Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[mitch5252]

I was hoping you geniuses that hang around here could help me see the flaw in my logic...

AHP version 3.204. Signal bridge installed at breaker panel. One Boosterlinc plugged in house, which is ~2,400 sq. ft. and about 4 years old.

Here's the problem:

Motion sensor (A1) at front door to alert if someone comes up the walk.

IF motion sensor (A1) AND daytime, then chime (A15)
ELSE (night), then chime (A15) and certain lights on

Now, here's the rub...we plugged the remote chime (A15) into an appliance module (A16), thinking that if we were out and about in the yard, we could turn off the chime by sending A16 OFF and not be driven crazy by constant chiming.

While testing the setup in the house, it worked fine, just perfectly fine - Motion Sensor activated chime when A16 ON, no chime when A16 OFF. However, once out in the yard, it worked fine for a while. But after having been "turned off" for some unknown period time, the motion sensor would trigger the chime (even though the last state of A16 was OFF).

We only use the computer to download into the cm15a; it is not hooked up constantly. Each time I download a change, I clear the interface and then download macros and timers.

What could the problem be? Is there any other information that could help you diagnose me?

Thanks for any suggestions!

Regards,
Michelle

[Puck]

Michelle: I can only think that the local sense of the appliance module caused itself to turn on.

Maybe try a phantom module & macros to set a Status Flag and use that to prevent your motion sensor macros from executing. I use this technique myself to prevent my cameras from activating when we are outside.

[mitch5252]

Puck, I have no idea how to do that. I've just gone and read everything I could read here about phantom modules and it's not sinking in. Eventually, a light of understanding will go off in my head and I'll get all excited again, but right now - that's not happening.

Any way you can walk me through at least a portion of it? I think you're saying use a "phantom module" to turn on the chime instead of having the chime plugged into an appliance module, right? If that's correct, then that's as far as my brain has processed and comprehended so far!

Sometimes, this X10 stuff can be so frustrating!!!!! (and we've been using it since the 70s...still have some of the old, brown BSR modules and brown plug in controllers!). But, we've recently moved to a new house and have never really gone past a very simple house configuration. Add to that the fact that I'm no electronic or wiring genius, and you've got the makings of a mess!!!!

Once again, thanks for your help!

Michelle

[Puck]

I think you're saying use a "phantom module" to turn on the chime instead of having the chime plugged into an appliance module, right?

That is correct.

Below is an example of using a phantom module to set & clear a flag. In this example, I use Flag 12. Then in your chime macro you can use Flag 12 as a condition for it to execute. When you create a phantom module, make sure it's an appliance module (not a lamp module). And avoid Flags 1, 15 & 16 (they have been proven to be unstable).

If you have any more questions, just ask.

[Oldtimer]

Now, here's the rub...we plugged the remote chime (A15) into an appliance module (A16), thinking that if we were out and about in the yard, we could turn off the chime by sending A16 OFF and not be driven crazy by constant chiming.

In theory appliance modules should operate properly regardless of what's plugged into them, including nothing.  As a practical matter you need to run a test to see if the chime module is a special case.  You can do this by plugging in a 7 watt, always on, night light to the appliance module along with the chime module.  Let us know how that works out, either way.  If it fixes it there may be other solutions than leaving the night light plugged in all the time

[hostilejava]

What motion sensor are you using?  The MS16A's turn on the next address up at dusk and off at dawn.  In other words if it's set to control A15 by motion it turns on A16 at Dusk and off at Dawn.