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    CM11A Issues

    Sorry for the newbie question.
    After a long hiatus, I am returning to X-10. I am now using a notebook computer that does not have a serial port, so I am using a Serial to USB converter to attach my CM11A to my usb port. Homeseer claims to find my cm11a on Com Port 3, and downloads to it, but won't control anything throught directly from the program. Then, just to make sure it was really talking to my CM11A, I unplugged it from the usb port, and restarted HomeSeer, and, lo-and-behold, it claimed to find it on port 3 again.
    What I'd like to know is:
    1. Can Homeseer communicate with a cm11a through a Serial to USB converter?
    2. Is there a definitive way to tell whether HomeSeer is really communicating with the CM11A?
    Any advice would be greatly appreciated. If I don't get this up and running soon, my Wife will get pretty fed up with this stuff, as she did the last time I had problems with it (hence the long hiatus).
    Thanks for reading this rambling post.

    #2
    <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Nastrader:
    Sorry for the newbie question.
    After a long hiatus, I am returning to X-10. I am now using a notebook computer that does not have a serial port, so I am using a Serial to USB converter to attach my CM11A to my usb port. Homeseer claims to find my cm11a on Com Port 3, and downloads to it, but won't control anything throught directly from the program. Then, just to make sure it was really talking to my CM11A, I unplugged it from the usb port, and restarted HomeSeer, and, lo-and-behold, it claimed to find it on port 3 again.
    What I'd like to know is:
    1. Can Homeseer communicate with a cm11a through a Serial to USB converter?A few have succeeded but I've read many threads on the problems associated with this.
    2. Is there a definitive way to tell whether HomeSeer is really communicating with the CM11A? Sure plugin a lamp modlue beside your PC and then issue a command and see if the lamp comes on. The command should also be logged into HS.log file.
    Any advice would be greatly appreciated. If I don't get this up and running soon, my Wife will get pretty fed up with this stuff, as she did the last time I had problems with it (hence the long hiatus).
    Thanks for reading this rambling post.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

    -Rupp
    Isn't Disney World a people trap operated by a mouse?
    💁‍♂️ Support & Customer Service 🙋‍♂️ Sales Questions 🛒 Shop HomeSeer Products

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      #3
      my experience with USB to Serial adaptors - I tried about 3 different brands. Crap from China, mostly. One more costly and American engineered one did work OK.

      Problems I had:
      1. USB drivers for Windows. Unreliable. Sometimes did not detect the adapter on a reboot.
      2. Drivers sometimes mysteriously caused the COM port assignement to change.
      3. RS232 voltage levels unreliable (USB does not provide +/- 6 or 12V, so the adaptor must fake it or generate it with a MAX232 chip or equivalent. Cheap ones took shortcuts. Symptoms: Unreliable operation on hot days.
      4. Some devices are timing sensitive in terms of CTS/DCD and so on. USB changes this just slightly. Well designed peripherals wouldn't be so. The CM11A is not well designed.

      So I suggest using the USB to serial on other simple devices and keep the CM11A on the real RS232 port.

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        #4
        I use this USB to Serial PDA device from Belkin F5U109 and it works perfectly! I even had my Stargate serial connection running through it and it worked flawlessly.
        And that my friend, is amazing!

        One Wife, a buncha computers, a buncha HA stuff, and 11 cats. All managed with a grapefruit sized brain!
        Hmmmm......

        Comment


          #5
          Have you used it for many months? Hot and cold? rebooting now and then? When I think of quality products, Belkin does not come to mind.

          I gave up and went to an InsideOut Networks Edgeport/8. Good drivers, well designed.

          http://www.ionetworks.com/products/edgeport.html

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