X10 Community Forum
🖥️ActiveHome Pro => ActiveHome Pro General => Topic started by: len on October 13, 2005, 09:41:54 PM
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When are we going to see a new update to fix
all the outstanding problems?
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What outstanding problems? According to X10
the product is flawless! (not) Dont hold your
breath.
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At the time of the last update, we were told
that this would be the last one for a while
since they were working on the web plug-in
and the next update would include it. The
next update may not fix any bugs.
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Could we hear somthing from X10 please!
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Would be nice to hear from X10, but X10Pro
seems to be not answering many questions
lately.
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There will be an update to go along with the
Internet plug-in. It will have a few bug
fixes, but mostly will be to support the new
stuff. I'd expect this pretty soon.
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Thank you for the information and support.
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Thanks for the reply X10. But why will the
new update only fix a "few" of the bugs? We
all have been waiting a longggg time for
things to be made right.
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Len: What particular problems do you have in
mind?
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You had earlier acknowledged that the
feature to send address only commands did
not work properly - will that be fixed?
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I agree. That is an important one!
Also how about the bug where if in a macro
you dim a light and then immediately send
another command (without delay), you will
usually get a phantom command transmitted
(often all lights on) that is not in the
macro. This command doesn't appear in the
activity monitor, but LM465's, WS467's and
WS477's all seem to respond to this phantom
command. This has been outstanding for at
least 9 months now.
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arf1410: That problem will be fixed.
Roger H: That's not currently addressed. I'll
take a look and see what we can do.
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What about the activity monitor stuff?
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This isn't a bug, but will it have the
ability to send any arbitrary command ie ON,
OFF, ALO, ALF AUF, PRESET DIM, etc. This was
promised in the previous release, but wasn't
actually there.
Also, will it allow you to distinguash
between setting a dimmer to an absolute
brightness and turning the module ON or OFF?
You should be able to send an ON command to a
dimmable module (and thus not affect its
brightness if it is already on). Also
setting a module to 0% shouldn't be the same
as sending an OFF command. This could be
done by adding a "Toggle" or "Switch" button
to the existing "Absolute", "Brighten" and
"Dim" buttons.
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roger - what's the difference between
setting a module to 0% and setting it to
OFF?
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Arf: For most third party dimmers and X10’s
2-way dimmer, I agree there is not much
difference, but for X10’s low cost modules,
when you turn it off, it can only jump to
100%, but if you dim it to 0%, you can
gradually ramp it back up. Granted you can
fake this by dimming it by 99% (I do this
sometimes), but it would be nicer if you
could tell it to go to 0% instead.
For modules that support extended_dim (and
preset_dim if the AHP S/W ever supports it),
when you set the module to 0%, the software
should send the extended_dim (or preset_dim)
command to set it to 0%, but turning it off
should send the OFF command instead. For
most modules both commands would have the
same result, but some modules might behave
slightly differently to the two commands (a
preset_dim works differently on a TempLinc
than turning it off for example).
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Good grief, guys. The unit arbitrarily
stops working after a few days/weeks/months
and we've never heard a response about
that. This was your opportunity and you
chose this stuff!!
X-10: Will the update address the random
failure (so we don't have to keep
reinstalling batteries and downloading)?
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Bill H.'s comment has been raised numerous
times, by numerous people over the last 6
months, and X10 Pro has yet to comment or
even acknowledge that issue. My guess is
they have no idea the cause, so therefore
can't comment...
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Problems like working correctly with win
98SE. iWitness hangs, can't changes
settings, will not record video, will only
take snashops sometimes, timed picts never
worked. Program crashes(sometimes when you
try to view any saved tv pictures. So many
others I can't recall right now. I Emailed
to Mike, customer support NO answers. All
the things everyone else keeps telling you
about.
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Bill: I read that adding decoupling
capacitors will fix that problem. If this is
indeed true, then it is a hardware problem
and no software upgrade will fix it. This
would explain why some units seem to have
more problems than others. Ever since my
unit was replaced with a diagnostic unit, I
haven’t had this problem although I sometimes
need to reboot it when I want to connect it
to the computer. I suspect a charge builds
up on the USB lines over time and when you
reconnect it to the computer the discharge
causes the microcontroller to hang.
