Aqara smart wall switch

Hello dear Friends

My new review, on the theme of devices included in the ecosystem of the Aqara smart home, is dedicated to the Aqara wall switch. With this gadget, you get the ability to control lighting or ventilation — without the need to use smart bulbs, lights or fans. The solution will work with all chandeliers, lamps and harmoniously fit into almost any interior. More details.

A few earlier I already viewed a smart lamp from Xiaomi, it is very easy to manage, all you need-only the cartridge E27 and power supply. But what to do if there are chandeliers in the house, in which it is impossible to install such bulbs? Or is it possible but not rational? To solve these issues and designed the hero of today's review - Aqara smart wall switch.

It is supplied, like all other gadgets of the ecosystem, in a white cardboard box, with the inscription Aqara.

On the back side there is a list of technical characteristics, of the most necessary-the size-86 * 86 * 42, 8мм
Protocol-ZigBee requires Aqara Gateway to manage
Power-No more than 800 watts
Designed to work in a network of 220 in, 50 Hz
Operating temperature range-0-40 C, humidity-5-95%

Included is a switch, booklet and a pair of fixing screws. Switches are of four kinds-with physical disconnection of wires, one and two keyboards, and without it-logic switches, as well with one and two keys. The hero of the review-the most senior version-with wire switching and two keys.

The keys are always in the same position – the springs provide a reverse turn. There is no mechanical ligament of the key position with the wire blur.

At the bottom of the switch are LEDs-if the key is "on"-the corresponding led shines blue. Also here are slots for removing the lid with the keys from the control unit switch.

The back-has three screw contacts-the main line-the entrance and two lines running on the managed devices-lamps, chandeliers, fans. Also, thanks to this connection, the power of the switch is provided.

The cover with keys is held by four latches, removed with a small flat screwdriver. The keys have springs, which return them to their initial position. There are two micro-switches on the control unit. Opening and closing of contacts by means of relays. Therefore, the difference between how to control the switch-by pressing the key or remotely-absolutely not.

Now is the time to accurately measure the size of the switch. Height-83.96 mm. The width and height of the inner block is just over 58 mm. The maximum depth of the inner block is 28.2 mm.

The connection of the switch passes standard. In the plugin Management Aqara Gateway, choose the option-connect a new device, then from the list (most recently it appeared gas and smoke detectors)-Select the switch of the desired type. Then hold the key until the LED blinks three times, and then for each of the keys separately choose the icon.

The names for each of the keys are set too. After that, a new device appears in the list. The icon with the name of each key appears in the control Panel section of the Home tab of the Gateway control plug-in. Convenient — you can immediately see the state of each of the managed devices, as well as easily and quickly-turn them on and off.

You also have your own plug-in at the switch. On the main page are logical keys to control the switch. The plugin menu has a standard set of functions.
1. Smart scripts are those in which the switch is involved
2. Rename
3. Change the icon
4. Timer
5. Remove/Add smart home to the device list-this option is responsible for whether the device will be visible in the main list of connected devices visible when the Smart House application is launched. I'm part of the devices from there removed so as not to overload the list. In the list of connected devices of the gateway management plug-in, it will always be visible.
6. Basic settings-as seen in the third screenshot, in this menu you can rename the switch itself, not its keys, define the room (group of Devices) in which it is located, display the plugin shortcut to the desktop, or write a review.

This switch is two separate logical devices in one enclosure, which are identified as the left and right key. Each key can be assigned its own icon, its own name, and even its own, separate timer.

Let me remind you the main difference between timer settings and smart scripts-the timer can only turn on and off at the specified time and day of the week, but it works autonomously-the Internet and Chinese clouds it does not need. Scripts — can contain any set of actions — they can even be part of other scenarios, but only work when the Internet is available.

Smoothly turn to the most useful-what can this switch. In scripts, it is only available as a script action, and cannot be a condition. Although I was hoping until the last that it could be a condition. There are 6 options available-three for each key-to turn on, off and switch the current state to the opposite. By the way, when the physical press is running, the third script works-turn on/off. If the power is physically disconnected, the default status is off.

There are a lot of use cases in scenarios. For example, I made a light outage in the hallway when the condition-no movement there for 2 minutes. I must say that the light there used to burn often in vain and long, now it is not. It is also possible to duplicate pressing the key on the wireless button, having received an additional switch rigidly not tied to the place.