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[dash]

I've been running my macros on a CM15a without issue for a few months. Lamp and appliance modules and eagle eye (using its light sensor to trigger lighting macros).

Some of the macros can be run using a keyfob remote, but I find it hit and miss due to its low transmission signal. So I bought a single housecode transceiver module (TM13U - UK model) to be plugged nearer to where I use the keyfob.

However since plugging this module in, any commands sent by radio repeat continuously (causing the CM15a to crash).

I've got my housecode set to transceive in AHP. I did try disabling this, but is made no difference, and surprisingly, even with the transceiver unplugged, commands were still picked up by the CM15a (I would have thought that, if all housecodes were set NOT to transceive, the CM15a would not see the radio commands from the keyfob).

Anyway...  Have I got a defective transceiver module or am I missing something?

Thanks...

  Dave 

[Puck]

I did try disabling this, but is made no difference, and surprisingly, even with the transceiver unplugged, commands were still picked up by the CM15a (I would have thought that, if all housecodes were set NOT to transceive, the CM15a would not see the radio commands from the keyfob).

Not Transceived does NOT mean Not Received. Just means will not be sent back out to the power line.

[dash]

Any thoughts as to why the commands are looping continuously?

  Dave

[Puck]

Any thoughts as to why the commands are looping continuously?

What are you seeing in your activity monitor before AHP crashes? Obviously it's the extra transceiver that is causing the problem, but is it continuously sending out repeated PLC signals after receiving one RF signal?

[dash]

Attached data from Activity Monitor shows what was happening (see word doc below).

Line 883 forwards is normal behaviour with transceiver removed.

H16 is signal received by CM15a from 'eagle eye' PIR (second address - dusk sensor)

Hope you can shed some light...

 Dave

[hawk1]

i don't know if i'm way out of line but, it looks like a button on a remote is stuck. just something to try. hope you get it fixed.

[Boiler]

Dash,

In going though your event log, it appears that you are getting multiple triggers of your macro.  The first two are RF receives (your keyfob directly to the CM15a).  The third receive appears to be from your transceiver (keyfob to transceiver).  If you aren't using flag conditions to prevent re-entering the macro, you have multiple copies running at the same time.

You could try to use flag conditions to lock out the macro to prevent re-entry.  There are several guides on the forum to assist in this.

Typically, when I've seen this type of activity it's been due to a interaction between the CM15a and an Active Repeater.  Do you have a repeater in your system?

Event   Date/Time   Action   Data
319   26/09/2008 13:23:22   Receive RF   H7 Off
320   26/09/2008 13:23:22   Receive RF   H7 Off
321   26/09/2008 13:24:25   Receive   H7 (All Units Off)
322   26/09/2008 13:24:26   Macro   H All Units Off
323   26/09/2008 13:24:26   Macro   H All Units Off
324   26/09/2008 13:24:27   Macro   H All Units Off

Boiler

[dash]

Thanks for the replies guys.

It's not a button stuck on the keyfob - this behaves OK when the transceiver is unplugged and I move closer to the CM15a with the keyfob.

Boiler - I don't have a repeater, the only RF receiving devices are the CM15a and the new transceiver.

Never seen looping macros using the CM15a alone; never experienced anything like this until I first used the transceiver yesterday.

Is it more likely a signal being repeatedly sent by the transceiver down the wires to the CM15a?

Is a transceiver capable of behaving like this?

Do you reckon I've got a faulty transceiver with a repeat transmit set at 500 instead of 5 (or whatever its default might be) !!?

 Dave

Edit:

Does the RF get picked up by the transceiver and by the CM15a within milliseconds of each other (if both are within range of the keyfob) to cause multiple runs of a macro?

[Puck]

Dave: The storm is not being generated by the transceiver, it is being generated by your macro. Does this only happen for H7? As Boiler pointed out, it looks like your macro is being triggered repeatedly. Try the status flag condition he suggested to see if the problem stops.

[dash]

H7 is simply 'all modules - all units off'.

I've created a macro for this because the keyfob doesn't have a dedicated button for 'all off'.

Does this one step macro justify the use of a flag?

This repeating problem was never an issue before I used the transceiver...

 Dave

[Puck]

H7 is simply 'all modules - all units off'.

I've created a macro for this because the keyfob doesn't have a dedicated button for 'all off'.

Does this one step macro justify the use of a flag?

This repeating problem was never an issue before I used the transceiver...

