Opener: Fermax VDS Bus

[gf78 (Gregor)]

Dear Community,
I want to share my experiences with the Nuki Opener and Fermax ADS with you.

I ordered the opener because according to the Nuki website the system “Fermax CityMax” is supported. Unfortunately this information is not completely correct, because - as it turned out - my CityMax is an ADS bus system. Specifically it is the indoor unit 60607 with the connection board 106CI08D.

I made the opener work, but with serious limitations, so I’m not sure yet if I will make use of my right of return.

Wiring: I chose the wiring variant for the generic bus without bell suppression. I connected the orange and the red wire of the opener with the data line of the bus (L) and the black wire of the opener with GND of the bus (-).

SW version: 1.2.7 (Opener)

Training: That was a bit tricky. Since I can only press the door open button after it has rung, but the Nuki app wants to record this signal first (@Nuki-Team: you should make it more flexible). Therefore I started the training mode only after I had established a connection between the indoor and outdoor units to start recording the opening signal. I couldn’t select in the app that my system only allows a door opening after a bell signal (@Nuki-Team: I was only offered this option as part of an error handling routine. I would have liked to have selected it before or changed it in the administration).

What works & what doesn’t:

Unlatch: Partly functional. If someone rang the bell, I can then open the door and don’t have to go to the indoor unit, but my main use case - I want to unlock the door for myself without ringing the bell - is not supported.

Ring-to-Open: This works, you should only set the maximum time very short. (see next point.)

Continuous mode: This mode works technically partially, but the function is not usable at all. The reason for this is that the opener reacts to all (!!!) bell signals of the entire house (!!!) and opens the door. This is an absolute no go and critical.

Nuki-App notifications: Here the same error strikes, I receive each time a notification if any (!) extension in the house is called. No go!

Nuki-Bridge API: The function to get callbacks when ringing is missing. This function is essential for me, because I want to run my solution autonomously without Nuki Web/Cloud.

Conclusion
I have partially made the opener work, but the solution is still far from ready for the market. Training the system was really hard, but the critical bug (Opener reacts to all extensions) and the missing feature (Bridge API, Ringing Callback) don’t make it easy for me to keep the Opener.

[Jose_M_Bustamante_De (José M Bustamante Dehesa)]

In intercoms that needs activation, there is no way to open without pressing outside. No solution here.

The other issues are normal because nuki have to adjust the different tipology of intercom’s signals to react to the correct signal. They are looking for it . The notifications works in this way too.

[Georg_S (Georg Sixt)]

Hi,
the Fermax VDS/ADS systems are supported in our 1.3.0 beta firmware version. The way the doorbell get recognized changed in order to only react on the users doorbell signal.
Please send me your Opener ID by PM (goto Settings of your Opener > Connection status and Click on the Opener symbol) so I can add you to the beta group.
Thanks

[Manuel_Gysin]

@Georg_S
Thanks for the beta invite. Tested the whole setup and there are one minor and one major problem.

Minor one: the setup will never complete, the setup where you ring and opener should open never works. Repeated it 3 times and then just told the app, the door was opened, in fact it was not.

Major: If someone ring, you can’t open the door with the app. In fact there is only now ring to open mode available. The normal open option must be available too.

Very welcome is that I don’t get every ring signal from the whole building again.

Side note: I have a different cabling for ring suppression that also works. Don’t know if I should adjust to yours?

[moixcruz (Moises Cruz)]

Hi, today I tried to install my opener in fermax 3305 but faced similar issues than commented here: followed the wiring as per app instructions but during configuration it didn’t work.
Can anyone tell me detailed wiring and steps to follow for the success setup?
Cheers

[Georg_S (Georg Sixt)]

Hi,
for the correct wiring with doorbell suppression please refer to: Known compatibility issues (Fermax VDS with doorbell suppression)

[Rafael_RP]

Hola. Yo instale el opener en mi Fermax 3305, y al principio no me funcionaba pero consegui actuallizar el firware del opener y al día siguiente me funcionó.

Ahora mi problema es que cuando activo en “Ring to Open” y llamo desde la calle, al Fermax 3305 le suena el timbre, aunque yo tengo configurado en el menú de nuki que no suene el timbre cuando el Ring to Open está activado. ¿a vosotros os pasa lo mismo?

[Rafael_RP]

Ya encontré la solución.
El problema era que tenia que aumentar el tiempo de supresion del timbre que por defecto está en 500 y pasándolo a 2000 el timbre se suprime. Solo suena un pequeño ruido cuando se llama, pero poca cosa.

