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[Tuicemen]

If you have your CM15a connected to the PC 24/7 this is not a problem.  AHP sends P16 ON on start up which you can catch and use as a trigger.
If you don't have the cm15a connected to the PC but have a Firecracker laying arround you can use it to send a command when windows starts I posted a batch file for this at Accessha.com (you'll have to search for, it try "power failure" as the key words)
Also if your PC is on a ups you can use X10dispatcher to fire a macro triggering the batchfile (for FireCracker) or the X10code for the macro once power is back to a certain level. Of course your UPS has to be able to talk to Windows most newer once do!

[Brian H]

It can be set [a switch for modes] to send a single On signal on the House/Unit Code it is set to when the contacts are shorted and an Off when opened. Also can be set for continuous signals. I have used one to do signal readings by setting one to continuous mode and shorting the contacts.

[roger1818]

Does the PowerFlash module only send the code once or is it continuously sending a code while the terminals are shorted and power is on?

The PowerFlash can be configured to do either (although in flashing mode it will flash all lights on the same housecode).  It actually has 3 modes, which are described on the product page.

[steven r]

If you have your CM15a connected to the PC 24/7 this is not a problem....

Unless your computer is like mine and...

• ...it boots into a user screen. ie I have to login before AHP auto loads.
• ...your computer is on a UPS that continues to power it during a power failure.

...Also if your PC is on a ups you can use X10dispatcher to fire a macro triggering the batchfile (for FireCracker) or the X10code for the macro once power is back to a certain level. Of course your UPS has to be able to talk to Windows most newer once do!

I'm not familiar with X10dispatcher. Are you saying it can respond to my UPS when the UPS says that power has been restored and then send an X10 signal? Can it do this in the worst case situation where the computer has rebooted and I haven't logged in yet?  It requires that you have a FireCracker module, right? How much does one of those cost? I seem to remember they also need a serial port don't they?
I'm beginning to believe that shorting the terminals on a PowerFlash module is the most reliable approach. Far less variables for Murphy to screw up.

[roger1818]

I just read Two-Way Lamp and Appliance Modules with Status Polling, Automatic Status Response, and Automatic Gain Control (AGC) and apparently the LM14A can be configured to perform a status request after a power failure and the CM15A will supposedly respond with its correct status.  The thing that puzzles me though is that the CM15A only remembers the status of modules on the monitored house code and even then it doesn't remember its brightness.  It is interesting though.

[steven r]

I just read Two-Way Lamp and Appliance Modules with Status Polling, Automatic Status Response, and Automatic Gain Control (AGC) and apparently the LM14A can be configured to perform a status request after a power failure and the CM15A will supposedly respond with its correct status.... ...It is interesting though.

Yes I found it to be a very informative article also. I didn't read anything, however, that would lead me to believe it would help us detect a power restoration.

I personally believe that the AHP already has the hardware needed to know when there has been a power outage. eg. It knows when to switch to battery power and when to switch back to AC for operation. Why can't it be programed to set an internal flag when power fails and act on it when power is restored? (I'd be glad to give up 1 of the 16 if needed.) ie. How about setting a flag when it goes to battery and giving us the option to run a macro when power is restored to the AHP? Or just simply have the software run a macro say "P16 ON" when it detects AC has returned. The user could then decide if they wanted to build a "P16 ON macro" or not.

Prehaps I'm wrong but it seems like a feature that would be very useful at least for most of us that have posted on this topic. 

Anyway that's my 2 cents on the subject today.

[Noam]

I think I tried using the "P16 On" to trigger a macro, and it didn't work. I'd have to test it again to be sure. I had asked X10 Pro about the possibility of an intrenal trigger based on the power condition, but I seem to rmember him telling me that the firmware doesn't have a trigger for that, so it can't be done (since the firmware can't be upgraded).

[steven r]

I think I tried using the "P16 On" to trigger a macro, and it didn't work...

Make sure you've created a dummy module, P16, in AHP. The P16 signal won't trigger the macro but should trigger the dummy module which in turn will trigger a P16 macro. Don't ask me why. That's just one of those "It's the way it works" quirks.

[steven r]

...I seem to remember him telling me that the firmware doesn't have a trigger for that, so it can't be done (since the firmware can't be upgraded).

