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[drmiphesto]

Anyone ever had this issue?

My activity monitor in ActiveHome Pro shows " Receive RF K3 OFF " over and over and over. I can sit and watch it and it does it repeatedly. It is up to over 1200 in a matter of minutes now! It locks up everything of course and I cannot figure out why it is doing this. I am not on House code K at all. I have tried taking out the batteries in every remote (thinking a button was stuck or something). I have tried taking out each module (except for the hard wired light switches) and see if that helps, I have tried taking batteries out of the 3 motion sensors I use... nothing stops it.

Ocassionally it will not do it, but when it starts up it will not stop until I unplug the CM15a (I have also tried changing the batteries in the CM15a). I am stumped. No matter what I do nothing seems to fix this. I also had a 4826B, so I took it out as well... Nothing. I also unplugged the transceiver to see if maybe it was sending bad signals or something... Nothing.

Anyone have any ideas? Is this what is referred to as a "firestorm" and is there a fix?

Thanks a ton!

[Puck]

It looks like there is a link here with the K3 address problem (W800RF32 and ActiveHome Pro (Cm15a)).

[drmiphesto]

It looks like there is a link here with the K3 address problem (W800RF32 and ActiveHome Pro (Cm15a)).

Actually that was my post stating I had the issue. I appreciate the reply though. I still can't figure out the issue.

[Charles Sullivan]

It looks like there is a link here with the K3 address problem (W800RF32 and ActiveHome Pro (Cm15a)).

Yeah, same poster   

drmiphesto:
Did you have this problem before installing the W800RF32A demo program?  Try uninstalling it and rebooting your PC.

[drmiphesto]

Yep I sure did. I have actually had this problem for a while. I just turned off ActiveHome Pro and unplugged the CM15a and did't use it. It did it with a different house code before though (something like E8 I believe). I had no modules on E then either. I have put line noise filters on everything I can think of. I have a signal meter too since it was showing RF I figured it would show something, but the meter does not show anything being sent (except for when I actually push a button to trigger a signal). This one really has me stumped.

[Charles Sullivan]

Yep I sure did. I have actually had this problem for a while. I just turned off ActiveHome Pro and unplugged the CM15a and did't use it. It did it with a different house code before though (something like E8 I believe). I had no modules on E then either. I have put line noise filters on everything I can think of. I have a signal meter too since it was showing RF I figured it would show something, but the meter does not show anything being sent (except for when I actually push a button to trigger a signal). This one really has me stumped.

In another post you say you saw nothing with a signal meter when the Activity Monitor is reporting the stream of RF K3 OFF.
Try this:  Under Tools > Hardware configuration, set the CM15A to transceive housecode K.  Then check again with your signal meter to see if it's now sending out signals on the power line.

Have you tried rebooting your PC?  The AHP DLL may have crashed in a way that generates the garbage signals you've been seeing.

Another thing to try is unplug the CM15A, remove the batteries, let sit for about 30 minutes, then plug in again without the batteries.

[drmiphesto]

Yep I sure did. I have actually had this problem for a while. I just turned off ActiveHome Pro and unplugged the CM15a and did't use it. It did it with a different house code before though (something like E8 I believe). I had no modules on E then either. I have put line noise filters on everything I can think of. I have a signal meter too since it was showing RF I figured it would show something, but the meter does not show anything being sent (except for when I actually push a button to trigger a signal). This one really has me stumped.

In another post you say you saw nothing with a signal meter when the Activity Monitor is reporting the stream of RF K3 OFF.
Try this:  Under Tools > Hardware configuration, set the CM15A to transceive housecode K.  Then check again with your signal meter to see if it's now sending out signals on the power line.

Have you tried rebooting your PC?  The AHP DLL may have crashed in a way that generates the garbage signals you've been seeing.


Another thing to try is unplug the CM15A, remove the batteries, let sit for about 30 minutes, then plug in again without the batteries.

Ok the K3 OFF has stopped for now (this is not unusual as it stops sometimes and other times it goes crazy) -- so I will try to get it to start back up and test with the signal meter -- good idea ;-)

I have tried rebooting the PC numerous times as well as unplugging the CM15a for hours at a time and removing the batteries. Nothing seems to help...


To further add to the confusion..

I just unplugged the cm15a and did nothing. Now the K3 Off glitch has slowed down, and is only happening sporatically, but look at what it did:

The log shows this:

Receive RF K3 OFF
Receive RF K3 OFF
Receive RF K3 OFF
Receive RF K F
Receive RF F FilledHand
Receive RF K3 OFF
Receive RF K3 OFF

What the heck is RF F FilledHand? Any ideas?

[drmiphesto]

Now it gets even better.. The W800 has a debugger so I just plugged it back in.. It shows every code I send from the remote control as K3 Off --- I currently have it set to L and pressed every button -- it shows it as K3 Off in the debugger. I used another remote -- shows it as K3 Off.... Switched to 5 different House Codes... Shows as K3 Off.

AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!  Im going nuts here.

[Charles Sullivan]

Now it gets even better.. The W800 has a debugger so I just plugged it back in.. It shows every code I send from the remote control as K3 Off --- I currently have it set to L and pressed every button -- it shows it as K3 Off in the debugger. I used another remote -- shows it as K3 Off.... Switched to 5 different House Codes... Shows as K3 Off.

AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!  Im going nuts here.

Exit the W800 debugger.  Hit [ctrl}[alt][del] and in the resulting Task Manager window, kill the x10net process which is running.  Then try starting your W800 debugger again.  If you still get the K3 OFF or other garbage when sending from your remote, that smacks of a Windows or motherboard problem (or maybe an adapter problem if you're connecting the W800RF32A with a USB->Serial adapter).

