troubleshoot com port with rain8 pro2 master

[Ricky]

I have mcsS pro version running on Hs3 for many years with a single rain8 pro2 master module using a com port provided by a com server. I have a hometroller PC from 2015.

My com port server stopped working and so I got a new one from StarTech.com. I have verified the new com port on the com server, com3, with a loop back test run from putty on my hometroller PC.

I have verified that the rain8 config and demo programs on my hometroller can access and run the rain8 module, the demo can turn on and off the 8 valves, etc.

However, for some reason my mcsS pro add-in for HS3 won't hold and display the new com port. Keeps displaying it as N/A. I have stopped and restarted the add-in and rebooted the computer. Not finding any useful information in the HS log file to suggest a problem.

I would appreciate suggestions on how to troubleshoot this issue.

Thanks in advance!

[Michael McSharry]

Where are you trying to setup the COM port. In HS or in mcsSprinklers?

\Config\mcsSprinklers.ini should have an entry such as:

RAIN8PORT=3

It is setup on the Interface or Devices or Rain8 page of mcsSprinklers. There is only one page, but the name has changed over the years.

[Ricky]

Setup of COM port is being done with mcsS, either the interview or the devices page. I have tried both. I DO have that line RAIN8PORT=3 in the .ini file. Is the COM port supposed to show on the HS3 Plug-ins Manage page shown below.

[Michael McSharry]

I am not familiar with "HS3 won't hold and display the new com port. Keeps displaying it as N/A. ". Can you provide a screenshot of this to give me context?

The only place 3 will show up is the mcsSprinklers Interfaces/Devices/Rain8 page. You can also post or send to mcsSolutions at CenturyTel dot net \Config\mcsSprinklers.in so I can see your setup.

[Ricky]

I mean by saying "HS3 won't hold and display the new com port. Keeps displaying it as N/A. " that in the screenshot above for the Manage page for the plug-ins for HS3 that for the mcsS plug-in entry, the Com port is listed as "N/A" when it should be listed as Com3.

I seem to remember there used to be a com port listed there for your plug-in, am I mistaken about that, should it just say N/A?

[Michael McSharry]

There is nothing the plugin is doing to provide information for HS to display port information. Similarly any port information that is provided by HS is ignored. In HS4 the port info is no longer displayed in HS pages or provided as an input to plugins.

[Ricky]

Understood. Nothing wrong with my com port. Indeed, I can manually turn on my valves using the mcsS general status page. For some reason, values are not automatically coming on. The run list shows projected times that continually become delayed or moved forward in time so that in fact no automatic watering occurs. How can I troubleshoot that? Thanks

[Ricky]

Inhibit problem solved. On the site page I had "don't with external inhibit" set to "off=inhibit" instead of "on=inhibit" . With "on=inhibit" the valves are starting to turn on automatically.

[Ricky]

Would you mind explaining what is the purpose of this setting and what the options mean? I can't find any information in the manual about this setting. Thanks

[Michael McSharry]

mcsSprinklers has several ways to determine if and when an irrigation cycle will occur. Most are based upon periodic information that it collects such as weather conditions. There may be other lifestyle reasons that an irrigation cycle should be prevented. The means to tell mcsSprinklers about these is via the external inhibit. This inhibit can be provided through various interface mechanisms. The Pause control on the Zone Status page provides a similar user control ability. The distinction is that the external inhibit is provided by an autonomous source (e.g. Homeseer) vs. the user's browser interface that is used for Pause.

[Ricky]

Thank you. So when I had "don't with external inhibit" set to "off=inhibit" instead of "on=inhibit" . There were no external inhibits and this was interpreted as inhibit? Am I understanding the functionality? Because as soon as clicked on "on=inhibit" and saved the valves are starting to turn on automatically.

[Michael McSharry]

I believe you are understanding.
Step 1 determine if you want to enable use of external inhibit and identify from where that external input will be coming.
Step 2 since the external input can be in either of two states, select the polarity to corresponds to the inhibit being active. An active inhibit will prevent auto irrigation.