How To Program Direct Association on Zooz Devices

We get a lot of questions about Z-Wave direct association. It can be a handy tool to link two Z-Wave devices together but it's important to remember that this method has its limitation and it's not available on all smart home platforms. In this guide, we go over the main features, benefits, and challenges of using direct association between Z-Wave devices. We also list detailed resources that cover direct association on the most popular Z-Wave hubs.

WHAT IS DIRECT ASSOCIATION?

Direct association is a direct link established between two Z-Wave devices where one of them acts as the trigger and the other acts as the receiver of that trigger. For example, if you associate a Z-Wave light switch to a motion sensor, the light switch will turn on anytime motion is triggered, without the hub getting involved or without the need to set up an automation for it. In other words, one Z-Wave device sends a direct message to another Z-Wave device, bypassing the hub. These are usually very simple unconditional commands like "on/off" or "dim/increase brightness". The communication works one way without any feedback to the other device. The controlling device simply sends the command to the controlled device or devices associated in what we call "association group". The controlling device is not affected by the controlled device at all, even though there is a link established between the two, it only ever works in one direction.

MOST COMMON USE CASES

A Z-Wave motion sensor (controlling device) associated with a Z-Wave light switch (controlled device) will turn the switch on anytime motion is detected. How to program: enter the device ID of the light switch to Group 2 (most commonly but always check documentation of your device) in the motion sensor's advanced settings. Step-by-step instructions will differ for each hub, scroll down for guidance on the most common platforms.
A Z-Wave leak sensor (controlling device) associated with a Z-Wave water shut-off valve actuator (controlled device) will close the main water valve anytime a leak is detected. How to program: enter the device ID of the Z-Wave water shut-off actuator to Group 2 (most commonly but always check documentation of your device) in the leak sensor's advanced settings.
A Z-Wave scene controller, Z-Wave remote, or Z-Wave light switch (controlling device) will turn another light or plug on or off when manually pressed. This is a common scenario for virtual 3-way and 4-way smart switch installations described here.

DIRECT ASSOCIATION REQUIREMENTS

Direct association only works between 2 Z-Wave devices which means you can't directly associate a Z-Wave switch / sensor and a Zigbee or wifi device, like a Philips Hue smart bulb for example.
It only works in one direction where one device tells the other device to do something and it can't "hear" what that other device is "saying back". Direct association doesn't work well in scenarios where you want to keep 2 devices in sync (like 2 smart switches or 2 bulbs mirroring each other). It will not work to keep the status of the LED indicator on the controlling device in sync with the controlled device's status either. Use automations and rules for that instead.
Your hub needs to provide you with access to direct association settings in the interface in order for the association groups to be programmed. This cannot be done without a home automation interface.
Both Z-Wave devices need to be included to your hub with the same security level for direct association to work. This means that you need to check which security level is supported by each device first and make sure that you can choose the same level of security at inclusion in your hub's interface. Not all platforms give you the choice to select a security level lower than the highest supported by a given device. A Z-Wave device can support the following security levels: no security, S0, S2 Unauthenticated, or S2 Authenticated (aka SmartStart). Most Z-Wave devices will support 2 levels of security: no security and one of the secure options. Any 700 series Z-Wave device or newer that has been certified, needs to support S2 Authenticated Security with SmartStart.
If a battery powered Z-Wave device is programmed for direct association, you need to wake the device up manually for the association to be received after setting it up in the hub.

DIRECT ASSOCIATION LIMITATIONS

Any Z-Wave device will always try to first communicate with the hub, which is associated to it in Group 1 during inclusion. This means that if the hub is down or unavailable, the device will still try to reach it a few times before it gives up and sends an update to the other groups (and devices associated in these other groups). This may create communication delays if the hub is unavailable. The Z-Wave protocol requires Group 1 Lifeline communication to be present at all time and it doesn't allow to remove it at any point.
Anytime you update your Z-Wave device to a new firmware to benefit from new direct association functionality, you will need to exclude, factory reset, and re-include that device after the firmware update. Otherwise, the device may not function properly.
Associations work based on fixed commands. Depending on the status of the controlling device, it will send a particular value from a particular command to the controlled device. For example, a motion sensor will always only send an "on" command to the controlled device when motion is reported. While some devices may feature advanced settings where you can reverse or slightly modify the commands sent to devices directly associated with your Z-Wave product, you will have much less flexibility in automation scenarios when using direct association. This is why we usually recommend programming your smart rules with the automation tools available in your hub's interface and utilizing the central scene commands for button devices instead of direct association.
On most button devices, like Z-Wave remotes or light switches, you may need to press the button twice sometimes for the correct command to be sent in order to trigger the associated device. This is because many buttons are programmed to send on/off or other commands to the controlled device in sequence when using direct association. So if the status gets out of sync because the controlled device was switched directly from an app or via voice control, the next time you use the button device, it will send the wrong command to the controlled device on the first try since it doesn't receive any feedback from that device that its status has changed. Some of the new button devices like our ZEN37 Wall Remote feature "toggle" commands which address this limitation which is otherwise present in many other Z-Wave devices.
Long Range: devices included to the hub via long range cannot be connected via direct association. Long range is direct hub to device communication, and it does not utilize repeaters or the mesh network, therefore you cannot connect two devices together that have been included to the hub via long range. Only mesh connected devices can be set up via direct association.

DIRECT ASSOCIATION ALTERNATIVES

For button devices such as Z-Wave remote controls, scene controllers, or switches acting as remote controls or virtual 3-ways, you can use the central scene (aka scene control) multi-tap functionality if it's supported by the hub and the controlling switch. You can find detailed programming instructions for our Z-Wave wall switches and remotes on the most popular platforms in each model category.
Smart rules and / or automation tools in the hub's web interface or app are always a good alternative. You will be able to add conditions and fine tune the behavior of your devices so they work exactly according to your needs.

DIRECT ASSOCIATION ON YOUR Z-WAVE HUB

Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions!