app, you will have to manually install your switch in the wall and have it powered up. In order to do that, you (or your licensed electrician) will need to follow our Wiring Instructions which can be found below:

White Series On/Off Switch Wiring Instructions

Pairing Instructions

Please follow the instructions below to include/pair your White Series On/Off Switch

  1. Open your Amazon Alexa App and click on the, "+" at the top
    ​

  2. On the, "Add" popup menu, click on, "Device"
    ​

  3. Click on, "Switch" on the, "Which device would you like to set up?" page
    ​

  4. On the, "What brand is your switch?", scroll down and click on, "Other" (do not click on, "Inovelli" - it will just take you to SmartThings for some reason)
    ​

  5. On the, "Which logo is on your device?" page, click on, "Matter"
    ​

  6. On the page that says, "Does your device have a Matter logo?", click on, "Yes"
    ​

  7. On the page that says, "Is your device powered on?", click on, "Yes" (make sure your device is powered on - this does not mean the actual light bulb needs to be on, just that the switch is powered)
    ​

  8. On the page that says, "Locate your QR code shown for your device", click on, "Scan QR Code" at the bottom and scan your devices QR Code (located at the bottom left of your switch)
    ​

  9. After you've scanned the QR Code, the switch LED Bar should start pulsing blue as shown in Video #1. If it isn't, then please factory reset your switch as shown in Video #2. If the switch successfully pairs to Alexa, the switch LED Bar will flash green three (3) times.


    ​Video #1: Switch Already Pulsing Blue

    Video #2: Factory resetting your switch
    Hold down on the top of the paddle and the config/favorites button for 20 seconds until the LED Bar turns red and let go (video below is sped up)
    ​

  10. Alexa will search for your device
    ​

  11. If successful, your switch LED Bar will flash green three (3) times and Amazon will let you know a device and two components were found and connected -- click, "Next"
    ​
    ​NOTICE: If you're having trouble pairing, please ensure the following:

    • Disable mDNS on Your Network

    • Matter Devices and Controllers Must Be on the Same L2 Network

    • VLAN Use Requires Matter Controller/Server to operate on that VLAN

    • Make sure your Amazon Alexa app and your Echo Border Router firmware is up-to-date

    • IPv6 Networking is Required for Matter Networks. Link-Local Addresses Are Allowed, Look for a Setting in your Router Called “Enable IPv6.” (Note: This does not require you to configure the IPv6 connection for your entire network)
      ​

  12. This is where it can get confusing and we hope that as Amazon updates their platform, it because more user friendly. Until then, you will have five devices shown (one unusable device that has the switch information, one device that is the actual switch, one device that allows you to control the LED Bar color which is used for notifications, one humidity sensor, and one temperature sensor).
    ​
    For the sake of keeping these instructions brief, we'll just walk through setting up your main switch because the setup for each device is the same.
    ​

  13. OPTIONAL (BUT RECOMMENDED): Click on the "First Plug" device, rename it and select a group and then click, "Continue".
    ​
    ​NOTE: For the other devices, you may want to create separate groups such as, "Unused Devices" for the unused device, "LED Bar Notification Device" for the LED Bar device, etc.
    ​

  14. On the, "Devices" page, you will see the five devices that were just added.
    ​


    For reference, this is what the "First Plug" (your switch) device page should look like (it will not have a color wheel):
    ​


    ​NOTE: The "Brightness" is not applicable as this is an on/off switch.
    ​
    This is what the Switch LED Bar page should look like (NOTE: Do not use this if you are trying to permanently change the LED Bar to a different color - that has to be done locally at the switch - this device is for Color Notifications only):
    ​


    ​

Once your switch is successfully paired, check to make sure you have basic functionality of your switch by turning it on/off.

Advanced Feature Setup

This switch is packed with features and most of them come directly from this community. They've been debated back and forth, added to wishlists, and talked about over the course of 4+ years.

While the advanced features are built into the light switch firmware, they unfortunately are not recognized by the Alexa platform at this time. The only advanced feature Alexa supports is, "Smart Bulb Mode" which is discussed more below.

Smart Bulb Mode

Smart Bulb Mode is a special mode that allows you to use your Inovelli smart switch to control smart bulbs. Rather than cutting power to your smart bulbs, Smart Bulb Mode tells the switch to send a digital signal to your bulbs or your hub to turn on/off or dim.

To learn how to control your smart bulb(s) from an Inovelli smart switch using your Amazon Echo, please see this link: Controlling Smart Bulb(s) from a Smart Switch • Amazon Echo

Color Notifications

Color notifications are used when you want to have a visual cue on your LED bar notify you of a certain event. A few examples would be:

  • LED Bar turns purple if your garage door is left open

  • LED Bar turns red if your front door is unlocked

  • LED Bar turns orange if a door is opened at night time

These notifications are accomplished by using, "Routines" within the Amazon Echo App.

For more information about Color Notifications as well as some examples of how to set them up, please visit the following article: Setting Up Color Notifications • Amazon Echo

Local Parameter Changes

The White Series On/Off switch has different parameters that can be changed locally (i.e., at the switch). These can be changed via Quick Tap Sequences or Local Configuration. Some examples include:

  • Changing the color of the LED Bar

  • Smart Bulb Mode

  • State After Power is Restored

Quick Tap Sequences

To see the full list of Quick Tap Sequences and understand more about them, please see the following link: White Series Dimmer Quick Tap Sequences Table

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