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Roger - I agree that the unit locking up
after X months is likely a hardware issue,
and your thought for cause sounds
plausable - never-the-less, X10 owes its
users an explanation and fix, whether it be
hardware/software/firmware or duct-tape-
ware!
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Joe -
What Activity Monitor problem(s) are you
having? Mine will sometimes just stop
logging activity generated by the CM15A, but
will keep on logging commands sent manually
from the PC, or from other remotes or
controllers.
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Noam,
I dont leave mine connected to the computer
but what I have noticed it that the filters
for the activity monitor dont work. You can
select only to log macro's or only RF or only
PLC but nomatter what you select it will just
log something like RF E1-on E1 on E1 and tell
you nothing about where it came from. It just
never worked right.
Joe
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Bill H 10/19/2005 03:55 PM
Good grief, guys. The unit arbitrarily
stops working after a few days/weeks/months
and we've never heard a response about
that. This was your opportunity and you
chose this stuff!!
X-10: Will the update address the random
failure (so we don't have to keep
reinstalling batteries and downloading)?
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Bill (and anyone else with this problem)
The failures totally stopped for me when I
got the update with the new driver for the
CM15A (back in Jan. or Feb., I think). The
driver also makes it so you don't get the
'safely remove hardware' tray icon in XP.
But as I found when I reformatted my PC and
reinstalled AHP, that driver is NOT included
in the base installer or updates. The only
way I have found to get it is to have the
CM15A attached to the PC and go to Windows
Update, where the driver should be in the
'optional hardware updates' section.
X10 really needs to make sure this driver is
more widespread, and there's no reason the
old driver should still be included with the
install and upgrade files on the site. Now
there could still possibly be a problem
beyond that, but I would be surprised if most
of the people running into this problem
weren't running the old driver.
Fix it, X10. Make a lot of people a lot
happier with the CM15A with no work on your
part other than to have the update check for
and install the correct driver.
Oh, and tell people that the output voltage
on the CM15A is adjustable. I had to figure
it out on my own, because your tech guys
never responded to my emails.
Scott
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Scott - How (and why) would one need to
adjust the output voltage?
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Ok, the average person probably doesn't need
to worry about it. If you have 5 X-10
modules and the CM15A is on the same
electrical leg with all of them, the 1.7V
stock output is plenty. However, if you're
dealing with active couplers and lots of X-10
devices like I am, you may need more than
that.
I had read somewhere a while back that the
CM15A output at the same voltage as the
CM11A, so having a CM11A on hand, I decided
to take a look at how the two compared. The
CM11A comes in quite a bit more powerful, at
2.4V, so I'm thinking 'maybe I can swap
outputs to get the voltage I need'. After
taking both controllers apart, I found that
the output transformer was the same, the
general board layout similar, and 3
adjustable components were on both boards in
similar places.
I tried at that point to get an answer from
X-10 about an output voltage adjustment, but
gave up on them after no email response and
decided to take my chances. Not wanting to
fry my CM15A, I decided to tweak the
adjustment nearest the transformer on the
CM11A and see what happened. I turned it
about 1 turn CCW and the output voltage
jumped to 2.8V.
Going a bit over 1 turn CCW on the
corresponding adjustment on the CM15A gave me
3V, which has been more than enough to meet
the X-10 needs here. It's finally a reliable
replacement for the CP-290 workhorse that has
been outputting a steady 5V for years.
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IN all fairness, I wouldn't expect X10 to
help you with that - that would not be
considered a user adjustable setting, and
no way for a typical consumer to test
output.
However, a friend tested my CM11A, and it's
output was 4.5 volts. Sounds like there is
some variablitiy.
Also - have heard 3 different specualtions
as to the failure of the unit after X
weeks - or maybe I should say fixes - /1/
driver, /2/ installing some type of bleed
capacitor? /3/ leave the USB cord dangling?
