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Author Topic: Timer Issue  (Read 14263 times)

m82a1pa

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Timer Issue
« on: March 07, 2014, 11:14:34 AM »

We have a heater in our bathroom.  Since I'm good in turning it on but not so good in remembering to turn it off, I connected it to an appliance module.

When I turn it on, a macro fires that turns it off after 20 minutes.

Occasionally, it fails to turn off, resulting in an upset wife.

In the macro I added a one minute wait and turn off the module again.

When the CM15A is updated, and the macro fires, the 20 minute wait is ignored and the heater turns off one minute later.

Any ideas?
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HA Dave

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Re: Timer Issue
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2014, 09:06:16 PM »

When the CM15A is updated, and the macro fires, the 20 minute wait is ignored and the heater turns off one minute later.
Any ideas?

Completely delete the old "problem" macro(s).
Empty the trash. Clear the recycle bin.
Clear the CM15A memory (on occasion I have even removed the battery's to completely clear the CM15As memory).
Rewrite your macro (and then save your file with a new name).
Upload the macro to the CM15A
« Last Edit: March 07, 2014, 09:08:53 PM by HA Dave »
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Noam

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Re: Timer Issue
« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2014, 12:02:11 PM »

When I turn it on, a macro fires that turns it off after 20 minutes.

What HouseCode / UnitCodes are the heater and the macro on? Are there any other modules or macros using those codes? Are there any motion sensors on the codes immediately below the ones you are using for this?

--Noam
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m82a1pa

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Re: Timer Issue
« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2014, 12:16:10 PM »

Dave - I did all you suggested and even swapped out my old CM15A with the new production CM15A.  The appliance module still switches off whenever I add a 1 minute delay followed by another G16 off, after a minute.

The macro is simple: delay 20 minutes, G16 off, delay 1 minute G16 off.  When the 1 minute delay is removed, the 20 minute timer works.

Noam: I'm using G16 which is the monitored house code.  Nothing else uses G16.  All motion sensors are on house code A.
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HA Dave

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Re: Timer Issue
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2014, 03:46:05 PM »

...........The macro is simple: delay 20 minutes, G16 off, delay 1 minute G16 off.  When the 1 minute delay is removed, the 20 minute timer works.

I could be wrong. But the macro looks too simple. Macro starts in the OFF position (which begins the macro?).... delays both 20 minutes and 1 minute.. simultaneously. Turns off after one minute... then again 19 minutes later?   

I think the biggest problem with the CM15A is people try to make macros do too much. I like to say... never do with one macro what you can do... with two (or more) macros.

Try two macros. The one you have (WITHOUT the 2nd off). But with the G16 off (and 2 sec delay) and a (dummy module) G1 ON

The 2nd macro... triggered by G1 ON... delays 20 minutes and turns G16 OFF... and delays a couple secs and turns G1 OFF
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Noam

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Re: Timer Issue
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2014, 11:07:32 AM »

Noam: I'm using G16 which is the monitored house code.  Nothing else uses G16.  All motion sensors are on house code A.

I want to make sure I have this straight:
1. The heater is on G16
2. The macro is set to be triggered by "G16 On"
3. You are using a remote of some sort (not the power switch on the heater itself) to turn the heater on
4. You have nothing else on G16 (no other macros, etc)

You might try adding a 0-second delay at the beginning of your macro (as silly as that seems - it tends to fix macro execution problems).

If that doesn't help, you could try using the macro to both turn the heater on and off:
1. Give the macro a different trigger (ex: "G15 ON").
2. Change the macro to do the following:
   a. Turn G16 (the heater) On
   b. wait 20 minutes
   c. Turn G16 Off
   d. wait 1 minute
   e. Turn G16 Off
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dave w

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Re: Timer Issue
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2014, 08:49:28 PM »

FWIW
I don't have AHP so am not knowledgable in how it executes commands. But I wonder if a "WAIT" actually applies the wait to all subsequent macro steps(?). In other words the software begins cycling through the macro steps looking for some statement step turning "TRUE". The one minute timer will turn true in one minute, followed by the 20 minute timer turning true 19 minutes later. Thus the heater is sent an OFF in 60 seconds and a second OFF in 19 minutes.

I currently use Homeseer and in Homeseer, a "wait" stops all subsequent statement execution until the wait is satisfied, but in my old Enerlogic 1400 execution was as described above.

I'm not sure I may be simply repeating what Noam said. If so, sorry. I'll go back to sleep now.
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m82a1pa

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Re: Timer Issue
« Reply #7 on: March 25, 2014, 09:34:37 PM »

Noam: I'm using G16 which is the monitored house code.  Nothing else uses G16.  All motion sensors are on house code A.

I want to make sure I have this straight:
1. The heater is on G16
2. The macro is set to be triggered by "G16 On"
3. You are using a remote of some sort (not the power switch on the heater itself) to turn the heater on
4. You have nothing else on G16 (no other macros, etc)

You might try adding a 0-second delay at the beginning of your macro (as silly as that seems - it tends to fix macro execution problems).

If that doesn't help, you could try using the macro to both turn the heater on and off:
1. Give the macro a different trigger (ex: "G15 ON").
2. Change the macro to do the following:
   a. Turn G16 (the heater) On
   b. wait 20 minutes
   c. Turn G16 Off
   d. wait 1 minute
   e. Turn G16 Off


Thanks - I'll play around with it in a day or two and report back.

Since I just added an XTB-IIR at the breaker panel, it hasn't failed to turn off without the extra Offs being sent.  But I'm not 100% trusting of it yet.
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Noam

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Re: Timer Issue
« Reply #8 on: March 26, 2014, 10:46:21 AM »

FWIW
I don't have AHP so am not knowledgable in how it executes commands. But I wonder if a "WAIT" actually applies the wait to all subsequent macro steps(?). In other words the software begins cycling through the macro steps looking for some statement step turning "TRUE". The one minute timer will turn true in one minute, followed by the 20 minute timer turning true 19 minutes later. Thus the heater is sent an OFF in 60 seconds and a second OFF in 19 minutes.

I currently use Homeseer and in Homeseer, a "wait" stops all subsequent statement execution until the wait is satisfied, but in my old Enerlogic 1400 execution was as described above.

I'm not sure I may be simply repeating what Noam said. If so, sorry. I'll go back to sleep now.

Commands in a single AHP Macro execute sequentially. So, if there is a delay step, the rest of the macro waits until that is completed before moving on.
However, multiple macros can be running at once - so you can have one macro that is executing a delay, while another one is sending other commands.
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Noam

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Re: Timer Issue
« Reply #9 on: March 26, 2014, 10:48:37 AM »

Since I just added an XTB-IIR at the breaker panel, it hasn't failed to turn off without the extra Offs being sent.  But I'm not 100% trusting of it yet.

The XTB-IIR is amazing. Most of my problems (except the ones caused by my neighbor's noisy CFL) went away as soon as I installed it.
I still have to deal with RF coverage from time to time (mostly due to dead or dying batteries in the Palmpad remotes).
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