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[oldx10guy]

I have been trying to interface a CM15A interface to AHP on a system running windows 8.1 64 bit. There seems to be a communication problem between the driver and the AHP progrom. If I run the device manager and look at thedriver it indicates that the device is working properly. The device is listed X10 USB active home (ACPI - compliant). The version of the driver is 6.0.0.210.  Not sure if this is the correct version but it was installed with AHP using the 318 software. For a while I could get a single lamp to work but it was delayed at times like the commands were being stored in a que and then all of a sudden things worked for a bit and the lamp would follw the commands that were sent many seconds earlier. Now I can't even get that to work after trying to delete everything and start from scratch. 
Is there any way to test the interface or log the communication between AHP and the interface. Or any suggestions how to get this working again. It was working up until about 2 weeks ago. At that time we had a power failure which apparently reset the CM15A and lost all of the commands. Now I can't get to it to download it again.

[dave w]

Did you check the AHP log to see the incoming command get logged and then how long to takes AHP to issue a response command? Do you have a noise problem? The CM15A will not transmit a command until the powerline is clear of other X10 commands. Heavy electrical noise on the line can also cause the CM15A to wait until the line is clear.

[oldx10guy]

I am at a loss. Unfortunately the log shows no entries at all. This all used to work. Last night I disconnected the CM15A and removed the batteries. Left it disconnected until this morning. The device manager shows its status as working. Yet it seems like AHP is not communicating with it at all. I have some other old X10 non PC controllers and they seem to be working just fine. In an older version of AHP there used to be a communication check when it first booted up. Is this still around anywhere?

[Brian H]

I don't remember a communications test in AHP.
The old Active Home for the CM11A had a communications test.

When CM15A's where in short supply. X10WTI fudged in support for the CM11A.
AHP 3.318 does support the CM11A.
If your CM15A is not found and AHP is not set to use a CM11A. It should give you an error message asking if you are using the serial CM11A.
You may want to check in the Tools Tab, CM11 Configuration. Verify it was not set to CM11A somehow.

When you let the CM15A sit powered down. Was the USB cable also disconnected?

[oldx10guy]

Everything was disconnected from the CM15A. I ran some additional experiments and now have some more results which only confuse me further.
1) I found under the help tab a function called "run intro wizard" which is the start-up function I remembered. If I run this it shows the program communicating with the USB device and puts up a check mark showing that this interface works. The next step says to have a module with  CODE A1 and then it trys to turn it off and on.   This does not work. Also I see no entries in the activity monitor.
2) I have a small 4 switch rf control pad (stick-a-switch) This uses the CM15A to pass the codes. This will turn of and on a lamp. I addition the activity monitor shows these commands being sent in the log. So it appears that AHP is not communicating with the CM15A. I have no idea what it is talking to or how to determine what it is looking at. I know if I remove the CM15A driver the AHP program says no interface is available.
 

[Brian H]

I am still using Windows XP SP3. So my results may not be what your Windows 8.1 64 bit is doing.

I had completely forgotten the Wizard.  

I setup a CM15A with AHP and two LM465 Lamp Modules. One the older before soft start and the other one had the soft start feature.
Also an older LM14A Two Way Lamp Module. That also can process Extended X10 Messages.

I used my Smarthome 1132CU with Smarthome Essentials to monitor the power line X10 signals.

My Wizard tests found two issues.
The Lamp Test, Macro and Timer tests only controlled the Soft Start module and LM14A. As it was sending the Extended X10 Commands older Lamp Modules do not understand.
The RF Transmission test did not control any RF device set to A1. Tried it on a new RR501 and a TM751.

So it your lamp modules do not ramp On and Off {soft start} the Wizard will not control them. Also when defining an X10 dimmer type that does not have soft start. Use the Older Lamps (No Soft Start) drop down list. The Lamps drop down list is for the newer soft start modules.

My Activity Monitor did show some entries after running the Wizard.

[Brian H]

You may want to try a small test.
With a blank program.
Add one Lamp Module. Make sure you pick from the Lamps Tab if it is Soft Start or Older Lamps (No Soft Start) if it is not soft start.
Then see if you can click it On and Off from the screen.

[Brian H]

I have found one other Wizard quirk.
I reran the Wizard from a fresh reboot of the computer and AHP just opened.
The first time I ran the Lamp Test. A simple A1 On and A1 Off was sent. So all the Lamp Modules responded.
After I ran the Timer Test or Macro Test. The On command was then an Extended X10 command even if I went back and did the Lamp Test again.