Sensible Trial

Hello,
I'm considering switch from Smart things to Indigo. I've downloaded the trial software and installed it on my Mac mini. I've looked at the pages, but a real trial really means that I have to buy some hardware, for Z-wave, in my case.

I can purchase the Aeon Gen 5 Z-stick. From what I read I also need a module – an appliance module. I can buy the GE Z-wave appliance module. It appears to be the same as the Evolve appliance module that they sell with their starter kit.

A few questions:
Is the GE Z-wave appliance module the same as the Evolved module? The starter kit mentions that a module such as this is required along with the Z-stick. What is the keyword that I am looking for to make sure I am buying the correct type of hardware?

Can the Indigo Z-wave system coexist with a SmartThings system which includes a few Z-wave devices?

Thanks,
Barry.

Hi Barry - to test the Z-Wave aspects of Indigo you will need a controller and something to control. The Z-Wave controller is bridge between Indigo and your Z-Wave devices. You can have multiple Z-Wave controllers in your environment, but INDIGO CAN ONLY WORK WITH ONE Z-WAVE CONTROLLER AT A TIME. In other words, Indigo and Smart Things can co-exist. You will also need something to control, hence the Z-Wave module. The GE and Evolve modules may indeed be the same (I don't know) but they will likely perform exactly the same in Indigo. It's important to note that Z-Wave modules will only talk to one Z-Wave controller at a time, but modules can generally be moved from one Z-Wave controller to another very easily.

Your setup would go something like this.
Install the appropriate Z-Wave driver for your environment,
Plug in your appliance module.
Press an hold the button on the Z-Stick until the light is flashing slowly to start the inclusion process.
Place the Z-Stick near the appliance module, and press the button on the appliance module to include it.
The Z-Stick light should flash quickly for a moment, then return to slow.
Press the button on the Z-Stick to end the inclusion process.
Insert the Z-Stick directly into your Mac (avoid USB hubs and extension cables.)
Include the appliance module as a new Indigo device within the Indigo software..

Hope this is helpful.
Dave