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[Brian H]

When you in the Active Home Program.
Clicking on the module icon to send an On and Off. The modules icon turned Green in the program but the module did not respond?
Have you tried one of the X10 mini consoles that do control the module. In the same outlet the CM11A is in?
So you can see if there is a power line communications issue to the module.

Is the CM11A in the same outlet as the computer equipment or on an UPS?
Computer and UPS units are known to effect X10 power line signals.

Serial communications error from the computer to the CM11A.
If you are you running XP?
Try the following.
Right Click on the Active Home Icon
Open Properties choice.
Open the Compatibility choice.
Enable Run this program in compatibility mode for. Windows 98/Windows ME
Disable Visual Themes.
Turn Off Advanced text services for this program.

[Brian H]

If you need the Active Home Manual I found it here as the X10 wiki's link is busted.
http://files.buyitsellit.com/8181/CK11A.pdf

There is some good information on the Active Home Kit in the X10 wiki.
http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/ActiveHome

The kit came with a UR19A remote and RR501 transceiver to use it. Though in your case not used right now.

[Steevo]

At the moment I have serial communiation failure in the test communications.  
It worked for a while yesterday.  Now not.

A reboot of the computer didn't fix it.  Unplugging the serial, the CM11a and taking batteries out didn't fix it.
So I dunno.  I have to resolve this before I can do anything else.
I made the compatibility mode changes Brian H posted and now communication is successful.
Hmm.

So I restated Activehome and my changes are gone, I didn't save them so no surprise there.
I clicked one of the macros in the window, changed it to G2 at the bottom, the water pump module.
It is set for module type three wire appliance.
I click the switch in the window, it changes, but the module does not respond.

To test I plugged a miniconsole that was plugged in the bathroom and worked into the power strip by the computer and it will not control the water pump module now.  So I have a X10 communications problem.  
This is progress!  

I need to relocate the CM11a somewhere so it can control the module for the water pump.  I will work on that.
If I can get the macro done I will plug it in the same socket as the appliance module in the garage and it will just run from then on.  Can I plug the appliance module right into the CM11a?

Thanks for all the help.  You guys are great, you have been there before!  

[Steevo]

I plugged the CM11a in right next to the miniconsole that does control the water pump, and it will not change the appliance module by on screen control.

It's supposed to, right? I click the toggle switch in the gray box macro and it changes from off to on.  That is supposed to send an X10 signal to G2, it says G2 at the bottom.  

I can change the house code to G by changing the green A2 to G2 on the activehome screen, right? I'm just not sure.

Well, I deleted some confusing extra macros, defined a new G2, and now it does control the appliance module, after a 7 second delay.

So what I need to tell it is to watch for a G2 on, wait a time period and send a G2 off.  
Download the to the CM11A and I am done.

I don't exactly understand how the macros work.  
I did that time delay, actually 1 minute for testing,  clicked exit and download and I get a message there are no macros to download, do I want to clear memory.  Hmm.

I sent an on to G2 from the miniconsole, and sure enough the on screen switch changed.
I waited and in a minute it went off.
The on screen switch says on still, but the module did go off. I click on screen, it goes off, click again, it goes on after an 8 second delay.  I waited and it did not go off after one minute, so I guess the macro does not run if I turn it on with the on screen switch.  It did seem to run when I used the miniconsole, so that monitoring of the line is working.

I still get a message when i click download to interface that there is nothing to download, do i want to clear memory.
I just read through the wiki, it has an entry that says "Why do my timers only run if my computer is on?"
There is a check box for store in interface, but there is none in my time delay. There is one in the scheduled timers.
Is it possible to store a delay in the interface? Or just schedules?

But progress here!  This is great.  

[Brian H]

I believe Macros can't be downloaded and have to run from the computer.
Timers that run a set times and Dusk Dawn information. Can be downloaded to the CM11A and then run with the computer Off.

[Steevo]

So the CM11a cannot monitor for an X10 G2 on, wait a period and send an X10 G2 off autonomous.

