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[roger1818]

Richard:  Your problem cannot be fixed in software.  This is a hardware problem with either your CM15A or your SS13A.  For X10 to tell their software developers to stop working and start twiddling their thumbs because some users have hardware problems would be asinine.

OP:

You'll use the new macro commands in a fashion similar to the RF commands. They're generic commands for addressing, extended codes, and preset dim. Their main purpose is  to make it easier for you to work with some  of the modules that we don't make -- ones  that need different command sets or structures.

I would recommend to concentrate on the X10 units, make them all work! before considering other makers! To have a SS13A that only works in less than 3 feet from the CM15A, this is assinine!

[TTA Edit #2: Experiment to determine whether or not DELETING the OP (*AFTER* copying it into Reply #1) in 'Highly-Viewed' / 'Highly-Replied' but currently INACTIVE threads from LONG, LONG AGO (I'm starting with ~2 years) will allow current ACTIVE threads to appear in the Top 10 Topics (by Views) section of the Statistics Center (aka More Stats) Page.]

[richard the 1st]

RogerH

Seaking of asinine! What good is it to
program units that don't woik? Rattling off
with the mouth before brain in gear may be
your forte,....
In any case to reiterate, my pont is why
worry about other hardware if the home
grown will not wrk to start with.
I am stil using radio Shack modules that
are 20 years old and work very well, thank
you very much.

BUT, I think I'm wasting my time trying to
get some sense into you.

[roger1818]

Richard:  My-oh-my, you sure like to sling
mud.  There is no point even trying to
rebut someone who thinks insults are a
substitute for intelligent debate.  I am
sorry if you took my disagreeing with you
as a personal insult.

[tcassio]

I kind of agree with Richard the 1st.
Judging by all of the complaints about
similar problems from alot of different
people X10 should concentrate on the
existing problems.  According to what
X10pro said they have only addressed 1
problem in the next update.  I am glad I am
no relying on the CM15A to control my
system.  Obviosly X10 is not acknowledging
the problems are real.  If I were having
these problems I would raise HELL.
Just my 2 cents.
T.

[roger1818]

Tcassio:  If I was having all these
problems, I too would be raising hell, but
I am not and unlike you, I am actively
using AHP.  I currently only have one
problem and I have found a way to get
around it so it isn’t a big concern to me.
I think Richard’s problem can be fixed by
replacing hardware (probably the SS13A).

I am not sure what you guys want the
software designers to do, fly to Richards
house to hand deliver him replacement
hardware?  Even with the Hardware problems,
there is not much the software designers
can do so why not let them do their job and
update the software?

[Tigger]

 
As always, there are two sides to consider.

For example, I don't really use any functions
that are time-based.  Therefore, MOST of the
more common hardware/software complaints that
I see here don't affect me.

There are other problems that DO affect the
operation of my unit, which probably don't
seem important to others.

Obviously some fixes will be easier
to solve than others.

No doubt some of "my" fixes moved down the
list of priorities, as more critical problems
were discovered.  However, they can't be put
off indefinitely.  Moreover, it is possible
that some of these low-priority fixes MAY
impact some of the other problems that users
are experiencing.

In any event, I am confident that X10
will address each issue as soon as they can.


T

[arf1410]

It is the software designers job to write /
improve code; however assuming X10 has a
finite budget, the X10 bosses could make the
decision to instead of paying software
designers to write code, they could instead
use that money to pay hardware people to fix
the hardware, assuming some of the "issues"
are hardware based.  So to me, the probelm I
have is some of the decisions the X10 bosses
are making, I have no personal beef with the
X10 programmers - they are simply doing what
they are told.

[richard the 1st]

"I am not sure what you guys want the
software designers to do, fly to Richards
house to hand deliver him replacement
hardware?  Even with the Hardware
problems,  there is not much the software
designers  can do so why not let them do
their job and  update the software?"

After this gem of wisdom I'm sure no
comment is nexesary, ....... hole in the
round and all, no difference.

[richard the 1st]

Edited:

After this gem of wisdom I'm sure no
comment is necessary, ....... hole in the
ground and all, no difference.

