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[Easttexasdragon]

I have the ActiveHome Pro. and its been working Great till this week. Tuesday morning it went through its routine of turning the lights on but when it was time for the routine of turning them off it didn't. Tried to turn them off with the remote and it didn't work ether (on anything)which meant the interface (CM15A) wasn't responding. I opened up the activehome program and tried to run the off routine but nothing happened, so I tried to update the info in the interface, It showed that it was communicating with the interface (flashing icon at bottom of screen) but it never downloaded anything to the interface. I tried to clear the interface, again showed to be communicating but never showed the progress bar. I decided to restart my computer encase it was a software issue and while the computer was restarting I tried to turn all the lights off with a manual controller but when I pressed the all off button the lights would go off then in a few seconds they would come back on, It did this on any off button I pressed for the individual lights. I had to unplug the interface from the wall to be able to turn the lights off. After about 4 hours I plugged the interface back in and was able to update it from the activehome  software. Everything was working again. It went through its functions that night like it had been programed with no problems.

 The next morning it ran its morning on routine and turned all the lights on, but again it didn't turn them off and this time unplugging it hasnet worked. As soon as I plug it back in it turns all the lights on and you cant turn them off from the remote and using the manual controller they wont stay off without unplugging the USB Interface form the wall.

I received this from X10 Customer Support
It sounds like your CM15A is hard locked internally. To correct this, it will need to be unplugged from the wall, have the batteries taken out of it and the
USB disconnected from the PC. Then let it sit for 145 mins so it can fully drain it's capacitors. After the 15 mins wait, plug the CM15A into an outlet
first, then put the batteries into it. Failing to do so after the reset will cause the model to eventually lockup again. After the batteries are in, connect
it to the PC and re-download the timers and macros to the CM15A. At this point, you should no longer have that problem.

Thanks
-Nathan
X10 Customer Support

Well at 11:30 am I removed the Interface (CM15A) from its power source (Wall Terminal), Removed the 4 AAA Batteries and unplugged the USB cable. At 6:30pm I plugged the Interface back to its power source, Put the batteries back in it and plugged the USB cable back into the interface. brought up the activehome program and downloaded the timers and micros into the interface. It showed that everything worked, the progress bar and the communicating icon worked this time. I clicked on one of the lamp modules and it was very slow to react to the command but the lamp never came on then about a minute later the lamp came on.  I tried to turn it off and it was the same results reacted VERY slow. So I decided to try the micros because that seamed to be where the problem was. I clicked on the lights on micro and the lamps came on after a short delay. (Not suppose to be a delay in any of the Micros) I clicked on the lights off Micro, it flashed and in about 60 seconds the lights went off. Then I noticed that the Micro ran again and again, then the lights on Micro ran so I figured this might be the problem so I deleted everything from the MICROS. All the lamps are still reacting very slow. I tried the Remote and again it took about 60 seconds for the light to come on. I clicked on a Appliance Module and It never did come on. I tried to turn on an Appliance Module from the ActiveHome program and it didn't work, Showed to be on but it wasn't. Later that night everything started working right. The next morning nothing worked, even the Manual Controller isn't working.

Things have gotten worse. Now nothing is working but one lamp module and it has a 60 second delay. I have seven x10 modules, (2 lamp Modules and 5 appliance Modules) lets start with the Bedroom, A Lamp Module controls the bedside lamps, A appliance module control a box fan and another Appliance Module controls a Air purifier, There is a Radio Shack plug n Play remote control Command Center Controller on the bedside table. This Controller shows to be working but none of the modules respond when a button is pressed. The Computer/Server has the Active Home Pro installed with a CM15A, OK the Living room has a Lamp Module that controls the lamp next to my recliner, A Appliance module controls two lamps beside the couch and a appliance module controls a wireless printer, I have a palm pad remote control HR12A next to my chair and a Appliance Module controls the porch light and I have a X10 Security Flood light on the end of the house.

Today I spent all day replacing modules, Still no response from the modules, I found a old TM751 and a RR501 so I tried them to, No response from the TM751 but the RR501 did turn on a lamp attached to it. I tested the lamp module next to my chair by plugging both the RR501 and the lamp module into a serge protector, It still took the lamp 60 seconds to respond to a on and off command even with the RR501 plugged in right next to it. Right now the only module that is working is the one plugged into a serge protector that controls the lamp next to my chair.

I'm so confused, Everything had been working great for about two years the last week it started going down hill. ??   

[dhouston]

I tested the lamp module next to my chair by plugging both the RR501 and the lamp module into a serge protector, It still took the lamp 60 seconds to respond to a on and off command even with the RR501 plugged in right next to it.

Is the lamp plugged into the RR501? If so, that is not a good test as the outlet on the RR501 is controlled via the RF signal and does not need the powerline for communicating.

But, the lengthy response time indicates that it may be using the powerline and encountering nearly continuous noise. The RR501 will wait for a clear powerline to transmit.

I would suspect you have either recently added some piece of electrical/electronic gear that is a high amplitude noise source or that some existing piece of gear has gone bad and is now generating noise.

[Brian H]

http://jvde.us/x10_troubleshooting.htm

[Easttexasdragon]

dHouston, A RCA lamp Module (HC10LM) and a X10 Lamp Module (LM465)was plugged into a surge protector and the RR501 was plugged in next to it on the same surge protector. The RR501 had a nightlight plugged into it. using the PalmPad Remote control HR12A, selecting the number 1 (on) would turn the night light on at button press, Both lamp Modules (X10 LM465) and (RCA HC10LM) is set for house code A unit code 7, on the remote when you press 7 (on) it takes up to 60 seconds to turn the lamp on using ether Module. My CM15A was unplugged a the time, but Using the CM15A it still takes up 60 seconds to turn the lamp on. None of the other Modules will respond. I just wonder if the reason these are working is because of the Surge protector, The same Lamp Module (LM465) will not respond plugged in on the porch, Or Kitchen, or other side of livingroom. I havent made any changes in the house but moving a surge protecter strip off the floor and mounting it on the entertainment center but its still plugged into the same outlet, or added anything with a power supply. I have even gone through and unplugged all power supplys looking for one that may be causing powerline noise. I live in a OLD mobile home so its wiring is simple. Havent had any problems in years then Boom everything quit working with in a week.

