mochad, X10 CM15A/CM19A Linux device driver

[coolguy1233457]

this is standard dim.
not xdim.

[Brian H]

Do you have the date code handy?
Are they Soft Start?
X10 could have changed things again. I have found two different soft start modules acting completely different. Depending on age.

[coolguy1233457]

I am really not sure the problem comes from there...
They were working as expected with heyu.

Don't know where to find the code you're talking about...
I just bought them, so they're recent.

Do you know what is the command heyu send to dim or bright BY a % level
instead of making them get TO a % level ?

[Brian H]

The date code is on a small round white sticker on the back.
If they are new then they should be soft start. Where they ramp on and off in about two to three seconds.

I am a Windows guy and was testing dimming and brightening with AHP, Smarthome Manager Essentials; a HR12 Palmpad Remote with transceiver and a TR16A local buttons.

[mmauka]

Have you really tested the dim and xdim with a lamp module ?
I have LM465 modules, and I've bought very recently, probably they're the newer model.

Posting a log file would be useful. I am not sure how heyu works because I do not have any serial port controllers  (CM11A, etc.).

I have tested xdim with several LM465, all with soft-start and they all work with xdim. I do not have any non-soft-start lamp modules.

In this test, B3 is an LM465 with soft-start. When turned on using "pl b3 on" it takes 2-3 seconds to go from off to full intensity. This means the LM465 has soft-start so the xdim command is required.

$ nc localhost 1099
pl b3 on
12/21 09:20:06 Tx PL HouseUnit: B3
12/21 09:20:06 Tx PL House: B Func: On
pl b3 xdim 32       # 50% intensity
12/21 09:20:28 Tx PL HouseUnit: B3
12/21 09:20:28 Tx PL House: B Func: Ext code 1, data, control Data: 20 Command: 31
pl b3 xdim 63       # 100% intensity
12/21 09:20:36 Tx PL HouseUnit: B3
12/21 09:20:36 Tx PL House: B Func: Ext code 1, data, control Data: 3F Command: 31
pl b3 xdim 0        # 0% intensity
12/21 09:20:42 Tx PL HouseUnit: B3
12/21 09:20:42 Tx PL House: B Func: Ext code 1, data, control Data: 00 Command: 31
pl b3 off           # off
12/21 09:20:55 Tx PL HouseUnit: B3
12/21 09:20:55 Tx PL House: B Func: Off

[mmauka]

well maybe, but whatever the number I put in the command
pl a1 dim 0..31
it gets to minimum intensity (almost off).

If the lamp module has soft-start the dim command does NOT work. Use xdim like this

pl a1 xdim 32
pl a1 xdim 63
pl a1 xdim 0

[coolguy1233457]

ok, will try this at home in a few hours... and will post the logs

[mmauka]

All my recent LM465s with soft start will not dim to 0%. The lowest I have gotten is about an estimated 20%.

My LM465 go dark with "pl a1 xdim 0" though I usually send an off command to make sure. It is certainly possible the LM465 firmware has changed so I am not saying you are wrong. The date code on my units are 08I37.

Sorry, I just realized dim and not xdim was being discussed. I also see using regular dim never reduces the intensity to completely off. I gave up using dim/bright with soft-start LM465.

[coolguy1233457]

here we go: 

Code Select Expand


n@my_gentoo - >   nc localhost 1099
pl a2 on
12/21 17:44:02 Tx PL HouseUnit: A2
12/21 17:44:02 Tx PL House: A Func: On
pl a2 xdim 32
12/21 17:44:07 Tx PL HouseUnit: A2
12/21 17:44:07 Tx PL House: A Func: Ext code 1, data, control Data: 20 Command: 31
pl a2 xdim 63
12/21 17:44:22 Tx PL HouseUnit: A2
12/21 17:44:22 Tx PL House: A Func: Ext code 1, data, control Data: 3F Command: 31
pl a2 xdim 0
12/21 17:44:34 Tx PL HouseUnit: A2
12/21 17:44:34 Tx PL House: A Func: Ext code 1, data, control Data: 00 Command: 31
pl a2 off
12/21 17:44:45 Tx PL HouseUnit: A2
12/21 17:44:45 Tx PL House: A Func: Off

nothing happens with the xdim commands
on and off goes well

and for the sticker, it says : 10A02

Code Select Expand

pl a2 dim 5
12/21 17:52:57 Tx PL HouseUnit: A2
12/21 17:52:57 Tx PL House: A Func: Dim(5)
pl a2 off
12/21 17:53:10 Tx PL HouseUnit: A2
12/21 17:53:10 Tx PL House: A Func: Off
pl a2 on
12/21 17:53:15 Tx PL HouseUnit: A2
12/21 17:53:15 Tx PL House: A Func: On
pl a2 dim 30
12/21 17:53:23 Tx PL HouseUnit: A2
12/21 17:53:23 Tx PL House: A Func: Dim(30)

those 2 different dim commands produce the same result, same intensity (almost off)

okay, and finally, let me recall (again, I know) that using heyu with a CM17A (firecracker)
to send commands to the same CM15A controller, everything was working fine.

