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🔌General Home Automation => Original ActiveHome => Topic started by: nettychinn on February 19, 2010, 11:07:11 AM

Title: Computer unable to communicate with controller
Post by: nettychinn on February 19, 2010, 11:07:11 AM

I am running Vista 32 bit home on my computer

I have always had X10 version 1.42 and has been running very well until recently. 

Started having problems (lights coming on at odd times, some not coming on at all) and now cannot get computer to communicate with the controller CM11.  I have replaced with brand new CM12U and still the same problem.

Ports have all been checked and are working ok, it would appear software is not talking to the communicator.

I have downloaded the latest version of Homepro 3.24 and still the same problem.

Can anyone help please.

Title: Re: Computer unable to communicate with controller
Post by: Dan Lawrence on February 19, 2010, 02:13:27 PM

Active Home has a history of loosing the COM ports on some computers due to the motherboards.  I suspect that's your problem, especially under Vista.  You might be interested in upgrading to the Active Home Pro and the USB CM15A interface.   Check out http://www.x10.com/homepage2.htm?|x10welcomeab2 for more info about AHP.

Title: Re: Computer unable to communicate with controller
Post by: nettychinn on February 20, 2010, 09:44:41 AM

Thank you for your help, I have ordered the new controller, will see how that goes when it arrives on Monday!! :-\

Title: Re: Computer unable to communicate with controller
Post by: Charles Sullivan on February 20, 2010, 12:43:56 PM

A number of users have reported problems with the USB cable shipped with the European versions of the CM11 which disappeared when they switched to a regular USB-Serial adapter (preferably one employing a FTDI chipset).

The same thing with post-Win98 versions of Windows on PCs having a real RS232 serial port.

Title: Re: Computer unable to communicate with controller
Post by: bradg on February 28, 2010, 08:10:40 AM

I'm having the same problem.

Title: Re: Computer unable to communicate with controller
Post by: lodtrack on December 10, 2010, 07:13:26 AM

I was interested to see a post with the following footer.."Yesterday it worked.
Today it doesn't work.
X10 on Windows is like that"
It pretty well describes my experience with every version of Windows and Activehome(2000,95,NT,Vista,XP proSP3, and Windows 7.)
I had luck with Autom8it beta which I used for sometime and found it bullet proof and had many great addons.
Unfortunately I lost the download along the way and all I can find is the unsupported full version.
I think my only option is to write my own program which will be tedious.
If anyone knows where I can get a working version of full Autom8it with the original 5 addons, that would be great.