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trouble directions [Issue with specific House/Unit codes, not a plugin issue]

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    trouble directions [Issue with specific House/Unit codes, not a plugin issue]

    Current Date/Time: 2/8/2018 11:05:55 AM
    HomeSeer Version: HS3 ZEE S2 Edition 3.0.0.368

    Enabled Plug-Ins
    3.0.0.5: CM15A

    Please see issue posted below.
    Last edited by mfisher; February 10, 2018, 06:26 PM.

    #2
    Dave you may want to add your issue to this post as this data isn't of much use without the problem being presented.
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    Comment


      #3
      Thanks Rupp,

      I may have wholly misunderstood the overly brief reply from HS support this morning.

      I originally thought the HomeSeer HomeTroller HS3 would allow me to extend my Amazon Alexa control to my legecy X10 setup. And it certainly has!

      I have a HomeTroller

      I have since realized there is much more that can be accomplished with this setup. So I listed some additional devices (in device management) and attemped to setup “events” including email (text) notifications. The events don't work.

      Plus, newly added devices are not effected by triggers such as a powerflash module, PLC, or RF remote. Althought they continue to work fine with Alexa.

      I am using a CM15A as an interface (and have since the beginning). I tried replacing it with a spare... with no change in behavior.

      I tried updating my HS but got the message:
      “An item in the Updater is temporarly unavailable: Error getting response stream (readdone2): ReceiverFailure”

      HS support tells me, my setup IS up-to-date (and the above message is aparently meaningless) and that... X10 isn't so reliable and that may be the problem. Also my event writing skills may have issues as well. It makes me wonder if the notes I compiled on entering a device in device management are faulty.

      I am a bit confused and frustrated at this point.
      Last edited by DaveX10; February 8, 2018, 03:16 PM.

      Comment


        #4
        Hi Dave,

        I think we need to separate the issues and begin troubleshooting the basics first...

        1) Be sure you are creating new X10 devices using the procedure posted here: https://forums.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=179522 If you are not doing this then the new devices are NOT owned by the CM15a plugin and will not work as you expect! Note that the image on that page is for the X10 plugin not the CM15a plugin. Your config screen tab should be "CM15a".

        2) Understand that the CM15a plugin only handles X10 data over the power line and does not handle RF X10 data.

        Some opening questions:
        1) Can you reliably control ALL of your X10 devices from the HS3 Device Management page? If not, please describe the issue(s) in detail.

        2) Are there any error messages in your HS3 log related to X10 devices or these events? If so, please post them here.
        Best regards,
        -Mark-

        If you're not out on the edge, you're taking up too much room!
        Interested in 3D maps? Check out my company site: Solid Terrain Modeling

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by mfisher View Post
          Hi Dave,
          1) Be sure you are creating new X10 devices using the procedure posted here: https://forums.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=179522
          Yes. My notes (in an old notebook ) had been the same. But I had searched and found that (excellent) illustration... and that is how I have added all my devices.

          Originally posted by mfisher View Post
          2) Understand that the CM15a plugin only handles X10 data over the power line and does not handle RF X10 data.
          Actually... the CM11 doesn't handle RF... the CM15A does RF fine. The units that can be controlled via PLC through the CM15A... also work well with RF. But... realistically... I never use RF except for testing. So it's a moot point.

          Originally posted by mfisher View Post
          1) Can you reliably control ALL of your X10 devices from the HS3 Device Management page? If not, please describe the issue(s) in detail.

          2) Are there any error messages in your HS3 log related to X10 devices or these events? If so, please post them here.
          My x10 is a mature and very reliable setup... never any failures, passively phase coupled and a handful of filters here and there just to keep the lines clear. The HomeSeer management app/page controls everything everywhere either (and both) manually (through a browser) or by using Alexa.

          I've received NO error messages.
          Last edited by DaveX10; February 9, 2018, 04:44 PM.

          Comment


            #6
            I think I've found the problem.

            The issues appear to all be in the high unit numbers (14-16) of two house codes. Switching the desired devices/events to a new house code seems to eliminate the issue.

