X10 Community Forum
🖥️ActiveHome Pro => ActiveHome Pro General => Help & Troubleshooting => Topic started by: bitman on August 10, 2009, 11:50:20 PM
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In my basement I have a CM15, 7 AM466s on M1-M7 and a power flash that transmits PLC code M13 when triggered.
I have a little x10 monitor program that uses a CM11a and works great. I can activate any of the 7 AM466s via a RF remote (to the CM15) and the status program indicates that they have come on and go off. I can use a wired remote and turn them on and off and the status program shows this. - great!
If I activate that powerflash on M13 however, the CM11a locks right up and cannot be accessed until it is unplugged for awhile.
I unplugged the PC from the CM11a so I could eliminate my status program and the CM11a locked right up again when M13 in put on the line. If I unplug the CM15, M13 locks up the cm11a still. ::)
So using AHP and the activity log I looked to see what might be different from the codes being sent on the power lines when the AM466s are being addressed as apposed to what happens when the powerflash comes on.
Here is the log.
M 1-7 = audio mixers, guitar 1, guitar 2 etc...
M13 = Recording light. When the recording system goes into record mode, a tone is sent from it to the powerflash that sends PCL M13 to the powerline lighting some "recording" lights. I'm going to "sense" that M13 and start and stop a virtual stopwatch, but first things first.
A7 is the stairwell lighting up as I ran upstairs to get my ICON remote. ;)
Notice that the powerflash is transmitting "ALL LIGHTS ON". Could that be what is wigging out the CM11a?
I see no other difference.
Thanks in advance,
:Ron
------------------------------------------LOG -------------------------------------------------------
Active Home Professional
Events Report : 08/10/2009 20:25:15.317
Event Date/Time Action Data
0 8/10/2009 8:16:45 PM Receive RF M2 On
1 8/10/2009 8:16:45 PM Receive M2 (Guitar 1)
2 8/10/2009 8:16:46 PM Receive M On (Guitar 1)
3 8/10/2009 8:16:46 PM Receive M2 (Guitar 1)
4 8/10/2009 8:16:46 PM Receive M On (Guitar 1)
5 8/10/2009 8:16:54 PM Receive RF M2 Off
6 8/10/2009 8:16:54 PM Receive RF M2 Off
7 8/10/2009 8:16:55 PM Receive M2 (Guitar 1)
8 8/10/2009 8:16:55 PM Receive M Off (Guitar 1)
9 8/10/2009 8:16:56 PM Receive M2 (Guitar 1)
10 8/10/2009 8:16:56 PM Receive M Off (Guitar 1)
11 8/10/2009 8:17:11 PM Receive M13 (RECORDING LIGHT)
12 8/10/2009 8:17:11 PM Receive M On
13 8/10/2009 8:17:12 PM Receive M All Lights On
14 8/10/2009 8:17:29 PM Receive M13 (RECORDING LIGHT)
15 8/10/2009 8:17:29 PM Receive M Off (RECORDING LIGHT)
16 8/10/2009 8:17:39 PM Receive M All Lights On
17 8/10/2009 8:17:40 PM Receive M13 (RECORDING LIGHT)
18 8/10/2009 8:17:40 PM Receive M On
19 8/10/2009 8:17:50 PM Receive M13 (RECORDING LIGHT)
20 8/10/2009 8:17:50 PM Receive M Off (RECORDING LIGHT)
21 8/10/2009 8:17:56 PM Receive M13 (RECORDING LIGHT)
22 8/10/2009 8:17:56 PM Receive M On
23 8/10/2009 8:17:57 PM Receive M All Lights On
24 8/10/2009 8:18:04 PM Receive M13 (RECORDING LIGHT)
25 8/10/2009 8:18:04 PM Receive M Off (RECORDING LIGHT)
26 8/10/2009 8:18:52 PM Receive RF A7 On
27 8/10/2009 8:18:52 PM Receive RF A7 On
28 8/10/2009 8:18:52 PM Receive RF A7 On
29 8/10/2009 8:18:52 PM Receive A7 (Entry Way)
30 8/10/2009 8:18:53 PM Receive A On (Entry Way)
31 8/10/2009 8:19:28 PM Receive RF A7 On
32 8/10/2009 8:19:28 PM Receive RF A7 On
33 8/10/2009 8:19:28 PM Receive RF A7 On
34 8/10/2009 8:19:28 PM Receive A7 (Entry Way)
35 8/10/2009 8:19:29 PM Receive A On (Entry Way)
36 8/10/2009 8:19:45 PM Receive RF M13 On
37 8/10/2009 8:19:45 PM Receive RF M13 On
38 8/10/2009 8:19:45 PM Receive M13 (RECORDING LIGHT)
39 8/10/2009 8:19:46 PM Receive M On
40 8/10/2009 8:19:46 PM Receive M13 (RECORDING LIGHT)
41 8/10/2009 8:19:47 PM Receive M On
42 8/10/2009 8:19:52 PM Receive RF M13 Off
43 8/10/2009 8:19:52 PM Receive RF M13 Off
44 8/10/2009 8:19:52 PM Receive M13 (RECORDING LIGHT)
