Goose66

I notice the 2413S on Smarthome.com says its now compatible with HouseLinc software. I would like to use this software to troubleshoot my Insteon network. The 2413S on Amazon is $6 cheaper and Prime eligible but doesn't necessarily say its HouseLinc compatible. Does anyone know if all 2413Ses are the same?

I assume you are talking about the 2993. That's no better than moving your PLM around on an extension cord and sending repeated messages from your ISY. What's need is a plugin device that can show line noise in the Insteon band, SNR of received signals, packet counts and quality or validity of received signals, and send signals. i had such a device for X10 and it was an excellent diagnostic tool. Today i would think it would be an iPhone app with a portable plm with USB port. It would be nice if the ISY would show and/or log this information as well, and even produce network data such as hops and (one can dream) routing plans.

There is just no way to diagnose it, because no behavior is predictable enough to draw any conclusion. I can trip a breaker to my washing machine, and something may start working. Try the same thing the next night, and no good. There are too many variables to deal with. If there was some way to measure PLM or device signal strength at individual outlets, or measure noise while operating different devices, that would be different. But the only way I have seen to do this is to buy (and learn to operate) an occilliscope, which is a ridiculous level of sophistication to go to diagnose what is supposed to be a consumer product. For the most part, the basic Insteon functionality works pretty good. Motion detectors turn on lights, keypads control other deices, etc. My primary problem is the ISY/PLM doesn't seem to want to talk to half my devices. For example, if I try and add the new 2477Ds, I get "Cannot determine Insteon Engine" from the ISY. I was told above this is because the ISY/PLM cannot communicate with them. Yet if I operate the newly installed and manually linked 2477Ds, their activity shows up in the ISY's logs and event viewer. Even plugging the PLM into an outlet on the circuit didn't resolve it. There's just too much complexity and not enough transparency into what is actually supposed to be happening in all this. Makes me long for X10, while just as unreliable, was much easier to understand the communication and diagnose problems.

Well that explains my multiple progress bars. I have A LOT of communication problems.

That worked...kind of. I ran an extension cord to a garage plug, and that allowed the ISY to access and write updates to both keypads, even though the keypads are on different circuits. I then plugged the extension cord into a downstairs hall outlet that is on the same circuit as two new 2477Ds I am trying to add to my system (see my other post). This did not allow the ISY to talk to the 2477Ds that are on that same circuit. There just seems to be neither rhyme nor reason to how Insteon communications function and in what scenarios they are reliable or not. This could have been something as subtle as my dishwasher running, or the satellite STB in standby instead of on, or one of the kids turning on the florescent lights in their closet. There is no way to know and no way to debug the system. I have a 4800 square foot house with 50-60 breakers in two panels supplying power to hundreds of devices connected to wall warts, surge suppressors, UPSes, and power strips. Should I be spending any more time or money on Insteon, or is it just not capable of performing in an environment such as mine?

Guys, honestly, does the progress bar in the ISY admin interface mean anything real, or is it just something to display to make us think the ISY is working. I have never thought the progress bar means anything. Query System is an excellent example: the progress bar counts from 1% to 100% with an occasional display of event data beneath, usually an RR, CLIHUM, or a wind speed or light rate reading. If the progress bar reaches 100%, it goes away and then comes back and starts counting from 1% again. Depending on the function, there may be three, four, or more progress bars. Once the system is finished with the Query System or other task, the progress bar goes away, even if it was at 41%! Seriously, why not just display an hour glass or wait icon with a mouse cursor? Why display a progress bar that evidently means nothing?

This would be easier than unscrewing light bulbs. How far can the PLM be from the ISY 994i on a cat 5e cable (and not supplying power).

Shouldn't the 2477Ds, being dual band, be reachable wirelessly? My wired Insteon sucks, and the lack of any diagnostic tools for Insteon ensure that is will continue to suck for a long time. But I thought the dual-band devices would also be reachable wirelessly, through at least one of the 4 access points in my house. There is one access point not 15 feet from each of two 2477Ds on a 3-way circuit, yet the ISY can talk to one but not the other (now - originally couldn't talk to any of them). These two 2477Ds are wired directly together for the 3-way circuit. How is it possible that the communications could be so bad in this scenario?

I am attempting to add 5 SwitchLinc 2477Ds to my setup in order to improve system reliability. These will be installed across two circuits (a 3-way and a 4-way) that are on different phases and hopefully will improve phase coupling and stability in my system. However, I cannot add any of the SwitchLinc 2477Ds to the ISY 994i. I get "Cannot determine Insteon Engine." This happens regardless of whether I select AutoDiscover or 2477D in the device type list. Very bad for WAF, as now she can't control any of our downstairs or upstairs hall lights. I will either have to pull out the switches or manually link them using the Insteon method. Does anyone have SwitchLinc 2477Ds working with an ISY? Here are my events from trying to add: Sun 03/24/2013 07:30:31 PM : [1D DB EC ] Added to list of devices to link to ISY Sun 03/24/2013 07:30:31 PM : [iNST-TX-I1 ] 02 62 1D DB EC 0F 0D 00 Sun 03/24/2013 07:30:31 PM : [iNST-ACK ] 02 62 1D.DB.EC 0F 0D 00 06 (00) Sun 03/24/2013 07:30:33 PM : [iNST-SRX ] 02 50 1D.DB.EC 11.CE.0A A3 0D FF (FF) Sun 03/24/2013 07:30:33 PM : [std-Direct Nack] 1D.DB.EC-->ISY/PLM Group=0, Max Hops=3, Hops Left=0 Sun 03/24/2013 07:30:33 PM : [iNST-TX-I2CS] 02 62 1D DB EC 1F 09 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 F6 Sun 03/24/2013 07:30:33 PM : [iNST-ACK ] 02 62 1D.DB.EC 1F 09 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 F6 06 LNK-ON (01) Sun 03/24/2013 07:30:34 PM : [iNST-SRX ] 02 50 1D.DB.EC 11.CE.0A 23 09 01 LNK-ON (01) Sun 03/24/2013 07:30:34 PM : [std-Direct Ack] 1D.DB.EC-->ISY/PLM Group=0, Max Hops=3, Hops Left=0 Sun 03/24/2013 07:30:34 PM : [LNK-BGN ] 02 64 01 00 06 Sun 03/24/2013 07:30:38 PM : [1D DB EC 0 ] Failed to add device Sun 03/24/2013 07:30:38 PM : [LNK-END ] 02 65 06 : : Unexpected, ignored (65)

