ZSE43 Tilt | Shock XS Sensor FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions About the ZSE43 Tilt | Shock XS Sensor

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Alerts ZSE43 ZSE43 Tilt Shock Sensor

INSTALLATION QUESTIONS

Can the ZSE43 be installed outdoors?

Yes WITH the waterproof case (sold separately). Add the XS Sensor Waterproof Case to your cart to use for outdoor installations.
Insert the sensor into the waterproof case, by opening it on the back side as shown below:

How to remove the ZSE43 from the waterproof case:

Start by detaching the case from the surface it is mounted on. The access is from the bottom/back part (to keep it waterproof). You'll need a small, flat screwdriver to open the enclosure as shown below:

What is the operating temperature of the ZSE43?

32° – 104° F

What are the dimensions of the ZSE43? How big is the device?

1.9” x 1” x 0.3”

What is the wireless range of the sensor?

Z-Wave devices work best in a mesh network, so even though the sensor has a range of up to 300 feet line of sight, this means 300 feet with other Z-Wave signal repeating devices between where the hub is and where the sensor will be installed.
It is the hub that decides the communication route to each device. The more signal repeating (non-battery powered) devices included on your network, the stronger it is and easier it is for the hub to reach devices that are further away.
Environments with a lot of glass or metal elements, large furniture, and thick walls can also be very disruptive to Z-Wave signals.

What kind of battery does the ZSE43 use / need?

The ZSE43 sensor is powered by a single CR2032 battery.
We recommend using Energizer, Panasonic, or Maxell brand batteries which are confirmed to work well in the sensors.
Our technicians have confirmed that at this point, Duracells are not providing power to the XS sensors due to the extra bitter coating on these batteries. You can try wiping the battery with alcohol to remove the bitter coating, allowing it to dry fully, then inserting the battery.
While CR2032 batteries can technically operate down to -22F, cold temperatures reduce ion mobility, increasing the batteries' internal resistance and dropping the output voltage. No energy storage is lost, it's just that the energy doesn't get to the device, it dissipates internally. So in cold weather it may stop responding, but once it warms up, it should still operate and respond. The sensor needs a certain amount of voltage from the battery to report, and when that energy is dissipated due to the cold, you get a loss of function until the battery is warmed.

Can I use a BR2032 battery instead of the CR2032?

You can safely replace most CR2032 coin cell batteries with a BR2032 type lithium battery; however, there are some important factors to consider.
- While the BR is longer lasting, it has a slightly lower voltage.
- The BR will also discharge voltage rapidly at the end of life. For example, once the CR2032 reports 'low battery level', it can maintain at this status of low battery for weeks. Meanwhile, the BR2023 may report "low battery" for one day and then ceases working.
- The BR2032 is recommended more for extreme working temperatures; please note that with lower voltage in normal temperature, the BR may have a shorter life expectancy than the CR ( remember, the Z-Wave chip requires a minimum of 2.5V to work, so only a 15% drop (from 2.9/2.8 to 2.5V) would mean the battery is considered dead for Z-Wave purposes. Any battery reaching 2.5V is considered as 0% battery for Z-Wave.

What is the battery life of the ZSE43?

You should get around 12-14 months out of the ZSE43 XS sensor with normal use.

Can I use rechargeable batteries?

We don't recommend it. Rechargeable batteries usually decrease in max voltage with time, so you may see a shorter battery life if using these. The Z-Wave chip manufacturer also requires all Z-Wave devices to report low battery at 2.6V and many rechargeable batteries are not full 3V when charged so it may seem like the battery is empty even at full charge.

What voltages should the battery report for 100% and when there is a low battery alert?

3.2V - 3V is a full battery (100%) and the Z-Wave chip manufacturer requires all Z-Wave devices to report low battery at 2.6V.

How do I get the most battery life out of my ZSE43 sensor?

We recommend pairing Z-Wave devices to your hub without security (if your hub lets you choose during inclusion). S2 security adds an additional layer of information to communicate with your hub which can drain the battery quicker than you'd like, in rare cases.

Why is the battery level fluctuating so much? / Why was the battery drained a lot during set-up?

This sensor runs on a coin battery with smaller capacity than the lithium CR batteries used in other sensors, so you may see the battery readings fluctuate from low to higher readings when the sensor is awake during programming and testing. The battery will usually go back to its stable reading within a few hours so always allow a day or two after you see the first lower reading before checking on the actual battery life left for your device.

I replaced the battery in my sensor and now it's not powering on or responding at all.

Check the battery brand. Our technicians have confirmed that at this point, Duracells are not providing power to the XS sensors due to the extra bitter coating on these batteries. You can try wiping the battery with alcohol to remove the bitter coating, allowing it to dry fully, then inserting the battery. Otherwise, our technicians have confirmed that Energizer, Panasonic, and Maxell brands work in the sensors; would you be able to give one of those brands a try?

What is the standby power for the sensor?

Unfortunately, the min/max is not a concrete value we can provide here. It is dependent on distance to the hub, number of repeaters/hops, report type, chip settings, power transmission, etc. This is why the battery life on the sensors is an estimate. 3.2V is a full battery, and anything below 2.5 will register as a dead battery on the sensor, as the Z-Wave chip requires at least 2.6V.
Here is a link with the specs for the chip, which show the current draw depending on frequency and other factors : https://www.silabs.com/documents/public/data-sheets/zgm230s-datasheet.pdf

What is the warranty coverage for the ZSE43?

Zooz 500 series devices are covered by a 12 month warranty. Zooz 700 and 800 series devices are covered by a standard 1-year warranty and by an extended 5-year warranty if registered within 30 days of purchase. Please register your device here and review the full warranty policy here.