45 8/10/2009 8:19:53 PM Receive M Off (RECORDING LIGHT)
46 8/10/2009 8:19:53 PM Receive M13 (RECORDING LIGHT)
47 8/10/2009 8:19:53 PM Receive M Off (RECORDING LIGHT)
48 8/10/2009 8:20:46 PM Receive RF A7 Off
49 8/10/2009 8:20:47 PM Receive RF A7 Off
50 8/10/2009 8:20:47 PM Receive RF A7 Off
51 8/10/2009 8:20:47 PM Receive A7 (Entry Way)
52 8/10/2009 8:20:47 PM Receive A Off (Entry Way)
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Ron, sounds like we need to start fixing a hole where the rain gets in. Just out of curiosity, why does your log show all the M13 on/off? Is the audio drop from your mixer to the powerflash not a constant?
just trying to get more info to wrap me little head around the situation. (coffee will help too).
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What Mode Switch Setting are you using on the PowerFlash? 1; 2 or 3?
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Ron, sounds like we need to start fixing a hole where the rain gets in. Just out of curiosity, why does your log show all the M13 on/off? Is the audio drop from your mixer to the powerflash not a constant?
just trying to get more info to wrap me little head around the situation. (coffee will help too).
That is me putting the workstation into record to see what happens, then after a few seconds I hit stop to see if my cm11a is locked from that event, and it is. So, I took the monitoring PC (and my crazy program) out of the mix by disconnecting the serial port to the cm11a and it locks up again upon M13. I know this because I will get the "Error initializing CM11a" when I replug in and try to get at it.
The function returns a -1 which is port open but cm11a not responding.
The status program is brand new and I discovered this bug in testing. I thought, "Hey! if I am able to monitor the states of all the x10 traffic (compactly) I should be able to pop off a virtual stop watch sub routine inside the program when record goes on an off, thus measuring the recording "take"." Which works. If I choose to measure the duration of any other hc/uc pair on to off, it works, But M13 (the only I really want to watch) locks up the CM11a. Every time.
It should be noted here that the recording light om M13 has been installed and working for a couple of years or so. I even thing it was running on my old AH/CM11a system. - Yes, yes it was
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What Mode Switch Setting are you using on the PowerFlash? 1; 2 or 3?
Hmmm. It should be on mode 3, but the log looks like mode 1.
It couldn't be that simple. :-[.
I'll check it out tonight. I just blindly thought the CM11a should just work here, but my my my, if it is wigging on the "all lights on" from mode 1 and I erroneously have the PF set that way........
Oh boy, I can sure hope.
But Wait! Theres' More!
This I found just now on the smarthome site:
Important Note: Beware of older units and discontinued units (usually labeled Burglar Alarm Interface) sold by some companies, which do not have the Mode 3 features listed here and will not be suitable for many of the projects we describe.
Ru-Ro. Ya know I thought I had two flash modes and 1 steady on mode and it would appear that that is so.
I do indeed have and old "Burgler Alarm" interface (PF284) that I modify the front end on in order to drive it with line level signals. I did the same to a new PSC01 and had no joy, so went back to PF284s.
I may have to stick with the ALL LIGHTS ON mode but why would that lock up a CM11a. Which I read locks up if you look at it funny.
>!
Isn't this fun though?
Thanks everyone.
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Bits,
If the CM11A worked at one time with the M13 HCUC, I suppose this wild thought is just that, a wild thought, but M13 HCUC is all zeros. All zero house code and all zero unit code. I know M13 is a valid X10 code, but you would have 9 cycles of nothing...maybe the CM11 is losing sync and locking up.
