How to Control the LED Indicator on the ZEN32 Scene Controller

The LED indicator on your device is a useful feature for displaying status updates, but sometimes, you may want more control over how it behaves. Whether you prefer a subtle glow, a specific color, or no light at all, your device offers several customization options. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to turn off the LED indicator, adjust its brightness, change its color, and modify its behavior—such as keeping it on when the device is off or vice versa. By the end of this article, you’ll have full control over the LED settings to match your preferences. Let’s get started!

All About Advanced Settings

The terminology for advanced settings varies depending on your Z-Wave hub. For instance, Hubitat lists them under the “Preferences” tab, SmartThings labels them as “Settings,” while Home Assistant and HomeSeer use the official term “Parameters.” Despite these differences in naming, the purpose remains the same: configuring consistent behavior for your device. We provide the full list of settings available for each device in our Knowledge Base.

Each advanced setting consists of four key parts:

Label: If your device is properly integrated with your hub, this will display as the setting's name. Hubs like SmartThings show only the label and description.
Parameter Number & Description: Most hubs, such as Hubitat and Home Assistant, list the parameter number along with the label and description.
Values: These are the selectable options for each setting. Some are simple (e.g., Enable/Disable), while others use numerical values.
Size: This is required in some systems when manually changing advanced settings (e.g., Home Assistant) or in hubs that do not provide direct access to settings.

It's also important to note that not all hubs allow access to advanced settings. For example, alarm panels like Alarm.com and Ring may recognize the device and offer integration but do not permit modifying its settings.

How to Change the Settings on the ZEN32 Scene Controller

We've included the instructions below for accessing the settings on the most popular Z-Wave hubs:

How to Access the Advanced Settings for the ZEN32 on Home Assistant

How to Access the Advanced Settings for the ZEN32 on HomeSeer

How to Access the Advanced Settings for the ZEN32 on Hubitat

How to Access the Advanced Settings for the ZEN32 on SmartThings

How to Access the Advanced Settings for the ZEN32 on Z-Box

LED Behavior

You can control the LED behavior for each of the 5 buttons on the ZEN32 Scene Controller individually through Parameters 1-5.

The ZEN71 provides the following options for the standard LED behavior for the device:

The LED indicator is on when the relay/button is off: this can be a handy choice for illumination at night
The LED indicator is on when the relay/button is on: this option is frequently selected to indicate the status of the connected load (LED on means the light is on)
The LED indicator is always off: You may choose this option if you prefer to have all of your switches match at all times with no LED indicator showing regardless of the switch status.
The LED indicator is always on: Some users may want an LED indicator on a switch to always be on for easy visibility in low-light conditions, making it easier to locate the switch in the dark. It can also serve as a constant status indicator to show that the switch is operational or connected to power.

LED Indicator Color

The ZEN32 Scene Controller offers customizable LED indicator settings for all 5 buttons on the scene controller, allowing you to tailor the device's visual feedback to your preferences. Parameters 6-10 let you set the LED color to one of six available options: white, blue, green, red, magenta, yellow, or cyan. The LED light on the ZEN32 buttons serves as a helpful guide, offering a quick way to determine the status of each button. Depending on how you've configured your settings as noted above, the LED can indicate whether the switch is on, off, or in a specific mode. However, it’s important to note that once you set the LED color, it becomes a constant behavior—meaning that whenever the indicator turns on, it will always display the chosen color.

For users who rely on the LED indicator as a quick status check, this ensures predictability and consistency.

Selecting the right LED color can be both a functional and aesthetic choice. Here’s how different colors can serve various purposes:

White: A neutral and modern look, ideal for minimalistic or professional environments.
Blue: A calming and commonly recognized indicator color, often used in nighttime settings.
Green: A natural and visually distinct choice, great for energy-conscious users.
Red: A strong, attention-grabbing color that may indicate urgency or importance.
Magenta: A bold and unconventional choice, ideal for creative or expressive spaces. It conveys uniqueness and innovation, standing out in design-focused environments.
Yellow: Bright and highly visible, yellow is associated with positivity and alertness. It's excellent for drawing attention without signaling urgency, perfect for friendly notifications.
Cyan: Cool and tech-savvy, cyan bridges the calm of blue with the energy of green. It appeals to modern and tech-oriented users, often seen in futuristic interfaces.

