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🔌General Home Automation => Original ActiveHome => Topic started by: bradg on February 27, 2010, 11:30:17 AM

Title: Downloading to Active home interface
Post by: bradg on February 27, 2010, 11:30:17 AM
I'm not getting any communication between my PC and my interface. None of my com ports are being recognized and I dont know why. I am unable to download any time events for my lights in Active Home. always worked before, but now, nothing. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Title: Re: Downloading to Active home interface
Post by: eagle on February 27, 2010, 11:43:30 AM
Reboot the computer?

r,
eagle
Title: Re: Downloading to Active home interface
Post by: lflorack on February 27, 2010, 11:57:24 AM
Sometimes it helps to disconnect the USB connection, unplug the CM15A and remove the batteries.  Then reassemble and replug and try again.
Title: Re: Downloading to Active home interface
Post by: hawk1 on February 27, 2010, 12:19:25 PM
I believe the OP has the cm11 with Active Home. (comm ports)
Title: Re: Downloading to Active home interface
Post by: Brian H on February 27, 2010, 12:22:01 PM
What does the Device Manager show for Comm Ports.
Are you using Windows XP? XP and some motherboards give comm port problems with AH.
Title: Re: Downloading to Active home interface
Post by: lflorack on February 27, 2010, 12:28:47 PM
I believe the OP has the cm11 with Active Home. (comm ports)

Yup!  You're correct.  I should have caught that.
Title: Re: Downloading to Active home interface
Post by: bradg on February 27, 2010, 04:23:17 PM
I have the CM11...that is correct...I've tried taking out the batteries, disconnecting the CM11...all for not. I've got something wrong because when I re-boot I get an error message on my desktop saying "Invalid Com port Selected".....That is on start up. Something is causing my grief and I dont know what it is!
Title: Re: Downloading to Active home interface
Post by: Brian H on February 27, 2010, 04:26:16 PM
What does Device Manager show in the comm port tab?

Title: Re: Downloading to Active home interface
Post by: hawk1 on February 27, 2010, 05:02:01 PM
Might want to check your bios.  If your mb battery went dead it might have automatically changed the comm ports to the defaults.   ;)
Title: Re: Downloading to Active home interface
Post by: bradg on February 28, 2010, 08:06:14 AM
Where might I find the device manager??? I'm running XP to answer a question above.
Title: Re: Downloading to Active home interface
Post by: hawk1 on February 28, 2010, 09:13:40 AM
Click start, RIGHT click "My computer", LEFT click Properties, LEFT click Hardware, LEFT click Device Manager. In device manager double LEFT click ports.  Then double LEFT click what ever port you want to look at.   ;)
Title: Re: Downloading to Active home interface
Post by: bradg on February 28, 2010, 09:28:33 AM
I went into device manager as instructed. The only com port i see is com1 and it tells me that it is working properly. When I go into AH to test communications, it shows me connected to com 2...i click com 1 to test and it gives me a failure to connect and reverts back to com2 again???
Title: Re: Downloading to Active home interface
Post by: hawk1 on February 28, 2010, 09:49:34 AM
How many comm ports do you actually have?  If you have 2 then my previous post would come into play. (bios)  If you have 2 physical ports, have you tried the other one?
Title: Re: Downloading to Active home interface
Post by: bradg on February 28, 2010, 10:06:22 AM
I have one com port that the interface will plug into....I just downloaded the version 1.42 to my laptop and installed it. As soon as I open AH on the lap top, not having the interface connected to it, It opens and gives me an error message" Invalid com port selected" I'm confused now! I appreciate the help.
Title: Re: Downloading to Active home interface
Post by: Brian H on February 28, 2010, 10:15:28 AM
What version software on the Laptop?
Did you try a different comm port choice in AH on the Laptop. Maybe Comm1 is used by a internal modem or a similar device.
Title: Re: Downloading to Active home interface
Post by: bradg on February 28, 2010, 10:19:31 AM
Only problem with lap top is that I cant plug the CM11 into it. there is no connection for this. Anyway, could it be possible that CM11 is shot and I need a new one??? I've tried just about everything lately.
Title: Re: Downloading to Active home interface
Post by: Dan Lawrence on February 28, 2010, 11:07:57 AM
Your laptop probably has only USB ports, no COM ports.  Do a search for usb to com cables. I have a 10 year old Sony laptop that has only 2 USB ports, no serial ports. 
Title: Re: Downloading to Active home interface
Post by: bradg on February 28, 2010, 11:12:51 AM
If I buy a new interface will it work XP or 2000
Title: Re: Downloading to Active home interface
Post by: Brian H on February 28, 2010, 11:20:49 AM
I have an old IBM Laptop with Windows 98SE. I have never seen the invalid comm port message even when the CM11A is not connected.

AH in XP is very hard to say. Some found it didn't work. Some the communications would disconnect. Some had no problems.

Also the CM11A has been discontinued for awhile. Yo may still find some in dealers stock. Though I am not sure a failed CM11A is your problem.
Title: Re: Downloading to Active home interface
Post by: bradg on February 28, 2010, 01:17:35 PM
My lap top does only have usb ports. I have treid everything I can to get this to work. When I go into tools on AH no matter what com port I try i get the same thing" invalid com port". I'm at the end of my rope with this one.

I used to have problems downloading to the interface but all I had to do was re-boot and it would work. If my computer was on for a long time, it wouldnt work and had to reboot. If I rebooted and let it sit for a while, it wouldnt work either. Strange but thats what it did. Now it wont work at all???
Title: Re: Downloading to Active home interface
Post by: Dan Lawrence on February 28, 2010, 02:08:07 PM
Did you do what I suggested which is search for "Do a search for usb to com cables".  This will allow a laptop with only USB ports to run a device that needs a com port.
Title: Re: Downloading to Active home interface
Post by: Brian H on February 28, 2010, 06:13:56 PM
If you have only USB Ports. I would expect the lack of comm ports would give you that message as there are none to find.