All Collections
Switches & Modules
Blue Series 2-1 Switch
Home Assistant - ZHA
Blue Series 2-1 Switch • Setup Instructions • Home Assistant - ZHA
Blue Series 2-1 Switch • Setup Instructions • Home Assistant - ZHA

Setup and Pairing instructions for the Inovelli Blue Series 2-1 Switch on Home Assistant - ZHA

Eric Hines avatar
Written by Eric Hines
Updated over a week ago

DISCLAIMER: You may notice there are a lot of over-used 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.

This is the digital setup instructions for the Blue Series Smart 2-1 Switch (On/Off or Dimmer) on the Home Assistant (ZHA) platform.

Inovelli Box - Blue Series 2 in 1 (Transparent BG) - 1000px

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 2-1 switch before and are just looking for some quick pairing instructions. If this is your first time installing the 2-1 switch, please skip this section and work your way through the various sections below starting with the Prerequisites.

Let’s begin:

  1. Make sure your switch LED is lit up blue

  2. Open up your Home Assistant App, click on the hamburger bar at the top left (three lines) and select, "Configuration"

  3. Then select, "Devices & Services" and scroll to your ZHA integration

  4. Click on, "Configure" and then, "+ Add Device"

  5. Make sure your switch LED is pulsing blue as shown in Video #1 – if it’s not, press the config/favorite button three (3) times as shown in Video #2

  6. Home Assistant should then search for, find and initialize the switch

Video #1 & Video #2

Video #1: Switch Already Pulsing Blue

Video #2: Press config/favorites button to initiate the LED pulsing blue

If your LED bar refuses to pulse blue, then please hold down on the top of the paddle as well as the config/favorites button for approximately 20 seconds until the LED Bar turns Red and then let go. The LED Bar will blink red three times to confirm as shown in the video below.

Video Demonstration

NOTE: Video sped up to save time/space


Prerequisites

There are three prerequisites to pairing this switch to ZHA and they are:

  • Install ZHA

  • Run Home Assistant version 2022.4.0 (as this version is where button presses for Zigbee were added)

Compatible Zigbee USB Sticks

We've tested the following Zigbee sticks to work with our Blue Series switches: Compatible Zigbee Sticks • Home Assistant

For a full list of compatible ZHA USB sticks, please see the following link from the Home Assistant Documentation: Home Assistant ZHA Compatible USB Sticks

DISCLAIMER: As an Amazon Associate Inovelli, LLC earns from qualifying purchases.

Installing ZHA

Once you've plugged in your compatible ZigBee stick, the setup of ZHA should be pretty straightforward.

  1. With your ZigBee stick plugged in, restart Home Assistant by pressing the hamburger menu at the top left (three lines) and then selecting, "Configuration"

    HA ZHA - Installation - Step 1

  2. Scroll down to the bottom and select, "Settings"

    HA ZHA - Installation - Step 2

  3. Scroll to where it says, "Home Assistant", press, "Restart" and then, "Ok"

    HA ZHA - Installation - Step 3

  4. Home Assistant should then restart -- wait for it to connect and move to the next step

    HA ZHA - Installation - Step 4

  5. Click on the hamburger menu at the top left (three lines) and then select, "Configuration"

    HA ZHA - Installation - Step 1

  6. Then click on, "Devices and Services" and you should see that your USB stick should be auto-discovered (if not, please click on the URL at the bottom to be taken to the official Home Assistant ZHA instructions) -- click on, "Configure"

    HA ZHA - Installation - Step 6

  7. You will then be taken to a page confirming you'd like to setup ZHA -- click, "Submit" and then wait for ZHA to configure and if successful, select an Area and click, "Finish"

    HA ZHA - Installation - Step 7

  8. Click the back button at the top and you should now see your ZHA integration -- You are ready to now start adding your switch!

    HA ZHA - Installation - Step 8

For troubleshooting and/or official instructions, please see the ZHA installation guide: https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/zha/


Installation Instructions

Before setting up your switch within Home Assistant, 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:


Pairing Instructions

The below instructions assume you have installed ZHA prior to pairing.

  1. Open your Home Assistant App (web or mobile) and click on the hamburger menu at the top left

    HA ZHA - Setup Instructions - Step 1

  2. Click on the, “Configuration” tab at the bottom

    HA ZHA - Setup Instructions - Step 2

  3. Click on, “Devices & Services”

    HA ZHA - Setup Instructions - Step 3

  4. Scroll down to your ZHA (ZigBee Home Automation) section and click on the, “Configure” link

    HA ZHA - Setup Instructions - Step 4

  5. Click, “Add a Device” and Home Assistant will start the pairing process

    HA ZHA - Setup Instructions - Step 5

  6. While your Home Assistant is scanning, make sure your switch LED is pulsing blue as shown in Video #1 – if it’s not, press the config/favorite button three (3) times as shown in Video #2. The LED Bar should start pulsing blue and, if successfully paired to Hubitat, it will briefly turn green


    Video #1: Switch Already Pulsing Blue

    Video #2: Press config/favorites button to initiate the LED pulsing blue

  7. If successful, your app will show your switch (likely called, “Inovelli VZM31-SN” or something similar)

    HA ZHA - Setup Instructions - Step 6

  8. Feel free to rename the switch and place it in the area of your choosing

    HA ZHA - Setup Instructions - Step 7

  9. Next, click on the back button at the top, and then click back again to be taken to the integration page

    HA ZHA - Setup Instructions - Step 8

  10. On the integration page, scroll to your ZHA integration, click on the devices URL (ie: 2 devices, 3 devices, etc) and then select your switch

    HA ZHA - Setup Instructions - Step 9

  11. Finally, scroll down to the, “Controls” section and toggle the, “Level, on_off” on and off to check if the light turns on remotely

    HA ZHA - Setup Instructions - Step 10

Once your switch is successfully paired, check to make sure you have basic functionality of your switch by turning it on/off (and if you have it as a dimmer, test the dimming) in the app.

If successful, we can move onto customizing your switch and setting up some advanced features (animations, scene control, etc) in the next sections.


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 (as this switch builds on our Red Series lineup).

Below we will explain all the parameters and show you how to change them from within Home Assistant (ZHA) and then we'll go into some of the advanced features and explain how to set them up in ZHA. If you have any questions along the way, feel free to create a post in our community as there are many Home Assistant users here who are excited to help.

Parameter Explanations

A parameter is a setting within the switch firmware that allows you to change how the switch operates. For example, you want to change how fast your lights dim on and off, the color of the LED bar, minimum dimming level and much more -- all with a few clicks within the app.

For a list of the most up-to-date parameters and the firmware version they are associated with, please visit the Blue Series 2-1 Switch Parameter Page

Scene Control

Scene control, in this context, refers to activating a scene from your light switch via a tap sequence (ie: double-tap, triple-tap, favorites button, etc). This is not to be confused with setting up scenes in your Home Assistant app, which is different.

To learn how to setup multi-tap scene control, please visit the following article: Setting Up Multi-Tap Scene Control • Home Assistant - ZHA

Zigbee Bindings

Zigbee binding is when two or more Zigbee products communicate directly with one another without the need to communicate with a hub. There are two main benefits of utilizing Zigbee binding: speed & local control.

From a speed standpoint, cutting out the middle-man (hub) can save precious milliseconds or even seconds depending on your cloud and/or processing power off your hub. Whereas from a local control standpoint, if your hub goes does down and cannot communicate, your products can still talk to each other.

To setup Zigbee Binding with Home Assistant (ZHA), please see this article: Setting Up Zigbee Bindings • Home Assistant - ZHA

Did this answer your question?