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[roger1818]

Arf: For most third party dimmers and X10’s
2-way dimmer, I agree there is not much
difference, but for X10’s low cost modules,
when you turn it off, it can only jump to
100%, but if you dim it to 0%, you can
gradually ramp it back up.  Granted you can
fake this by dimming it by 99% (I do this
sometimes), but it would be nicer if you
could tell it to go to 0% instead.

For modules that support extended_dim (and
preset_dim if the AHP S/W ever supports it),
when you set the module to 0%, the software
should send the extended_dim (or preset_dim)
command to set it to 0%, but turning it off
should send the OFF command instead.  For
most modules both commands would have the
same result, but some modules might behave
slightly differently to the two commands (a
preset_dim works differently on a TempLinc
than turning it off for example).

[Bill H]

Good grief, guys. The unit arbitrarily
stops working after a few days/weeks/months
and we've never heard a response about
that. This was your opportunity and you
chose this stuff!!

X-10: Will the update address the random
failure (so we don't have to keep
reinstalling batteries and downloading)?

[arf1410]

Bill H.'s comment has been raised numerous
times, by numerous people over the last 6
months, and X10 Pro has yet to comment or
even acknowledge that issue.  My guess is
they have no idea the cause, so therefore
can't comment...  

[len]

Problems like working correctly with win
98SE. iWitness hangs, can't changes
settings, will not record video, will only
take snashops sometimes, timed picts never
worked. Program crashes(sometimes when you
try to view any saved tv pictures.  So many
others I can't recall right now.  I Emailed
to Mike, customer support NO answers.  All
the things everyone else keeps telling you
about.  

[roger1818]

Bill:  I read that adding decoupling
capacitors will fix that problem.  If this is
indeed true, then it is a hardware problem
and no software upgrade will fix it.  This
would explain why some units seem to have
more problems than others.  Ever since my
unit was replaced with a diagnostic unit, I
haven’t had this problem although I sometimes
need to reboot it when I want to connect it
to the computer.  I suspect a charge builds
up on the USB lines over time and when you
reconnect it to the computer the discharge
causes the microcontroller to hang.

[arf1410]

Roger - I agree that the unit locking up
after X months is likely a hardware issue,
and your thought for cause sounds
plausable - never-the-less, X10 owes its
users an explanation and fix, whether it be
hardware/software/firmware or duct-tape-
ware!

[Noam]

Joe -
What Activity Monitor problem(s) are you
having? Mine will sometimes  just stop
logging activity generated by the CM15A, but
will keep on logging commands sent manually
from the PC, or from other remotes or
controllers.  

[joe]

Noam,

I dont leave mine connected to the computer
but what I have noticed it that the filters
for the activity monitor dont work. You can
select only to log macro's or only RF or only
PLC but nomatter what you select it will just
log something like RF E1-on E1 on E1 and tell
you nothing about where it came from. It just
never worked right.

Joe

[scott]

Bill H    10/19/2005 03:55 PM

Good grief, guys. The unit arbitrarily
stops working after a few days/weeks/months
and we've never heard a response about
that. This was your opportunity and you
chose this stuff!!

X-10: Will the update address the random
failure (so we don't have to keep
reinstalling batteries and downloading)?
-----

Bill (and anyone else with this problem)

The failures totally stopped for me when I
got the update with the new driver for the
CM15A (back in Jan. or Feb., I think).  The
driver also makes it so you don't get the
'safely remove hardware' tray icon in XP.

But as I found when I reformatted my PC and
reinstalled AHP, that driver is NOT included
in the base installer or updates.  The only
way I have found to get it is to have the
CM15A attached to the PC and go to Windows
Update, where the driver should be in the
'optional hardware updates' section.

X10 really needs to make sure this driver is
more widespread, and there's no reason the
old driver should still be included with the
install and upgrade files on the site.  Now
there could still possibly be a problem
beyond that, but I would be surprised if most
of the people running into this problem
weren't running the old driver.

Fix it, X10.  Make a lot of people a lot
happier with the CM15A with no work on your
part other than to have the update check for
and install the correct driver.

Oh, and tell people that the output voltage
on the CM15A is adjustable.  I had to figure
it out on my own, because your tech guys
never responded to my emails.

Scott

[anonymous]

Scott - How (and why) would one need to
adjust the output voltage?

[scott]

Ok, the average person probably doesn't need
to worry about it.  If you have 5 X-10
modules and the CM15A is on the same
electrical leg with all of them, the 1.7V
stock output is plenty.  However, if you're
dealing with active couplers and lots of X-10
devices like I am, you may need more than
that.

I had read somewhere a while back that the
CM15A output at the same voltage as the
CM11A, so having a CM11A on hand, I decided
to take a look at how the two compared.  The
CM11A comes in quite a bit more powerful, at
2.4V, so I'm thinking 'maybe I can swap
outputs to get the voltage I need'.  After
taking both controllers apart, I found that
the output transformer was the same, the
general board layout similar, and 3
adjustable components were on both boards in
similar places.

I tried at that point to get an answer from
X-10 about an output voltage adjustment, but
gave up on them after no email response and
decided to take my chances.  Not wanting to
fry my CM15A, I decided to tweak the
adjustment nearest the transformer on the
CM11A and see what happened.  I turned it
about 1 turn CCW and the output voltage
jumped to 2.8V.

Going a bit over 1 turn CCW on the
corresponding adjustment on the CM15A gave me
3V, which has been more than enough to meet
the X-10 needs here.  It's finally a reliable
replacement for the CP-290 workhorse that has
been outputting a steady 5V for years.

[anonymous]

IN all fairness, I wouldn't expect X10 to
help you with that - that would not be
considered a user adjustable setting, and
no way for a typical consumer to test
output.

However, a friend tested my CM11A, and it's
output was 4.5 volts.  Sounds like there is
some variablitiy.

Also - have heard 3 different specualtions
as to the failure of the unit after X
weeks - or maybe I should say fixes - /1/
driver, /2/ installing some type of bleed
capacitor?  /3/ leave the USB cord dangling?

[scott]

The way I see it is this:  If it's not meant
to be adjusted, why is it set up that way?
Maybe the average customer doesn't need to
change it and wouldn't be comfortable with
opening up the controller, but what about the
rest of us?  When a controller is capable of
much better performance with just a small
adjustment, why not make your customers aware
of it, even if you mandate that they send it
in to get it changed?

It would have been nice if they had even
replied with 'sorry, we can't give that info
out' or 'send it to us and we will adjust it
for you', but I got nothing.

Those are multiple solutions for the failure
problem, but I'm curious if the other two
solutions are just making up for whatever
problem the old driver has.  It could be
something else altogether, but X-10 should be
the one addressing it, not me.  :-)

[anonymous]

I agree X10 should in someway respond to
the issue of failures after X weeks.

As far as the voltage adjustment, how can
you be sure that there aren't other
components in the CM15A that were designed
to work with the lower output voltage?

[scott]

'As far as the voltage adjustment, how can
you be sure that there aren't other
components in the CM15A that were designed
to work with the lower output voltage?'

The way it looked to me is that the
transformer was only for the output.  And
considering the CM15A has been working
flawlessly for almost two weeks now, I don't
see it disrupting anything else.  If it had
to be at a certain level for other internal
components to function, it would be pretty
shortsighted to put any adjustment on it.
Then again, X-10 doesn't want or expect you
to open up their products.