Where can I find the ZSE43 device manual?

Zooz Z-Wave Plus 700 Series XS Tilt | Shock Sensor ZSE43 User Manual (PDF)

PRODUCT FUNCTIONALITY QUESTIONS

What kind of switch mechanism is used in the tilt sensor?

Here is an image of the miniature sensor which is installed on the PCB. This allows the device to sense position changes in both directions (vertical and horizontal) and also works as a shock sensor.

What is the tilt angle on the ZSE43?

Depending on the ambient temperature and humidity, the angle at which the sensor will reports a new status to the hub is between 30 and 45 degrees (vertically or horizontally). Note that the sensor can only reliably report tilt events which end up at full 90 degrees like gates and garage doors and it should not be used for applications with lower angles (like 60 degrees for example).

Is there a way to reverse the open and close status for the tilt function?

No. There is no way to reverse the reporting on the ZSE43 sensor. Depending on the hub you're using, you may be able to create a virtual device which you could set to reversed status on. But it sounds like the ZSE41 model with a magnet would be a better fit here.

Does “horizontal tilt” mean it could detect side to side movement as a sliding door is pulled open and closed?

The ZSE43 Tilt sensor will send a report for both vertical and horizontal tilt movement - so if you had the sensor flat in your hand, and tilted your hand down, it would detect the change, and if you tilted your hand sideways, it would detect the motion that way. But if you keep it flat and move your hand around, the sensor isn't being tilted, so if it's attached to a door that moves side to side, it wouldn't be tilted. This type of sensor would be better suited for a garage door, rather than sliding door.
The sensor is also a shock sensor, so the vibration of the door being opened and closed could possibly be enough to send a report. However, we would recommend the Open | Close sensor for more reliable door monitoring so it could tell you the actual open or close status of the door, instead of just vibration detected.

Will the sensor report correctly if it is in any position other than “up” (ie. upside down)?

The sensor will not report as open if it is in the same position as it started (vertical but upside down). The sensor would need to go from a vertical (current position) orientation to flat / horizontal / on its back in order to report correctly. Same goes for the horizontal tilt.

Will the ZSE43 act as a signal repeater for other Z-Wave devices in my network?

No. Battery powered devices will not act repeaters. Your Z-Wave hub decides which devices to use to reach other Z-Wave devices. Any non-battery powered Z-Wave device will act as a signal repeater; it would be up to your hub whether or not it will be used in a communication route.

Z-WAVE QUESTIONS

Do I need a Z-Wave hub to buy this device?

Yes. The ZSE43 sensor is a Z-Wave device which would need a Z-Wave hub in order to receive temperature and humidity reports and customize advanced settings.
To control or monitor any of our Z-Wave devices remotely through your smart phone, you'll need a compatible Z-Wave hub. These devices require a central controller that communicates with them and sends commands. Once you have a controller, you would download that controller's dedicated app on your phone and control your connected devices through that app.

Is the ZSE43 sensor compatible with my hub?

You can find a list of compatible hubs for a given device under the Works With section on the product's page. Here is the list of hubs compatible with the ZSE43.

Will this sensor work with my alarm panel?

Alarm panels like Alarm.com will typically only support single switches, door locks, select thermostats, and any authorized items on their list. We would recommend reaching out to your alarm panel company to verify compatibility and to get the latest on any device integrations they may be working on.
To our best knowledge, most alarm panels don't support binary sensors so the ZSE43 won't display correctly in their interface. There is nothing about the Tilt | Shock Sensor that we could change to improve compatibility with alarm panels, since this is a limitation of the hub and how it supports binary sensors. It would be up to your alarm panel to integrate the device, as it follows Z-Wave protocol and has been Z-Wave certified. There is nothing we can change on our end to have the device be recognized correctly. Read more about alarm panel compatibility here.

Where do I find all of my sensor's advanced settings?

ZSE43 Tilt | Shock XS Sensor Advanced Settings

How do I add the sensor to my Z-Wave hub?

How can I tell what firmware my ZSE43 is running on?

The firmware that your sensor is shipped with should be printed on the back of the device where the model specifications are. If your hub supports and properly integrates the device, you should also see the firmware listed in your Z-Wave interface.
Firmware that is listed as 1.01 (or any other value with a 0 in the middle) in the sensor's change log may display as 1.1 in your hub.

How do I update the firmware of my ZSE43 sensor?

Some Z-Wave hubs have a built-in firmware updater that you can use. Otherwise, we recommend using the PC Controller tool on the Simplicity Studio Software as described here. You will need to register your device in order to have access to Zooz firmware files.

How long does the update take? How do I know when it's finished?

Firmware updates should usually take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes depending on connection quality and how much information needs to actually be updated on a given device.
- If it is taking longer than that, please try to bring the hub / controller closer to the device that is being updated.

Where can I find the history of changes and firmware updates for the ZSE43?

ZSE43 Tilt | Shock XS Sensor Change Log

What series Z-Wave chip does the ZSE43 use?

The ZSE43 uses a 700 series Z-Wave chip. We are in the process of updating this model to the new 800 series Z-Wave chip so it should be 800 series by the end of 2024.

Is the ZSE43 available in other Z-Wave frequencies?

The ZSE43 is currently available in 908.42 MHz (US, CA, MX), 921.4 MHz (AU, NZ), and 868.42 MHz (EU) frequencies.

Check out the Zooz Knowledge Base for free support articles about the ZSE43 Tilt | Shock Sensor (and all of our devices)! If you can't find your answer there, reach out to us!