How do I add Z-Wave Compatibility to the Tuxedo Touch?

Hi please email us here at support@alarmgrid.com

I have a tuxedo touch. I cannot add two z wave light switches to the panel. The lights work when manually placed, but cannot get the panel to read them. I have tried the add device mode and when I push the function button it still does not read. Could it be how they are hooked up

I would advise you to contact your current alarm monitoring provider as they should be able to assist you in the process. You are not properly processing the Secondary Controller feature. Unfortunately, we can't provide further tech support on an account monitored elsewhere. If you'd like to switch to us, we have no-contract plans available online at https://www.alarmgrid.com/monitoring and I'm confident we can walk you through the process once you are active with our company.

If I add devices to my Tuxedo and then try to make it the secondary it tells me that I have to remove all of the zwave devices first and then make it the secondary.

Well I know I've had devices on a Tuxedo and then used the Secondary Controller shift and it shifted the devices to the other controller (and that became the primary) and the devices were still accessible on the Tuxedo (which was now a secondary controller).

That's odd because both Samsung and Honeywell have told me to do it the opposite way. The primary holds all of the devices and then passes them on to the secondary.

I'm not familiar with the ST interface but it sounds like you are trying to do it backwards. If you have all devices on the ST, you should be able to put it into secondary controller mode and once it's in that mode, you would do the Include Device option on the Tux to bring the devices from the ST to the Tux so that the Tux is primary and the ST is secondary. Again, I have no experience with doing it myself but that is the theory.

The problem that I am having is two fold. If the ST is the primary and Tuxedo is the secondary there is no option to "see" the Tuxedo or add it to the ST when the Tuxedo is in secondary mode. I don't see where I can add it as a controller on the ST interface. If the Tuxedo is the primary and the ST is secondary the Tuxedo says that the ST is connected but no devices from the Tuxedo show up on the ST.

If you don't care about running your Z-Wave devices through TC2 (because you will use the ST access for that), then you can just get all your Z-Wave devices enrolled to the Tux and then push them to the ST using the Secondary Controller feature so that they are primary on the ST but you can still use the Tux as an in-home touchscreen control of the Z-Wave devices.

I do use TC2 and have read all the blogs about that issue. So I called Honeywell and confirmed with them that the z-wave and alarm functions are separate and you can use it as a secondary when TC2 is involved on the alarm side. I even asked the tech from Honeywell this question twice to make sure that I got the same answer both times. So if the Tuxedo is the primary when using TC2 why can't I get the ST Hub to see the devices that I added to the Tuxedo and why does it say that the ST is not in a secure network first and then says it has succeeded after you refresh the Tuxedo? Like I said before I would prefer to use either the ST or my Vera Edge as the primary. I have been using Vera for a while and really like it. I thought I would try the ST Hub (I got it for free with a rebate coupon from Samsung) since I was told it would integrate with the Tuxedo - I have an Echo Dot and Honeywell currently does not talk to Alexa.

Do you have Total Connect service now using the Tuxedo? If not, the Secondary Controller feature should work. In fact there are threads on the smartthings community site where people have confirmed they are using the Tuxedo with ST and have access to the Z-Wave devices from both. It's only when TC2 gets involved as well that things can get harder to deal with as you need the Tux as the primary when using TC2.

Hello - That is not necessarily correct. I have a Tuxedo and both Smartthings and Vera Edge. I have tried to make the Smartthngs the secondary with no luck. It will add but says that it is not in a secure network. If I tell it to scan again it says that it was successful but not really since no devices will transfer. Honeywell told me that the do not support this feature and they have not tested any other controllers with theirs. I was also told by Samsung that the FCC required that all manufacturers add the secondary function into their devices but that they don't have to make it work or support the feature. If you have been able to get this to work I would really like to know how. My hope is to have either my Vera Edge or Smartthings Hub as the primary with the Tuxedo as the secondary since it is much easier to add devices via the web interface on ST or Vera compared to the Tuxedo. Honeywell really did not think this out before adding the automation side to the device. I think they were so eager to get into this market that they just added the z-wave capability to their alarm panel without taking it all the way from A to Z.

Yes, the Tuxedo Touch supports a secondary controller shift function so that you could learn in Z-Wave devices to the Tuxedo and then shift them all over to a 3rd party home automation controller so that you'd have control of the Z-Wave devices from both controllers.

Can I use the Tuxedo Touch Wifi as a secondary controller with the Vera Edge being the primary?

This document should help - http://www.tuxedotouchtoolkit.com/documents/800-15242V1_Tux_R2_Voice-Supp.pdf

I have a Tuxedo Wifi touch screen for my home security and plan to add z wave automation. I have not found much if any information regarding the voice programming for Tuxedo. Has anyone had any experience adding voice commands to Tuxedo?

The Tuxedo does support the Secondary Controller feature which would allow you to learn all the compatible Z-Wave devices into the Tuxedo and then push them all to a 3rd party controller so they are controllable from both controllers. However, the Tuxedo can't accept any inputs from a Z-Wave "sensor" and only works with inputs from an alarm system.

Can the Tuxedo Wifi be used as the primary with the Vera as a secondary? Was hoping to use the Vera as the controller that works with zwave sensors since the Tuxedo doesn't. Don't have alarm system yet, but thought I read somewhere that Tuxedo is best to stay as the Primary controller when you have an alarm system. Looking to do scenes based on zwave motion or garage tilt sensors.

No, the Tuxedo won't accept inputs from Z-Wave sensors as Z-Wave sensors aren't reliable enough to pass UL's strict testing limits. You'll need to have the Tuxedo connected to a Honeywell alarm system that supports wireless sensors and then you can use any of the Honeywell wireless motion detectors listed at https://www.alarmgrid.com/browse/wireless-motion-detectors/brands/honeywell (except for the SiXPIR device) to activate the alarm. The Tuxedo only interfaces with Z-Wave control devices to control Z-Wave light, lock and thermostat devices. All alarms must be initiated by wired sensors or Honeywell wireless sensors programmed into the alarm system.

Is it possible to program a zwave motion sensor to trigger a fault in the alarm system through tuxedo touch

Yes, this should work if you pair the devices into the Tuxedo first and then use the Secondary Controller shift function to push them all to Vera. The Secondary Controller function is detailed on page 41 of the installation guide for the Tuxedo - https://www.alarmgrid.com/documents/tuxedo-touch-wifi-install-guide.

I have a Vera Edge running home automation and would like to set up my Tuxedo as a secondary controller. Haven't had any luck. Do you know anyone that has done this and how?

Yes, it is possible using the Secondary Controller feature which pushes Z-Wave devices from one controller to another controller so that both can control the device(s).

Can a Z-Wave light switch be controlled by another Z-Wave controller in addition to the Tuxedo Touch?