heyu fdim 5 (was decreasing of 6% the intensity)
heyu fdim 10 (was decreasing of 6% the intensity)
heyu fbright 10 (was increasing of 12% the intensity, and if it was off, it worked anyways)

[mmauka]

Well, I am stumped. xdim works fine on my LM465s. The dim/bright commands never work correctly.

I suggest wiping the CM15A memory using Windows AHP. Stored macros and timers may interfere with the mochad. Also the CM15A has a built-in RF to PL repeater which should be disabled to avoid duplicate transmissions.

The two options are:

Tools | Clear Interface Memory

This can take a few minutes to complete.

Tools | Hardware Interface Configuration.

Check the None box for "Transceived House Code(s)".
Click "Update Interface".

See if this helps with xdim.

[Brian H]

10A02 is a week two of 2010. So it is a new one as you indicated.

[coolguy1233457]

hello,

nope, nothing changed after clearing the memory and disabling repeating...
still no effect after a xdim (in despite of the message)

also something strange i noticed :

root@my_gentoo - >   x10cmd pl a2 bright 27
12/21 19:10:23 Tx PL HouseUnit: A2
12/21 19:10:23 Tx PL House: A Func: Bright(27)
#607 Tue Dec 21 19:10:23 /usr/src/linux
root@my_gentoo - >   x10cmd pl a2 bright 2
12/21 19:10:28 Tx PL HouseUnit: A2
12/21 19:10:28 Tx PL House: A Func: Bright(2)


the second command makes the light even brighter... !!

and any dim command (e.g. pl a2 dim 29 or pl a2 dim 2)
will produce the same intensity (the minimum (but device is still on)) !!

Very strange indeed ??
any idea in whats the difference with heyu that is able to increase/decrease
by a % ?
do you support those commands ?

I am wondering in your case what is the difference between:
pl a2 xdim 32
and
pl a2 xbright 32

Thanks again for your support !!

[mmauka]

Please try 0.1.3 which sends dim/bright commands in a different way, matching what a recent AHP 2.9? does. This seems to work better than the old way. Even when using the brightness slider in AHP, the LM465 sometimes goes to mininum brightness when it should not.

However, it appears your LM465 does not understand extended pre-set dim so dim/bright are your only choice. Of course, this could be another bug in mochad so it would be interesting to hear sucess or failure from other users and their date codes.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/mochad/files/mochad-0.1.3.tar.gz

dim/bright specify relative changes to intensity. bright 27 increases intensity 27 steps. bright 2 increases intensity 2 more steps. dim 10 decreases intensity 10 steps.

Also note there are 5 bits for dim/bright so the range of values is 0..31 but elsewhere in the X10 protocol docs, 0..22 is mentioned as the range of dim/bright values. So this suggests "pl a1 on" followed by "pl a1 dim 11" should produce 50% intensity. "pl a1 dim 6" should produce 25%. "pl a1 bright 17" should produce 100%.

[mmauka]

Very strange indeed ??
any idea in whats the difference with heyu that is able to increase/decrease
by a % ?
do you support those commands ?

No support for % changes. mochad is a device driver so it expects low level values.

I am wondering in your case what is the difference between:
pl a2 xdim 32
and
pl a2 xbright 32

There is no xbright command because xdim changes the intensity up or down. Whereas, dim always decreases intensity and bright increases.

[coolguy1233457]

wow  !!! impressive ! you rule !

now everything works as with heyu, I don't know what you changed exactly but
my modules liked it ! 

Code Select Expand

root@my_gentoo - >   nc localhost 1099
pl a2 off
12/22 07:38:53 Tx PL HouseUnit: A2
12/22 07:38:53 Tx PL House: A Func: Off
pl a2 bright 5
12/22 07:39:01 Tx PL HouseUnit: A2
12/22 07:39:01 Tx PL House: A Func: Bright(5)
pl a2 dim 5
12/22 07:39:10 Tx PL HouseUnit: A2
12/22 07:39:10 Tx PL House: A Func: Dim(5)
pl a2 off
12/22 07:39:19 Tx PL HouseUnit: A2
12/22 07:39:19 Tx PL House: A Func: Off

and, it never completely goes off with a dim command,
it has to receive an off command

thank you,

ever played with eagle eye MR14A ?