Delays or slow response with SONOFF ZBMINI-L Zigbee 3.0 Smart Switch by ITead

[palyntech]

What happened?

After a few minutes/hours after pairing the ZBMINI-L start to get delay that increase with time.

It seems that I'm not alone with the issue :
https://community.home-assistant.io/t/sonoff-zbmini-l-zigbee-3-0-smart-switch-by-itead-works-without-neutral-wire-and-based-on-cc2652p-so-should-be-a-good-zigbee-router/384644/42

ZBMINI-L Firmware : 1.0.4

What did you expect to happen?

A fast response (the same as just after the pairing of the device).

How to reproduce it (minimal and precise)

• Pair the device
• Use it a few time threw home assistant or zigbee2mqtt or with the switch directly to ensure it's working properly. When used threw Homeassistant or Zigbee2mqtt : the device answer in a few ms.
• Try again after an hour (switch with zigbee)
• The device will respond after multiple seconds
• The device still work properly when activated with the physical switch button linked to it.

Zigbee2MQTT version

1.24.0

Adapter firmware version

20210708

Adapter

SONOFF ZigBEE 3.0 USB Dongle Plus

Debug log

No response

[hevili]

can confirm same Problem

[Hedda]

It seems that I'm not alone with the issue :
https://community.home-assistant.io/t/sonoff-zbmini-l-zigbee-3-0-smart-switch-by-itead-works-without-neutral-wire-and-based-on-cc2652p-so-should-be-a-good-zigbee-router/384644/42

FYI, ITead SONOFF ZBMINI-L Zigbee 3.0 Smart Switch installs without neutral wire and is based on the CC2652P (CC2652 P1F) chip.

• https://itead.cc/product/sonoff-zbmini-l-zigbee-smart-switch-no-neutral-wire-required/
• https://sonoff.tech/product/diy-smart-switch/zbmini-l/

• We already also know from reports in https://community.home-assistant.io/t/sonoff-zbmini-l-zigbee-3-0-smart-switch-by-itead-works-without-neutral-wire-and-based-on-cc2652p-so-should-be-a-good-zigbee-router/384644/ that the ITead SONOFF ZBMINI-L is based on a Texas Instruments CC2652P (CC2652 P1F) MCU chip, which is also used in some of ITead's other Sonoff branded Zigbee devices like their SONOFF S26R2ZB Zigbee Smart Plug as well as the very latest shipping revision of the SONOFF ZBMINI Zigbee Two Way Smart Switch (which previous revisions was based on Silicon Labs EFR32MG21). More specifically this ITead SONOFF ZBMINI-L No-Neutral Zigbee 3.0 Smart Switch contains a “SM-029 V1.1” radio module based on Texas Instruments based CC2652, with that radio module presumably being designed by CoolKit Technologies (who is know to make other Zigbee radio modules for ITead and others using a similar naming-convention), and we also seen FCC pictures show that the upcoming ITead Sonoff ZBBridge-P using Texas Instruments CC2652P (CC2652P1) MCU chip radio module saying “SM-031 v1.1”.
• We also already know from reports in https://community.home-assistant.io/t/sonoff-zbmini-l-zigbee-3-0-smart-switch-by-itead-works-without-neutral-wire-and-based-on-cc2652p-so-should-be-a-good-zigbee-router/384644/ that unlike most other Sonoff branded Zigbee devices with the same TI CC2652P MCU chip the firmware shipping with ITead SONOFF ZBMINI-L is configured as a Zigbee End-Device (non-routing device) and not a Zigbee Router device config.

I don't own this device myself but there are some basic things all should try and more detailed information will also be needed:

1. Enable Zigbee2MQTT debug logging and Zigbee-herdsman debug logging and provide debug logs https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/guide/usage/debug.html
2. Which exact firmware version is on each and every ITead SONOFF ZBMINI-L device with this delay problem?
3. Can you describe the problem symtoms and your enviroment setup in more detail as well as steps needed to replicate issue? Like in which different scenarios and with what action can you see these delays and is the same problem symptoms always seen, etc.. That is, what installation and steps would someone else need to do installa and take order to replicate the issue?
4. Is the the ITead SONOFF ZBMINI-L connected though a Zigbee Router device or directly to the Zigbee Coordinator?
5. If it is connected to through a Zigbee Router device then which exact Zigbee Router device model and firmware on that?
6. If possible verify that it is still a problem after update the Zigbee Coordinator adapter firmware to at least the latest from Koenkk master branch https://github.com/Koenkk/Z-Stack-firmware/tree/master/coordinator/Z-Stack_3.x.0/bin or better yet to latest develop branch https://github.com/Koenkk/Z-Stack-firmware/tree/develop/coordinator/Z-Stack_3.x.0/bin as those contain many upstream bug fixes from Texas Instruments.
7. If possible verify that it is also the same problem in the latest Zigbee2MQTT Edge/Dev release (zigbee2mqtt-edge latest dev branch) https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/advanced/more/switch-to-dev-branch.html

PS: By the way, sultanhq from Home Assistant's forum provided these pictures of the inside of his ITead SONOFF ZBMINI-L device:

[palyntech]

Thanks for your detailed answer !
Regarding your advice :

• I flashed my dongle with the last develop version of Koenkk. Remove all my device repaired all of them ... The problem came back after like 30minutes (I can accept 1sec of delay ... but it's already many seconds at this point).
• All the ZBMINI-L have the same firmware version : 1.0.4
• I try to connect them directly to the coordinator or threw a routeur, the result is the same.
• For your information I try with a single device connected to the coordinator and the issue is the same ...
• My current environment : 4 ZBMINI-L and 3 Sonoff S26R2ZB that works perfectly fine.
• Regarding the logs, I already activate the debug mode and was not able to see anything relevant except the fact that the device has delay to answer to the command sent.