            Thank you for your attention and efforts. I was totally stymied. The questions asked and comments made, here, by a helpful friend (racerfern), and the tech guy from HomeSeer were what guided me to understand the limits and source of the problem.

            Now.... on to event creation!

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by DaveX10 View Post
              Yes. My notes (in an old notebook ) had been the same. But I had searched and found that (excellent) illustration... and that is how I have added all my devices.
              Great, glad you found the instructions and are adding devices properly.

              Originally posted by DaveX10 View Post
              Actually... the CM11 doesn't handle RF... the CM15A does RF fine. The units that can be controlled via PLC through the CM15A... also work well with RF. But... realistically... I never use RF except for testing. So it's a moot point.
              Yes, the CM15a hardware handles RF but the HS3 CM15a plugin does not. Any X10 RF that appears to work when using the CM15a is only happening in the hardware.

              Originally posted by DaveX10 View Post
              My x10 is a mature and very reliable setup... never any failures, passively phase coupled and a handful of filters here and there just to keep the lines clear. The HomeSeer management app/page controls everything everywhere either (and both) manually (through a browser) or by using Alexa.

              I've received NO error messages.
              Ok, so there are no issues with your X10 setup and HS3 can reliably control all of your devices.

              You stated earlier that events for newly added devices are not firing, please post a few examples of the events that do not work.
              Best regards,
              -Mark-

              If you're not out on the edge, you're taking up too much room!
              Interested in 3D maps? Check out my company site: Solid Terrain Modeling

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by DaveX10 View Post
                I think I've found the problem.

                The issues appear to all be in the high unit numbers (14-16) of two house codes. Switching the desired devices/events to a new house code seems to eliminate the issue.

                Thank you for your attention and efforts. I was totally stymied. The questions asked and comments made, here, by a helpful friend (racerfern), and the tech guy from HomeSeer were what guided me to understand the limits and source of the problem.

                Now.... on to event creation!
                While I am glad that you have circumvented the issue for your current situation, this will likely be a problem for every other Zee/CM15a user out there. Would you be so kind as to post the details of your conversations with racerfern and the 'tech guy from HomeSeer' here so that others may benefit, and so that I can try to fix the bug? To be honest I'm still unclear what the issue is.
                Best regards,
                -Mark-

                If you're not out on the edge, you're taking up too much room!
                Interested in 3D maps? Check out my company site: Solid Terrain Modeling

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by mfisher View Post
                  ......This will likely be a problem for every other Zee/CM15a user out there.
                  Having some unusable House codes... or units within a house code... is neither common or particularly uncommon with X10. Normally... in the old days... when constructing a setup using the AHP (X10's Active Home Pro)software... any H/U codes that it deemed unreliable for use... would be shaded to indicate so.

                  I don't know what would cause the problem... maybe localized radio signals. With 256 different H/U codes to choose from it was never an issue.

                  But without using the AHP software and PC setup... I didn't "see" a possible problem.

                  Originally posted by mfisher View Post
                  Would you be so kind as to post the details of your conversations with racerfern and the 'tech guy from HomeSeer' here so that others may benefit, and so that I can try to fix the bug? To be honest I'm still unclear what the issue is.
                  The tech guy.... blamed the problem on difficulties with working with X10... and he was correct I had come to believe that it was a HS software issue... but he was sure it wasn't. Or... not one he could fix.

                  As I had done... fernracer looked for differences between working X10 devices and non-working ones. I had also reviewed any differences in the time-line between old entries (that worked) and new entries that didn't.

                  A trouble-shooter myself decades ago. One dependable process was/is to follow what does work... with a finger if necessary... till you find what doesn't work. But still I could not find a difference between what did work and what didn't.

                  Rather than re-exam the same problem the same way over and over. I tried to look at the problem from a different direction. It was looking at the similarities of the non-working devices that exposed the problem. For reasons I won't get into here... I had just tried to crowd too much into two of the house codes.

                  Even with a solid X10 setup... it's never a bad idea to skip using the top and bottom ends of (the units in) a house code (1-2 & 14-16).
                  Last edited by DaveX10; February 10, 2018, 05:45 PM.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by DaveX10 View Post
                    Having some unusable House codes... or units within a house code...
                    Specifically, which house/unit codes were you having issues with?