OK I will go back to sleep now.
http://www.x10.com/support/technology1.htm
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It is not getting hot is it?
I have seen reports of some CM11As getting very hot and overloading its power supply until disconnected to reset the lock up.
dave w also has a good point. M13 is all zeros and what my test modules revert to if I have the cover with the dials off and am testing.
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Thanks for the link.
I was looking for just somthing like that but could only find the elementary via google.
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It is not getting hot is it?
I have seen reports of some CM11As getting very hot and overloading its power supply until disconnected to reset the lock up.
dave w also has a good point. M13 is all zeros and what my test modules revert to if I have the cover with the dials off and am testing.
Not Hot. It will do this if unplugged all day.
The reason I am using M13 is that I have built the guts of controllers into the recording light boxes without code wheels.
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Does anyone know if the CM11a has trouble with all lights on commands?
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I have not see anything directly on the All Lights On Function code and a CM11A.
I did find something in the CM11A Protocol Manual
House Code M and Unit Code 13 is 0000 as we mentioned.
The All Units Code Off function code is also 0000. All Lights On Function Code is 0001.
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Thanks for all your assistance on this guys.
I will try different modes f the powerflash and see what happens.
It will have to wait till I get home tonight.
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I have used my CM11A with the programs found here:
http://www.kronosrobotics.com/Projects/x10.shtml
Was able to see the data being received and sending commands also.
Their Smarthome 1132B program also helped me find a defective 1132B that was giving me grief.
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I have used my CM11A with the programs found here:
http://www.kronosrobotics.com/Projects/x10.shtml
Was able to see the data being received and sending commands also.
Their Smarthome 1132B program also helped me find a defective 1132B that was giving me grief.
Oooh and source code too.
Love it.
Thanks.
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Ok this getting stranger and stranger.
I came home and un plugged the powerflash from the wall socket. I left the workstation off and came upstairs with my good ol' (Cr19?) remote control and my naughty cm11a.
I plugged the cm11a into the ac without it's serial cable, just the module and began walking through the M codes one by one while watching the action on AHP's activity monitor. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,14,15 and 16 all just show they are coming on and off nicely as they should. M13 on the other hand comes ON as it should but as soon as I push the button to turn M13 off, then the expected M13 off commands show up followed by a spew of seemingly random strings of addresses showing being received one after the other through house codes I don't use. This will go on I guess indefinitely until I unplug that cm11a. Then it all goes quiet.......................
If I plug the cm11a back in immediately, then the spewing continues. If I wait 5 minutes or so then it's ok and I start the whole charade over until I dare to turn OFF M13 then the spew fest starts again.
None of the lights attached to M13 are doing anything out of the ordinary, just coming on going off.
This is a rhetorical post. It's gotta be something. I'm just to bushed from two wild days at work to go unplug everything.
Nite Nite 'yall.
>!
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M13 is all zeros in X10 land. A module with defective code wheels can default to that address. Perhaps there is a two-way module somewhere that is responding to the M13.
FYI: M13 is transmitted as 1110010101010101010101 (where a 1 signifies a burst of 120KHz sent on that half cycle).
Jeff
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Now this is really starting to tick me off.
I unplugged EVERY M13 responding device, then plugged in the CM11a with no serial (So It can't be my program) and tried it again.
See below how I turn on and off M16 then M15 then M14 then turn ON M13. Finally I turn OFF M13 and then the spaz out begins. Every entry that follows the turn of of M13 (one per second or so) are all being generated by a device and not a human. The only way to stop it is to unplug the cm11a. So it looks like the cm11a is doing this.
I am not using House Codes N,J, I or O
This, by the way, this is what was "locking up" the CM11a. Its a flood and it can't respond.
