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[Brian H]

A meter would definitely be needed if the LM465 was Soft Start. They don't dim to 0%. They stop with about 14.2 VAC {non True RMS Meter} across a 40 watt bulb dimmed all the way down.

[Lightmaker]

I will have to find my Kill-A-Watt and do some better testing...   but neither my LM465 nor my PLM21 will dim to "zero", I can say that for sure.  They hit a minimum threshold, and further dim commands are ignored.

By eye, both the LM465 and PLM21 appear to have 15 levels (counting the two ends, full bright and full dim).  This is taking the double-step into account - there are really only 7 levels available to me.   


Curiously though, I did some more testing with SDM3 and the 2414U, and found that if I hit the buttons on the HR12A *REALLY* fast, I could get SDM3 to report either THREE or sometimes just TWO repeats of the dim/brighten command!   I could not reliably repeat this though, so I wonder if it is a timing/sync artifact, or as Dave mentions, a difference or irregularity in how the commands are interpreted by the Smarthome box (the 2414U).  My other thought was that it could even be a case of poor switch debouncing in the HR12A itself, and not necessarily (or entirely) a firmware issue? 

Dave or Brian, do either of you happen to have an older RT504 ("Sixteen Plus") remote, or the equivalent Leviton 6313 ("Hand-Held Wireless Controller")?   

It is times like these that I wish I owned an oscilloscope.   

 

[dhouston]

My testing was done back in the days before the soft-start LM465 was available. I believe I did note the minimum level (~5%) of the LM14A which was the earliest soft-start on the page I referenced earlier.

15 levels are about what you can see with the naked eye. And 7 levels are typical with the HR12A. There were 17 (metered) levels with the soft-start LM14A.

I believe I probably sent the RF and/or PLC commands with software of my own and a small RF transmitter module and PL513 to eliminate the remotes when measuring lamp module output levels. You can send single PLC dims with the commandline and a CM11A but that's tedious.

Charles Sullivan and I compared notes and were pretty much in agreement. I probably would never have realized my cheap meter was true RMS had he not been using a more costly Fluke while I was using the Kill A Watt. I tried my meter and was pleasantly surprised that it agreed step for step with the Kill A Watt.

I have a dimmable CFL on an LM14A. I can get discrete levels with a KR22A and SH624 but always get multiples with an HR12A. It's in the room with my flatscreen TV and I use it more as a nightlight than anything else. I had to experiment with lamp modules and remotes to get soft-start that didn't start much higher and/or adjust much more coarsely than I wanted.

No, I don't think I ever had the RT504. I had another 16 address remote but can't recall who made it and cannot locate it so it either got culled or misplaced.

I have kept a very old W98SE PC going because the motherboard had both PCI & the ISA slots which my Protek 220 oscilloscope card needs. It will not work with newer flatscreens (I even tried a couple of graphics cards that claimed to work with W98SE) so I've also had to keep a CRT monitor, too. I'm planning to finally replace it in a couple of weeks with a reasonably priced USB 'scope that has nearly the same specs (and better low-level programing) so I can finally recycle the old monsters and reclaim some space on my workbench.

• http://www.pdamusician.com/dpscope/features.html

IMPORTANT: You need isolation when 'scoping X10 modules or the powerline to avoid getting a hot 'scope chassis.

[Lightmaker]

Thanks Dave.  I will certainly keep your safety warning in mind!   

What did you think of the Protek 220?   Aside from being trapped in the old computer, did it do everything you needed?   You will have to keep me posted on how the newer USB one works out.  Are you going to get the DPScope, or the DPScope SE?


Also, what have you used (if anything?) to monitor the RF transmissions?   I have both a USB RF transceiver (CM19A) and the serial RF receiver (MR26A), but I have never used either one of them...   I'm not sure if they are useful for this sort of low-level troubleshooting, or if they would simply mimic the results of the power-line transceivers?

[dhouston]

I was happy with the Protek - it was more than adequate for almost anything that would arise in Home Automation. It did lack reliable triggering.

I'm just going for the DPScope.

I use RF receiver modules that let me see the RF signals directly w/o interpretation by X10 who filter necessary details. There are several shown here...

• http://davehouston.org/modules.htm

although some links are out of date. I also like the RM1SG (search eBay) as i's fairly wideband. All are easily tuned to 310MHz.