X10 Community Forum
🖥️ActiveHome Pro => ActiveHome Pro General => Topic started by: sir_rob on June 08, 2010, 02:44:05 PM
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I have active Home Pro installed. When I click on the light switches, the lights turn on and off, but when I set up a timer to turn a light on at a set time, nothing happens. Any ideas? The light is set to turn on everyday at 7:00 am and turn off at 8:00am. Thanks for the help.
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http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/Creating_A_Timer
http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/ActiveHome_Pro
Maybe some tips in the above links.
Are you are downloading the timer after creation?
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Thank you for the quick response and the links. Unfortunately I could not find the solution to my problem. I am downloading the timer after creating it.
Update: The software DOES show a change in state on the correct unit (45 seconds later than expected), but the hardware does not respond. This is strange because if I manually click the same unit, it will turn on and off perfectly via the software interface. Why does a manual click of the mouse work, but a timer that shows that it is working in the software not control the hardware?
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What version of AHP do you have? I presume you do not have Active Home, as that's been out of production for several years.
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Active Home Professional version 3.236. I just installed it a few days ago. I even have MyHouse functioning, but I just cannot get timers to work.
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a 45 second differential can be expected.
What happens when you redefine the light module in the software as an appliance module and run the timer?
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3.236 is a BUGGY release of AHP, here is the solution: Go to http://software.x10.com/pub/applications/activehome/ and look for ahp_updt_204.exe. Save that and install it over what you have now, it will not harm your .ahx files. When 3.204 is installed, use the update link in AHP to update AHP to version 3.228, the last good version of AHP.
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It works if I set up the switch as an appliance switch instead of the actual type of light switch that it is. Thanks for the advice. I will now download the older version of the software and try again. Thanks for the help!
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You might need to try and define the light unit as a 2-way module. This may or may not work.
I've also had luck by checking the "issue on instead of bright 100%" tab, but others have reported to the contrary.
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Now running version 3.228. The timer does not work with light switches again in exactly the same manner in which it failed with version 3.236. It will work with appliance modules, just not light switches.
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Can you give us what the timer does? I have timers with both lamp and appliance modules (Each module must have its own timers, they cannot be shared) and all work exactly the way they were set up.
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The unit is a WS467. The timer is set to "Turn on at 7:00 AM, off at 8:00 AM, Daily".
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A one hour timer to a WS467 should not be a problem. Our Master Bedroom has such a timer attached to a WS467. The timer turns on at 6:15AM weekdays and off at 7:40AM weekdays only. A second timer turns the lights on at 7:15AM Sundays and off at 8:24AM Sundays. Both timers were imported from Active Home when I got AHP.
I suspect your timer got corrupted somehow (possibly from 3.236), I suggest copying the current timer to paper, then delete it and rebuild it.
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I have deleted and re-created the modules and the timers. Nothing seems to change their behavior. It is so strange because everything works great if I click on the modules or if I set everything up as appliances, but if I try to use timers with light or lamp modules, the timers do not have any affect on the hardware. Any other ideas?
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I have deleted and re-created the modules and the timers. Nothing seems to change their behavior. It is so strange because everything works great if I click on the modules or if I set everything up as appliances, but if I try to use timers with light or lamp modules, the timers do not have any affect on the hardware. Any other ideas?
As Knightrider pointed out above, check your settings in the AHP Tools menu and make sure the check-box to "issue on instead of bright 100%" is checked.
This helps with some types of light modules.
Another frequent issue is that if you create a macro and then change the trigger, AHP gets confused, and will show the macro firing, but won't actually run the macro and send the commands.
>!
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The "issue on instead of bright 100%" option makes no difference in my case. I am not using macros. I have the simplest timer, and it does not work properly.
What is the difference between when I manually click on a module to turn it on and when the timer does it? The problem should be found in the difference. Any ideas?
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Good question.
Have you looked at the AHP event log to see what is (or isn't) sent when the timer fires and when you click the module to turn it on? ???
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For the timer:
The activity monitor reports: "Macro A2 (Hall Light)" and then at the same time but on the next line: "Macro A Bright 100% (Hall Light)"
Later the monitor reports: "Macro A2 (Hall Light)" and then at the same time but on the next line: "Macro A Off (Hall Light)"
For mouse clicks:
The activity monitor reports: "Transmit A2 (Hall Light)" and then at the same time but on the next line: "Transmit A On (Hall Light)"
Then activity monitor reports: "Transmit A2 (Hall Light)" and then at the same time but on the next line: "Transmit A Off (Hall Light)"
Perhaps the "issue on in place of bright 100%" check box is not working.
