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[Jonnio]

OK, this is getting frustrating.  I have 2 macros set up with 3 modules

Module 1 - Overhead
Module 2 - Sconces
Module 3 - Riser

All 3 are standard wall switches

Macro 1:
Dim Sconces to absolute 50%
Dim Overhead to absolute 5%
Turn on Riser

Macro 2:
Set Sconces absolute 50%
Set Overhead absolute 20%
wait 3 sec
Set Sconces absolute 65%
Set Overhead absolute 45%
wait 3 sec
Set Sconces absolute 85%
Set Overhead absolute 75%
wait 3 sec
Set Sconces absolute 100%
Set Overhead absolute 100%
turn off riser

The problem is:  When I click either macro from the pc it runs beautifully.  The first macro dims the lights to where I need them, then the second turns them back on slowly.  However, when I use the remote, the first macro won't turn on the riser lights, and the second macro goes all crazy for a few seconds turning the sconces on and off, then settles into a routine of turning the lights to 100%, then to where the macro says to put them. 

I have tried: redoing the macros and clearing and reloading the module multiple times.

Please help!!

[Boiler]

Jonnio,

Welcome to the forum.

To be honest, I'm not sure why running the macro from the PC works.  It's possible the USB to X10-CM15a interface creates a delay that is working in your favor.

I'd guess that you RF remote is creating multiple triggers of your macro and creating problems.  Rf remotes routinely send more than 1 command for a single button press (have a look at menu item TOOLS\ACTIVITY MONITOR to see this).  Have a look at the following link for preventing re-triggering using smart macros: MS14A Keeps triggering macro

If you do not have smart macros installed, you could try adding a 2 sec delay (you may have to play with this) at the start of the macro.  This should delay the macro beyond the remote "multiple trigger" period.

If you do have the smart macro package installed, look through the ACTIVE HOME PRO category SMART MACROS.  There's a lot of great information in there.

CO's - I didn't see a help subject on preventing re-triggering of macros.  If I missed it - my apologies.  If it doesn't exist, can we add a link?

Boiler

[Jonnio]

Thanks for the tips.  I added in some flag conditions and it doesn't seem to help.

To further complicate things I figured I would try starting from a clean slate.  I cleared the interface memory, removed the batteries, and unplugged the CM15.  I let it sit like that overnight.  This morning to make sure that the unit was truly cleared I plugged in just the CM15 (no USB cable etc...) hit one of the macro triggers on the remote (B5 On) and sure enough lights started randomly dimming and brightening just like they were doing last night.

I am guessing that I have a bad unit now, it just stinks that it took me this long to try and troubleshoot it as I am sure it won't be covered under warranty.

[Boiler]

Thanks for the tips.  I added in some flag conditions and it doesn't seem to help.

To further complicate things I figured I would try starting from a clean slate.  I cleared the interface memory, removed the batteries, and unplugged the CM15.  I let it sit like that overnight.  This morning to make sure that the unit was truly cleared I plugged in just the CM15 (no USB cable etc...) hit one of the macro triggers on the remote (B5 On) and sure enough lights started randomly dimming and brightening just like they were doing last night.

I am guessing that I have a bad unit now, it just stinks that it took me this long to try and troubleshoot it as I am sure it won't be covered under warranty.

I think its a bit premature to start calling your CM15a bad.  The fact that it executes your macro correctly from the PC indicates that it is performing correctly.

Puck posted a nice flag example to prevent retriggering of a macro: Re: Smart Macro conditions?
Give this a try.

You didn't mention how you are receiving the RF from your remote -

• Direct to the CM15a?
• Through another transceiver

If you are receiving direct to the CM15a, you probably don't need the B Housecode transceived (unless you have other devices on that housecode that you're controlling directly via RF).  Under Tools\Hardware Configuration - Click "Specific" on the monitored house code and turn code "B" off.

Please provide a bit more information on your configuration and a listing of your Activity Monitor when things are Acting up.

I really believe that this is a solvable problem - not a hardware failure.

[Jonnio]

I hope your right....I will take screenshots of my macro and the house monitor when I go home at lunch.

My setup consists of a CM15a, 3 standard wall switches, and a palm pad remote.  I also have two IR boxes, for eventual use with my Harmony, but at this time I am not using them since the palm pad isn't triggering things correctly.  The pad is communicating direct to the CM15, but I other transceivers I can plug in if that would help.

All switches are on house code C
The macros are triggered on house code B - I have tried this code both transceived and not and it didn't seem to help either way.

Macro 1 now has a condition on start that Flag 1 is unset, step one is set the flag and the last step, after a 5 second delay) is to unset the flag.

Macro 2 is the same, but using Flag 2.

The reason I was suspecting faulty hardware is because it is still doing odd dimming/brightening of the lights even when there should be no data inside the module.

[Jonnio]

OK, here is a screenshot of macro 1 as an example.  It cut off the bottom, but you can see the basic setup.

http://jonnio.googlepages.com/macro1.jpg

Also, here is the house monitor output from RF triggering the Macros as well as clicking the button within AHP.  You can see the vast difference between the two, not to mention what is being sent in the monitor program is not what is happening to the lights.
http://jonnio.googlepages.com/housemonitor.html

Thanks for any additional suggestions.

