How to Use Your ZEN32 Scene Controller With Smart Bulbs On Home Assistant

You're going to get the most of your smart bulbs with the ZEN32 Scene Controller. It allows you to easily trigger your favorite lighting presets with a single touch. Please note that your smart bulbs need to integrate with Home Assistant for this set-up to work. Here is a quick walk-through on how to install and program the Scene Controller with smart bulbs on Home Assistant. We cover this topic in a larger context for all Zooz switch models in this smart bulb guide, read it first and know what to expect.

WIRE YOUR SCENE CONTROLLER

Follow the appropriate diagram in the product manual to install your switch. There is no special wiring required when using this device with smart bulb unless you have a 3-way set-up that you would like to turn into a virtual 3-way using multiple Zooz switches. In that case, refer to the wiring diagrams here.

ENABLE SMART BULB MODE

Once the Scene Controller is wired, you'll be able to turn the smart bulbs on and off from the main button but with the relay off, your bulbs will have no power and won't react to any wireless commands. Here is what you want to do to have your bulbs powered at all times, regardless of the position of the wall switch:

Include the ZEN32 Scene Controller to Home Assistant and click on it to access all of the control options and settings in the user interface.
Turn the Scene Controller relay on so that your smart bulbs are powered.
In the detailed device view, scroll down to Settings. Here is what you need to change there:
- Under Relay Control, select the Local and Z-Wave control disabled option to put your relay in smart bulb mode.
Click Save. Now when you tap the large relay button on the Scene Controller, nothing will happen, your smart bulbs will remain on.

LINK THE SCENE CONTROLLER TO YOUR SMART BULBS

When the Scene Controller is in smart bulb mode, all 5 buttons can be used for remote control. There are a few different ways to program each button to trigger your smart bulbs.

We recommend using scene control which will allow any trigger from any button on your Scene Controller to be assigned a different action.

Here is how to program your Scene Controller with button events on Home Assistant.

A few examples on how you can use the device to activate your favorite settings instantly:

If the main button is pressed, toggle the state of my smart bulbs (turn them on if they're off or turn them off if they're on).
If button 1 is pressed, set my smart bulbs to bed time scene (lights dimmed, set to warm yellow).
If button 2 is pressed, set my smart bulbs to focus mode (full brightness, cool white).
If button 3 is pressed, set my smart bulbs to chill mode (your favorite animation sequence).
If button 4 is pressed, set my smart bulbs to party mode (rainbow lights).

Each button can be programmed for double tap, held, released, or multi-tap triggers so you have endless possibilities with creative ways to use this device as a smart bulb remote control.

If you're using the Scene Controller in a 3-way set-up with a mechanical switch on the other side of the installation, you will need to implement a mirroring automation to use the mechanical switch for wireless control of your smart bulbs consisting of 4 separate rules:

If the Zooz switch is on, turn the smart bulb(s) on.
If the Zooz switch is off, turn the smart bulb(s) off.
If the smart bulb is on, turn the Zooz switch on.
If the smart bulb is off, turn the Zooz switch off.

This will keep the status of the switches and the bulbs in sync so you can still control the smart bulbs when using the mechanical switch without cutting power to them. You can then program the small buttons on the ZEN32 Scene Controller to trigger more sophisticated smart bulb scenarios as described in the previous section for scene control.

If you happen to be using Z-Wave smart bulbs and they're added to your Home Assistant system with the same level of security, you can use direct association to control them from any of the 5 buttons on the Scene Controller:

First, note the device ID's of your Z-Wave smart bulbs, you'll need them for the next steps.
If you have the Z-Wave JS UI add-on, you can manage the associations under each node, in the groups tab. Under the ZEN32 node, expand the options, then go to groups and program each group according to the association group mapping shown below:
- Group 2: Main button basic set for on/off control (pressed)
- Group 3: Main button multilevel for dimming control (held) > in sequence > held = increase brightness, release = stop level, held = decrease brightness, release = stop level
- Group 4: Small button #1 basic set (pressed)
- Group 5: Small button #1 multilevel (held) > in sequence > held = increase brightness, release = stop level, held = decrease brightness, release = stop level
- Group 6: Small button #2 basic set (pressed)
- Group 7: Small button #2 multilevel (held) > in sequence > held = increase brightness, release = stop level, held = decrease brightness, release = stop level
- Group 8: Small button #3 basic set (pressed)
- Group 9: Small button #3 multilevel (held) > in sequence > held = increase brightness, release = stop level, held = decrease brightness, release = stop level
- Group 10: Small button #4 basic set (pressed)
- Group 11: Small button #4 multilevel (held) > in sequence > held = increase brightness, release = stop level, held = decrease brightness, release = stop level
Save associations as you add new ones.

If you have any questions about using your Scene Controller with smart bulbs on Home Assistant, just ask!