State of ZiGate support

[Koenkk]

In https://github.com/Koenkk/zigbee-herdsman/pull/1033 some issues with the ZiGate adapter were discovered, some parts of the code look broken. Since I've not seen any issues reported about ZiGate, I'm wondering wether anyone is still using it and if it still works.

Tagging some people who have worked on or used the ZiGate adapter: @G1K @devbis @kirovilya @yateeshc @eswenson1 @incognito1234 @rclsilver @darkxst @JC38

My question to you: are you still using the ZiGate adapter and if yes, does it work fine?

[eswenson1]

I’m using Zigate with ThirdReality Zigbee USB dongle. After updating the firmware that came with the dongle, with works fine with HA OS/Zigbee2MQTT.

[Nerivec]

Some of the issues identified (that I could remember), related to frames handling only (may be others in other areas):

Inconsistent position increase: https://github.com/Koenkk/zigbee-herdsman/blob/e90595a0b57d2f8e185744c7e64bf3f824d4f7c7/src/adapter/zigate/driver/buffaloZiGate.ts#L14

Typo resulting in passthrough to Buffalo (would also read instead of write): https://github.com/Koenkk/zigbee-herdsman/blob/e90595a0b57d2f8e185744c7e64bf3f824d4f7c7/src/adapter/zigate/driver/buffaloZiGate.ts#L21

Typo resulting in passthrough to Buffalo: https://github.com/Koenkk/zigbee-herdsman/blob/e90595a0b57d2f8e185744c7e64bf3f824d4f7c7/src/adapter/zigate/driver/buffaloZiGate.ts#L77

Inconsistent read/write (and inconsistent usage): https://github.com/Koenkk/zigbee-herdsman/blob/e90595a0b57d2f8e185744c7e64bf3f824d4f7c7/src/adapter/zigate/driver/buffaloZiGate.ts#L103 https://github.com/Koenkk/zigbee-herdsman/blob/e90595a0b57d2f8e185744c7e64bf3f824d4f7c7/src/adapter/zigate/driver/buffaloZiGate.ts#L108

Broken (messageType.ts and commandType.ts both need a detailed look-over): https://github.com/Koenkk/zigbee-herdsman/blob/e90595a0b57d2f8e185744c7e64bf3f824d4f7c7/src/adapter/zigate/driver/messageType.ts#L215

Missing types (enum isn't used at all...): BUFFER_RAW, UINT16BE, UINT32BE, LIST_UINT16BE, MAYBE_UINT8, LOG_LEVEL, STRING https://github.com/Koenkk/zigbee-herdsman/blob/e90595a0b57d2f8e185744c7e64bf3f824d4f7c7/src/adapter/zigate/driver/parameterType.ts#L1

---

Some issues were corrected (hopefully) in https://github.com/Koenkk/zigbee-herdsman/pull/1033 but some stuff needs to be looked over by someone with zigate-specific knowledge.

[JC38]

Hello, I am still using it, but just with 8 devices that I need to migrate to my other controllers (I have 4 zigbee2mqtt ;-) ) No issues with the 8.

[darkxst]

As mentioned above the Third Reality Zigbee Dongle, which is a relatively new product is using Zigate backend. I tried to ping a contact I have there about this, however his email is bouncing. However they are part of the "works with Home Assistant" program and so I would guess they make some efforts to support this backend.

[eswenson1]

I have a contact at ThirdReality who has been very responsible and helped me get things working. I hesitate to put his email address here, but it you want to contact me directly, I’ll give you his email.

[Nerivec]

@eswenson1 If you can contact that person yourself, and let them know about this thread. It would be good if someone could go over the driver here in details. At first glance, some stuff still needs proper support, and likely several fixes and many optimizations to be done. Long story short, the zigate driver needs someone to take up the task of maintaining it; it pretty much stopped receiving updates 3 years ago... https://github.com/Koenkk/zigbee-herdsman/pulls?q=is%3Apr+zigate+in%3Atitle+

[eswenson1]

I sent a message to my contact at ThirdReality and provided a link to this thread. Let’s see if it provokes any response.

[eswenson1]

I have a contact at ThirdReality who has been very responsible and helped me get things working. I hesitate to put his email address here, but it you want to contact me directly, I’ll give you his email.