[Noam]

I Might be missing something here, but I'll try to add my two cents:

1) when you set lights to an "absolute" setting, the CM15A has no way of knowing the current dim level. It will brighten to 100%, then dim down to that level. That might explain the behavior you experienced. Rather than brightening slowly, it is brightening to 100%, then dimming down, brightening to 100%, then dimming down again, until it finally gets to the command that says to brighten to 100% and leave it there.

2) You said that after clearing the macros, removing the batteries, and unplugging the unit, you let it sit overnight, completely disconnected (with the batteries out). You then plugged it back into the outlet only (no usb or batteries), and when you triggered the macro, it ran exactly as before. Is that correct?
Is it possible that you have a neighbor who has X10, and might have a "blink the lights" macro on the same code as your macro?
What happens (if anything) when you use the remote with the CM15A unplugged from the outlet?

3) Do you have a signal bridge, repeater, or coupler?

[Jonnio]

I Might be missing something here, but I'll try to add my two cents:

1) when you set lights to an "absolute" setting, the CM15A has no way of knowing the current dim level. It will brighten to 100%, then dim down to that level. That might explain the behavior you experienced. Rather than brightening slowly, it is brightening to 100%, then dimming down, brightening to 100%, then dimming down again, until it finally gets to the command that says to brighten to 100% and leave it there.

2) You said that after clearing the macros, removing the batteries, and unplugging the unit, you let it sit overnight, completely disconnected (with the batteries out). You then plugged it back into the outlet only (no usb or batteries), and when you triggered the macro, it ran exactly as before. Is that correct?
Is it possible that you have a neighbor who has X10, and might have a "blink the lights" macro on the same code as your macro?
What happens (if anything) when you use the remote with the CM15A unplugged from the outlet?

3) Do you have a signal bridge, repeater, or coupler?

1) I was wondering if that was part of my problem and just an inherent difference between the computer controlling things and the interface.  For a while that was the closest I ever had to it working where the lights would go in the proper sequence from full bring to the set level at each step...now however, it doesn't even properly dim/brighten the correct lights, its just "randomly" turning them on and off.  I might have to redo all my macros with more conditions and relatives based on whether or not a macro has been run before hand.
2)That's correct, and I thought the same thing as far as something else somewhere messing things up, so I tried hitting the remote with no CM15 in the outlet and nothing happens.
3) No, I have nothing hooked up other than the light switches in one room and the cm15 in the adjacent room.

[Boiler]

I Might be missing something here, but I'll try to add my two cents:

1) when you set lights to an "absolute" setting, the CM15A has no way of knowing the current dim level. It will brighten to 100%, then dim down to that level. That might explain the behavior you experienced. Rather than brightening slowly, it is brightening to 100%, then dimming down, brightening to 100%, then dimming down again, until it finally gets to the command that says to brighten to 100% and leave it there.

2) You said that after clearing the macros, removing the batteries, and unplugging the unit, you let it sit overnight, completely disconnected (with the batteries out). You then plugged it back into the outlet only (no usb or batteries), and when you triggered the macro, it ran exactly as before. Is that correct?
Is it possible that you have a neighbor who has X10, and might have a "blink the lights" macro on the same code as your macro?
What happens (if anything) when you use the remote with the CM15A unplugged from the outlet?

3) Do you have a signal bridge, repeater, or coupler?

1) I was wondering if that was part of my problem and just an inherent difference between the computer controlling things and the interface. For a while that was the closest I ever had to it working where the lights would go in the proper sequence from full bring to the set level at each step...now however, it doesn't even properly dim/brighten the correct lights, its just "randomly" turning them on and off. I might have to redo all my macros with more conditions and relatives based on whether or not a macro has been run before hand.
2)That's correct, and I thought the same thing as far as something else somewhere messing things up, so I tried hitting the remote with no CM15 in the outlet and nothing happens.
3) No, I have nothing hooked up other than the light switches in one room and the cm15 in the adjacent room.

Noam and Jonnio,

I think you're on your way.

Noam may have hit the nail on the head with the "lights brighten to 100% then dim to the "absolute" level".  As he stated, this is Normal behavior for most X10 products.  There are some products (leviton and specific X10 devices) that will accept extended code "direct dim" commands.

Jonnio - if the above is what you were referring to as "flashing", sorry but that's the nature of the beast.

The difference between the PC controlled and the RF controlled behavior is also a AHP oddity.  When you click on a macro to run it, flags and conditionals are bypassed and the behavior is generally different than a true "triggered" event. 

If you create a dummy switch module at address B5, and use that to trigger your macro (like your rf command), I think you'll find your Activity Log is identical.  I've looked over the Activity log that you posted and the RF triggered event looks entirely normal.  It's the PC initiated event (manual macro trigger) that's odd.

Sorry, we haven't really solved anything for you.  Maybe explained what is happening.

As a side note - try inserting some delays between your dim commands (even a 0 time delay).  Dim commands are actually a repeated set of "dims" that can last for several seconds.  Putting several of these in a row makes it very difficult for devices to interpret.

If you had a repeater (I understand that you don't), you could eaily lock it up and create a X10 firestorm with back to back Dim commands (like I just did with my Leviton HCA02).

[Jonnio]

Well, I rewrote my macros to be dims rather than sets, reset everything, renumbered the macros and its almost working now.  The only problem is the riser switch (which controls rope lights) is not able to be triggered from a remote macro.  Only from the PC or from a palm remote directly addressing the device.

More to work on tomorrow - thanks for the help thus far though!