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[JohnDemsey]

I have some light switches and appliance modules that I want to control with some macros based on "ActiveEye" motion sensors and Dusk/Dawn and timers.  I recently installed the AHP with the control macros.

The X-10 switches work fine from the manual on/off icons in AHP and I receive the motion sensor inputs (as verified by the AHP activity) and I am pretty sure the logic of the macros is good.  They work in the test mode sometimes.  But the macros do not seem to control even 10% of the time when the computer that the AHP is connected to is off.  All macros are checked to be in the module and I have cleared memory of the module several times, un-plugged it a few times, and re-downloaded the macros each time.

I can control all the modules with an "X10 Powerhouse 6 in 1 Remote Control" so the basic system communications seem to be working, but not the Macros.  I have a phase coupler and I have noise filtered the computer and the two TVs.  It is a new, small house, so the wiring seems good.

I have read a lot of the posts and improved the system based on them, so thanks, but still, no automation.
Any ideas?  Thanks in advance!

[s0urc3f0ur]

This may seem  like a dumb question but do you have run from pc checked in AHP? It may be a slight oversight but be sure that run from interface is checked.

[Puck]

JohnDemsey: When macros are executed manually (for test) they ignore all conditions. Please post the details of a macro that is not working.

You stated that your macros are run from the interface, and that you can control the modules via their switches in AHP; so the next logical approach is to verify your macro triggers & conditions.

[PajamaGuy]

I'm not sure where it is, but there are posts about MACROs in AHP cannot control WS467's - If you lie to AHP and tell the module it is a 2-Way Lamp Module (LM14A), the MACROs will control the lights, BUT you won't see the AHP module for the light reflect it's status.  Timers do work correctly.  Also Preferences>MACROs> Send ON instead of Bright 100% has to be checked.

[Puck]

I'm not sure where it is, but there are posts about MACROs in AHP cannot control WS467's

This is a misleading statement.

There are only some date codes of this model of light switch (& the LM465 Lamp Module) that have softstart and have to be treated differently. This does not apply to all WS467s (or LM465s).

For more information: Latest Version of the LM465 Now Has "SoftStart"?!?

[PajamaGuy]

Puck's correct (of course ) - and I should have stated that all of my 467's are soft-start.  Sorry for the oversight.

This emphasizes the point that the X10 documentation, or extreme lack thereof, just doesn't cut it - This forum and the WiKi are the best sources for answers.

[JohnDemsey]

I tried to attached a MS Word .DOC file of a screen shot from my macros but just one shot is over the 128 k limit.  Very simple stuff. 

So I will transcribe the macros for the front of house lights.

There are three ActiveEye motion sensors, two at the default A1 and one at A3.  I kept all devices on the same "A" house code as one post suggested.

___  Macro in "Front of House", triggered by A1 - Frt Dr Motion 1 stroed in Interface

It's nighttime and
Module Status Off - Front Door Scones
end trigger condtitions
Turn Front Door Scones ON
Turn Front Hall Nite Lite ON
Turn Garage Coach Lamps ON
Wait for 5 minutes
Turn Front Door Scones OFF
Turn Front Hall Nite Lite OFF
Turn Garage Coach Lamps OFF

The associated timer for Front Door Scones is:
On at Dusk -5 minutes (100%)
Off time 10:00 PM Daily

The associated timer for Garage Coach Lamps is (almost identical)
On at Dusk (100%)
Off time 10:01 PM Daily

The timers never turn on the lights, the motion on A1 sometimes turns on the Front Hall Nite Lite.


Any ideas?

[Puck]

JohnDemsey: The only thing I notice with your macro is that it will not execute between Dusk (- 5 minutes) and 10PM while the timer has the Front Door Scones on.

As for the timers not physically turning the lights on, it could be the issue of the WS467 soft-start modules that PajamaGuy was referring to. Of course I am just guessing because you did not mention what modules the lights in the timers are. 

[edbush]

It appears that the newer WS467's won't turn on with macro's or timer settings.  I have fought this problem for over a month and found that
if I set the switch to XPD3, which is a "pro decorator dimmer switch" the macro will work and timer functions will also work.  However you will also find a new
issue which is that there is no slider for dimming the switch.  I have not tried to program dimming into a macro so I don't know if this part will work.  So this kinda
gets you working. 

The WS467 works manually for all functions and will even work to turn off the switch using the timer which is why this drives you crazy working an issue so beware.
X10 techs don't seem to care or want to troubleshoot this problem.  Maybe one will read this and look into the problem.

The change to XPD3 has now been working with timers for over a week with no problem so my next step is to try a macro to dim and see what happens.

Hope this helps for all to move forward.

[JohnDemsey]

Sounds like some good advice.  I did notice that the lights would not turn on with the macros or timers, but would go off at 10 pm with the timer.

They were configured as "Wall Switch Modules" which show up in the Reports as WS467s.  I re-assigned them as "Decorator Style Wall Switch Momentary" which show up in the reports as WS12A.  The only other choices were LEV-6381 and LEV-6383.  I did not find the XPD3.

I will test tonight to see if they come on.

The macro turns the lights on at night for 5 minutes, but not when the timer has them on, since then the macro would shut them off.  The timer is a one time event, on 5 minutes before dusk and off at 10 PM.  But during the night, on motion I want the lights to come on.  Seems like a logical enough sequence that maybe there should be a macro function that could do it all.

[edbush]

The XPD3 is listed under the Pro Modules near the bottom of the modules.

[JohnDemsey]

The XPD3 is listed under the Pro Modules near the bottom of the modules.

I will try again tonight.  The change to WS12A did not help.  Thanks again for the help.  By the way, the Hall Nite - a two prong plug-in lamp module does seem to work with the macros and timer, so I am hopeful it is just a module type that is keeping me in the dark.

[ciaccia]

Yes I have the same problem but what i did was created 2 switch modules for the same device.....So if my Home Theater Wall Sconces was A1 I created a non dimmable switch and then created a dimmable switch bth tagged A1...In my macros it is as follows

trigger A10 (on)

A1 (non Dimmable) On
Delay 1 sec
A1 (Dimmable) -50% Dim


trigger A10 (0ff)

A1 (non Dimmable) On
Delay 1 Sec
A1 (Dimmable) +99% Bright do not set to on because it was work the light will not brighten but 99 will brighten the light...

I use these macros as scenes for my home theater when I'm ready I hit on my palm rempot A10 (on) the lights dim then when the movie is over I hiot A10 (off) and the lights brighten back to full capacity.  You can also set a timer for this using the macro as your turn on and off point but always make sure if you turn off you brighten first because if you don't the lights will just turn off and when you run your macro again they will dim again 50% or what ever you set at the previous level so in other words if you have it set to dim at 50% and just tunr them off and you run the macro again it will dim 50% from the previous 50% which will be 25% brightness of the light. so what I do is dim to desired level on th eon trigger then i make sure when they tunr off to brighten usingthe off trigger...I hope this makes sense.

This seems to work flawless for me