The One - Wave Gateway

The PIERRE Wave Gateway is the device that connects the wireless PIERRE Wave network to the rest of the PIERRE system. PIERRE Wave uses a Zigbee mesh, and the gateway is the coordinator of that mesh: it forms the network, admits devices to it and passes their traffic on to the PIERRE system and to the Smart PIERRE application.

The gateway is a freestanding unit. It is powered from a USB-C supply and reaches the network either over its Ethernet port or over Wi-Fi. A single RGB status LED on the top face reports what the device is doing, and a recessed push button on the rear edge starts the gateway in commissioning mode when it is held during power-up.

Where it is used

• Installations built with PIERRE Wave devices, where a wireless mesh replaces control cabling.
• Retrofit and rented properties, and interiors where walls cannot be opened.
• Extending an existing PIERRE installation with individual wireless devices.

A PIERRE display can also provide the gateway function. Where a display is already planned, a separate gateway may not be needed. Where no display is planned, or where the wireless coverage needs a coordinator in a different position, this gateway provides the function on its own.

• A USB-C power supply, 5 V DC, 1 A minimum. See Required power supply.
• A network connection at the gateway position: either an Ethernet cable to the router or switch, or 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi coverage.
• A smartphone with the Smart PIERRE application installed, with Bluetooth enabled. The gateway is commissioned over Bluetooth.
• The Wi-Fi network name and password, if the gateway is to connect over Wi-Fi.

Device roles in a PIERRE Wave network

Every PIERRE Wave network has one coordinator, and the gateway is it. Around that coordinator the network is built from two other kinds of device.

Build the network in order

Install and pair in this sequence: gateway, then router devices, then end devices. The router infrastructure should already exist when end devices are paired. An end device paired before the routers around it are in place may attach through a distant or unsuitable path, and can become slow or unavailable later.

Interaction with Wi-Fi

PIERRE Wave uses the 2.4 GHz band, the same band as Wi-Fi. Where performance is inconsistent, separate the two: with Zigbee on channel 20, 25 or 26, use Wi-Fi channel 1 or 6.

The gateway has no internal power supply and is not supplied with one in every package. Use a USB-C supply that meets the following specification.

• Before installing or powering the device, check that it is free from physical damage and moisture.
• Use only a certified power supply that meets the specification in Required power supply.
• The gateway is rated IP20 and is for indoor use only. Do not install it outdoors, in damp rooms or anywhere it can be splashed.
• Keep the device within its operating temperature range of 0 °C to +50 °C. Do not cover it and do not place it on or next to a heat source.
• The enclosure contains no user-serviceable parts. Do not open it.
• Disconnect the USB-C supply before moving the device or connecting the Ethernet cable.

Where the gateway is placed decides how well the whole wireless installation works. It is the coordinator of the Zigbee mesh, so every device either talks to it directly or reaches it through a router.

Choosing the position

• Place the gateway in a central, open position in the building, not at one end of it.
• Keep it out of metal cabinets, distribution boards and other enclosed metal spaces. Metal around the antenna will reduce the range sharply.
• Keep a distance from strong sources of 2.4 GHz interference: Wi-Fi routers, microwave ovens and large televisions.
• The device is freestanding. Stand it on a shelf or similar surface where it is not covered and where air can move around it.
• Check that the position has what the gateway needs: a mains socket for the USB-C supply, and either an Ethernet outlet or good Wi-Fi coverage.

Connecting

1. Place the gateway in the chosen position, near the router or the intended network outlet.
2. If the installation uses a wired connection, plug the Ethernet cable into the RJ45 port.
3. Connect the USB-C cable to the gateway and the supply to a mains socket. The gateway has no power switch and starts as soon as it is powered.
4. Watch the status LED. It reports what the device is doing; see LED indicator description.

Planning the mesh around it

• Install the permanently powered Wave devices next. They act as routers and form the backbone of the mesh.
• Distribute routers through the building rather than clustering them in one area, so the network has more than one possible path.
• Keep battery powered end devices within reliable range of the gateway or a router, roughly 5 to 10 metres.
• Do not power routers through timers or wall switches that cut their supply. A router must stay powered for the mesh to stay stable.

