Axis Gear, Manual

Page 1: ...AXIS Gear Partner Course Documentation V1 4 September 27 2019 This document is accurate for the following builds Firmware 1122 iOS 1 2 32 Android 3 3 5 ...

Page 2: ...ount Configurations 18 Setup of Install Space 20 Pre Installation Mount Setup 22 Installation 24 Shortening A Chain 29 Removing Gear From Bracket 30 Removing A Mounting Bracket 31 On Device Control and Features 32 Gear Configuration and Control 32 LED Touch Strip User Feedback 35 Gear Diagnostics and Troubleshooting Functions 37 In App Controls and Features 40 AXIS App Download 40 Gear Public Mode...

Page 3: ...ttings 52 Gear Details Readout 55 Schedule Entry 57 Group Control 63 Help and Live Chat 69 Smart Home Integrations 72 Smart Home Mode Intro 72 Amazon Echo Plus 74 Control4 Integration 76 SmartThings Integration 79 Troubleshooting 84 ...

Page 4: ...design that speaks for itself Gear can complement any room to complete any home Gear can be controlled either by using on device controls the AXIS app or leading smart home hubs Groups can be created to move multiple shades simultaneously and schedules can be set to automate a home Ultimately Gear is a strong subtle and stunning solution to more efficiently and easily control window shades ...

Page 5: ...Gear Specifications Physical Specs LIFT CAPACITY Approximately 9 ft x 9 ft or 10 lbs of weight CONNECTIVITY ...

Page 6: ...rged via solar panel 9 ft cable 12 AA backup Batteries included Power Adapter 9 ft cable WHAT S IN THE BOX Gear Solar Bar batteries included power adapter back cover mounting bracket positioning tool screws double sided tape cable clips bead connectors and quick start guide ...

Page 7: ...he AXIS logo and a series of LED CAPACITIVE TOUCH BUTTONS positioned on the TOUCH STRIP The Power button turns Gear on and off or stops operation while the touch strip is used to control the shade To turn Gear on or off touch and hold the Power button for five seconds or until the Touch Strip lights up While Gear is in operation tap the Power button to cease movement Pressing the top of the Touch ...

Page 8: ...er MUST be on to power Gear on and to use Gear in any capacity Gear does not respond to any commands while the cover is loose Removing the cover while Gear is on turns the Gear off If there is a loose cover snap it back into place and power Gear on ...

Page 9: ...s power from its AA batteries The batteries are meant as a secondary power source if there is not enough consistent sunlight Once the batteries drain Gear flashes one red LED on the bottom of the LED strip when an interaction is attempted This is the same error message pattern as in the case of not being plugged into a power source If Gear is plugged into the Solar Bar and you see this message rep...

Page 10: ...teries This reading can fluctuate up and down based on available sunlight and usage If the power consumption due to Gear usage exceeds the rate that solar energy is harvested then AA battery energy will be used to power Gear while the stored energy charges the internal battery POWER ADAPTER READOUT If you determine that the Power Adapter is the primary source of power then the battery storage perc...

Page 11: ...ls are accurate as of the last time the app connected to Gear If there is a warning message then the app keeps displaying the message until the next time Gear connects to the app At that point a new reading is taken and the warning message either disappears or remains on the screen There is a red exclamation mark icon beside any Gears that have a warning Selecting the icon displays a message with ...

Page 12: ...this rule is that schedules still fire if they were sent to Gear before the power source was unplugged Top and bottom positions as well as internal time continue to be stored with Gear until the internal battery runs out The app displays a message if it senses that Gear is unplugged Like with the battery warning message the app only displays this message after a connection attempt ...

Page 13: ...device when the unit comes out of the box To deep charge Gear please follow the instructions outlined in this video https www youtube com watch v PCZ2WF6LaQ4 t 7s You may use either the Power Adapter or the Solar Bar to complete this charge Ensure you remove the Back Cover as outlined in the video ...

Page 14: ...which are looped These generally look like a U at the lowest point of the string or chain Compatible window covers include all types of roller and solar shades and even many vertical blinds venetian blinds and draperies regardless of brand Gear is also designed to work with chains that use connectors Figure 4 Compatible Chains and Cords ...