If there is enough existing firmware to monitor the remaining hours of battery use that is displayed in AHP, I don't see why there isn't enough information to do power failure detection. ie. AC Fails. Unit switches to battery. AC returns. Battery life indicator is decremented. Why if AHP is smart enough to know that the battery was used (a power failure condition) and act on that information to adjust a displayed value in software (the remaining battery life.), can't it indicate and act on a power failure?

[Noam]

Because it's not AHP, it is the CM15A that has to do it all by itself.

[steven r]

Because it's not AHP, it is the CM15A that has to do it all by itself.

I still find it confusing. Even if the CM15A handles the power switching to the batteries and back to AC, the fact that AHP can display a changing value for remaining battery life leads me to believe its possible. I'm going to continue to be an optimist till I hear a flat no from "the horses mouth". At the very least AHP should be able to set a flag even if it can't act on it.

[Tuicemen]

SteveR: X10dispatcher can see the signal from your ups using the Windows Powermonitor found in the control pannel I've tested x10dispatcher on my Pc and it will do any number of things at a set battery level (email you, trigger a x10 code, start play a wave, dial a phone number,or trigger a program)Your Ups must send the info to windows via USB though. It doesn't need a firecracker as it only talks to the Cm15a but you can make it talk to the firecracker with a batchfile. You can find them cheep in a kit here or on ebay for 5-10. In your case I don't think it would work as you have to log on before Windows starts mine auto starts. Iif windows loads all your programs and is just waiting for you then it possibly could work I've never tried setting anything this way.Will AHP load and send its p16 before you log in? If so X10dispatcher would work as well.
Noam: Its been a while since I used the P16 command but I recall the Cm15a sends the command RF so you need an other  transciever(TM751) to catch the signal and put it on the power line so AHP will see and trigger with it. If your able to try the p16 method X10dispatcher is the way to go.

If you'd like to give the FREEWARE a go check out X10dispatcher

[Noam]

1. Again, AHP probably CAN be modified to do it, but that would only work if the PC is turned on, and the X10Nets service is running when the power comes back on (if your PC is on a UPS, that has enough run time for that). The CM15A can't do it all by itself, from what I was told by the X10 folks. If your power goes out for a few hours, and your PC shuts down (or the UPS dies), then AHP won't be back up in time to receive the "power is back on" trigger from the CM15A and act on it.

2. I tried again last night. I created a macro "P16 On", to turn on one light in my house. I also created a dummy appliance module, P16. I unplugged the CM15A from the wall, and plugged it back in. Nothing. I did this with the USB cable connected, I didn't try it with the cable disconnected, but that shouldn't make a difference. AHP didn't see the command. I usually find that it only sees the command when the X10nets service starts up, and first connects to the CM15A. I'd have to restart the PC to get that command again, but it does seem to come down the powerline at that point, as my other PC (also with a cm15a attached - for monitoring) sees the command at that time.  Since I can't guarantee that my PC will be up and running when power is restored, I will stick to my PowerFlash solution for now. If AHP gets the feature in the future, then I might use both, as the Powerflash won't work for an outage that is less than a few seconds (perhaps there are capacitors in it that need to discharge or something).

[roger1818]

the Powerflash won't work for an outage that is less than a few seconds (perhaps there are capacitors in it that need to discharge or something).

You could be right and it might be the 1000uF capacitor in the PowerFlashes powersupply causing the PowerFlash to stay alive through a short powerfailure.
If this is the problem, one thing you could try is to get a 120VAC relay, connect it to your AC power and connect the N.O. contacts to the powerflash.  In a powerfailure, the relay should open quite quickly and will close again once the power is restored.  If the power failure is really fast the debouncing circuitry in the PowerFlash may still cause it not to be triggered.

[steven r]

Again, AHP probably CAN be modified to do it, but that would only work if the PC is turned on...

Good point! I can see that it would need the the PC and AHP running. I can't count that with my setup. While a short power failure would be covered by my UPS, any extended outage would not have have AHP running after power was restored. Of course I could set up a dedicated computer just for AHP but that would be a waste of money and a bit of overkill.
It's looks like its time to get back to the KISS (keep it simple stupid) principal.
I guess I'll be ordering my 2nd PowerFlash soon. I already have one set up to trigger my welcome and exit macros.