The gateway is commissioned over Bluetooth from the Smart PIERRE application. A new gateway enters commissioning mode on its own the first time it is powered, because it has no stored settings yet. Nothing needs to be pressed.

Before you begin

• Install the Smart PIERRE application on the phone and enable Bluetooth.
• Create the account and set up the building in the application first. That is done once per installation and is not part of the gateway setup.
• Have the Wi-Fi name and password to hand if the gateway will not use Ethernet, and the fixed address details if the installation uses a static IP.

Step 1. Connect power

Plug the gateway into a 5 V USB-C supply. It has no power switch and starts as soon as it is powered.

Step 2. Wait for the status LED to turn white

White means the gateway is in Bluetooth commissioning mode and is waiting for the phone. While it is in this mode it is visible over Bluetooth as Pierre Bridge.

A gateway that has already been set up will not enter this mode by itself; it will try to reconnect with its stored settings instead. To commission it again, hold the button on the rear edge while you connect the power.

Step 3. Add the gateway in the application

In Smart PIERRE go to Menu → Settings → Bridges and search for available devices. Gateways are listed as bridges. Select PIERRE Wave Gateway as the type and pick the gateway that is found.

Step 4. Choose how it connects to the network

The application then asks for the connection method.

• Ethernet. Plug the cable into the RJ45 port. Nothing further is needed.
• Wi-Fi. Enter the network name and the password. The gateway uses the 2.4 GHz band. The application can ask the gateway to scan and list the networks it can see; the LED blinks for a few seconds while it does.

Then choose DHCP, or enter a fixed address, subnet mask, default gateway and DNS server if the installation requires one. Give the gateway a name that identifies it later, which matters as soon as a building has more than one.

Step 5. Let it finish

The gateway stores the settings and restarts. After the restart it joins the network and connects to the PIERRE system, and the status LED turns green. If it stops at another colour, see LED indicator description.

Step 6. Add the Wave devices

With the gateway online, the wireless devices are paired to it. In Smart PIERRE:

1. Go to Menu → Settings → Add Wave I/O.
2. Select the gateway that will manage the new device. If the building has several, pick the right one deliberately.
3. Put the Wave device into pairing mode, following that device's own manual.
4. Tap Find devices. The gateway opens its network to new devices for four minutes.
5. Give the device a name, assign one or more roles, and choose the group it should appear in on the dashboard.
6. Select the dashboards the device should appear on, and save.

Paired devices then appear in the I/O list under the Wave section, and can be used in dashboards, automations, scenes and roles.

The gateway reports its state through one multi-colour RGB LED on the top face.

While the gateway is in commissioning mode and the application asks it to scan for Wi-Fi networks, the LED blinks for about five seconds and then returns to steady.

There is one further state: while an installer is configuring the gateway remotely from the application, it shows a separate colour for as long as that lasts.

Normal operation

Once commissioned the gateway runs unattended. It holds the Zigbee network together, passes device traffic to the PIERRE system and needs no routine intervention. Leave it powered. Taking the gateway off power takes the whole wireless installation down with it.

Firmware updates

The gateway is updated over the network, not from a file. To check it, go to Menu → Settings → Bridges in the Smart PIERRE application, select the gateway and open the Info tab. The tab shows the device type and the build version. If a newer version is available a blue Update button appears; press it to start.

The status LED turns yellow while the update runs and the gateway restarts when it finishes. Do not disconnect the power during an update. If an update cannot be installed, the gateway returns to the firmware it was running before.

The push button

The recessed button on the rear edge has two uses, and neither of them is a factory reset.

• Held while the power is connected — the gateway starts in Bluetooth commissioning mode instead of reconnecting with its stored settings. This is how a gateway that is already set up is commissioned again, for example when it moves to a different network.
• Pressed while the gateway is running — the gateway restarts immediately. There is no confirmation and no hold time, so do not press it to test it.

Clearing a gateway

The stored configuration is erased from the Smart PIERRE application, not from the device. Put the gateway into commissioning mode by holding the button as you power it up, connect to it from the application, and delete it there.