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Author Topic: Activity Monitor - Looking to Acquire a General Understanding  (Read 10184 times)

ccrider67

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Activity Monitor - Looking to Acquire a General Understanding
« on: January 26, 2007, 11:11:56 AM »

Could someone explain to me what I am looking at on the Activity Monitor.  Sometimes I see the activity, but I didn't get an actual response.  What does the column with Receive, Transmit or Transmit RF mean exactly?  I am getting a Transmit to turn on an appliance, but the appliance does not turn on.  This happens when I use a remote.  I know I am in range with the remote because it will turn on/off other things from the same location.  (I am assuming it is the transceiver that is in range and not the actual appliance/lamp?). 

I have two TM751 transceiver (HC A & L).  I also have a CM15A (which I'm not sure of its purpose).  In the configuration I have HC A & L being transceived and HC B being monitored.  I understand that the monitored HC is the only one that can be used in the macros to check status, so I have a "fake" applicance module on HC B with a timer to turn on and off and dusk/dawn because I couldn't get the daytime/nighttime conditions to work in a macro.

I have read ALOT on this forum and it has helped me greatly.  My first encounters with X10 customer support had me ready to send it all back to them, but then I found this forum and I am having pretty good success (despite myself!).
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ccrider67

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Re: Activity Monitor - Looking to Acquire a General Understanding
« Reply #1 on: January 26, 2007, 12:01:22 PM »

After reading more posts, everyone says NOT to transceive the housecodes the TM751's are set to.  Now I'm really confused.  Most of my stuff is working and now I don't know why?  I have read alot about transceived & monitored and powerline commands and I thought I had it figured out, but obviously I do not.  Someone please help me understand this.  Here is how I have it set up (and it is pretty much working -- I just want to understand it).

AHP - CM15A
monitored HC - B
transceived HC - A & L

TM751 #1 - HC A
  4 cameras & 4 sensors

TM751 #2 - HC L
  various 3-way and regular wall switches
  lamp modules
  appliance modules

Things I thing I understand so far:
- remotes work via the TM751's
- you can only check the status of a module in a macro if it is in the monitored HC in AHP

Questions:
- Should the TM751's be showing ON or OFF in AHP and what does it mean for a TM751 to be OFF?
- I thought the TM751's HCs HAD to be transceived in AHP, but now I'm seeing that it is not.  What does it mean to be a transceived HC in AHP?
- AHP sends RF commands.  What sends powerline commands? TM751?
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Brian H

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Re: Activity Monitor - Looking to Acquire a General Understanding
« Reply #2 on: January 26, 2007, 12:17:41 PM »

TM751 has a appliance module type switch in it. On the House Code the dial is set to and hard wired unit #1.
So Your Setup:  TM751 #1 is on A1
TM751 #2 is on L1.
The TM751 has no powerline receiver in it so it can't be turned on and off by a powerline signal.
A remote sending an A1 on or off will toggle the TM751 #1 and a L1 on or off TM751 #2
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Puck

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Re: Activity Monitor - Looking to Acquire a General Understanding
« Reply #3 on: January 26, 2007, 12:36:40 PM »

Things I thing I understand so far:
- remotes work via the TM751's
- you can only check the status of a module in a macro if it is in the monitored HC in AHP

Correct on both counts. Remotes also work via the CM15A.

Quote
Questions:
- Should the TM751's be showing ON or OFF in AHP and what does it mean for a TM751 to be OFF?

The TM751's ON & OFF is referring to the state of it's built in Appliance Module.

Quote
- I thought the TM751's HCs HAD to be transceived in AHP, but now I'm seeing that it is not.  What does it mean to be a transceived HC in AHP?

The TM751's HC should NOT be transceived in AHP. To be transceived in AHP simply means that any RF the CM15A picks up will immediately be sent to the power line as a PLC.

Quote
- AHP sends RF commands.  What sends powerline commands? TM751?

AHP can send both RF & PLC. Sending RF generally has to be done with a macro; however, AHP does know the TM751 only receives RF and will automatically send RF to it instead of a PLC.

The TM751 only sends PLC.

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TakeTheActive

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ccrider67

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Re: Activity Monitor - Looking to Acquire a General Understanding
« Reply #5 on: January 26, 2007, 03:01:00 PM »

So in a perfect world where a CM15A had really good range, there would be no need for TM751s at all.
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brp_

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Re: Activity Monitor - Looking to Acquire a General Understanding
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2007, 11:13:10 PM »

So, is it general consensus that the CM15A has less reception "range" than the TM751?

Situation: CM15A connected to computer (USB) and plugged into a separate outlet in computer room.
TM751 in the same room, separate circuit. (I haven't yet mapped the phases, but I don't think it
matters).

Without the TM751, PalmPad signals from the bedroom are not transceived by CM15A (they never
show up in the Activity Monitor). If the TM751 is connected, I do see Receive commands for
that code (but not Receive RF, so I assume it is a powerline receive from the TM751
transmission).

If I move the TM751 to tbe bedroom, it works, but signals from the kitchen (not far from
the computer room) are not trransceived (bedroom too far from kitchen).

While this does not seem like a phase coupling issue, I have a passive coupler in the breaker box
and an active coupler plugged into the dryer plug. 15A filter on computer circuit.

But it all seems like a RF reception issue..CM15A simply not getting it while TM751 does.

Does this make sense, given the phenomema?

Suggestions?

Cheers.
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Oldtimer

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Re: Activity Monitor - Looking to Acquire a General Understanding
« Reply #7 on: April 21, 2007, 07:42:39 AM »


I have a passive coupler in the breaker box and an active coupler plugged into the dryer plug.


While it may not effect your RF reception problem directly having TWO phase couplers could be effecting the overall performance of the system.  If it were my installation I'd remove the passive coupler in the breaker box.
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