[tcassio]

Roger,
I had stated that Richard and SEVERAL
others are having problems which proves
they are not isolated to a few.  The
software engineers are partially at fault
because of all the inconsistancies that
exist in the many different environments
there are.  I don't see problems from
software that comes from other software
vendors.  If Symantec put out software as
buggy as AHP they would not be where they
are today.  Besides its not the bugs that
are the problem, its the fact that X10 will
not acknowledge that they exist, and how
long it takes them to correct them.
T.

[carmine pacifico]

I have all the schematic and key component
data sheets in the link below.
Anyone with technical background can draw
his or her own conclusions.
Here is my own:
Due to a hardware bug in the micro-
controller used, GPIO can not be used(X10
confirmed this, they are not using GPIO),
a  new version of the chip “Encore II” it’s
not backward compatible. The external
memory used to store macros, is 2 wire
serial  interface(I2C), the Encore chip
does  not have a hardware I2C, this means
all
external memory read must be done bit-
banged, the RF receiver  needs to be
polled
and the PLC interface is else polled. There
is no way that this processor can possibly
receive an RF signal while is transmitting
PLC commands; in one of my test while the
CM15a was sending a series of Dim commands
I send an RF signal via palm remote, it
crashed every time. In some application it
may barely work and could be satisfactory
to some customers, but any one that uses
complex macros + RF ( motion detector
etc..) he or she will have problems. Now
for the hopeful if you have a TM751 or an
RR501, try holding the palm remote dim
button, both transceiver will lock up and
need to be unplugged to reset them; in
order to fix the transceivers (RR501 and
TM751) a simple activation of the built in
Watch-Dog timer will fix them  (a very
simple firmware changes); if X10 never
fixed the RR501 and the TM751 (practically
a no cost fix) does anybody believes that
X10 will fix the hardware and than be
forced to recall all CM15a?
http://members.shaw.ca/cm15a-
info\CM15aSchematic.zip

[roger1818]

Carmine:  Thank you!  I don’t deny that
there are some serious limitations in the
hardware and you are probably right in that
X10 will not fix them any time soon.  My
point has been that you usually can’t fix
hardware problems in software.

However, AHP works well for me for now.  I
am not against the idea of replacing it
with something better in the future, but I
will wait for the dust to settle with
Insteon before making my next move (my
guess is that there will be a new version
of the 1132CUP within the next few
months).  At that time I will re-evaluate
my situation.  In the mean time, I like
having X10 add features for me to play with.

[carmine pacifico]

Roger H

Just about everything on the market these
days have flaws, to many company rush to
market with unfinished products; just
because the products are programmable it
does not mean software can fix everything.
It’s up to the consumer to decide if he or
she can tolerate the deficiency of the
product. There always be a better product
just around the corner, what I find it
amazing is people do not rush to buy a new
car every time a new model is released, so
why there is such need to upgrade computer
based equipment at every new release? Being
at the leading edge of technology it is
else referred to” Bleeding edge” it can
drain both financially and mentally.

[roger1818]

Part 2 of 2

In home automation, the technology has not
change much at all in a very long time.
Many of the modules sold today are the same
as the modules that were sold 20 years
ago.  Since the protocol was developed in
the late 70’s, it has only undergone one
major revision in the early 90’s to add
extended code commands.

Although Insteon is not technically an
extension of the X10 protocol, it is both
forwards and backwards compatible with
X10.  Since the computer controller is the
heart of your system, it makes sense for it
to be compatible with both protocols.  If
the historical trend of one major upgrade
approximately every 15 years continues, it
might be worth waiting a few months to see
how Insteon pans out (the first modules are
hitting the shelves right now).

[roger1818]

Part 1 of 2

Carmine:  I tend to agree with you.
However there are differences between the
development of computer, automotive and
home automation technologies.

Computer technology tends to follow (suffer
from?) Moore’s Law where the number of
transistors per sq in doubles every year.
Because of this, technology that is 6
months old is considered obsolete and can
be bought quite affordably.  This also
means that computers today are
approximately 4 times more powerful than
the computer you bought 2 years ago.  We
have reached a point where the average
person doesn’t really need that extra
power, but to prevent a decline in sales,
developers in the industry are continuously
looking for new applications that require
the consumer to need more and more power.

Automotive Technology is much slower in
development.  The car you buy today is not
that much different from the one you bought
5 years ago.  Some people like to buy a new
car every year, but most people wait until
their car no longer meets their needs.
This typically is not because of changes in
technology but because either their
personal circumstances have changed or the
car’s reliability doesn’t meet their
standards.