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🔌General Home Automation => Original ActiveHome => Topic started by: idbl_fanatic on November 10, 2007, 07:04:21 PM

Title: Invalid port
Post by: idbl_fanatic on November 10, 2007, 07:04:21 PM

No matter what I do, I always get "invalid port, com1, 2, 3, 4" in Active Home, with a CM11A interface

Win XP

I have manually set the port in XP, and in the BIOS, I have made sure that the modem, or anything else is not using the com port. and still I get this error

Title: Re: Invalid port
Post by: -Bill- (of wgjohns.com) on November 10, 2007, 11:37:15 PM

Quote from: idbl_fanatic on November 10, 2007, 07:04:21 PM

No matter what I do, I always get "invalid port, com1, 2, 3, 4" in Active Home, with a CM11A interface

Win XP

I have manually set the port in XP, and in the BIOS, I have made sure that the modem, or anything else is not using the com port. and still I get this error

If you search the forums, you will find that there is a known issue with the ActiveHome (CM11A) driver and Windows XP on some motherboards.

Possibly you could use a USB to Serial adapter.

The other option would be to step up to Active Home Pro and the CM15A which is USB connected in the first place.

Title: Re: Invalid port
Post by: idbl_fanatic on November 10, 2007, 11:52:10 PM

Is this what I would need?

http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-TO-SERIAL-RS232-CONVERTER-DB9-ADAPTER-PDA-CB56_W0QQitemZ160177994430QQihZ006QQcategoryZ41995QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Title: Re: Invalid port
Post by: -Bill- (of wgjohns.com) on November 11, 2007, 12:03:25 AM

Quote from: idbl_fanatic on November 10, 2007, 11:52:10 PM

Is this what I would need?

http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-TO-SERIAL-RS232-CONVERTER-DB9-ADAPTER-PDA-CB56_W0QQitemZ160177994430QQihZ006QQcategoryZ41995QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I don't know specifically if that particular device will work or not, but, yes, that is the type of device I was talking about.

Title: Re: Invalid port
Post by: HA Dave on November 11, 2007, 09:50:39 AM

Quote from: -Bill- (of wgjohns.com) on November 10, 2007, 11:37:15 PM

The other option would be to step up to Active Home Pro and the CM15A which is USB connected in the first place.

The usefulness of the CM15A (AHP) far exceeds that of the CM11A (AH). I own BOTH (but was never happy with the CM11A), and I now run the CM15A from an XP PC.

However... I do still have the CM11A software loaded on an old Win 98 PC.

Title: Re: Invalid port
Post by: G. L.Tirebiter on November 11, 2007, 04:38:51 PM

Do you have batteries in your CM11a?  If so take them out and let it sit a while - no need to put them in until you have it working.

Another way to reset a cm11a is to send a command (powerline) from another X10 controller while the CM11A is plugged in.

Been a while since I used AH - but it has an autodetect function - I always used that - BUT I vaugely recall it being particular about which physical port the cm11a was plugged into. Try another one (if you have one). Is AH limited to ports 1-4? I know one of my USB to serial coverters is on com 6.

There are many ways to configure and check a serial port. I don't understand what you have already done - but I know many use hyperterminal (included in XP) to test the ports.

Do You KNOW what port# the CM11A is connected to? If so, HOW do you know? If this is the same number that is in AH , then the reset above may help.

Can you get the CM11a on com port 1?  Old memory (fuzzy) says AH may have only liked com port 1 or 2.


George


There are a LOT of threads in this forum that have various things to try.....I won't even TRY to list them all..... (One suggested trying the trial of Homeseer - which has an autodetect of the CM11a - then it will tell you what comport it is on) - many more.....