Page 15: ...e official support for them This is due to a variety of reasons including speed and reliability of the device software and Bluetooth functionality AXIS Gear is directly compatible with the Samsung SmartThings hub Control 4 ecosystem and Amazon s Echo Plus series These integrations have been tested and support is provided for these types of direct integrations It is also possible to use SmartThings...

Page 16: ...E PROCESS To begin an update tap the notification or navigate to the menu and select Gear Updates The Gear Update screen displays brief notes about the available update and initiates an OTA Over The Air file download Once the OTA file download is complete proceed to the next screen A list of devices will appear and devices with an available update will display an Update button Press the Update but...

Page 17: ...Gear is powered on and not in Smart Home Mode and try again Older versions of firmware combined with some mobile devices and app builds may require several attempts to complete an OTA successfully Figure 5 Update Banner left Firmware Download middle Select Gear right ...

Page 18: ...e Inside Mount position This mount configuration requires the Gear bracket to attach to the inside of the window frame Place the back of the bracket against the mounting surface Figure 6 Inside Mount OUTSIDE MOUNT If the window shade is positioned in a way where it covers the whole window frame or there is not enough room for the shade and Gear to be placed side by side use the Outside mount posit...

Page 19: ...llar between two windows This position is useful for areas such as boardrooms with wall to wall windows and little to no mounting area in between This configuration requires the Gear bracket to attach to the divisional structural elements between windows Place the side of the mounting bracket against the mounting surface Figure 8 Middle Mount ...

Page 20: ...e come included in the package Screws are recommended if the mounting material is drywall or wood The tape is recommended for middle section installations or if the install space is metal or glass For installation on plaster walls screws with anchors must be used as the tape is unreliable on this type of surface material We recommend using 18 8 stainless steel 4 1 long phillips flat head screws pa...

Page 21: ...llation Not Included Screws and Anchors Plaster Not Included Concrete Screws Concrete It is critical to note that in most cases the bracket is a permanent install Tape or screw placement must be correct as it is often very difficult if not impossible to modify the placement ...

Page 22: ... into a power source to operate If there is too little space then the charging cord may not have enough room near the bottom of Gear to plug in or may be difficult to unplug Additionally ensure that as the shade moves up and down past the mounting bracket the shade never touches the bracket The shade touching the bracket impedes shade movement and could lead to a situation where the shade cannot m...

Page 23: ... wet a cloth with water or ideally rubbing alcohol and wipe down the install area or use a mild cleaner with a nearly dry cloth Before mounting ensure that the area is clean and dry This is especially important if using the double sided tape as there is a chance that it won t work to its full strength and adhesiveness ...

Page 24: ...ter the AXIS app also provides an interactive tutorial To view this tutorial open the AXIS app and navigate to Installation from the Menu POSITION GEAR After selecting a place to install Gear use the Positioning Tool to position the mounting bracket below the chain or cord Make sure to position the tool so the chain is tight and tensioned Also make sure your chain or cord is not twisted and runs s...

Page 25: ...ded tape first make sure the holes on the tape are aligned with the holes on the bracket Next peel off the yellow liner of the tape and apply it very carefully to the face of the mounting bracket side or back that is against the wall Finally peel the red liner of the tape off and firmly press the bracket against the wall for 10 seconds Let the tape cure for at least one hour to gain adhesive stren...

Page 26: ...ed Figure 10 U shaped Cord Loop MOUNT GEAR ON BRACKET On the back of Gear towards the bottom two grooves run vertically near the left and right edges Similarly on the mounting bracket there are two mounting lips Position Gear flat up against the Mounting Bracket both Lips should be inside the bottom back grooves of the device Then slide the device downwards until the beaded chain or cord loop pull...

Page 27: ...r there is a cap One cap is to replace batteries while the other can hide excessive cable After opening the cap you can wrap the cable around the middle section to set your desired cable length Generally this is easier to do once the Power Module is fully installed When adjusting the cable length make sure there is enough room to slide the cover back on Finally the cable that comes out of the cove...

Page 28: ...lation POWER ON GEAR To turn Gear on press and hold the power touch button for several seconds until the lights on the Touch Strip lights up Gear has now been installed turned on and is ready to be set up Figure 13 Power Button ...

Page 29: ...hain is too long relative to where you want to position Gear follow along with the video below to make the chain shorter Ensure that you do not cut the chain too short as Gear will not fully open and close the shade https youtu be JzshKSPVo0Q ...

