Updating Leviton Z-Wave Switch Firmware via Qolsys IQPanel 2 & Z-Wave USB Stick..?

Support
1

I have numerous Leviton DZ15S Z-wave light switches and DZ6HD Z-wave dimmers joined to my Qolsys IQPanel 2 panel. These devices are all running various firmware and I’d like to update them all to be consistent.

I understand that this can be done according to these instructions, using a Z-wave stick and computer.

I believe that Z-wave sticks like this, when joined to an existing Z-wave mesh, may function as secondary Z-wave controllers. I seem to remember that Qolsys/ADC “kinda sorted” supported secondary Z-wave controllers in older firmware once upon a time, but eventually removed this support.

Are firmware updates using the above methodology feasible? My hope is to join a Z-wave stick only for as long as it takes to support updating Leviton devices’ firmware, and then remove it - not leave it permanently joined to the mesh.

If there are technical limitations that precludes this approach from working, my “Plan B” is to Factory Reset one Leviton node at a time (so that it retains identity/configuration on the IQPanel, then temporarily join it to a parallel Z-wave mesh running on Home Assistant (where this computer/Z-wave stick would be joined), perform the firmware update, and then unjoin and use the IQPanel’s “Replace Device” functionality (I think there is a menu option for this) to rejoin the IQPanel mesh and reclaim the original node’s identify/configuration.

Thoughts..? Has anyone here done anything like this before?

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I have not performed these updates myself, however to my memory, the use of an Aeotec Z-wave controller stick to update firmware doesn’t require it to be the controller, it may just need to be paired as a device on the network. The IQ Panel won’t be doing any of the steps, you would just use the Z-wave stick software on a computer to perform the steps.

I can’t guarantee success, but I think your first suggestion may work.

If necessary you could instead remove the devices from the network or factory reset them and try using the Z-stick as a controller instead.

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Thanks, Jason, I appreciate your response! I didn’t realize that this may be possible over a peer connection between nodes. I will give it a shot.

4

Thank you, Jason. Just like you said (and for future reference for anyone else wanting to attempt this), I can confirm that the Aeotec Z-wave controller does not have to be used as an actual Z-wave controller, and can instead join a Qolsys IQ Panel’s Z-wave mesh without issue. In this configuration, it can see and interact with peer nodes.

I was able to use an Aeotec Z-Stick 7 Plus to update all my Leviton Z-wave switches and dimmers without issue.

1 Like
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Thank you for confirming!