SIN-4-1-21 is a Zigbee module from NodOn that can give intelligence to different devices in your home: electric gates, doors, boilers, VMC, electric radiators, sockets, air conditioners, or lights.
Why is the SIN-4-1-21 Zigbee module so expensive?
SIN-4-1-21 is one of the most complete modules on the market as it integrates Zigbee and Bluetooth technologies, Zero Crossing (to increase the durability of the device), manages devices by dry contact and can also measure the power consumption of other devices.
Advantages and disadvantages of Zigbee dry contact module
Advantages
- Multiple uses: This SIN-4-1-21 module can control an electric gate, a door, a boiler, an electric socket, a VMC, an electric radiator, an air conditioner and much more.
- Measures consumption: SIN-4-1-21 measures the energy consumption of the wired device (if it is not a dry contact connected device).
- Size: The NodOn module is compact so you can easily install it behind a traditional switch or anywhere else.
- Compatibility: This device works with Enki Connect, Jeedom and Home Assistant home automation hubs with Zigbee2MQTT. You can also use it with a Tuya hub (Lidl, Nous, Moes etc), Overkiz and Alexa but you will not have consumption measurement.
- Zigbee router: This module, using Zigbee technology, amplifies the signal within your Zigbee network.
- Quality: NodOn is a French company that pays attention to the details of its devices, incorporating original features such as Zero Crossing (for extended device lifetime) and Bluetooth technology for over-the-air (OTA) updates, which can be of great relevance.
Disadvantages
- Mandatory Zigbee hub: You need to buy a compatible Zigbee hub to use the SIN-4-1-21 module.
- High price: Zigbee modules usually have a price between 10 to 20 euros on average but this NodOn module has a high price but it is justified being a quality and complete device.
Tutorial on the use of the Zigbee dry contact module SIN-4-1-21
Today we are going to discover this device in detail, being essential in a smart home, and it was precisely the option chosen by a user who wanted to control his electric gate from his phone and, perhaps later on, with geolocation when he arrives or leaves his house.
We are also going to see how to use it with an electric radiator so that, in this case, we can turn it on and off according to our needs and we can follow the energy consumption over time.
General characteristics of NodOn SIN-4-1-21
To start with, if we open the packaging, we find the NodOn Zigbee module and a jumper if we need to connect two electrical terminal blocks of the module together for some electrical wiring. And we also have the SIN-4-1-21 instruction manual.
This module has a size of 40 mm x 44 mm x 16.9 mm, being compact and easy to install behind a switch or in any environment with little space.
It supports loads up to 3000 W resistive, 2200 W for incandescent lamps and 200 W for LED lamps.
A major advantage of this module, unlike most other smart modules on the market, is that it incorporates Zero Crossing technology, a process that helps to reduce arcing, which protects the relay laminations and prevents damage if you use this module with devices that can generate power surges when switched on, such as LED bulbs.
It has an IP20 protection rating, so you should use it indoors, and withstands ambient temperatures between:
- -20 and 40°C outdoors.
- -20 and 35°C in a flush-mounted box if you install it on the wall. By the way, if you are short of space, I recommend the BLM box (BLI685500) for easy installation of this module.
- -20 and 40°C in a DIN rail box (NodOn DRB-2-2-00) if you want to install it in an electrical panel.
- -20 and 40°C in a surface box (NodOn BPS-1-1-01), which is very interesting if you want to install this module in a bathroom or any area with humidity.
In terms of electrical wiring, as it operates on 230 V, we have neutral and phase connectors to connect this module to the power supply.
We also have the outputs, either to connect this module to a dry contact device (in this case, you will not be able to measure the energy consumption).
Or to connect a device by controlling its load and being able to measure its energy consumption.
To summarise, some devices such as an electric radiator or a lighting zone will be electrical loads that can be controlled directly by this module. Of course, you should check beforehand that you do not exceed the power limit value, and you will also have a monitoring of the energy consumption.
Other devices such as a garage door, an electric gate, a building door or a boiler can be controlled by dry contact, but in this case you will not have the function of consumption measurement as you do not directly control the electrical load.
In addition, the module has an input for a physical switch, if we want to control our electrical device from a traditional switch. This module integrates an auto-detection of the type of switch.
If you press the switch button once, the module will detect whether it is a monostable or bistable switch.
Another essential detail that integrates this module is that some devices such as an electric gate or a building door must be controlled by pulse dry contact, which is a short period in which the module closes its dry contact and reopens it automatically, simulating the action of pressing a manual button and avoiding damage to the electrical device thanks to this pulse.
To activate or deactivate this pulse mode, you can press the button on the module 5 times in a row and it should have its LED flashing green.
Finally, another very interesting feature of the NodOn module is called OTA(Over-The-Air), which allows it to be updated over time.
Either with the NodOn Connect app via Bluetooth on your phone.
Or with a compatible Zigbee platform such as Zigbee2MQTT with Home Assistant or Jeedom.
How to install the NodOn SIN-4-1-21 module
Let’s see how to install this SIN-4-1-21 module.