Page 30: ...First power off Gear and unplug it from the power source Grab hold of the bottom of Gear and pull the bottom of Gear slightly away from the bracket A cm or so will do While still pulling the bottom away lift Gear up and slide it off the mount You may hear several clicks as you do so These clicks are Gear moving in the opposite way past the grooves which hold it in place Improper removal of Gear ma...

Page 31: ...aced appropriately If Gear was installed on drywall plaster wall with the use of the double sided tape should removal absolutely be required it can be done so with force However this will most likely lead to damage to the wall itself and or the mounting bracket Removal from glass or metal surfaces will not incur damage to these surfaces should it be done with care If the bracket was installed usin...

Page 32: ...FIGURATION RECONFIGURATION 1 Press and hold the Set button on the top of the device for a few seconds Gear will display a pattern of red blue on the top two LEDs and blue red on the bottom two LEDs 2 Touch and hold the top or bottom of the Touch Strip to move the shades up or down You may also tap the top or bottom of the Touch Strip for finer control Once the shade has reached the desired open po...

Page 33: ...ted Gear The top position opens the shades fully the bottom position closes the shades fully and positions in between move the shades to 25 50 and 75 positions An uncalibrated Gear will flash a Not Configured error pattern on the LEDs if an attempt to move the shade is made In this case Gear does not move the shades to any position SMART HOME MODE To enter Smart Home Mode using on device controls ...

Page 34: ...Pressing Pair is also useful during troubleshooting upon pressing the button all active BLE connections cease This can be useful if you are unsure whether another device is actively connected to Gear ...

Page 35: ...the top Two BLUE flashes POWERING OFF The whole strip lights up BLUE The strip then fades to none SHADE POSITION BLUE light appears on Touch Strip relative to the current shade position CALIBRATION MODE press Set The top two lights turn RED BLUE and the bottom two lights turn BLUE RED TOP POSITION CONFIGURED during Calibration Mode The top RED light turns GREEN BOTTOM POSITION CONFIGURED during Ca...

Page 36: ...ce ERROR Whole strip flashes RED twice Figure 15 LED Pattern Examples Smart Home Mode Below are some of the combination LED patterns when AXIS Gear is in Smart Home Mode and explanations as to what they mean PAIRING Whole strip flashes PURPLE SHADE POSITION PURPLE light appears on Touch Strip relative to the current shade position ...

Page 37: ...re not released Gear will flash all LEDs red If this happens try again and release the buttons as soon as the LEDs turn green BIST has two main phases 1 Upon releasing the buttons Gear moves the shades up and down several times Following this all LEDs turn purple This phase tests for motor direction An example of why this is important is if the user notices that when holding up during calibration ...

Page 38: ...o charge If Red deep charge Gear 2 Blue This is static 3 Green Red Alkaline battery status AA batteries in Solar Bar Green over 75 Orange 25 to 75 Red under 25 If Gear is plugged into the Power Adapter this will always be Orange 4 Blue This is static 5 Green Red Motor Red signifies potential fault This test is only accurate when performed while not attached to a shade cord If attached Red will alw...

Page 39: ...y be a potential issue due to indirect hub integrations To reset Gear back to factory settings hold Set Pair Group while Gear is turned on Gear will then change its LEDs to red blue on top and blue red on the bottom of the Touch Strip Gear then plays a reset light show and the unit will reset itself Factory Reset erases all schedules and position settings but retains the most recent firmware insta...

Page 40: ...om store apps details id life axis App Features Like direct on device control the app allows you to calibrate and move Gear You can even calibrate on device and make movements in app or calibrate in app and make movements on device Features exclusive to the app include SETTING SCHEDULES Set schedules to repeat every week Schedules can be set for weekdays weekends or every day GEAR METRICS View the...

Page 41: ... into Public Mode from the Gear Settings screen of the AXIS app While in Public Mode any mobile device running the AXIS app can then discover Gear on the Device Scan list and add Gear to their Gears Dashboard Public Mode expires after 60 seconds After 60 seconds have passed Gear will go back into Incognito Mode and will be invisible to other mobile devices that attempt to add Gear Public Mode and ...

