JDS for HomeSeer 2.1 BETA

[Mark S.]

Security devices now working

I finally got the security devices working. I had nothing working for these devices - no status, no triggers, no #1 device. I'm not really sure exactly what fixed it, but it may have been a combination of two things.

First, I updated to SG FW/SW 3.08.7 which changes the way SG recieves data from Caddx - "Partition Status" rather than the previous "Partition Snapshot". This required changing a segment of Caddx programming per the update instructions.

Second, I updated to the latest version of the plugin (2.1.2446.24614). After deleting the security devices and re-importing them, I finally got my long-lost #1 security device. I now have a status for each device, a last change, and the triggers work fine.

Hope this helps someone else.

Mark

[RJ]

Hi Guys-

Mark- I'm pretty sure it was the re-import that fixed things, or just a later version of the plguin. Nevertheless, still a good FYI for security users.

KLS- The phone event you are seeing is not documented in the RCS protocol spec. Can you give me a log snipet with debug so I can look at this more closely? I think the plugin might be reading this wrong.

[timlacey]

Current status of Timers is ?

What is the current status of timers in the plug-in?


My understanding is that Glen's plug-in treated timers as follows:

0?(not sure when). The plug-in created a manually triggered event designed to clear the associated timer device and set the status to "expired". This was either done after import or after the first time the timer is set on the Stargate.
1. When a timer is set, the plug-in sets the corresponding device to the number of seconds
2. It creates a delayed event to run an event (already created when the items were imported or used for the first time) that clears the device and sets the status to "expired"

When a timer is set in the Stargate, I am seeing this:
9/21/2006 4:38:25 PM ~!~JDS StarGate~!~Load timer `4 (JDS Five MinuteCycle) with 300
9/21/2006 4:38:25 PM ~!~Database Item~!~Saving Event __timer4
9/21/2006 4:38:25 PM ~!~Error~!~In DelayTrigger. Event: __timer`4 does not exist

So the timer is loaded with 300 seconds, and the plug-in creates an event called timer4 which presumably has the action item to delete itself and clear the timer device and set its status to "expired".

In this case, there is a problem, because the code prefix was dropped, and it looks like the plug-in expects an event called timer`4 instead of timer4.

This never worked with Glen's plugin, either, and I had posted about it in early 2006 hoping that Glen could figure it out and fix it. So it looks like a broken piece of the plug-in is now even more broken after RJ has worked miracles everywhere else.

So, can this please get fixed or removed from the plug-in?

Also, can we simply delete the timer devices for now to avoid any issues with this stuff? I prefer not to delete items or otherwise mess with the database unless I have to. (i.e. I like seeing the timer stuff, so it gets logged and helps me understand what's happening in the Stargate).

Thanks,

Tim

[RJ]

Tim-

You are a genius! Your log post revealed the little clue I have been missing for so long. This is an easy fix I will get done tomorrow.

This is all expected functionality, so it will all be added. To temproarily remove it, just delete your timer devices. The new build on tomorrow or Saturday will definitely resolve this!

[timlacey]

COM startup trouble

After a machine reboot and plenty of time waiting for the machine to "settle", I run Homeseer and get "Error in CommThreadProc:, The port is closed" for Com1. Then after a while, I'm able to shut down Homeseer. It restarts without a glitch.

It always lists an unknown hardware string too.

Anyway, I will e-mail the log to RJ to see if he can figure it out. THe log section I am sending includes 3 sessions of Homeseer. First, it fails to start up the plug-in (and fails to shut it down in a timely manner), then I restart Homeseer and it works fine. At the end of the log file, there is the attempt this morning to start Homeseer after a machine reboot. Then I saved the log file to send it in.

I think this problem was happening early on with the BETA plug-in, but perhaps has resurfaced? I'm using the latest HS and plug-in builds as of 9/21/06.

Tim

[RJ]

New Build

Hey Guys-

There is a new build in the updater. Issues addressed/resolved:

• Timers, timer events, etc.
• Unkown Phone Events log message removed
• Increment/Decrement limits (Only 0 to 255 allowed)
• Fixed Scripting calls
• Fixed timeout on failed Coms

I have also looked at 8CUR relay expanders. These seem to be functioning properly, so I need some help from users who have these to get this debugged.

[timlacey]

I see that the timer events are now being created every time a timer is set in the Stargate. Also, a delayed event is being created to run the timer events.

But the timer events do nothing, so why do they even exist? They were originally created, I believe, to have an action that resets the timer value to 0 once they have "expired". But now they seem to do nothing. It seems that you could simply remove the creation of the timer events and the corresponding delayed events??? Or you could add the action to clear the timer.

Also, I see that using the CONTROL screen, you cannot set the value of a timer or set it OFF, so the only thing that works is to "set display status to". So the events would ideally do this, setting the display status to "expired".

I modified the timer events manually and added this action. It seems to work well, except that when the timer is retriggered, it overwrites the event and my changes go away. Rather than overwrite, couldn't you check for the event's existence first and write it if it's not there. Then, as a bonus, people could modify it to have additional actions if they wanted something to happen in Homeseer when a timer expires.

A programming requirement would be to make sure that the timer isn't set back to "expired" if it is simultaneously being loaded with a new value. (if a new timer setting created a new delayed event in the split second prior to the actual timer event running and setting the display status to "expired".)

Another reason to have it display "expired": Since timers are often set to the same value over and over, the "Time Changed" in the STATUS window doesn't show the last time the timer is set, since often the timer is set to the same value as the previous time ("Time Changed" only changed when the value changes).