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I have now confirmed that the "off" command DOES work at the end of the timer!
Regardless of the "issue on in place of bright 100%" check box, the light does not turn on and the monitor reports the same "Macro A2 (Hall Light)" and then at the same time but on the next line: "Macro A Bright 100% (Hall Light)". I think that the check box is not doing its job. If that is the case, how do I fix it?
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Rob,
I want you to try something. Tic the box for issue on once again, then go into hardware configuration and update the interface (maybe even download timers again). Then check your event log and report back.
I swear my unit(s) all issue the "on" command.
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I suspect the timer was created by 3.236 and is corrupted. I posted earlier to delete it and recreate it but he apparently hasn't done that. 3.236 does funny things to timers.
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You posted earlier to delete and recreate the timer, and I did. In fact, I stated "I have deleted and re-created the modules and the timer" a few posts back, just after installing the version that was recommended. Are you saying that I should delete my entire file and start from scratch? I have not tried that. Let me know if that is what you are recommending, because I think that I have followed your advice.
I have saved and downloaded timers to the interface after ever single change that I have made. I have checked and unchecked the "issue on instead of bright 100%" option at least 15 times. Please let me know if you think that I have missed something somewhere.
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What's the file name you are using? If it was created by 3.236, the entire contents are corrupted. Don't use "MyHouse.ahx" for anything. I have 19 different .ahx files for use at different times of the year. I would start a new .ahx file and build everything again.
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MyHome.ahx
It was created by 3.26. I will create a new file and start over.
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Don't use MyHome.ahx for anything. Open it, delete anything it has and begin from scratch. Save it with a new name that is your own. As you get more used to AHP, start creating custom .ahx files for different times of the year. That's how I got 19 different ones.
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I have created a new *.ahx file. This time the modules in the software responded a little bit differently, but the hardware response (and no response) is exactly the same.
Initially the modules would simply go from off/full dim to off/full bright when they were supposed to turn on. After I selected the "issue on instead of bright 100%" option, the modules showed that they went from off/full dim to on/full bright. The problem is that in both cases, the light never turned on. If I click on the module, it turns on, but the timer does not turn the light on.
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I can get the timer to turn lights on if I set up dummy appliance modules with the same codes. The closest I have come to getting the timer to work properly is to create the actual module and then a dummy module for every dimmable module that I want to control. I can then use a timer to turn on the dummy appliance module, and 1 minute later I can use the actual module to control the dim/brightness level. It is a bit clumsy and awkward, and it does not behave exactly how I would like, but at least it works.
If anyone can come up with some other ideas, I would love to hear them.
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Try setting the modules (I presume they are lamp modules) as LM14A Two-way modules. The actual LM14A was eliminated by X10, but it still exists in AHP. That is the best way to handle "SoftStart" modules.
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Thanks for the advice. Now the light itself responds properly, but the software module does not show any change. I will take this as an improvement, but I would still like the software to work as it should.
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I think at the moment calling it a LM14A is what X10 says to do and when it ever gets updated is hard to say. Not much has changed in a loon time.
http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/SoftStart
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Just as you stated it, it looks like X10's statement from http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/SoftStart is to simply use LM14A for all soft-start modules. I take it that the fact that the software on my computer not registering the change even though the hardware does is a somewhat typical bug.
Thanks to everyone that has helped me diagnose the problem and fix it as much as is possible.
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The AHP Screen for that module is not showing a change when it sends a command but the module itself is following the command?
Strange.
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Yes, but mostly just with the LM14A. With other modules selected the software looks right but the hardware does not respond, unless I use an appliance module and then I lose the dim/brightness control. Getting all three is the tricky part for me.
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Did you backdate to 3.228? The LM14A is there. Clear the interface, delete the old module at the address and create the LM14A with any timers repeat for all lamp modules, use the AM14A for all appliance modules. Once all modules are established, upload to the interface.
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I am now running version 3.228. I created a new *.ahx file. I cleared the interface, put in new modules, and am using LM14A for soft-start devices. I suppose that I will need to start over with yet another *.ahx file to see if that rectifies the problem. I am surprised that the software is this buggy!
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Starting from scratch did not change anything. Any ideas?
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Try running AHP in XP Mode in Windows 7. A friend of mine runs AHP 3.228 in Windows7 with ZERO problems. The only other thing might be another program you have that AHP does not like is causing the problem.
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The computer that it is running from is an XP machine. I can disable Norton Anti-virus, but no other major program is running. Of course there are many background services, but the machine is fairly bare-bones actually.