Page 42: ...Figure 16 Prompt to enter Public Mode left Device Scan screen with one Gear in Public Mode right ...

Page 43: ...Other mobile devices will always be able to add a Gear to their install of the AXIS app Incognito mode is not possible Firmware 1036 or older Released 1 2018 and earlier Gear cannot be added to a current version of the AXIS app since it does not recognize the difference between Public and Incognito modes If a Gear with firmware 1036 has been added to an older version of the AXIS app before an upda...

Page 44: ... out occasional updates about Gear and to gain insight into how Gear is used by our customers After entering an email address the app displays a brief introduction to Gear as well as an interactive installation guide The installation guide can be accessed at any time later on by navigating to Installation from the app menu Figure 18 Installation Guide DEVICE PAIRING ...

Page 45: ... on Gear to place Gear into Public Mode so that it is visible to the AXIS app On the Device Scan screen select the GEAR UP device from the device list You may need to refresh the device list if you don t see it listed If you have multiple devices there may be several GEAR UP listings on this screen Each listing corresponds to a different Gear Once a device is selected the respective Gear will flas...

Page 46: ...ow covering isn t available select the option that is closest to the desired choice Additionally let Gear know the type of mounting position by selecting the closest available mount type Finally select the power source when the option is presented This selection determines how the battery level readout function works ...

Page 47: ...ned position of the window shade Once done tap next If the shade closes when you tap the up button select the checkbox below the arrow buttons that says Reverse Directions On the next screen tap or hold the down button until Gear is in the fully closed position Once it is in the desired location tap next Gear will then confirm its new calibration points by flashing all LEDs green twice Gear is now...

Page 48: ...tion left Set Closed Position right 5 After setup the Gear location or custom name appear on the Gears Dashboard To add additional Gears press the Plus sign on the bottom right of the screen and follow the instructions again ...

Page 49: ...n abbreviated onboarding process is offered Note that the previously given name of Gear will not show up in the Device Scan screen All Gears will still be listed as GEAR UP However the given name or location will be retrieved after Gear has been selected If a partially configured Gear is added to the app a slightly longer abbreviated onboarding process is offered You do need to set the top and bot...

Page 50: ...ccessfully paired with the AXIS app connect to it from the main Gears Dashboard Figure 24 Gears Dashboard Upon connecting to Gear the app displays a Control screen To open the shade move the slider to the top To close the shade move to the bottom For more precise movement move the slider to any position in between Unlike the on device controls with five possible positions the app offers movement t...

Page 51: ...r the slider or the arrows on the right can be used to control Gear The slider provides control anywhere on a scale of 1 100 the arrows will only move the shade in 25 increments Figure 25 Gear Control Screen ...

Page 52: ...e Gear enter Smart Home Mode delete Gear from the app and to view further details about Gear Figure 26 Gear Settings CHANGE GEAR NAME Select Gear Name and change this to a preferred name or location The Gears Dashboard reflects this change CHANGE SHADE TYPE Select Shade Type and choose a different window shade type This changes the icon of the Gear on the main Gears Dashboard ...

Page 53: ...tion as pressing the physical PAIR button on Gear CHANGE TO SMART HOME MODE This puts Gear in Smart Home Mode so that it may connect to smart home hubs A further chapter explains this in detail REMOVE GEAR Select Remove Gear to delete Gear from the app When selected Gear retains its stored positions and name or room However all associated schedules will be removed from Gear The Gear may still be u...

Page 54: ...Gear will no longer have the schedule previously sent by Mobile Device A which is still saved in the Schedules tab of the app In this case the schedule needs to be sent again from Mobile Device A ...

Page 55: ...r This screen holds information regarding the Firmware version the types of integration which the selected Gear supports and the battery levels of the device and AA batteries This information may be useful during troubleshooting Figure 27 Gear Details Firmware This field displays the current firmware installed on Gear If there is new firmware available then ...

Page 56: ...ar AXIS Gear SKUs support either Bluetooth and ZigBee or only Bluetooth These integrations are tied to hardware There is no way to add ZigBee support to a Bluetooth only Gear SKU Battery Power This section displays the battery level of the AA batteries and the power stored in the Solar Bar This is explained in depth in the Battery and Charging chapter of this course ...