I wanted to point out that you will see errors with HA/Zigbee2MQTT with the ThirdReality Zigbee USB dongle until you update to the latest firmware. The dongle came with older firmware, and Zigbee-herdsman reported errors parsing the status that came back from the dongle.

[llhappier]

Hi. The Zigate Protocol Introduction Link: https://zigate.fr/documentation/commandes-zigate/ I’m using Zigate with ThirdReality Zigbee USB dongle，also with works fine with HA OS/Zigbee2MQTT. It will report some errors but do not affect normal use. I will take some time to review it. Thank you very much.

[eswenson1]

I recently updated to the latest version of Zigbee2MQTT and now I can no longer successfully interact with my ThirdReality Zigbee USB Dongle. The log shows messages like this:

[2024-05-05 15:44:02] info: 	zh:zigate:frame: {"msgCodeBytes":{"type":"Buffer","data":[132,1]},"msgLengthBytes":{"type":"Buffer","data":[0,12]},"checksumBytes":{"type":"Buffer","data":[204]},"msgPayloadBytes":{"type":"Buffer","data":[0,1,0,153,206,6,0,1,0,20,0]},"rssiBytes":{"type":"Buffer","data":[0]},"msgLengthOffset":-1}
[2024-05-05 15:44:02] error: 	zh:zigate:driver: Parsing error: Error: Message '8401' not found
[2024-05-05 15:44:04] info: 	zh:zigate:frame: {"msgCodeBytes":{"type":"Buffer","data":[128,2]},"msgLengthBytes":{"type":"Buffer","data":[0,23]},"checksumBytes":{"type":"Buffer","data":[106]},"msgPayloadBytes":{"type":"Buffer","data":[0,1,4,5,0,1,1,2,153,206,2,0,0,25,91,0,1,0,0,20,0,0]},"rssiBytes":{"type":"Buffer","data":[255]},"msgLengthOffset":-1}
[2024-05-05 15:44:04] info: 	zh:zigate:frame: {"msgCodeBytes":{"type":"Buffer","data":[132,1]},"msgLengthBytes":{"type":"Buffer","data":[0,12]},"checksumBytes":{"type":"Buffer","data":[204]},"msgPayloadBytes":{"type":"Buffer","data":[0,1,0,153,206,6,0,1,0,20,0]},"rssiBytes":{"type":"Buffer","data":[0]},"msgLengthOffset":-1}
[2024-05-05 15:44:04] error: 	zh:zigate:driver: Parsing error: Error: Message '8401' not found

I'm running version 1.37.0-1.

[Nerivec]

@eswenson1 Looks like frames that aren't implemented in the driver yet. That was only shown in debug mode before 1.37, so you wouldn't have seen these errors. I don't think that's the source of your problem. Can you upload a complete log file?

[sebPomme]

Hi, i still use my zigate+ it still works. I got some messages in the logs:

engine-1  | [2024-05-12 15:05:34] error:         zh:zigate:driver: Parsing error: Error: Message '8008' not found

those messages brings me here I use koenkk/zigbee2mqtt:1.37.1

[mipsou]

Same error with same version

ttyUSB0 /dev/serial/by-id/usb-FTDI_ZiGate_ZIGATE+-if00-port0 Sous-système: tty Chemin d’accès au périphérique: /dev/ttyUSB0 ID: /dev/serial/by-id/usb-FTDI_ZiGate_ZIGATE+-if00-port0 Attributs: DEVLINKS: >- /dev/serial/by-id/usb-FTDI_ZiGate_ZIGATE+-if00-port0 /dev/serial/by-path/platform-fd8c0000.usb-usb-0:1:1.0-port0 /dev/serial/by-path/platform-fd8c0000.usb-usbv1-0:1:1.0-port0 DEVNAME: /dev/ttyUSB0 DEVPATH: /devices/platform/fd8c0000.usb/usb5/5-1/5-1:1.0/ttyUSB0/tty/ttyUSB0 ID_BUS: usb ID_MODEL: ZiGate ID_MODEL_ENC: ZiGate ID_MODEL_ID: '6015' ID_PATH: platform-fd8c0000.usb-usb-0:1:1.0 ID_PATH_TAG: platform-fd8c0000_usb-usb-0_1_1_0 ID_PATH_WITH_USB_REVISION: platform-fd8c0000.usb-usbv1-0:1:1.0 ID_REVISION: '1000' ID_SERIAL: FTDI_ZiGate_ZIGATE+ ID_SERIAL_SHORT: ZIGATE+ ID_TYPE: generic ID_USB_DRIVER: ftdi_sio ID_USB_INTERFACES: ':ffffff:' ID_USB_INTERFACE_NUM: '00' ID_USB_MODEL: ZiGate ID_USB_MODEL_ENC: ZiGate ID_USB_MODEL_ID: '6015' ID_USB_REVISION: '1000' ID_USB_SERIAL: FTDI_ZiGate_ZIGATE+ ID_USB_SERIAL_SHORT: ZIGATE+ ID_USB_TYPE: generic ID_USB_VENDOR: FTDI ID_USB_VENDOR_ENC: FTDI ID_USB_VENDOR_ID: '0403' ID_VENDOR: FTDI ID_VENDOR_ENC: FTDI ID_VENDOR_ID: '0403' MAJOR: '188' MINOR: '0' SUBSYSTEM: tty TAGS: ':systemd:'