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Send me a PM with the module names and times, I'll see if i can't create a .AHX file here to do what you want. If it works, I'll email (include you address) it back to you and you can merge it into your setup.
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Thank you to everyone that has helped me diagnose the problem!
Knightrider was able to confirm the behavior that I am seeing with version 3.228 that I downloaded from X10's website. There may be another version that corrects this problem, but it is not available to the general public. If anyone knows about this special version please PM me. Otherwise, the work-around that I have employed is to use dummy appliance modules to turn my lights on with a timer, and then I use a 2nd timer that turns those lights on with a lamp module so that the dim/bright levels are correct. If anyone else experiences this same issue and has any questions, feel free to post below or PM me.
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Thank you to everyone that has helped me diagnose the problem!
Knightrider was able to confirm the behavior that I am seeing with version 3.228 that I downloaded from X10's website. There may be another version that corrects this problem, but it is not available to the general public. If anyone knows about this special version please PM me. Otherwise, the work-around that I have employed is to use dummy appliance modules to turn my lights on with a timer, and then I use a 2nd timer that turns those lights on with a lamp module so that the dim/bright levels are correct. If anyone else experiences this same issue and has any questions, feel free to post below or PM me.
Just for the record, there is no "special version" of AHP. What you see in the X10 Software Repository is what's there. 3.228 is not listed, why I don't know, the only was to get it to though the upgrade from 3.204.
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I've had the exact same problem. Can turn on with software but not with timers. Really is frustrating! Already spent 5 days testing, retesting, downloading older software, etc. While I think with the help of the forum I can get it to work... I think with this kind of non-performing software/hardware I would never recommend anyone else purchasing it. Too much of a pain! Very irratating.
I just changed the setting "on instead of 100%" but now I guess I will need to wait another night to test to see if if works at dusk...... quite disgusting.
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So I'm going to try the adding of the appliance but which one do you choose - or does it matter? I picked AM14A and then set the house/unit code to the same as the WS467 module and set it to on at dusk, off at dawn.
Is that the concept or did I pick the wrong switch?
Thanks for all the help - it is appreciated - it just shouldn't be this difficult!
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The difference between my situation and sir_rob's is, I just want my lights to come on 100%. No interest in dimming them, but can't even get that to happen. They do turn off via the timer, just don't turn on unless I manually click the button (or use the remote) or use the software.
I will now wait until tomorrow night to test again. :).....
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how do you actually delete the file? I have the MyHome.ahx file but am not using it. I did create a new file - actually did a save as, so when I restart, it opens that one up instead of the MyHome.ahx file. Is that good enough?
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Yes that is good enough. Using an appliance module, you should be able to turn the light on via the timer. I am surprised that there are not more of us complaining about this. I know of 3 us that have confirmed this behavior so far.
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In case you missed this earlier post:
X10's statement from http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/SoftStart is to simply use LM14A for all soft-start modules.
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Sir_Rob: You are just plain WOW !!!!!!!!! It finally works: Had same pb: with WS12A module and AHP 3.236: Timer did not turn on but did turn off (all rest was working i.e. remote operated OK, feedback to computer was OK etc). Tricked the system by "calling" my WS12A LM14A and all is fine including the dimming.
Tks a million !
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O - Just one more thing: X10 support had me running around to eliminate noise (breaker off one by one, etc) - despite my telling them I have repeter on line, booster, the "full kit" ! - So conclusion: Noise didn't sound as the logical pb ... and was not ! - Sir_Rob - that makes 4 of us with this problem - sure we are not the only ones - You being a "Hero" member - can you let them know !
Again - Tks
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I am glad that my experience has helped others out. Now, how do we take it to the next level and have X10 do something about it?
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Now, how do we take it to the next level and have X10 do something about it?
rofl
Unfortunately X10 is about as responsive as a bankruptcy attorney without a cash deposit.
At best the only thing they seem to be able to do is ship you a new one, with the same problems.
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I am glad that my experience has helped others out. Now, how do we take it to the next level and have X10 do something about it?
12th of NEVER. Since AHP 3.236 and 3.271 (what happened to the 35 numbers between them?) are both BUGGY since it appeared 3.271 is just 3.236 with "support" for the CM19A added.
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I am having a problem getting any of my timers to work. Software controls modules manually but not via the timer. What did you do again to get you to work?
I had the same problem. Checking the box called "issue on instead of bright 100%" fixed it (for my lamp module). Thanks!
Edited by Tuicemen merged 2 posts into one.