Page 57: ... here you can review edit and remove all the schedules you have created for your Gear CREATE A SCHEDULE To begin tap on the plus button at the bottom right corner of the screen to create a new schedule Note that the images below do not show this button Figure 28 Empty Schedule Screen left Populated Schedules Screen right Select the Gear you would like to set a schedule for ...

Page 58: ...elect Choose a template The AXIS App has a variety of templates and options for setting schedules You can choose between pre made templates to modify or you can create a new schedule from scratch by selecting the blank template ...

Page 59: ...Figure 30 Template Select Set a Schedule Adjust which days the schedule should run by tapping any of circles in the top row Set the time and position for each schedule entry ...

Page 60: ...ave as a Template to save the schedule as a premade template After naming the template it becomes available on the Select a Template screen Saving as a template is useful if you wish to save the same schedule to multiple Gears If you save as a template the schedule is not sent to Gear In this case you need to go back to the Schedules screen and restart the process You will then be able to select y...

Page 61: ...ovements a day This is regardless of how many actual schedule entries are created in the AXIS app all of the 25 allotted movements can go one Everyday schedule or there may be 25 individual lined entries set each with one movement It is up to the user to determine how to best organize their schedules in app Ultimately every single movement sent to Gear is saved on device within the same schedule m...

Page 62: ...aved time of 3 pm the Gear adheres to the time saved on the phone and the schedule fires at an incorrect real world time Every time a schedule is sent the time is resynced Because of this Gear does not automatically adjust for any form of daylight savings time A schedule must be sent again to sync the newly adjusted time If there is an error in sending a schedule the mobile app shows a red exclama...

Page 63: ...p After you name the Group select the participating Gears Only Gears which are in range of the mobile device are selectable On iOS the Select Gears screen actively scans for nearby Gears and displays a small searching icon If the Gears you wish to add have not been detected as in range then restart the group creation process and ensure you are within a few feet of the Gears you wish to add Press D...

Page 64: ...re 34 Gear Select for Groups After creating a Group the app displays a Connecting screen This screen immediately attempts to connect to Gears added to the new Group Once all connections have been made the app will automatically display the Control screen This screen works in the same way as the Control screen for individual Gears Sliding up opens the shades and sliding down closes them At this poi...

Page 65: ...Figure 35 Group Control After creating a Group and initiating the first connection the Group will appear on the Groups screen under its own tile Figure 36 Populated Groups ...

Page 66: ... be connected to then the app lets you proceed with only the Gears with active connections Alternatively you may retry the scan This feature is in contrast to creating a new Group where all Gears must first be connected to An existing Group can proceed to the Group Control screen if partial Group control is acceptable by the user Figure 37 Group Scanning left Successful Connection Center Partial C...

Page 67: ...evice must always be within Bluetooth range of every Gear in the group Multiple Groups can be created but a Gear can only belong to one Group at a time Group works under the impression that the mobile device stays in the same location while connecting Connection status does not update from the control screen For example if you connect to a group and see that all Gears are connected successfully mo...

Page 68: ...p i e 2 of 4 Gears and then proceed with the control screen Moving closer to the Gears which did not connect does not initiate a connection to those Gears The Group device scan must be initiated again Back out from the control screen and select the group once more ...

Page 69: ...ticket management tool Knowledge Center The Knowledge Center is a compendium of the support articles found on the AXIS website These organized by topic presented in a mobile friendly format and are searchable Additionally release notes for iOS apps Android apps and firmware are found in this section The Knowledge Center is the primary resource for users who wish to learn how a specific feature of ...

Page 70: ...rs this section provides a prompt to leave a message Chat is useful for general troubleshooting questions questions about purchasing Gear or support with specific features of AXIS Gear and the AXIS apps If an issue can not be resolved through chat AXIS staff may convert the contents of Chat to a Ticket Submit a Bug Report This section sends a bug report to AXIS engineers It is critical that bug re...

Page 71: ...including outside of business hours Ticket Creation is useful for complex issues or inquiries which may not easily be solved through a chat session or at times when an immediate reply is not needed My Tickets If there are any open Tickets this section will provide a log of all correspondence Any replies from the AXIS team will be available in this section and follow up messages may be submitted ...

