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🖥️ActiveHome Pro => ActiveHome Pro General => Topic started by: Bnewt on March 05, 2017, 05:51:11 PM

Title: CM15A control problem
Post by: Bnewt on March 05, 2017, 05:51:11 PM
I just bought a CM15a unit. For some reason it wont control my wired outlets and wired wall light switches. It will control the plug in units, but nothing hard wired. My old CM11A unit controlled ALL the outlets just fine. Any ideas whats going on?
Title: Re: CM15A control problem
Post by: Tuicemen on March 05, 2017, 06:00:57 PM
It is most likely a softstart issue.
if your using AHP you have your light type configured as lights they should be configured as old lights(nonsoftstart)
Title: Re: CM15A control problem
Post by: Bnewt on March 06, 2017, 01:09:04 AM
What about the wallplugs? They dont work also.
Title: Re: CM15A control problem
Post by: Brian H on March 06, 2017, 06:18:39 AM
Is the CM15A a new one or a used one from someone moving to a new automation protocol?

It maybe possible you have a marginal X10 power line signal.
The CM11A may have a slightly higher output than the CM15A. Just enough extra signal to reach the problem devices.

Do you have any X10 signal coupling between the two incoming power lines? If you do. Is it a passive coupler or coupler repeater and what model is it?

Do you have any X10 filter on known problem electronic devices?

You may find JV Digital Engineering's Troubleshooting Tutorials interesting reading/
http://jvde.us/x10_troubleshooting.htm
Title: Re: CM15A control problem
Post by: dhouston on March 06, 2017, 07:53:27 AM
The CM11A may have a slightly higher output than the CM15A. Just enough extra signal to reach the problem devices.
My measurements, based on multiple CM15As & CM11As, indicate the CM15A had a slightly higher output (6Vpp vs. 5Vpp). And, the CM11A output also faded to ~3.5Vpp over the 1mS duration of the burst.
https://www.laser.com/dhouston/x10-sig.html (https://www.laser.com/dhouston/x10-sig.html)
While Brian may be right in this instance, I'd look to other possibilities first.
Title: Re: CM15A control problem
Post by: Bnewt on March 06, 2017, 07:19:50 PM
I dont have any coupling or filters installed.
Title: Re: CM15A control problem
Post by: Brian H on March 07, 2017, 06:10:06 AM
Thank you for the added information.

To verify your issue.
All you did was remove the CM11A. 
Installed the CM15A in the same location and AC power source?
With the CM15A and AHP. Your wired in outlets and wall switches do not respond. While plugged in X10 modules still respond.

Where you using the latest Active Home Pro, that also can be used with a CM15A, with the CM11A or Active Home?
Title: Re: CM15A control problem
Post by: dave w on March 07, 2017, 03:19:03 PM
I dont have any coupling or filters installed.
It is a miracle that you can control "ALL" with no phase to phase coupling. But miracles happen.

To help us try this: Pick one of your X10 outlets you can not control, and plug one of the X10 plug-in modules that IS working in to the uncontrolled outlet on the unresponsive X10 outlet. Does the plug-in module still work? If it does not, it could help explain a few things.

I had a house in Florida which had all the lighting fixtures wired into breakers on only the same phase. Was a weird to troubleshoot until I realized all fixtures were on a phase which also had a hideous noise maker on that phase.

Don't know how much X10 you have. But in todays world of, cheap wall plug adaptors which are practically all switching supplies whose potential to reek havoc on X10 power line codes is high, I would consider getting a repeater (also called "amplifying coupler"). The best is the XTBIIR from JVDE, which can be found on the same link that Brian H included in his comment yesterday. The one that X10 sells isn't bad, but does not have the power of the XTBIIR, hence has a harder time overcoming noise.
Title: Re: CM15A control problem
Post by: Brian H on March 07, 2017, 06:10:42 PM
You may also want to look at the X10 WIKI Section on AHP. Some of the information is outdated. Like registration information.
http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/ActiveHome_Pro

Some X10 coupler repeaters have been in rare cases a problem when a CM15A was in use.
I am not sure if the X10Pro XPCR was one of them. I have seen reports that the Leviton labeled one did sometimes and I believe it was basically the same.
http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/Known_Issues_with_ActiveHome_Pro
Title: Re: CM15A control problem
Post by: Bnewt on March 08, 2017, 01:09:03 AM
Thank you for the added information.

To verify your issue.
All you did was remove the CM11A. 
Installed the CM15A in the same location and AC power source?
With the CM15A and AHP. Your wired in outlets and wall switches do not respond. While plugged in X10 modules still respond.

Where you using the latest Active Home Pro, that also can be used with a CM15A, with the CM11A or Active Home?
  Have 3.318 version