X10 Community Forum
🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Troubleshooting Automation Problems => Topic started by: tolum on November 11, 2007, 07:30:04 AM
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Hi;
First of all, I have a WGL's W572AB installed on my house main floor. In the AHP Hardware Interface Configuration, on the Transceived house codes, I did select NONE so the AHP module will not interact with or against the V572.
I have a second story and a basement. Looks to work fine. I'm adding modules every month. My wife gave birth 2 weeks ago. I did buy a Palmpad remote and built a macro that turn on and dim @ 40% or turn off our bedroom light for baby night feeding. It works just fine. Yesterday, I did install two new WS12A in two rooms and a combination of one WS12A & two WS14A in my stairs. Since that adder, the Palmpad does not works like it was. The operation is erratic. Sometime it works, but doesn't dim lights and/or it's impossible to turn the light Off... Sometimes, the remote turn on the washroom light on???? Any body can explain what's happen? Do I have to add something to filter noise? Please help me!
Thierry
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Thierry,
Congratulations to you and your wife on your new arrival.
I would think that the joy of a newborn, and mandatory sleep deprivation, would be enough of a life changing event without adding in X10 automation problems. You are a brave man my friend.
Your post implies that the addition of the 5 new switches broke your system (3-WS12a and 2-WS14a). While these devices do absorb X10 signals, the level of absorbtion is rather low. In other words your system would need to have been very marginal previously for these units to affect it now.
Your description does sound like a noise/absorption problem, I just question whether the new modules are the cause.
The operation is erratic. Sometime it works, but doesn't dim lights and/or it's impossible to turn the light Off... Sometimes, the remote turn on the washroom light on???? Any body can explain what's happen? Do I have to add something to filter noise? Please help me!
Thierry
A possible description of your problem-
- Dim commands can be hard to transmit. These are a long string of BRIGHT and DIM transmissions that do not conform to the X10 standard and can take many second to transmit. If you have noise or a low signal you'll typically see the problem with a dim command first.
- Your bathroom lamp is "misreading" the X10 communication to the bedroom lamp. It believes it is being addressed.
Your options for recovering your signal include:
- Filtering/isolating noise/absorption sources. These include Compact Fluorescents, PC's, Stereo Equipment, TV's (yes even that new baby monitor and bottle warmer)
- Coupling the phases of your electrical panel with a passive coupler or active repeater (assuming you don't already have a coupler in place)
Since you appear to be expanding your system, now might be a good time to map things out and determine exactly what devices are on each circuit. I say "might" because time is most likely at a premium at this point in your life and this will take some time.
- Circuit Mapping and Electrical Phase Mapping-This will allow you to determine which electrical phases you modules and V572 and AHP interface are on: Map Your Electrical Circuits (http://www.x10community.com/forums/index.php?topic=11117.msg63562#msg63562)
- Troubleshooting - Since you probably do not have a signal tester, you will need to simply unplug possible noise generators/signal absorbers to test for interference. The following gives instructions on how to isolate things with a meter (still useful):MAP / MEASURE / CORRECT (http://www.x10community.com/forums/index.php?topic=9899.msg62635#msg62635)
Determining electrical phases by instpection -
The diagram below is from one of my electrical sub panels. It shows phases A and B. It shows breakers 1 and 2 (opposite sides of the panel) as being connected to phase A. Breakers 1 and 3 are on opposite phases. If you are able to determine that your CM15a and bedroom switch are on different phases, a quick temporary fix could be to move the CM15a to the same phase. This may, of course, break some other things in your configuration.
(http://www.x10community.com/forums/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=13175.0;id=387)
A few additional notes on your configuration -
- Since you are now using a macro to dim your lights. Get into the "tools" - "preferences" - "macro options" and check the box "issue on in place of bright 100%". This will allow AHP so send a single "ON" command rather than a string of "bright" commands to achieve 100%
- Even though you have the transceived codes disabled in AHP, the CM15a is still receiving RF and will activate macros based on that RF. You could be getting sporatic double communications from both your V572 and the CM15a. There are ways of totally disabling the RF reception on the CM15a. If your interested, let us know and someone else on the forum should be able to help
- What type of switch are you using in the bedroom? Some of the recent X10 switches have extended code direct dim capability. This feature could really improve the reliability of your system since it uses a single command rather than repeated bright/dim commands.
Let us know which direction you'd like to head, and enjoy your Newborn
Boiler
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Thanks for the help. Baby is an Angel. Sleep about 7 hours per night. I know that kind of sleep is optionnal, but this option came with the baby and I will keep it!!!
Now back to my problem, I have a X10Pro phase coupler in my electrical box. all switches are WS12A.
How can I disable the CM15 to be sure I dont get twin communications?
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...I have a X10Pro phase coupler in my electrical box. all switches are WS12A.
How can I disable the CM15 to be sure I dont get twin communications?
Sorry, but I can't tell you how to disable the receive circuit at the moment. I lost my main PC last night along with the CM15a schematics (I'm writing this using my Linux server-not set up for this at all). I can't remember if the antenna is used for transmit and receive. I'm hoping someone else on the forum will see this and post a modification.
In the mean time, please post what you are seeing in the "activity monitor" when things are/aren't working. Still trying to determine whether you have a noise/loading problem or a conflict between the V572 and CM15a.
As a workaround, you could try disabling the house code on your V572 (I think it will allow you to do this). This would allow the CM15a to operate on the RF by itself.
Boiler
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I know one user disabled his by cutting the +5 Volt lead to the Receiver daughter card. Did you want to dissemble and modify the CM15A?
I know the Receiver IC has a Disable pin and I believe it has to be tied to +5 volts to disable. Again I maybe able to find my notes if you care to try either mod. Warranty is shot if you do that.