Page 72: ...luetooth mode retains its previous open and close positions Schedules are deleted To check whether Gear is in Smart Home mode press Pair If you see the LEDs flash purple then Gear is in Smart Home Mode If they flash blue then it is in Bluetooth mode ENTER SMART HOME MODE There are three ways to put Gear into Smart Home Mode Gear must be configured before it can enter Smart Home Mode 1 Hold Group P...

Page 73: ...popup after initial calibration left Gear Settings screen option right EXIT SMART HOME MODE To exit Smart Home Mode hold Group Pair on Gear The Gear responds by flashing all LEDs blue to confirm that it is back in Bluetooth mode ...

Page 74: ...or Third The touch strip flashes green twice to indicate a successful pairing To verify go to All Devices in the Devices screen The Gear will appear as First Device or Second or Third VOICE COMMANDS 1 In the Devices screen click on the icon in the top right corner 2 Select Add Group and choose a room name 3 Select the Gears that will be part of the group 4 Now you can use the following commands wh...

Page 75: ...ine by clicking on the icon on the top right and set up the following When this happens Voice and enter the phrase as Open Room or Close Room Add Action Smart Home Control Group and select Room with the Turn On or Turn Off option Click on Add and then Create 4 To operate the blinds you can now say Alexa Open Room or Alexa Close Room to fully open or close the shade s REMOVE GEAR FROM AMAZON ECHO P...

Page 76: ...em Design 3 Under the Items section go to My Drivers and right click on the desired folder or create a new one and click on Add Driver 4 Select Blinds as the Device Type and select AXIS Gear It should now appear in My Drivers 5 Double click on the Driver to add it to the System NOTE Do this step for every Gear that needs to be added JOIN GEAR TO SYSTEM 1 Go to Connections and go to the Network tab...

Page 77: ...to select the variable TEMP_LEVEL 5 Select the option Set to Value of with the drop down option of ROOM GEAR 1 TEMP_LEVEL 6 Repeat Steps 1 5 for any other Gears that need to control or be controlled by another Gear 7 Send commands over the Control4 network to a Gear by using any of the Navigators or the touch interface of the Gear to control any programmed Gears NOTE Dealers may also use the Contr...

Page 78: ...mart Home Mode NOTE This will result in the Gear leaving the mesh network but not disconnecting from the Control 4 Director To rejoin the appropriate device must be disconnected via Composer and initiate the Identify process ...

Page 79: ...c app and click on Add A Thing Press the Pair button on Gear After pairing is complete Gear s Touch Strip flashes Green twice It may take one or two minutes for the SmartThings Classic app to recognize Gear If Gear appears as a Thing tap on Rename to change its name to whatever you would like and move onto the next step If Gear does not appear go back to the My Home section of the SmartThings app ...

Page 80: ...Y ON GEAR Log in to developer smartthings com with the account created in the first step Go to My Locations Then click on your Hub s location e g Home and then click on your hub to verify that it is online Not doing this may result in the hubs or Gear s not appearing visible ...

Page 81: ...After clicking on the hub make sure that it has ACTIVE next to it Click on My Device Handlers in the top menu Then click on Create New Device Handler ...

Page 82: ...ear the bottom of the page Then Click Create https support helloaxis com hc en us articles 360000044207 Integrating with SmartThings Click on Simulator Then select the Hub s location e g Home and click on Set Location After that under Preferences select the first Gear that is paired to the SmartThings Hub following Install ...

Page 83: ...ting Open instead of Please Wait If you have additional Gears that have been added to the SmartThings Classic app which you would like to enable click on Preferences to reveal the additional Gears select the next one to enable and click Update You are now able to control all of your Gears through the SmartThings Classic app ...

Page 84: ...he Solar Bar As a last effort attempt a BIST This will at least provide an idea of whether Gear is capable of powering on even temporarily After a BIST attempt to power Gear on once more If successful recalibrate Gear Alternatively visit the customer support link here to follow an interactive troubleshooting guide Gear won t work after an OTA Firmware Update Gear does not power itself on after a f...

Page 85: ... on will cause the time to re synchronize and all schedules saved on the mobile device to re send There is no need to send each individual schedule entry Note that enabling Smart Home Mode also removes all schedules However this is by design since the hub controls Gear while in Smart Home Mode Does Gear support Power Over Ethernet Gear does not support Power Over Ethernet at this time Where can I ...