Additionally, If I re-plug the cm11a immediately, then the flood continues where it left off. If I wait a while it will reset, all is quiet again. Until I dare to turn M13 OFF. Then the noise all starts up again
Here we go.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Active Home Professional
Events Report : 08/12/2009 18:58:18.775
Event Date/Time Action Data
0 8/12/2009 6:47:10 PM Receive RF M16 On
1 8/12/2009 6:47:10 PM Receive RF M16 On
2 8/12/2009 6:47:11 PM Receive M16
3 8/12/2009 6:47:11 PM Receive M On
4 8/12/2009 6:47:11 PM Receive M16
5 8/12/2009 6:47:12 PM Receive M On
6 8/12/2009 6:47:13 PM Receive RF M16 Off
7 8/12/2009 6:47:13 PM Receive RF M16 Off
8 8/12/2009 6:47:14 PM Receive M16
9 8/12/2009 6:47:14 PM Receive M Off
10 8/12/2009 6:47:15 PM Receive M16
11 8/12/2009 6:47:15 PM Receive M Off
12 8/12/2009 6:47:16 PM Receive RF M15 On
13 8/12/2009 6:47:16 PM Receive RF M15 On
14 8/12/2009 6:47:17 PM Receive M15
15 8/12/2009 6:47:17 PM Receive M On
16 8/12/2009 6:47:18 PM Receive M15
17 8/12/2009 6:47:18 PM Receive M On
18 8/12/2009 6:47:19 PM Receive RF M15 Off
19 8/12/2009 6:47:20 PM Receive RF M15 Off
20 8/12/2009 6:47:20 PM Receive M15
21 8/12/2009 6:47:20 PM Receive M Off
22 8/12/2009 6:47:21 PM Receive M15
23 8/12/2009 6:47:21 PM Receive M Off
24 8/12/2009 6:47:23 PM Receive RF M14 On
25 8/12/2009 6:47:23 PM Receive M14
26 8/12/2009 6:47:23 PM Receive M On
27 8/12/2009 6:47:25 PM Receive RF M14 Off
28 8/12/2009 6:47:26 PM Receive RF M14 Off
29 8/12/2009 6:47:26 PM Receive M14
30 8/12/2009 6:47:26 PM Receive M Off
31 8/12/2009 6:47:27 PM Receive M14
32 8/12/2009 6:47:27 PM Receive M Off
33 8/12/2009 6:47:28 PM Receive RF M13 On
34 8/12/2009 6:47:29 PM Receive RF M13 On
35 8/12/2009 6:47:29 PM Receive M13 (RECORDING LIGHT)
36 8/12/2009 6:47:29 PM Receive M On
37 8/12/2009 6:47:30 PM Receive M13 (RECORDING LIGHT)
38 8/12/2009 6:47:30 PM Receive M On
39 8/12/2009 6:47:32 PM Receive RF M13 Off
40 8/12/2009 6:47:32 PM Receive RF M13 Off
41 8/12/2009 6:47:32 PM Receive M13 (RECORDING LIGHT)
42 8/12/2009 6:47:33 PM Receive M Off (RECORDING LIGHT)
43 8/12/2009 6:47:33 PM Receive M All Units Off <<<-----------Let the fun begin!
44 8/12/2009 6:47:34 PM Receive M All Units Off
45 8/12/2009 6:47:34 PM Receive M All Units Off
46 8/12/2009 6:47:34 PM Receive M All Units Off
47 8/12/2009 6:47:35 PM Receive M13 (RECORDING LIGHT)
48 8/12/2009 6:47:35 PM Receive M Off (RECORDING LIGHT)
49 8/12/2009 6:47:36 PM Receive M13 (RECORDING LIGHT)
50 8/12/2009 6:47:36 PM Receive M5 (Vocal Booth)
51 8/12/2009 6:47:37 PM Receive M3 (Guitar 2)
52 8/12/2009 6:47:37 PM Receive M11
53 8/12/2009 6:47:37 PM Receive M15
54 8/12/2009 6:47:38 PM Receive M7 (Drums)
55 8/12/2009 6:47:38 PM Receive M1 (Trk RM Speakers)
56 8/12/2009 6:47:39 PM Receive M9 (All Mixers On)
57 8/12/2009 6:47:39 PM Receive M All Units Off
58 8/12/2009 6:47:39 PM Receive I13
59 8/12/2009 6:47:40 PM Receive I5
60 8/12/2009 6:47:40 PM Receive I3
61 8/12/2009 6:47:41 PM Receive I11
62 8/12/2009 6:47:41 PM Receive I15
63 8/12/2009 6:47:42 PM Receive I7
64 8/12/2009 6:47:42 PM Receive I1
65 8/12/2009 6:47:42 PM Receive I9
66 8/12/2009 6:47:43 PM Receive I4
67 8/12/2009 6:47:43 PM Receive I12
68 8/12/2009 6:47:44 PM Receive I8
69 8/12/2009 6:47:44 PM Receive I2
70 8/12/2009 6:47:45 PM Receive I10
71 8/12/2009 6:47:45 PM Receive StatusRequest
72 8/12/2009 6:47:45 PM Receive J13
73 8/12/2009 6:47:46 PM Receive J3
74 8/12/2009 6:47:46 PM Receive J11
75 8/12/2009 6:47:47 PM Receive J15
76 8/12/2009 6:47:47 PM Receive J14
77 8/12/2009 6:47:48 PM Receive J6
78 8/12/2009 6:47:48 PM Receive J4
79 8/12/2009 6:47:48 PM Receive J12
80 8/12/2009 6:47:49 PM Receive J16
81 8/12/2009 6:47:49 PM Receive J8
82 8/12/2009 6:47:50 PM Receive StatusRequest
83 8/12/2009 6:47:50 PM Receive N13
84 8/12/2009 6:47:51 PM Receive N15
85 8/12/2009 6:47:51 PM Receive N7
86 8/12/2009 6:47:51 PM Receive N14
87 8/12/2009 6:47:52 PM Receive N All Units Off
88 8/12/2009 6:47:52 PM Receive O13
89 8/12/2009 6:47:53 PM Receive O5
90 8/12/2009 6:48:10 PM Receive A6 (Trash Day!)