Aprovecho e indico como lo configure

[ogomat (Oscar G)]

Hi George, I’ve just installed a new opener (fermax 3390) wired as the app described but ring bell suppression is not working (even tried rising bell suppression timing —hidden option— with no success). Just willing to configure it for Ring to open.

Opener firmware: 1.4.6

In your post yo say:
Fermax VDS Doorbell suppression
In order to use doorbell suppression adjust the connections as follows:

Opener:
black … “-” terminal of the intercom
red… “L” terminal of the intercom
orange… “L” terminal of the intercom
yellow … clamp
green … “+” terminal of the intercom

Intercom:
“-” cable … “-” terminal of the intercom
“L” cable … “L” terminal of the intercom
“+” cable … clamp

With defers from the one instructed by the installation process.

No problem to change it but … Which one should I follow, the one described in the app or this one ?

I’ll appreciate if you could clarify.

Thanks in advance.

Original wiring:

Current wiring:

[ogomat (Oscar G)]

Ok, I’ve got it working with the configuration suggested by the app. No need to apply George’s suggested configuration (no need to keep on waiting for a reply, either)

Only issue is not having doorbell suppression working (I see many users are complaining about this issue), and support stopped answering regarding this topic. Last suggestion was to play with timeouts (I stopped playing after trying 10 or more values, it’s nonsense to keep on this way without support. Nuki support should keep in mind that we are customers that have paid for a working product, we are not beta testers nor GitHub mates).

At this moment I can’t know if Nuki is going to solve this or even If it’s possible to solve it or not. Nuki has the tools (logs, customer’s patience and cooperation -never, never in my live I have dedicated so many hours with a product to make it work) what it seems is that, for Nuki, customers don’t deserve this kind of clarifications.

The only thing for sure is that, for the moment, I can’t recommend this product to anyone.

[alextoh (Alex)]

Hi all,

Glad to find “Team Fermax” here!

I think I have the FERMAX COLOUR VDS iLOFT MONITOR

I would like to enquire the following.

1. Is my intercomm compatible to nuki opener? See attach pics for details.

2. Will I be able to remotely allow lift access to my visitors when they press the intercomm to look for me?

3. Currently, when visitors press my unit number at ground floor lift lobby to notify me, I need to press my intercomm to allow them to access the lift to reach my unit at level 4. They can only have access to level4.

4. My main purpose for getting the opener is to allow delivery man up to my unit to deliver my stuff even when I am not at home.

5. Also I am trying to locate the nuki installation manual to see how to go about with wiring but can’t seem to find it

Hope to get some advice from Team Fermax

[Rafa_Fernandez (Rafa Fernández)]

Hi Oscar, do you have working now??

[ogomat (Oscar G)]

No, no way to have door bell suppression working. And no assistance from Nuki.

It seems that for old analogic stuff it works but for Fermax VDS is an immature product.

Un unhappy customer here. Last Nuki product I’ll buy.

[Jamalo13 (Juan Antonio Martinez)]

Lo he solucionado que he apagado completamente el Fermax y he dicho que cada vez que suena la campana he configurado el abridor para que funcione, de esta forma ya esta suprimido y cuando haces el continuo o el auto look no suena nada a menos que no vea lo que también quieres poner un sonido en el abridor, cuando llaman el teléfono sigue funcionando si quiero ver la cámara del fermax lo enciendo, si no por el mismo teléfono se escucha y se abre desde la terminal incluso apagado.
Fermax 3311

[ogomat (Oscar G)]

Sorry, it looks like Spanish generated with an automated translator. I can’t understand what you have written (and yes, I’m Spanish so I should understand it)

Edito: el 3311 se puede apagar pero no así otros fermax (imposible apagarlos). No es solución. Nuki opener sigue sin funcionar respecto a lo publicitado.

[Oscar_Sanchez_Rios (Óscar Sánchez Ríos)]

hi i have fermax 9402 and dont working
Can you help me
Thanks

Thanks

[lluisCity (lluis Pascual)]

Hi Oscar,

I have problems with fermax 3390 too, wich configuration finally works, the one that you posted here? Many thanks for help

[ogomat (Oscar G)]

Just deinstalled the opener. Not willing to waste more time with this product. Sorry.

[lluisCity (lluis Pascual)]

Yes it’s anoying, finally i get it working like other door only limited functionallity… But also checking very interesting Bcn company…

[ogomat (Oscar G)]

BCN company ? I’m interested. Which one, please ? If it offers an actual customer support I can try their product ( Nuki team, take note ; customer willing a solution searching elsewhere. Congratulations)