 Dave

Do you have the extra transceiver defined as a House Code 'H' TM751 in AHP? If so, I believe AHP will automatically send all commands to it via RF; so this could be where the loop is coming from. If it is defined in AHP, remove it from the software and try it that way.

Also, try changing the all off command to the individual off commands for the units you want off. Just as another test.

[Boiler]

Dave,

What you are seeing is not normal from my experience. I've never seen a continuous loop like this without a repeater in the system.

Boiler - I don't have a repeater, the only RF receiving devices are the CM15a and the new transceiver.

Never seen looping macros using the CM15a alone; never experienced anything like this until I first used the transceiver yesterday.

Is it more likely a signal being repeatedly sent by the transceiver down the wires to the CM15a?

Is a transceiver capable of behaving like this?

The "old" TM751 transceiver was not capable of doing this.  It would not repeat powerline commands.  It's only function was to receive RF and communicate it on the powerline.  You only register RF receipts at the beginning of the sequence.  The TM751 should transmit one "H7 OFF" powerline command and then stop.

This may be an issue where the TM13u is different than the TM751 we use here in the States.  Your TM13u may be retransmitting because it believes it's initial transmission was "stepped on" by the CM15a macro start.

I believe Brian H posted that the TM751's here in the States had changed recently as well.  I honestly don't remember the details. 

Does the RF get picked up by the transceiver and by the CM15a within milliseconds of each other (if both are within range of the keyfob) to cause multiple runs of a macro?

The RF will be received by both devices simultaneously.  It is then a race condition between the CM15a macro start and the TM13u putting the command on the powerline.  A simple 1-2 second delay at the beginning of the macro may prevent multiple copies from running (the macro will be re-entered and the delay extended).  This would allow time for the CM15a to receive all the RF and the powerline transmissions.

A flag lock-out is still the safest bet.

[dash]

Thanks for the support guys...

Will do some experiments tomorrow.

I do not have the Transceiver registered as a device in AHP - perhaps I should try adding it into one of my rooms...

 Dave

[dash]

A 2 second time delay at the start of the 'all off' macro cured it - no more looping of commands..!!

However, confused by line 954 in attached copy of Activity Report.

This should say 'H7 all units on' - can't understand why it is reporting 'H7 all units off'.

It operates OK, but this misreporting is confusing me...

  Dave

Edit..  This message has sorted itself since I clicked on the 'specific' radio button in hardware configuration and selected housecode H to be transceived (previously, when the 'auto' radio button was selected, H did not showi as transceived despite it being the default code for the majority of my modules ~ it had always previously shown as transceived in auto mode before I used the TM13u i.e. when H1 was an appliance module).

If I set H1 as an appliance module, the commands loop again. So there's no option but to set H1 as a transceiver module.

Also, I had to go into each of my 'lights on' macros to change H1 to 'on' instead of 'off' (selecting H1 as a transceiver module had changed all H1 'ons' to 'offs' for some inexplicable reason)....

[Boiler]

Dave,

The 2 second delay is allowing your macro to re-enter during the delay execution.  This effectively extends the delay until the triggers cease or the delay completes.

As an example, if you were to start the macro with a 30 sec delay you could extend things indefinitely by re-triggering the macro at 28 second intervals.  This only works if the delay is the first instruction within the macro.  If a macro trigger is received after the first instruction is executed, a second instance of the macro will be started (with unpleasant results).

Don't be concerned by the "(all Units OFF)" label applied to line 954 below.  This is simply a label that AHP is applying to the instruction.  What is actually happening is your transceiver is communicating a "H7 address function" (get the attention of devices at address H7) followed by an "ON" command.  This is completely normal.

953   28/09/2008 16:56:28   Receive RF   H7 On
954   28/09/2008 16:56:28   Receive   H7 (All Units Off)
955   28/09/2008 16:56:29   Receive   H On
956   28/09/2008 16:56:29   Macro RF   H1 On
957   28/09/2008 16:56:33   Macro   H All Lights On
 

Edit..  This message has sorted itself since I clicked on the 'specific' radio button in hardware configuration and selected housecode H to be transceived (previously, when the 'auto' radio button was selected, H did not showi as transceived despite it being the default code for the majority of my modules ~ it had always previously shown as transceived in auto mode before I used the TM13u i.e. when H1 was an appliance module).

I do not believe you should set the CM15a to transceive the H housecode.  You will effectively have two devices (the CM15a and your Transceiver) trying to put RF commands on the powerline.  At best, this will clog your powerline.  At worst...you've already been there.

Boiler