[dhouston]

The nightlight was being activated as soon as the RF signal was received and decoded - nothing is sent over the powerline until after that. (In fact, that's a very simple way to bridge the phases for a single light/appliance.)

That the others were extremely slow when on the same powerstrip and did not work at all when plugged in elsewhere is a very strong indication that you have a noise source. It might be that you have a CFL, cell phone charger, etc. that has gone bad or it might be something added by a neighbor who shares the same power distribution transformer. Noam, for one, has posted about a neighbor's CFL that became noisy, after long use, and blocked his X10.

[Noam]

... Noam, for one, has posted about a neighbor's CFL that became noisy, after long use, and blocked his X10...

True story. It was my neighbor across the street (and one house over, in fact) which tells you how far the noise can travel. I have to credit my dad with finding the source of the problem, though. He was the one who made the connection between the timing (only happens at night), and the cause (my neighbor's porch lights are only on at night). It turned out to be one of the bulbs next to his front door. It was actually buzzing loud enough to hear from a few feet away. Since both bulbs were already several years old, I bought him a pair of new CFL bug bulbs. My problem went away (along with the bugs taht used to hang out near his front door at night). I'd had a similar thing happen at my house (CFL bulb buzzes loudly, blocks all X10 communication).

[Easttexasdragon]

The Techs from X10 are also saying its powerline noise. I have gone thru and unplugged every power supply but still have no response from any appliance module and the only lamp module that works is plugged into a surge protector. I have even changed the house code to E on everything which did help on the delay on turning the lamp on but I still have no response on anything plugged directly into the wall. I'm wondering now if its the Dish network receiver, I had a dish tech tell me that the receiver can receive broadband from the power lines if a broadband powerline converter is used. Well it would make sense to me that the receiver sends and receives packet data thru the power cord for that to work. So is my dish receiver causing the noise? I going to test this tomorrow when my wife isnt here, unplugging now would be suicide, if she cant watch her shows...LOL

[dave w]

Power company Smart Meters are known to cause X10 problems also. Do you have a new smart meter? Also if the Dish receiver is not the problem you can use the nuclear annihilation method of testing for noise. Shut off all breakers except circuit that CM15A or TM751 is in. Using the Palm Pad, are things still slow on that circuit? If so, shut that circuit down and move the TM751 to another circuit and retest. You are just looking for noise on a gross breaker by breaker investigation.

[Easttexasdragon]

Dave, I do have the New Smart Meter, Hasnt been a problem till now....   I tried the test, It was really simple to do because this is a OLD mobile home and only has two bedrooms. So shutting off breakers and testing was simple, I did find out that several breakers didnt control nothing,  Still the same outcome on test the modules with breakers shut off, still didnt find where the noise is coming from. ,  I thought about the neighbor thing but I'm on a Power Pole Transformer all by myself. What ever this is it Started by locking up the CM15A in the mornings. It happened two mornings in a roll. Everything was working Great before then. I had a routine of turning the lights on at 7:15 am and off at 8 am and last Tuesday It didnt run the off routine and I couldnt turn them off with the remote I had to use my RCA remote control Console, so I reset the Interface by unplugging it for several hours. Everything was working again then the next morning it locked up again but this time I couldnt turn anything off or on with the RCA Remote Control Console.  So I'm now wondering what function runs in the mornings from 7am to 8am thats putting the noise in the lines. My wife showers so I thought about the hot water heater because its electric but it doesnt run all the time. I have a ithermostat thats set to turn the heater on at 8 am too and it has a gateway that has a transformer plugged in but unplugging it didnt make a difference.  Oh and unplugging the Dish didnt help.

[dave w]

Well your testing seems to be doing a good job of eliminating things, so you are gaining ground in that you know what it isn't. I lean towards the smart meter, but don't know how you test for it without test equipment. You might call the power company and ask if they recently enabled the meters ability to send data back up the line. Also you might search the forum for "smart meter". Duke Energy has them in our area, but the ability to send usage data back up the line isn't being used. 

[Easttexasdragon]

They are receiving data because noOne reads our meter anymore sense they put it in. Last year during the summer they actually shut the my AC off for an hour to help prevent rolling black outs....I WASN'T HAPPY THAT THEY HAVE THAT KINDA CONTROL. I just had an OLD timer tell me to use an AM radio tuned in between stations and walk around in the house, It will tell you if something is feeding noise in the power lines because it will start humming. I'm going to try it when I find a AM radio....

[Brian H]

You may want to use our search function for "Smart Meter". There are a few threads on them.
This is one of them.
http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=26056.0

[dhouston]

Most smartmeters appear to be using a ZigBee radio link for feedback which does not affect X10. Some are using the powerline and do cause problems for X10.

[Easttexasdragon]

May have found the problem, Last night I was just checking the house code program on ActiveHome program, by going to Tools, Find other computers, It showed the A1 thru A16 in the yellow and now its showing Several E codes in the Yellow, I Had just changed everything to the E code. I will try to post a picture of this later when I have time.

[Easttexasdragon]

The code check and after I moved everything to House code P to get it away from the noise. Noticed how all the stuff turned red.