[Hedda]

In https://github.com/Koenkk/zigbee-herdsman/pull/1033 some issues with the ZiGate adapter were discovered, some parts of the code look broken. Since I've not seen any issues reported about ZiGate, I'm wondering wether anyone is still using it and if it still works.

Perhaps merge this into -> https://github.com/Koenkk/zigbee-herdsman/issues/242

Tagging some people who have worked on or used the ZiGate adapter

Maybe also ping @fairecasoimeme as he maintains original firmware and makes/sells ZiGate Coordinator (and LiXee) products?

https://github.com/fairecasoimeme

https://faire-ca-soi-meme.fr

https://zigate.fr

https://lixee.fr

I have a contact at ThirdReality who has been very responsible and helped me get things working

FYI, I believe that @hwzolin and @weihuan1111 have contacts at ThirdReality (if they do not work for Third Reality?)?

[devbis]

According to docs, 8008 is just a hearbeat, so it can be safely ignored

[incognito1234]

I still use it with 1 device, and 1 pending issue. I do not know if the root cause of the issue is zigate or the zlinky.

https://github.com/Koenkk/zigbee2mqtt/issues/22206

[Hedda]

Off-topic but FYI, for reference; it sounds as if the zigpy project will soon also list their ZiGate radio adapter library (zigpy-zigate) as deprecated if no other willing developer steps up and volunteers to take over general maintenance and upkeep of its code of it:

https://github.com/zigpy/zigpy-zigate

https://github.com/zigpy/zigpy-zigate/issues/154

Back-story; zigpy project is a hardware-independent Zigbee framework written in Python that is used by Home Assistant's ZHA integration (and zigpy was previously also used by ZigBee Plugin for Jeedom. Without that ZiGate radios will sooner or later also be listed as deprecated or even unsupported for Home Assistant's ZHA integration as well:

https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/zha#compatible-hardware

UPDATE: Sound like there there is a similar situation for the Zigbee Plugin for Domoticz that has had native ZiGate support for many years but is now instead migrating to using zigpy instead:

https://github.com/zigbeefordomoticz/Domoticz-Zigbee/discussions/1752

[HoM3r17]

I guess the original creator of the Zigate @fairecasoimeme could help with this : https://github.com/fairecasoimeme

I still have an original Zigate V1 in a drawer, so I could do some tests as well if needed.

[Hedda]

I still have an original Zigate V1 in a drawer, so I could do some tests as well if needed.

ZiGate v1 is no longer maintained in upstream as far as I know, or is ZiGate v1 not decrepitated in upstream? The is a note there stating it is in ”maintenance mode” but the last ZiGate v1 firmware release is ZiGate v3.23 from October 17, 2022.

https://github.com/fairecasoimeme/ZiGate

So might be a good idea to only focus on ”ZiGate+” (ZiGate v2)?

https://github.com/fairecasoimeme/ZiGatev2

Though seeing that even that has not on February 21, 2023 it makes memwonder if the Zigbee Coordinator part for the ZiGate project have been abandoned?

All upstream focus in upstream is now focusing on LiXee-Box (which is more of a competitor of Zigbee2MQTT) and some Zigbee End Devices?

https://github.com/fairecasoimeme?tab=repositories