91 8/12/2009 6:48:10 PM Receive A Off
This is where I unplugged the CM11a to stop all this.
Btw: There are NO batteries in my CM11a
::)
:Ron
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think I saw cm11's on ebay for under $10 the other day. :'
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think I saw cm11's on ebay for under $10 the other day. :'
Ya think this one's busted? That would be great. If I could throw money at the problem I'd be happy.
I have my doubts though.
I just know I'll get another and it will mis-behave forcing me to find the actual problem.
:-\
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I'll take the cm15a and the cm11a to work where it is away from everything else and do the same in an attempt to divide and concur.
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Sounds like a good test.
I have read that the CM11A when first powered up and the clock is not set. Sends on the serial port a constant code 165 [need clock set] and may not respond correctly. Also read the batteries don't keep the clock running either. Who knows for sure.
Hope you can get more data and we can figure this out.
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Bits,
I have spare CM11A I can loan you if you need it. PM me if you want it..
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I've got the stuff here at work.
I brought in 1 cm15a, one tm751 That cm11a, a m13 "recording" lightbox and the m13 generating powerflash.
CM11a and Lightbox. light goes on and off in response to m13 being placed on the powerline by my monitoring program that can also send on/off commands. - All workie, no trouble.
CM11a Lightbox and Powerflash. Here the powerflash is responsible for placing m13 on the powerline when it gets a tone from somewhere. I'm driving it with a laptop and a sine .wav file and it goes on and off as expected - All workie, no trouble.
CM11a Lightbox and TM751 (set to M). - here I am using a remote to make the tm751 place m13 on the powerline. I can send a m13 ON, but if I send an m13 OFF the cm11a freaks out and cannot be talked to.
Cm11a Lightbox and Cm15a - Same Failure.
After some more testing, I have found the cm11a to fail with the powerflash and light box where it worked before. This unit must be flakey. Or I am.
:Ron
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I believe I have found closure on this issue.
I changed the Recording Light to M16. Which means that my light boxes with embedded lamp controllers need to have a solder jumper to set it the UNIT wheel traces to 16. If anyone has a picture of this I'd like to see it. I can figure it out otherwise.
M16 just works. With all devices on the powerline bus.
I have 1 powerflash transmitting M16, One TM751 set to M, One CM15a, and the lightbox although it will not light being stuck on M13 by "design". Acivehome Pro showing the log and my status monitor / controller timer running on a cm11a on the same laptop of all things.
It just works. I have no idea why M13 did what it did but I'm going home now with M16 set as my Record light.
In hopes that the record light and it's new "Take Timer" all play nice.
>!
:Ron
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Well, It works.
Took all the stuff back home and everything is working with regards to the recording light and my "Recording Take Timer". If all those things use something other that M13. In this case it is now M16 (I like the sound of that). I have a lightbox without code wheels to move to M16 via solder bridges but that is no biggie.
It was good while it lasted (Ripping the guts out of a lamp controller, putting it in a "lightbox" and calling it M13)
But that little party is over now. The x10 watching recording take timer (event timer) is worth the cost admission.
Thanks for all your support.
This is a great community.
:Ron
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Thanks for the feedback. M13 still seems to be a mystery. Maybe the CM11A does have issues with M13 as mentioned; all 0's as is the function code All Units Off.