X10 Community Forum

🔌General Home Automation => Original ActiveHome => Topic started by: Hemingray on May 11, 2007, 09:07:37 PM

Title: CM11A - Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
Post by: Hemingray on May 11, 2007, 09:07:37 PM

I have a Radioshack 61-2417 (CM11A), that for some reason, will lose link to the PC. Sometimes it'll stay working, other times it'll just not function at all. I get this not only with AH, but with third party automation programs that use the CM11A. I know that it'd have to be reset when this happens, but even that doesn't work. Is it possible that my CM has had it?

(Deleted post in troubleshooting to move here  ;))

Title: Re: CM11A - Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
Post by: Dan Lawrence on May 11, 2007, 11:18:45 PM

Are you running WindowsXP?  There are documented facts that certain motherboards give faults to the serial ports under XP, and nobody knows what kinds of motherboards are affected.

If you have one, your only choice is to go to Active Home Professional and the CM15A USB Interface.

My old PIII system had one and as soon as I upgraded to WindowsXP, the CM11 would vanish and reappear to Active Home.  I upgraded to AHP and the CM15A and AHP imported y .x10 files from Active Home, so all my timers continued to work.

Title: Re: CM11A - Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
Post by: Hemingray on May 11, 2007, 11:34:49 PM

I am running XP Home SP2, But I've also had the same problems under Windows 98.

I looked at various posts and things for AHP and it didn't really please me as much. At this point all I wanted from my CM11A was a simple timer. However I went ahead and purchased an X10 MT10A from eBay for this. Although I would like to get my CM11A going efficiently.  :P

Title: Re: CM11A - Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
Post by: Dan Lawrence on May 13, 2007, 08:06:39 AM

I don't think adding a MT10A is going to affect your CM11A problem.   I'd spend the $49. 00 and get AHP/CM15A.

I had zip problems with AH under Win98, but upgrading to WinXP  started the move to AHP.

Title: Re: CM11A - Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
Post by: Hemingray on January 22, 2008, 06:49:15 PM

I have an update to this issue!

Back in November of 07, I bought a new PC (eMachines) since my old one had finally kicked the bucket. Recently I reinstalled AH 1.42 and my CM11A, It has worked properly ever since. I now suspect all my problems to have been my old motherboard.

Title: Re: CM11A - Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
Post by: Charles Sullivan on January 22, 2008, 07:18:48 PM

Quote from: Hemingray on January 22, 2008, 06:49:15 PM

I have an update to this issue!

Back in November of 07, I bought a new PC (eMachines) since my old one had finally kicked the bucket. Recently I reinstalled AH 1.42 and my CM11A, It has worked properly ever since. I now suspect all my problems to have been my old motherboard.

Thanks for the update.

Question:
Does your new PC have an actual 9-pin serial port  connector or are you using a USB->Serial adapter to connect the CM11A?
How about on your old PC? 

I've found that running ActiveHome 1.42 under Wiindows XP on an actual 9-pin serial port can have problems.  But these clear up if a USB->Serial adapter is used.  And a recent forum poster stated that AH 1.42 worked OK under Windows Vista with a USB->Serial adapter.

Title: Re: CM11A - Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
Post by: Hemingray on January 26, 2008, 08:14:53 PM

Quote from: Charles Sullivan on January 22, 2008, 07:18:48 PM

Quote from: Hemingray on January 22, 2008, 06:49:15 PM

I have an update to this issue!

Back in November of 07, I bought a new PC (eMachines) since my old one had finally kicked the bucket. Recently I reinstalled AH 1.42 and my CM11A, It has worked properly ever since. I now suspect all my problems to have been my old motherboard.

Thanks for the update.

Question:
Does your new PC have an actual 9-pin serial port  connector or are you using a USB->Serial adapter to connect the CM11A?
How about on your old PC? 

I've found that running ActiveHome 1.42 under Wiindows XP on an actual 9-pin serial port can have problems.  But these clear up if a USB->Serial adapter is used.  And a recent forum poster stated that AH 1.42 worked OK under Windows Vista with a USB->Serial adapter.

The new PC has one DB-9 serial port. My old one had two.