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The way I see it is this: If it's not meant
to be adjusted, why is it set up that way?
Maybe the average customer doesn't need to
change it and wouldn't be comfortable with
opening up the controller, but what about the
rest of us? When a controller is capable of
much better performance with just a small
adjustment, why not make your customers aware
of it, even if you mandate that they send it
in to get it changed?
It would have been nice if they had even
replied with 'sorry, we can't give that info
out' or 'send it to us and we will adjust it
for you', but I got nothing.
Those are multiple solutions for the failure
problem, but I'm curious if the other two
solutions are just making up for whatever
problem the old driver has. It could be
something else altogether, but X-10 should be
the one addressing it, not me. :-)
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I agree X10 should in someway respond to
the issue of failures after X weeks.
As far as the voltage adjustment, how can
you be sure that there aren't other
components in the CM15A that were designed
to work with the lower output voltage?
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'As far as the voltage adjustment, how can
you be sure that there aren't other
components in the CM15A that were designed
to work with the lower output voltage?'
The way it looked to me is that the
transformer was only for the output. And
considering the CM15A has been working
flawlessly for almost two weeks now, I don't
see it disrupting anything else. If it had
to be at a certain level for other internal
components to function, it would be pretty
shortsighted to put any adjustment on it.
Then again, X-10 doesn't want or expect you
to open up their products.
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X10 didn't put any adjustment on it - the
stock component just happened to be
adjustable...
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'X10 didn't put any adjustment on it - the
stock component just happened to be
adjustable...'
I don't buy it. Adjustable components are
many times more expensive, and it adds up
quickly for mass-produced products. They
intentionally made it adjustable, but the
lack of info about it or any external
adjustment tells me it's just for their own
internal testing.
Why keep it secret though? Having an
adjustable output may be more than the
average customer needs, but if the people
having problems due to low voltage could
adjust things easily, the CM15A would have
another strong selling point.
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Scott:
Could you post a detailed decription with
photos on
http://forums.accessha.com/index.php?
I'm sure it would be useful info for others.
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Tuice, I posted in your topic there.
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Scott thanks!
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How about. If someone touches the incorret
thing and gets a shock that kills them. Also
most X10 devices are powerline run with no
isolation. One wrong connection from a scope
or meter and BANG! You go need tuning for
the output frequency and receiver unless X10
was using Military rated parts.
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Luckly both the cm11a and cm15a have a power
transformer so only a small portion of the
circuit board has a dangerous voltage on it.
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"How about. If someone touches the incorret
thing and gets a shock that kills them."
Good point. I would hope any time one takes
the cover off an operating line powered
appliance and intends to poke it with metal
instruments...they should not be oblivious
to the dangers.
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A 120 Volts shock will hurt you ( a little...
ever got a shock from a wall outlet ? Buzz
your finger at most got a couple of them its
more suprizing than it hurt) but will not
kill you unless you are realy willing to kill
yourself. Yes it will kill you if you have
your feet in water holding a big copper rod
in your hands linked directly to the wall
plug. Everybody should be cautious when
working with all kind of electricity and
electronics. Everything above 220 can be
dangerous to human health (EG transformer
outside in the hydro pole) and yet the
voltage can not be necessarly lethal. Look at
the Taser guns 200,000 Volts just stun the
person it all depend on the AMPs passing
through you.
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Hyrules; You willing to take that chance! I
am a electronic technicial and I would not
want to try it unless by accident. You
probbaly run more of a spark and flames
issue if you don't watch you grounds on test
equipment.
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That's why i said to be carefull when working
with electronic equipements. I'm an
electronic technician as well. I know the
dangers and myth of electricity and how it
works. A mister anybody better not play in
their CM15A if they dont want to scrap the
piece of electronics. Electronic is very
sensitive to voltage difference and ESD as
well as amps. If you can't make a difference
between a capacitor, resistor or a trim pot
dont touch anything. You better know the ohm
law as well. That's why you also want to work
with a fused power source so in case you
short something the fused will blow out.
Anyway it can be along story.