Z-Wave Plus Backwards Compatibility

Question

So, as I understand the Z-Wave Plus backwards compatibility requirements cover communication between Z-Wave Plus and original Z-Wave devices. Personally, I specifically take "devices" as the IoT term for sensors and other IoT objects.

My question is whether or not the backwards compatibility also applies to a Hub or controller (specifically the SmartThings Hub v1)?

I found this post to be slightly confusing, stating 1) that you need the controller to be Z-Wave Plus, but 2) you won't get all of the advantages. Ultimately, I have not found a source definitively saying Yes or No to whether the v1 hub (original Z-Wave) can control a Z-Wave Plus device.

Answer 1

Vesternet claim that:

The main consideration is the Z-Wave controller - if the controller is not Z-Wave Plus enabled then all devices added to that controller's network will default to acting as Z-Wave. This is because Z-Wave Plus is back-wards compatible with Z-Wave devices, when it is installed with Z-Wave devices it behaves just like a Z-Wave device as those existing devices have no way to communicate with it using Z-Wave Plus commands.

It's stated on the OpenHAB forums that Z-Wave Plus devices can still be controlled using their bindings for Z-Wave, which would indicate that you shouldn't lose any functionality.

It seems that the only thing that you miss out on is the protocol improvements such as lower power usage and increased fault tolerance; actual functionality is unchanged even if you use an old Z-Wave controller.