An apparent bug in the current plug-in: I notice that if a timer is set prior to its expiration, it creates another delayed event and the previously created delayed events for that timer are "broken". The plug-in should either delete the existing delayed event first and create a new one or update the trigger time on the existing delayed event.

By "broken" above, I mean that in the "EVENTS - DELAYED ACTIONS" window, it shows multiple delayed events for a given timer (that keeps resetting itself without expiring). Only the most recent one lists an action to run the event with the corresponding timer name. The other delayed events simply show the actions: "Run Event: (Event Not Found)"

By the way, the plug-in works great now! Thanks for all the fixes. Macros are awesome. The COM stuff works better now, but I still have issues. I'll e-mail you a log with some comments when I get a chance.

Tim

[timlacey]

Do TimeLabels work? It doesn't seem like Timelabels are importing any values, since the status is "0". The location names come through as gibberish, so I have to rename them to "JDS" after every re-import.

I'd be happy not even seeing Timelabels in Homeseer - I have no need for them.

[timlacey]

One more little thing. I get this error on shutdown everytime. In case it matters.

9/29/2006 9:57:46 PM ~!~Shutdown~!~Shutting down X10 plug-in.
9/29/2006 9:57:46 PM ~!~Shutdown~!~Shutting down Infrared plug-in.
9/29/2006 9:57:46 PM ~!~Shutdown~!~Shutting down all I-O/Generic plug-ins.
9/29/2006 9:57:46 PM ~!~Shutdown~!~Shutting down plug-in: JDS StarGate
9/29/2006 9:57:46 PM ~!~JDS StarGate~!~Error in CommThreadProc:, Safe handle has been closed
9/29/2006 9:57:46 PM ~!~Shutdown~!~Finished shutting down all I-O/Generic plug-ins.

[Uncle Michael]

Thanks Tim!

Tim,
We all - both those using HS / SG combo, and those like me who are waiting to decide if it is worth the price (both $ and pain) - owe you (and everyone else who have been at the bleeding edge of this debug process) a big debt of gratitude for your trouble-shooting.

Your perseverence, insight, patience and good humor through all your problems have been impressive. I certainly hope that HST recognizes the service you are providing to them.

Mike

[scanr]

Relay Xpanders

Would you like me to send you one to test/debug with?

Hey Guys-

There is a new build in the updater. Issues addressed/resolved:

• Timers, timer events, etc.
• Unkown Phone Events log message removed
• Increment/Decrement limits (Only 0 to 255 allowed)
• Fixed Scripting calls
• Fixed timeout on failed Coms

I have also looked at 8CUR relay expanders. These seem to be functioning properly, so I need some help from users who have these to get this debugged.

[RJ]

Hi Scanr-

I think we are going to keep going like this for now, so tahnk you for your offer but we are all set. I think Tim has found some critical bugs that I am working on fixes for now.

[KLS]

One more little thing. I get this error on shutdown everytime. In case it matters.

9/29/2006 9:57:46 PM ~!~Shutdown~!~Shutting down X10 plug-in.
9/29/2006 9:57:46 PM ~!~Shutdown~!~Shutting down Infrared plug-in.
9/29/2006 9:57:46 PM ~!~Shutdown~!~Shutting down all I-O/Generic plug-ins.
9/29/2006 9:57:46 PM ~!~Shutdown~!~Shutting down plug-in: JDS StarGate
9/29/2006 9:57:46 PM ~!~JDS StarGate~!~Error in CommThreadProc:, Safe handle has been closed
9/29/2006 9:57:46 PM ~!~Shutdown~!~Finished shutting down all I-O/Generic plug-ins.

Just an FYI for those of you following this thread - I recieve the same error when I shutdown HS. Not every time however and I cannot reproduce a squence of events that will cause this error.

[timlacey]

Timer Suggestion

Now that you've removed all the timer events, which is fine, I suggest you do something else. If one were to use VB code to make use of the timer data, one would need to know when the timer was set. However, the time of "last change" doesn't mean anything unless the timer value changes. Since we often reset timers to the same value over and over again, the "last change" should reflect the last time the timer was set.

So when a timer event is seen by Homeseer, could it first clear and then set the timer value - that way the "last change" time would reflect the last start time for the timer.

Then if anyone really needed use of the timer devices, they could use a VB script to calculate the time since the last change and determine whether it is running?

So my suggestion is, again, to first clear the timer device and then set it. That will update the "last change" time to the start of the timer cycle.

Thanks,

Tim

[Markrat]

Closing error

Just for the record, I too have the same error on closing, every time as far as I am aware. Doesn't seem to cause any obvious problems though, apart from the fact that quite often the plugin seems not to get closed by HS when you exit. You only know if you try and restart, and the port's already open, or by checking the running processes, where it's listed as still going.

9/29/2006 9:57:46 PM ~!~Shutdown~!~Shutting down X10 plug-in.
9/29/2006 9:57:46 PM ~!~Shutdown~!~Shutting down Infrared plug-in.
9/29/2006 9:57:46 PM ~!~Shutdown~!~Shutting down all I-O/Generic plug-ins.
9/29/2006 9:57:46 PM ~!~Shutdown~!~Shutting down plug-in: JDS StarGate
9/29/2006 9:57:46 PM ~!~JDS StarGate~!~Error in CommThreadProc:, Safe handle has been closed
9/29/2006 9:57:46 PM ~!~Shutdown~!~Finished shutting down all I-O/Generic plug-ins.