Multifunction Controllers can now show you the state. #
Stage 1 of LED indicator state tracking is now available on PIXIE Multifunction Controllers (SMFBTAS). After two quick updates, your secondary switches show whether the master they're paired to is ON or OFF, right there on the wall. Especially useful in 2-way and 3-way setups.
Two updates. Then it's automatic. #
State tracking is enabled through firmware. Once both updates are applied, the new behaviour is on by default. No setting to toggle, no re-pairing required.
Update the PIXIE PLUS app #
Open the App Store or Google Play and apply any pending update to PIXIE PLUS. The latest version is required before the secondary device update can be pushed.
Update the secondary device firmware #
In PIXIE PLUS, open the Multifunction Controller and apply the firmware update when prompted. Tracking begins immediately once the update completes.
Three states. Three behaviours. #
When the Multifunction Controller is paired to any PIXIE Master device, the LED indicator tracks the master's ON/OFF state in one of three ways. Switch between them on the controller itself using the click patterns shown below.
The 5-click and 7-click sequences are performed on the Multifunction Controller's physical button itself. Once selected, the colour or standby preference is remembered until changed again.
The state tracks. The colour stays fixed. #
This is the part worth being clear on, because it changes how you describe the feature to a homeowner. Multifunction Controllers are secondary (slave) devices in the PIXIE mesh. They take instruction from a Master, they don't define what the Master does.
The 5-click and 7-click sequences set the controller's display preference once. From that point on, only the high/low intensity of the LED indicator tracks the Master device's ON/OFF state. The colour itself doesn't change based on what the Master is doing.
This is different from PIXIE Dimmers and Switches, which are Master devices. On those, the LED colour and intensity can both be driven by app settings and by the device's own ON/OFF state. The Multifunction Controller is a secondary device, so its behaviour is intentionally simpler.
In short: think of state tracking as "the master is on, so my indicator is bright; the master is off, so my indicator is dim". The colour stays as you set it.
Built for 2-way and 3-way. Asked for, and delivered. #
This was one of the most requested features from installers, and the reason is straightforward.
Before state tracking. The wrong-end-of-the-room problem. #
In a 2-way or 3-way configuration, the Multifunction Controller is often installed at the opposite end of the room from the Master device that actually drives the load. Pressing a button on the secondary used to make the indicator flash briefly, then settle back to its low state regardless of whether the load was on or off. You couldn't glance at the wall and tell.
Now you can. The LED indicator on the secondary follows the Master's ON/OFF state, so anyone at that end of the room can see at a glance whether the load is currently on, without having to find the Master or check the room itself.
Stage 1. More to come. #
This release is the first phase of LED indicator tracking on Multifunction Controllers. We're working on further capability for future firmware updates. If you've got thoughts on what should come next, let us know via the PIXIE Partners support channels.
State tracking. Active now on every updated SMFBTAS. #
Update PIXIE PLUS, update the firmware, and the new behaviour is live. No re-pairing, no settings to touch. Each Multifunction Controller can be set to its own mode (Default, Amber, or Standby off) independently of the others on site.
Spec sheets, install guides, and the bigger picture. #
Multifunction Controllers sit alongside PIXIE Dimmers, Switches, and PROGRAMode automation in the PIXIE PLUS system. The links below cover the product range, the documentation, and the underlying automation logic.