By understanding how the LED settings work and making an informed choice, you can personalize your ZEN32 switch to best suit your needs.

LED Indicator Brightness

In addition to choosing the LED indicator color and behavior, Parameters 11-15 allow you to adjust the brightness level of the LED indicator to match your preferences and environment for each button. Whether you prefer a bright, highly visible indicator or a more subtle glow, the switch offers three brightness settings:

Bright (100%): The LED is at full brightness, making it easily visible even in well-lit rooms. For daytime use or in well-lit areas, the bright (100%) setting ensures the LED remains clearly visible.
Medium (60%) (Default Setting): The LED emits a balanced glow that is noticeable without being overpowering. For standard household use, the medium (60%) setting provides a good balance of visibility without excessive brightness.
Low (30%): The LED is dimmed, ideal for bedrooms or low-light environments where minimal illumination is preferred. For nighttime environments, bedrooms, or light sensitive individuals, the low (30%) setting offers a soft glow that minimizes disturbance.

By fine-tuning the LED brightness level, you can enhance both functionality and comfort, ensuring the switch blends seamlessly into your living space without unnecessary distraction.

Disable LED Indicator Flash On Setting Change

The ZEN32 Scene Controller includes a feature that causes the LED indicators to briefly flash whenever a setting or parameter is adjusted. This visual confirmation can help you verify that your changes have been successfully applied. However, this feature can be enabled or disabled depending on your preferences and use case.

Parameter 23: Choose if you want the LED indicators to flash whenever a parameter (setting) is adjusted on the device to confirm the change. Disable this feature if you're using the LED indicators in automation.

Values: 0 – LED indicators flash to confirm a setting change; 1 – LED indicators don't flash if a setting is changed. Default: 0.
Size: 1 byte dec

When to Enable LED Flashing:

Quick Confirmation: If you want immediate visual feedback when changing device settings, keeping the flashing feature enabled ensures that each parameter adjustment is acknowledged.
Ease of Troubleshooting: This can help confirm that a new configuration (such as LED color or brightness) has been successfully applied.

When to Disable LED Flashing

For Automations: If the LED indicator is used in automations (e.g., signaling specific conditions or events), unexpected flashing during parameter updates may interfere with its intended function.
To Maintain a Consistent LED Appearance: If you prefer a static LED behavior without momentary interruptions, disabling this feature ensures the indicator remains steady.

By customizing this setting, you can optimize the ZEN32’s LED functionality to fit seamlessly into your smart home setup.

LED Indicators Are Out of Sync on the Small Buttons

One of the most common questions about the ZEN32—especially when using Direct Association—is why the LED indicators on the buttons don’t reflect the actual status of the devices they control.

The key to understanding this lies in how the ZEN32 functions: think of it more like a remote control than a traditional switch. When you press a button on a remote to change the TV channel, you verify the channel by looking at the TV—not the remote. Similarly, the ZEN32 buttons simply send commands like “Button 2 pushed once” or “Button 4 pushed three times” to your hub. The hub then interprets that input and triggers automations or scenes based on your setup.

By default, LED indicators on the ZEN32 toggle on or off each time a button is pressed when using Direct Association, but they don’t inherently track the actual status of the device being controlled—especially if that device can be toggled from multiple sources.

To keep the LED indicator in sync with a device’s real-time status, you need to create a separate automation in your hub software that adjusts the LED’s brightness and color based on the status of the controlled device. For example, “If the bedroom light is on, set parameter 5 to value 3 and parameter 10 to value 1” will illuminate the LED on Button 4 in blue. This is possible on some hubs (not on all), and we have instructions for that included for the hubs below:

How to Program the ZEN32 on Home Assistant

How to Program the ZEN32 on Hubitat

This can also be done on the Z-Box hub, but at this time it requires custom Lua programming. If you're comfortable with Lua, please feel free to reach out to our team and we can provide guidance with custom programming for this option.

Ultimately, the LED indicators can be fully customized and used independently as visual feedback tools—not just for toggling status, but also for notifications and advanced home logic cues.