How to replicate :

• Pair the device
• Use it a few time threw home assistant or zigbee2mqtt or with the switch directly to ensure it's working properly. When used threw Homeassistant or Zigbee2mqtt : the device answer in a few ms.
• Try again after an hour (switch with zigbee)
• The device will respond after multiple seconds
• The device still work properly when activated with the physical switch button linked to it.

[raz0rf0x]

I have this device on a Conbee2 ver 0x26580700. My ZBMINI-L is being routed through one node.
Link from coordinator to first node is 225, then from that node to the ZBMINI is 150.

There is a 5 second delay when switching this on or off remotely. Manual activation of this device causes instantaneous state change to be indicated in ZB2MQTT.

[palyntech]

I didn't talk about it, but when I activate the physical switch the state is also instantaneous.
The delay is only when activate the switch remotely. But I experience way more than 5s on my side.

[hevili]

i am on 30+ seconds sometimes.. tried with conbee 2 in combination with both zha and zigbee2mqtt. Currently on zha but exactly the same issues here

[Hedda]

FYI, there are now some probably related tips posted about PTVO firmware on other CC2652P based Sonoff branded Zigbee devices from ITead in ptvoinfo/zigbee-configurable-firmware#96 as well as in Koenkk/Z-Stack-firmware#273 and #10282 now.

The tip is that might be a idea to try unofficial PTVO firmware but select the CC2652R chip type (and not CC2652P) in the PTVO firmware configurator to get firmware image without power amplifier enabled (TX power config set to +5dBm output power).

Manually configuring the transmit power to 5 dBm or less in the firmware should probably also work as does there same thing?

It seems that at least some of the radio board modules in ITead's newer products look to have a design flaw/limititation/flaw with missing components needed for using CC2652P with power amplifier enabled as per article about Sonoff ZBMINI v2 (01MINIZB):

https://ptvo.info/custom-firmware-for-sonoff-zbmini-01minizb-and-ewelink-switch-zr-02-923/

That article is the conclusion from -> ptvoinfo/zigbee-configurable-firmware#96

"The firmware for cc2652r has +5dBm output power by default. So, the firmware should be the same as for ZBMINI"

So as a workaround to use PTVO firmware it is probably very likely that selecting CC2652R chip type in the PTVO firmware configurator will result in a working firmware image on the ITead Sonoff ZBMINI-L similar to the new Sonoff ZBMINI (01MINIZB) as both use CC2652P (CC2652 P1F) chip model and their radio modules have same design flaws/limitations/optimizations?

PS: To manually flash new firmware to CC2652 based devices like these you need cJTAG (c/JTAG) compatible adapter like TI CC-DEVPACK-DEBUG adapter or Texas Instruments XDS110. See -> https://electrolama.com/radio-docs/advanced/flash-jtag/

[Hedda]

Be sure to also submit tickets to ITead/Sonoff as the manufacturer as well so they can keep statistics:

https://itead.freshdesk.com/support/home

Based on their support orginazation history ITead/Sonoff had a tendency to not react to reports of clear firmware bugs until enough people have reported the same problem, even if some in community show how to replicate issue to prove fault.

Again for reference also see → https://community.home-assistant.io/t/sonoff-zbmini-l-zigbee-3-0-smart-switch-by-itead-works-without-neutral-wire-and-based-on-cc2652p-so-should-be-a-good-zigbee-router/384644/

[Christophe999s]

Same issue here. I've logged a ticket with Sonoff and have received this response:
'For the ZBMINI-L and HA problem, it is the differences of the trigger mechcanism between HA and our ZBMINI-L. For the problem, our technicans are trying to talk with HA about this problem, please kindly wait for the update of the HA.
And if any news, we will also let you know.'

[Hedda]

Same issue here. I've logged a ticket with Sonoff and have received this response: 'For the ZBMINI-L and HA problem, it is the differences of the trigger mechcanism between HA and our ZBMINI-L. For the problem, our technicans are trying to talk with HA about this problem, please kindly wait for the update of the HA. And if any news, we will also let you know.'

Sounds as if their support/technicans are confusing Zigbee2MQTT with the ZHA integration for Home Assistant, or?

[dtalens]

Same issue here with 1.0.5 firmware.

[CaptFennec]

Same issue here.
Do you know of good alternatives?
(those where cheap and no neutral needed... sounded perfect!)