X10 Community Forum

🖥️ActiveHome Pro => ActiveHome Pro General => Help & Troubleshooting => Topic started by: siegelmichael on November 03, 2018, 08:38:15 AM

Title: Using ActiveHome Pro with PAT03 and CM19A
Post by: siegelmichael on November 03, 2018, 08:38:15 AM
Much of my X10 equipment was destroyed in Hurricane Michael. Everything worked great for years with an old laptop stored in a closet.
I rebuilt everything, but currently do not have a computer on site.
With my travel laptop loaded with ActiveHome Pro I connected a new CM19A and downloaded my timers to a new PAT03. Everything worked fine until I disconnected the CM19A from the laptop.
I thought the timers are supposed to be stored in the PAT03 when you update the interface and it will trigger the timers on its own?
However when in ActiveHome Pro when you go to the interface option it shows the time as 01-01-1600 so I’m thinking the PAT03 doesn’t know what time it is?
Any thoughts on how to get this working?
Thanks for the help!
Title: Re: Using ActiveHome Pro with PAT03 and CM19A
Post by: dave w on November 03, 2018, 09:57:00 AM
Are you sure it is a PAT03?
PAT03 is the upgraded version of the PAT01 transceiver. Don't think it stores anything. Just receives RF commands from CM19 and converts to powerline commands.  CM19 requires computer running AHP 24/7. You need a CM15A to store off line. Sorry to hear Michael whacked you. 
Title: Re: Using ActiveHome Pro with PAT03 and CM19A
Post by: siegelmichael on November 03, 2018, 10:35:08 AM
Then that’s my problem. I thought it stored the timers. I had planned on using a WM100 after I rebuilt my internal network. Everything appeared to be going fine until one step where it appears the WM100 is trying to communicate over the Internet (internet is still down in the area).

Couple of questions:
1) Does the WM100 store timers in the cloud or internally on the device? Or neither? I couldn’t get far enough in the setup.
2) Is the CM15A the best device on the market now to store timers independent of a computer or the Internet?

Thanks!
Title: Re: Using ActiveHome Pro with PAT03 and CM19A
Post by: SkipWX10 on November 03, 2018, 10:48:58 AM
Glad you were able to rebuild after Michael! I'm no expert here but I have been running at CM15a for years with no problems. I do not have a complicated setup, mostly lighting timers and a macro or two used infrequently. I have found it to be a very stable setup, I even run it on my generator during our frequent outages here. (Timers a bit early, but my generator is overclocked, not the CM15a's fault) The WM100 has proven to be somewhat unreliable due to it's cloud needs (internet down, it doesn't work...server down, it doesn't work, etc) I have one I use as a glorified remote from my phone but I wouldn't trust it with my lighting automation needs.

CM15a is readily available and there are plenty of places to download a working version of AHP if needed and an updated city list for the US.
Title: Re: Using ActiveHome Pro with PAT03 and CM19A
Post by: dave w on November 03, 2018, 10:50:16 AM
Couple of questions:
1) Does the WM100 store timers in the cloud or internally on the device? Or neither? I couldn’t get far enough in the setup.
2) Is the CM15A the best device on the market now to store timers independent of a computer or the Internet?
1. Unfortunately WM100 is 100% cloud. Many on the forum including me) see this as a mistake.
2. My opinion would be: yes, since you are familiar with AHP. But AHP and CM15 is pre internet as you know. Homeseer has a Raspberry Pi based version called Hometroller, but is expensive. There are several on the forum that are working with a Linux based Raspberry Pi 3 running Home Genie. Check the "Pi" threads.
Title: Re: Using ActiveHome Pro with PAT03 and CM19A
Post by: siegelmichael on November 03, 2018, 11:09:13 AM
Thanks for the quick replies. If I use the WM100, but also use the CM15 with a laptop, is there an issue with duplicated commands or it’s no different than a repeat?

I used to access my old laptop using TeamViewer if I wanted to open or turn something on, but wanted to switch to the WM100 to do this.

If I have AHP running with a CM15 as well as the WM100 then I have some redundancy that my timers are working if there is an Internet and cloud issue.

Thoughts?
Title: Re: Using ActiveHome Pro with PAT03 and CM19A
Post by: SkipWX10 on November 03, 2018, 04:21:26 PM
Again, I am not a power user, but if I were to run both at the same time, I would set them up with different time settings (i.e.: a minute or two apart) so as not to have both sending out the same commands at the same time. A bit of a redundancy, that quite frankly, I do not see as an advantage. The CM15a stores everything onboard and does not need to be on a 24/7 computer. In fact I hook my computer to the CM15a only once or twice a year.

As stated, I really just use the WM100 as a glorified remote with a phone app. Although I do use a 'scene' almost every night to turn on a light for 15 minutes and them turn it off. That I run on the WM100....
Title: Re: Using ActiveHome Pro with PAT03 and CM19A
Post by: siegelmichael on November 03, 2018, 04:38:34 PM
Thanks..that was helpful.
Title: Re: Using ActiveHome Pro with PAT03 and CM19A
Post by: dave w on November 03, 2018, 05:17:12 PM
Thanks for the quick replies. If I use the WM100, but also use the CM15 with a laptop, is there an issue with duplicated commands or it’s no different than a repeat?

I used to access my old laptop using TeamViewer if I wanted to open or turn something on, but wanted to switch to the WM100 to do this.

If I have AHP running with a CM15 as well as the WM100 then I have some redundancy that my timers are working if there is an Internet and cloud issue.

Thoughts?
FWIW: I would NOT try and duplicate timer routine in both units. As siegelmichael suggested, I would use the WM100 as a glorified WiFi remote and let the CM15A run the show. 
Title: Re: Using ActiveHome Pro with PAT03 and CM19A
Post by: Brian H on November 03, 2018, 07:41:26 PM
The CM19A is an RF only module and using the PAT03 to put the X10 commands back onto the power lines.

It can not see any X10 power line commands. Since the CM19 is RF and the PAT03 does not send RF commands back to the CM19A. So AHP was not able to do things like macros triggered by a power line command

That was one of the short comings when X10WTI stared using a TM751A and CM19A. As a substitute for an out of stock CM15A in Active Home Pro kits.
Title: Re: Using ActiveHome Pro with PAT03 and CM19A
Post by: Dave Mc on November 04, 2018, 09:44:01 AM
My understanding is that timers are stored on the WM100 and will fire regardless of its access to the internet.  As I recall Tuicemen addressed this in an earlier post.  The bigger problem is a power interruption.  The WM will lose its internal time and need to be manually re-synced once power is restored.