Very important: you must have electrical clearance, adequate protections, make sure that the power is turned off and that nobody can activate it while you are wiring, and you must verify the absence of current. If not, I recommend that you contact a professional to carry out the electrical wiring. This content is informative and I am not responsible for any material damage or risk to your health.
There are different electrical wiring according to the use you are going to give to this module, so I recommend you to check in detail the SIN-4-1-21 instruction manual.
Electrical wiring with an electric radiator
Electrical wiring with an air conditioner
Electrical wiring with an electrical plug
Electrical wiring with a VMC
Electrical wiring with a boiler
Electrical wiring with an LED Driver
Electric wiring with an electric gate or electric trigger gate
In my example, if I use it to control an electric radiator, I will connect the phase and neutral connectors with the phase and neutral cables, I will put the jumper and I will connect the load cable of my radiator to the output connector of the NodOn module and the neutral of the radiator to the neutral cable.
Another example is for an electric gate.
In this case, I am going to connect phase and neutral to the phase and neutral connectors of the NodOn module.
And I will connect the module outputs to the dry contact inputs of my electric gate.
This will allow this electric gate to be opened from its push button in the traditional way and, additionally, with my phone or with automations thanks to the NodOn module linked to a compatible Zigbee hub.
How to link SIN-4-1-21 with a compatible Zigbee hub
Now let’s see how to link this NodOn module with a compatible Zigbee home automation hub.
As a Zigbee 3.0 compliant device, it is 100% interoperable, but beware: not all Zigbee hubs are compatible with Zigbee devices. You should always check compatibilities before any purchase.
In our example, we are going to use Zigbee2MQTT with Jeedom, but you can also use it with Home Assistant. You can launch the inclusion mode.
If you have your NodOn module wired to the mains, it should automatically flash orange.
After a few seconds, it should appear on the interface of your home automation hub and the LED will turn green.
If this is not the case and this module shows a steady orange LED, you can simply press once on its physical button and it should go into inclusion mode.
That’s it, now you have the module in the interface of your home automation hub, so you can control it from anywhere in the world on a computer or phone.
Detailed functions of NodOn SIN-4-1-21
Now let’s take a look at the detailed functions of this SIN-4-1-21 module.
“State” means that we can turn this module ON or OFF.
For example, for an electric radiator, if we turn it ON, we will activate it, and if we turn it OFF, we will deactivate it.
For an electric gate, if you set a pulse time from the Zigbee2MQTT interface, in “Impulse mode configuration”, such as 500 ms, then when you set it to ON, it automatically goes back to OFF after 500 ms, so you can control your electric device by dry contact and pulse.
“Power” will be displayed if you have wired the module with an electrical load such as an electric radiator and it will be the power of this device in real time. That is to say, if your radiator consumes 1000 W, you will see this information in real time.
“Energy” is, this time, the total metered consumption.
In other words, if you have an electric radiator that consumes 1000 W and is switched on for 3 hours, then you will have a total consumption of 3000 W.
“Power-on behaviour” is an interesting function that you can use to decide what state your module should be in when the power comes back on after a power failure. You can decide to set it to OFF, ON or in the same state as before the power failure.
Then we have “Switch Type”, which allows us to define the type of switch connected to the module, whether it is bistable, monostable or has an auto-detection.
And “Linkquality” allows us to know the quality of the Zigbee link, being an interesting data to see if we have a good signal or if we need to add Zigbee signal repeaters to improve it.
Of course, once this Zigbee module is linked to our home automation hub, the magic of a smart home is to be able to create different automations according to defined criteria.
In the case of the user, in addition to being able to remotely open, from anywhere in the world with his phone, his electric gate to any member of his family, he could also open or close this electric gate automatically according to his geolocation. In other words, when he is arriving near his house, the electric gate opens automatically, and when he leaves, it closes automatically.
Of course, a detail to take into account is that, as it is the same command to open or close the electric gate, it could be very useful to additionally have a door sensor to know its status remotely and to be sure that the gate is closed or open.
Or install a camera so you can check its status from your phone.
This is the case of the user who additionally installed a Netatmo smart camera.
And also a Zooz door sensor, which is used outdoors thanks to a Zooz protection specifically designed for outdoor use.
We also use this module in professional environments with Jeedom and Zigbee2MQTT with time schedules and thermostats in this Jeedom interface, with temperatures of 17°C during nights, weekends and periods when workers are absent in some zones, and 20°C when they are present in these zones.
In theory, and according to some estimates, these programmes allow savings of up to 30% on energy bills. Of course, this saving will depend on each environment, but in general, having these programmes tends to be more efficient than controlling the heating manually, given that we tend to forget at times to reduce the temperature or we do not even look at what temperature we have programmed for a defined period. Therefore, having automations usually has a positive impact.
In short, this Zigbee module is unique in having different functions such as dry contact output and pulse mode, but it can also be used in ON/OFF mode with consumption measurement, so it is very useful to give intelligence to many aspects of your home and thus have control of any device from your phone and with automations.