[drmiphesto]

Well it fixes the problem sometimes by doing that, but sometimes it doesn't. It is totally sporatic with no pattern that I can find. I just exited the debugger and made sure it wasnt running then rebooted... It didnt fix it.. Then I did it again and now it works.. In a few more minutes it will start doing the K3 off thing again.

[Charles Sullivan]

Well it fixes the problem sometimes by doing that, but sometimes it doesn't. It is totally sporatic with no pattern that I can find. I just exited the debugger and made sure it wasnt running then rebooted... It didnt fix it.. Then I did it again and now it works.. In a few more minutes it will start doing the K3 off thing again.

If I understand correctly:  You've seen this problem before you ever connected the W800 in the first place.  When it's not displaying an endless stream of K3 OFF and the CM15A is disconnected,  the W800 debugger displays one (or several) K3 OFF each time you press the button on a remote.   Is that correct?

Then that's an indication it's not a matter of stray RF signals from some other source or a bad CM15A causing the problem, and the problem is solely within your PC, whether it be hardware or software related.  No?

[drmiphesto]

Well it fixes the problem sometimes by doing that, but sometimes it doesn't. It is totally sporatic with no pattern that I can find. I just exited the debugger and made sure it wasnt running then rebooted... It didnt fix it.. Then I did it again and now it works.. In a few more minutes it will start doing the K3 off thing again.

If I understand correctly:  You've seen this problem before you ever connected the W800 in the first place.  When it's not displaying an endless stream of K3 OFF and the CM15A is disconnected,  the W800 debugger displays one (or several) K3 OFF each time you press the button on a remote.   Is that correct?

Then that's an indication it's not a matter of stray RF signals from some other source or a bad CM15A causing the problem, and the problem is solely within your PC, whether it be hardware or software related.  No?

Yes everything you said is correct. It is narrowed down to a PC/software issue now because my ELK meter shows absolutely no signs of a signal being shot out anywhere.

This is very interesting though... My upstairs PC is where I have ActiveHomePro running. It is on Vista and there are a TON of things plugged in up there on the same line as my PC.. This is where it gets odd...

there are 4 plugs up there for usage in my office area. In that plug I have the following plugged in to a surge protector strip:

TV
DVD Player
Satellite Box
PC Monitor
PC
PC Speakers (little ones)
Vonage Router
Modem Router
NetDrive
Printer
UPS Battery Backup

The odd thing that I bought FilterLinc 10-Amp Plug-In Noise Filter and plugged everything in to one plug that runs through that because I was sure line noise had to be being generated.. I just plugged my ELK meter in up there and it shows 0 line noise, so I took the filter off and it still shows 0 line noise (with everything running). The CM15a is not plugged in to the line noise filter or the surge protector because I have read it causes issues.

So now when I took the line noise filter out it was doing just fine with no problems at all. Responding perfectly and not one K3 problem. I deleted all of the modules from ActiveHome and started over.. Everything was going great.

So then I went downstairs and connected to my upstairs PC from my laptop using Windows Remote Connection. Now I am seeing the K3 Off problem again  (but not nearly as fast as it was, now it is doing it at about 4 times per minute as opposed to 4 times per second). I have a line noise filter on my Laptop power supply. Has anyone ever heard of anyone having an issue like this due to Winows Remote Desktop?

[Charles Sullivan]

<snip>
Has anyone ever heard of anyone having an issue like this due to Winows Remote Desktop?

I'm not a Windows person, and I assume that Windows Remote Desktop works over a regular wireless router.  X10 RF operates at 310 MHz whereas wireless routers communicate in the GHz range.

But a key fact here is that when you transmit any known X10 RF signal with a remote, it's being corrupted to K3 OFF at some point after being received by either the CM15A or the W800RF32A. 

[drmiphesto]

<snip>
Has anyone ever heard of anyone having an issue like this due to Winows Remote Desktop?

I'm not a Windows person, and I assume that Windows Remote Desktop works over a regular wireless router.  X10 RF operates at 310 MHz whereas wireless routers communicate in the GHz range.

But a key fact here is that when you transmit any known X10 RF signal with a remote, it's being corrupted to K3 OFF at some point after being received by either the CM15A or the W800RF32A. 

Thats right... Now after I took off the line noise filter it has slowed the K3 OFF blast way down, but it is still doing it. Even when I don't hit any buttons the log in activehome pro shows Receive RF K3 Off happening (usually 1-4 times per minute).

Now I just noticed when I am upstairs close to the CM15a and the W800 and I press a button on the remote, it will show the correct command, but immediately right under it it shows K3 OFF (in the debugger). It also shows the correct command in the ActivePro Log (but usually more than one time).This does seem to happen every time.

So now what I am seeing is when I go downstairs and use my palmpad remotes the W800 debugger shows only K3 OFF without the correct command in front. But when I go upstairs close to it it shows the correct command but then shows the K3 Off immediately after. Also there is no activity in the Activepro log when I go downstairs (other than the sporatic K3 OFF I am seeing).

This is really frustrating. I do have a satellite and a cable connection right behind my computer. If I am not mistaken the cable uses 310mhz correct? Maybe if I unplug them that would help?

[Charles Sullivan]

This is really frustrating. I do have a satellite and a cable connection right behind my computer. If I am not mistaken the cable uses 310mhz correct? Maybe if I unplug them that would help?

If I understand the charts correctly, 310 MHz would be between cable channels 38 and 39.

Given your strange problem, I would recommend you try unplugging everything except your PC and the power supply for the W800RF32A.

You seem to have an awful lot of things plugged into one socket.  Have you measured or calculated the total current being drawn?  Or measured the line voltage with everything operating?