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[steve r]

After downloading my info to the CM15A it will work for only 2-3 days.  This is a new phenomena.
I have changed the electric plug that it is in.  The batteries seem good.  There have been no power outages.
I'm using software version: 3.204
I reinstall the sotware to the interface and the same thing happens.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[Dan Lawrence]

Sounds like you may have a bad CM15A. Did you just get AHP/CM15A or have you had it for a while?

[Puck]

Having looked at steve r's post history, it appears he has been using AHP since January 2005; so this sounds like a working system suddenly going bad.

Can you tell us what you are seeing that indicates to you that it has stopped working after 2-3 days?

Is your CM15A always connected to the PC with AHP software running or disconnected and in stand-alone mode?

[Walt2]

Let me add the question, does your X10 system work with a manual controller?  Can you plug in a controller, into the outlet with your CM15a, and manually turn all your modules 'on' and 'off'?     That would help narrow it down to being a CM15a fault, or a general PLC "communication" fault.

[steve r]

Thank you for your comments/questions.

The CM15 unit is connected to an electrical outlet.  Not via the PC.
I do use a separate controller to turn off/on lights at different times.
The electrical outlet works fine and transmits signals with no problems.
The lights/ macros, etc. will work for 2-3 days and then stop working completely.
I have tried removing the batteries from the CM unit, reinstalling them, clearing the interface and the re-downloading the data a few times.  It repeats the same 2-3 day cycle.
I have also tried a different working electrical outlet.
It had worked fine for a long time then recently started this.  Over time I have run into the different X-10 problems as have everyone else but this is a new one.

[Puck]

I do use a separate controller to turn off/on lights at different times.
The electrical outlet works fine and transmits signals with no problems.
The lights/ macros, etc. will work for 2-3 days and then stop working completely.
I have tried removing the batteries from the CM unit, reinstalling them, clearing the interface and the re-downloading the data a few times.  It repeats the same 2-3 day cycle.

Are the lights/macros that stop working being triggered by RF (E.G. remote or motion sensor)?

I have seen this behavior before where you have to do a complete power removal of the CM15A for it to work again; but I've never seen it repeatable is such a short time frame.

If it is just RF that is causing the problems then you many have a very high ambient 310MHz RF noise environment. The way the CM15A's RF receiver works is by detecting a difference in RF activity, and if the ambient level is too high it can swamp the RF receiver and thus it can no longer detect a difference. Unplugging & removing the batteries is the only way to clear this up.

If it is just macros in general, and if you have time conditions set, the time inside the CM15A could be drifting way off and not allowing the macros to work as you intend.

If you can, I suggest you leave the CM15A connected to the PC via it's USB cable and watch the Activity Monitor; especially when it stops working and see if anything there is revealed.

[Brian H]

Did this happen after you moved it to the new outlet?

[steve r]

This will be the third day in a new electric outlet.

I use macros, sensors, RF, etc.

I have unplugged the CM15A as well as removed the batteries before re-downloading the data.

I will try to have it hooked to a PC this week if necessary.  I suppose that it was meant for me to look at the activity monitor after this?  I'm not sure what else it will tell me?  When leaving it hooked up to my computer, does activehome have to be opened and can the computer go into sleep mode?  How do I need to set it up so to work correctly/record the information as the program is on my laptop.

I will let you Know what happens.

Thank you!!!!

[zach1234]

Sleep mode disables most devices. So you cant put into sleep mode Yes you have to keep AHP running.

[steve r]

Hi;

Thank you for your response.

I changed the electrical outlet.

Let the interface sit for a couple of days without the batteries installed and not plugged in.

Went through all my settings in the software and then downloaded to the interface.

It has been working since and I have no idea what was causing the malfunction?

Thank you for your help!!!

[zach1234]

Probably static these devices are very sensitive.

[Brian H]

Could be static or noise. I have seen a mod to add extra noise bypass caps in the CM15A. Seems some in the logic circuit; that most would add automatically; is not in a CM15A or at least the older ones like I have. I have not looked at a new Date Code unit to see if anything has been added or changed.