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[x10JAB]

I have been using another automation system for the past 7 or 8 years, the system was connected to a TW523. System broke down and too expensive to replace or fix so I want to replace with Active Home Pro and CM15A.
I have configured all my switches and modules and all of them are working except my two WS4777 3 way switches.

I first tried an older version of Active home Pro, then I upgraded to 3.318 (same results with both)
I tried turning on the clothes dryer but that didn't help.
I've installed Active Home Pro on a laptop and tried plugging the CM15A to different plugs around the house including the same plug where the TW523 was and laptop is running on battery.
I removed one of my 3 way switch to make sure it is a WS4777.

Anything else I can try?

Mike

[dave w]

You did not detail how they were not working. Are the two WS477s old switches? Can you turn them OFF with AHP but not ON and timers do not work? If so search for  "Softstart" and "Old Lamp Modules". or read this.
http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/SoftStart

Otherwise you may have a noise or phase coupling problem (more likely noise since the old system worked fine). The CM15A is anemic. Has an output lower than most other X10 transmitters (TM523 etc).
http://jvde.us/x10_troubleshooting.htm

Also what failed in the old system? I may have a TM523 or CM11 in the spares box.

[x10JAB]

My two switches are about 7 or 8 years old, I have tried using the no softstart but that didn't make a difference. both switches do not work at all ON or OFF from AHP.
I tried changing the house code, that didn't help.

Is there a way to make CM15A better or an alternative?
is there a way to design an interface and use TW523 instead of CM15A? the TW523 has been great for the past 8 years.

I have read somewhere that XTB is not compatible with CM15A as it is repeating and flooding the system with codes.

My old system was a Secant Domotic http://www.secant.ca/en/products/cardio/Default.asp and the main tactile keypad is dead and over $200 to replace.

Thanks for your help.

Mike

[dave w]

Are the two WS477s on the same breaker circuit? You may have a noise source that the CM15A just can't punch through but the TW523 could. Did you read the troubleshooting link?

No, there is no way to boost PLC power out of the CM15A.

I don't know of a problem between the CM15A and the XTB. Are you in the US, with split phase power? If so the XTBIIR is one nice repeater/coupler. (Probably a dumb question since you have a TW523, but I thought Domotique was European).

[Brian H]

Could be some power line issues.
The TW523 has a higher output signal than the CM15A and the TW523 may have been strong enough to overcome the signal issues.
http://www.davehouston.net/x10-sig.htm

[x10JAB]

I don't know if my switches are on the same breaker, I'll have to check this.

I am in Canada and have split phase

Domotique is europeen but available in Canada.

The CM15A already holds all the information with the macros, too bad it can not be interfaced with the TW523.

I will look into the XTBIIR and if this doesn't resolve I guess I will design something from a PIC or Raspberry PI.

[JeffVolp]

I have read somewhere that XTB is not compatible with CM15A as it is repeating and flooding the system with codes.

The XTB was replaced by the XTBR repeater several years ago.  If there is another repeater in the installation, it can become involved in "command ping-pong", which is when two repeaters bounce a command back and forth between each other.  There is a mode option to repeat a given command only once to break the loop.  Or the repeater can be disabled if only the direct X10 Boost function is needed.

There have been several reports of a CM15A delaying its transmissions when plugged directly into the XTB or XTBR.  The cause is in-band powerline noise being amplified by the return signal amplifier in the XTB or XTBR.  Since the CM15A is a polite controller, it delays its transmission thinking that amplified noise is X10 traffic.  The simple fix is to just plug the CM15A into a nearby wall receptacle, and use the XTBR strictly as a repeater.  I also made a "damping plug" for several users of the original XTB to squelch the amplified powerline noise.

Jeff

[dave w]

I don't know how large your system is or how much money you want to throw at it. As stated, I am not aware of any "ping-pong" problems with the XTB and a CM15A.  I am aware of some Smarthome Boosterlinc complaints, but believe Smarthome fixed them. The Boosterlinc would bump up the CM15A output on only one phase. I would throw money at a true coupler repeater like the XTBIIR.

I have used X10 XPCR, the Leviton equivalent, ACT CR234, ACT CR230, and now the XTBIIR. The ACT units were far superior to the X10 units...but the XTBIIR trumps the ACT units with higher output.

With the XTBIIR I dumped all my filters but two. The output just blasts through most noise. I use Homeseer software with the ACT TI103 PLC interface and W800 USB for RF interface. I estimate 99.98% reliabilty  . The CM15A and AHP might be good for entry level, but just was not reliable back in 2006 and it still has miserable RF sensitivity IMHO.

[dhouston]

...I guess I will design something from a PIC or Raspberry PI.

If you go that way, you might look at using a TW523 and an Arduino but with a ZBasic ZX-328n chip instead of the one Arduino uses. (You'll also need to change the crystal to 14.7456MHz.) The ZBasic compiler is free.

• http://www.zbasic.net/Microcontrollers/ZX-328n-Microcontroller/p-68.html?osCsid=dfafe673e0e224e4a01c6df6921a7472

You can use the Robo1 (Arduino clone) from yourduino.com.

• http://yourduino.com/sunshop2/index.php?l=product_detail&p=225

ZBasic has low level, interrupt-driven, buffered, send/receive X10 commands built in. They operate in the background similar to a UART. All you need do is populate a bit array with the command you want to send. And, you just need to read another bit array for commands received.

Robo1 + ZX-328n + crystal is about $30. AllElectronics has some machine pin sockets that will work with the crystal should you want to switch between ZBasic and Arduino chips. You will need to (carefully) enlarge the holes to about 0.040".

• http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/PSIP-80/PEEL-A-WAY-R-MACHINE-PIN-SOCKET-STRIP/1.html

[x10JAB]

Dhouston,

This looks interesting, I've just placed an order for the suggested parts and I will play with this.

Thanks,

Mike

[dhouston]

This looks interesting, I've just placed an order for the suggested parts and I will play with this.

If you have questions, PM me. I was instrumental in the implementation of the ZBasic X10 functions so I'm somewhat familiar with the details. You can add a prototyping shield with I2C or SPI EEPROM & battery-backed RTC to make a standalone system.

The ZBasic X10 functions will detect and report collisions, ceasing its transmission. Note that this does not avoid collisions when using a TW523 as the TW523 delays reports of PLC for 22 half-cycles of the 60Hz. Also, the TW523 only reports valid X10 codes so you cannot detect noise. The ZBasic X10 functions can overcome these limitations if used with a more direct PLC interface.

[JeffVolp]

The ZBasic X10 functions can overcome these limitations if used with a more direct PLC interface.

Both the XTB-IIR and XTB-523 have an option to provide a more direct powerline interface:

Return All Bits:  This option sends all data bits received over the powerline to the digital port without any error checking.  Data is only delayed ½ cycle of 60Hz from real time.  This option may be useful for diagnostics or for an enhanced automation controller that can use this format for its own error checking.  However, since no error checking is performed, noise can cause erroneous “1” bits.  When enabled, data pulses are stretched to a full half cycle rather than the standard 1mS pulses.

Jeff

[x10JAB]

I am no expert with X10 but my previous system was working well with TW523 as an interface. My issue started with CM15A So if the zbasic can send codes via the TW523, I think I will be ok just with this.
And hopefully I will become expert.

Thanks again for your help dhouston and thanks to everyone else, I've learned a lot from this thread.

Mike