                    Originally posted by DaveX10 View Post
                    Normally... in the old days... when constructing a setup using the AHP (X10's Active Home Pro)software... any H/U codes that it deemed unreliable for use... would be shaded to indicate so.
                    Yes, AHP would flag as 'unreliable/unusable' any codes that it saw activity for which were not already setup within AHP to indicate that you should not use these. It did not indicate that these were "bad" codes.

                    Originally posted by DaveX10 View Post
                    But without using the AHP software and PC setup... I didn't "see" a possible problem.
                    Agreed. I have added logging of codes received that are not setup in HS3 to the X10 plugin (CM11a & Ti103) but not for the CM15a. I'll consider this as a future enhancement.

                    Originally posted by DaveX10 View Post
                    The tech guy.... blamed the problem on difficulties with working with X10... and he was correct
                    Sure, X10 can be challenging sometimes, especially in a 'noisy' environment. But once the noise issues and signal strength issues are resolved it can be very reliable.

                    Originally posted by DaveX10 View Post
                    For reasons I won't get into here... I had just tried to crowd too much into two of the house codes.

                    Even with a solid X10 setup... it's never a bad idea to skip using the top and bottom ends of (the units in) a house code (1-2 & 14-16).
                    There is no technical reason that one cannot use all 16 unit codes within a house code, or all 256 HC/UC combinations within a single X10 setup - the protocol fully supports this. I have many 'full' housecodes in my setup and all the devices work just fine.
                    Best regards,
                    -Mark-

                    If you're not out on the edge, you're taking up too much room!
                    Interested in 3D maps? Check out my company site: Solid Terrain Modeling

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by mfisher View Post
                      .... Sure, X10 can be challenging sometimes, especially in a 'noisy' environment. But once the noise issues and signal strength issues are resolved it can be very reliable.
                      I agree. I've never had any issues to-speak-of with my X10 setup. Or at least no issues I couldn't easily resolve.

                      Originally posted by mfisher View Post
                      There is no technical reason that one cannot use all 16 unit codes within a house code, or all 256 HC/UC combinations within a single X10 setup - the protocol fully supports this. I have many 'full' housecodes in my setup and all the devices work just fine.
                      No "technical" reason... or "theoretical reason"... I am not so sure. But I make no claim to either technical or theoretical X10 knowledge. I do know many long-time X10 users even avoid the entire "A" house code. I've always reserved "A" for testing.

                      But like yourself... I've never felt compelled to avoid any H/U codes. Or... at least... until now. I guess everything works... until it doesn't.

                      Jumping off the AHP bandwagon.... to run exclusively with HS took a little nerve for me (even though AHP is no longer supported). But I think it's well worth any effort or difficulties I might encounter. HS has a lot to offer.

                      So are you the creator of the X10 (CM15A) plugin?

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by DaveX10 View Post
                        So are you the creator of the X10 (CM15A) plugin?
                        No, I am not the author of the HomeSeer X10 or CM15a plugins and I am not an employee of HST. In the past I provided support for the Ti103 plugin under HS2, and when HST decided to no longer support the HS3 X10 and CM15a plugins I agreed to maintain them on a time permitting, volunteer basis.
                        Best regards,
                        -Mark-

                        If you're not out on the edge, you're taking up too much room!
                        Interested in 3D maps? Check out my company site: Solid Terrain Modeling

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by mfisher View Post
                          ...... when HST decided to no longer support the HS3 X10 and CM15a plugins I agreed to maintain them on a time permitting, volunteer basis.
                          That's pretty impressive.

                          I did reassign different H/U codes to a few modules and wrote a couple very basic events... and everything works. HomeSeer can now recognize the power-flash unit signal and trigger garage door events.

                          I am far from being "done". And with Home Automation being a hobby of sorts... done isn't even desired. So I have a lot to learn and configure yet.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Glad that everything is working for you now.
                            Best regards,
                            -Mark-

                            If you're not out on the edge, you're taking up too much room!
                            Interested in 3D maps? Check out my company site: Solid Terrain Modeling

                            Comment

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