Well, that was the whole point. 

Is there another solution?

[bkenobi]

I thought a big part of the reason to use the CM11A was the timer/macro downloading.  Are you sure the controller can't do macros?  Obviously it can't do smart macros since that's AHP only.

[bkenobi]

http://www.smarthome.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=889

This thread (first one I found on Google, so there are certainly more/better available).  This seems to indicate that with AH 1.4 and CM11A you can have macros stored on the interface if you select "fast".  I've never used AH, so I can't help beyond that.

[Brian H]

I never used macros with my CM11A with Active Home.
I would try a Fast Macro and see if it will download.
I found a help file and it indicated Fast Macros run faster as they are stored in the interface.
Due to limited memory. Use Fast Macros wisely.

Is the G2 On being sent by the CM11A or another controller?

[dhouston]

From memory, I believe the CM11A could do simple macros.

I had links to all of the X10 protocols on my web page but they are all broken now that the servers are gone. It would be very useful if Authinx could restore the X10 manuals web page.

[JeffVolp]

Yes, the CM11A would do simple macros.  The CM11A protocol document says it has a 42-byte buffer for "fast macros".  They may be stored in RAM because there the protocol document says:

If the interface detects that it has suffered a power-down situation, it will ring the PC and poll with a specialized code to indicate that the macros must be refreshed.

Jeff

[bkenobi]

perhapse that's something that Steevo should consider.  If the CM11A loses power and the batteries run out, the macro will be lost and the pump will not be turned off automatically (until the unit is connected to the pc for reprogramming.  if the pump running when it shouldn't is a safety concern, then maybe smething needs to be considered to take care of this scenario.

[Steevo]

The pump can run all the time, that's the problem.  Mostly a hot water circulating pump runs continuously, but here in California with Edison charging us 32 cents/KWH I have no interest in that much heat loss.  I have an all electric home and it's expensive not having gas.  It's pointless having instant hot water when you're gone for the weekend.  That happened a couple weeks ago. I got home and it was on.  Waiting to see the bill.  Geez.

As to storage of macros in the interface, according to the help yes, and they are stored in the interface EEPROM, so that would be non volatile.

I need to figure out how to define that macro and send it to the interface.  
My communications is now all resolved, but I don't really understand what's going on with Activehome.  
The macro functions are more than a little odd.  But heck, I am no programmer.  It's been years since I programmed at all.
Not that Activehome is programming, really.  

So I still have the serial connected to the computer, I defined a macro to listen to G2 on, a 1 minute delay, (for testing) and send a G2 off.  I made it a fast macro and I was able to download it to the interface.  But it's not working.  I click on at the miniconsole, the pump goes on, and nothing else happens.

[bkenobi]

Just for reference, a circulation pump is typically 25W (from a Google search, not personal experience).  If you are charged $0.32/kWh all the time (no peak time upcharges), then you would be paying $0.19/day or ~$70/year to run the pump full time.  If you use X10 modules to control the pump, each module uses at least 3W, so that's at least 6W for the pump controlling module and the CM11A.  If you already own the equipment, then you don't have to invest in these components, but the modules cost a lot more these days than way back when.  Google says the CM11A costs $25-50 and a relay module will be $20-40.  If you want to keep the CM11A next to your computer (even if not plugged in), you will need a filter ($25-40) and/or a phase coupler ($25-over $100 depending on unit).  Basically, you are looking at $100-300 worth of equipment to save up to $70/year.

Alternately, you could use a plug-in 24-hour timer ($10) and never think about it again.  Automation is not always the most appropriate solution if saving money is the primary driver.  Since you already have the equipment in house, you might as well give it a try, but I would seriously consider just using a timer and setting it to turn the circulation on in the morning and evening for around an hour each.

[Steevo]

It's not the power to run the pump, it's the heat loss from the tank. Electric hot water heater.

My pump is the most common type, and it is labeled 75W.

I had such a time clock controlling it before. That didn't work out so well.  I might go back to that. I'd rather find something more dynamic.