The Inspect tab on the Tools page reads a device's communication tables straight from its memory. It rebuilds which communication objects the device has, what flags they carry, and which group addresses they are linked to - without an ETS project. Whatever the documentation says, this shows how the device is actually programmed.
Device tools, including Inspect, are a premium feature on Android, iOS, and macOS - see Subscription Plans.
Before you start
- Connect to a KNX gateway - see Connect to a Gateway.
- Know the individual address of the device. If you don't, find it first - see Find the device below.
- For a KNX Data Secure device, load the installation's keyring or ETS project on the Security tab of the Connect page, so SharKNX has the device's tool key.
Read a device
- Open Tools → Inspect.
- Enter the device's individual address, e.g.
1.1.5. - Tap Read. A progress bar shows each step while SharKNX reads the device's address table, association table, and communication objects.
- A session card appears for the device, showing how many objects it has, how many are linked to group addresses, and how many group addresses it knows. A green border means the read succeeded, red means it failed - tap Retry to try again.
To add the manufacturer, model, firmware, serial number, and status, tap Read Full Info on the session card.
You can read several devices one after another; each gets its own card.
Find the device you want
You don't have to type the address - two other tabs send a device straight to Inspect with its address filled in:
- Prog. Mode - press the programming button on the device, scan, and tap Comm. Info on the card that appears. The quickest way to inspect the device in front of you. See Program a Device Address.
- Line Scan - scan a whole line, open a device, and tap Rebuild Communication. See Scan a Bus Line.
Read the results
Tap a session card to open its details page. It has three tabs:
Associations
Every communication object linked to at least one group address:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Number | Communication object number |
| Flags | C Communication · R Read · W Write · T Transmit · U Update · I Read on Init |
| Size | Object size - 1 bit, 1 byte, 2 bytes, and so on |
| Group addresses | The group addresses linked to the object |
The flags tell you the object's role: T means the device sends on that group address (a push button or sensor), W means it listens to it (an actuator), and R means you can read its current value.
Rows that don't resolve to a plain object-to-group-address link are listed separately under Other associations.
Use Export CSV or Export TXT to save the list - see Export Formats.
Device Info
The identity, hardware, application, and status fields, if you tapped Read Full Info. Copy All copies everything to the clipboard.
Addresses
The raw group address table from the device's memory, with each entry's index, 3-level and 2-level address, and hex value. Copy All or Export CSV extracts the list.
Test the device straight from the results
Tap any group address in the Associations tab to send to it:
- Read asks the device for the object's current value - on an object with the R flag, the answer tells you the device is alive and what state it is in.
- Write sends a value. Because there is no ETS project, SharKNX does not know the datapoint type - instead it gives you an input that matches the object's size: an on/off switch for 1 bit, a number or hex field for larger objects.
Tip: troubleshoot an installation that isn't yours
Called to a building you didn't commission, with no .knxproj and nobody who knows where the project is? Inspect lets you work out how devices are wired together and test them anyway:
- Find the device. Press its programming button and use Prog. Mode → Comm. Info, or scan the line with Line Scan.
- See what it does. Read it and look at the Associations tab: which group addresses it sends on (T), which it listens to (W), and which you can read (R).
- Test it. Tap a group address with the W flag and write
On/Off(or a value) - does the light, blind, or valve react? Read an object with the R flag - does the device answer, and with a sensible value? - Follow the chain. Note the group address a push button sends on, then inspect the actuator you expect to react and check that the same group address appears on it. If it doesn't, you have found your fault.
- Watch it live. Keep the Monitor running while you press buttons in the room to see which group addresses and devices actually take part.
This is often enough to tell a dead device from a programming mistake - and to fix the problem - without ever seeing the original ETS project.
Be careful on live installations. Without a project you don't know what else is linked to a group address. Writing to it can switch other loads, move blinds, or trigger logic elsewhere in the building. Prefer Read where you can, and check with the building's occupants before writing.
Data Secure devices only answer if you have their tool key, which lives in the installation's keyring or ETS project. Without it, Inspect cannot read a secured device.
Managing sessions
Sessions are kept across app restarts until you clear them.
- Export (above the card list) - saves every completed session, one PDF per device. On desktop they go to a folder you choose; on mobile they are shared as a batch. See Device Tables PDF.
- Share (top bar of a session's details page) - shares that session as a PDF.
- Reload (top bar of a session's details page) - reads the device again.
- Clear all (above the card list) - removes every session.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | What to check |
|---|---|
| Read fails (red border) | The address is wrong, the device is not on the bus, or it is busy. Confirm it answers with Check on the Devices tab first. |
| A Data Secure device refuses the read | Its tool key is missing - load the keyring or ETS project on the Security tab. |
| Associations list is empty | The device has no group addresses linked yet - it may not have been fully programmed. |
Related
- ETS Projects in SharKNX - with a project, you can see the same links for every device at once on the Project Connections page
- Scan a Bus Line - find all devices on a line
- Export Formats - the PDF, CSV, and TXT reports