I have two 8-key keypads (2486D v.36) that use to work just fine, but now the ISY 99/994i cannot update them. This happened a couple of years ago -- as I added more Insteon devices in the network, the performance and stability of my Insteon communications went majorly downhill. This hasn't really been a problem, though, because they function just fine. The ISY can hear the keypresses and the keypads respond just fine to all scenes -- it's just that the ISY cannot talk to them well enough to update them so it always thinks they are "out-of-communication." I recently replaced my motion detectors outside with updated models. Now, I need to reprogram both these keypads to put the newer motion detectors in the scenes. Any ideas on how to temporarilly restore communication to these keypads (short of taking them out of the j-boxes and hard-wiring them to the PLM) so that I can get them reprogrammed with the new motion detectors?

What is the date window on the upgrade program?

I see that. What does the 994 offer over the 99i - more processing power? If just FLASH memory is the problem, why can't I just replace the SD card in my current 99i?

Sort of melancholy that the I can no longer look forward to ISY99i updates. So much promise and so much future functionality that never came to pass. I guess it's time to move on to the next HA solution.

Sometimes the quirkiness of the ISY programming architecture has some perhaps surprising advantages. For example, consider the following program: If From Sunset To Sunrise (next day) And Control 'Outdoor / Driveway Motion-Sensor' is switched On Then Set Scene 'Outdoor / Driveway Floods on Motion' On Wait 8 minutes Set Scene 'Outdoor / Driveway Floods on Motion' Off Else Set Scene 'Outdoor / Driveway Floods on Motion' Off The first advantage is that as long as there is motion on the driveway, the program will continuously be restarted, and the flood light will stay on 8 minutes past the last detected motion. The second advantage is that if sunrise occurs while the floodlight is on, it will be turned immediately off, even if the 8 minutes hasn't expired. The disadvantage is that it will send OFF commands to the driveway flood throughout the day as driveway motion occurs -- needless Insteon traffic. The OFF in the else is necessary, however, because if you happen to be leaving the house just minutes before sunrise (something that occurs for several days for me two times a year), then your floodlight gets left on all day (the sunrise trigger preempts the WAIT before the OFF and goes to the Else branch). But alas, the quirkiness is often just too complex to think through the various states. So you may just want to stick with the two level programming described above and avoid the use of Else branches, just to keep it simple until a more robust programming environment becomes available.

Because the IF statements in an ISY program embody both a decision as to which branch of the program to execute AND which events can trigger your program, you often must write programs in two levels. For example, consider your situation below: Program 1 'On Dining Motion' (enabled): If Elk Zone 'Dining Motion' is Violated Then Run Program 'Handle Dining Motion' Program 2 'Handle Dining Motion' (disabled): If $Dining_Motion <= 1 Then $Dining_Motion = 2 Wait 4 seconds $Dining_Motion -= 1

Also, don't forget to disable your second program, so that it will never be executed by the ISY outside of the call from the first program. This is not technically necessary for an integer variable, but is good practice when using other nested programs with IF statements that you don't want to also be program triggers.

I need to add some (more) filters to my setup. While the 10A FilterLinc is cheap and plentiful, I need one for my stereo rack and one for my microwave, and I am think both (definitely the microwave) need to be 15A or better. Will a 15A X10 filter be just as effective as a 10A FilterLinc in stopping absorption of signals? Also, while I have removed as many CFLs from my house as possible (at great expense, mind you), I still have some fluorescent fixtures that can't be effectively replaced (under counter lights, closet fixtures, garage fixtures, shop fixtures. The under counter lights remain on all night in my house, and the others are on motion detectors. Until Smarthome puts a FilterLinc into a relay SwitchLinc (which I think is a great idea for a product), I was thinking of using the Leviton 6287 Noise Block (http://www.smarthome.com/4835/Leviton-6 ... ock/p.aspx) for those because they could be installed inside the j-boxes with the switch. Has anyone used this device to try to stop interference with Insteon signals? While I am typing questions, whatever became of the Insteon troubleshooting device for the consumer who doesn't own (or want, or can't spell) an oscilloscope? Thanks!

The program to control the status light of the KPL button in the first post does nothing to affect the reliability of the button action itself. In my case, the button is set to toggle. So changing the status light of the KPL button simply toggles the action the button will take if pressed: either turn all the lights on or turn them all off. The actual action of the KPL button is defined through a scene, and it works correctly everytime. I wonder if you could set the KPL button to no-toggle off, and still implement the status light program. In that case, it may turn the light on and off with the status of devices, but still always turn all lights in the scene off when pressed.

Scenes are very limited in this scenario, because the control is basically limited to the control of the scene. So to turn off lights, you have to turn off the scene, which also turns off the keypad buttons. But you may want the keypad buttons to be On for away, while the lights are turned off. Similar issues exists when turning the scene back on. I have a program for Vacation mode in my house that serves a similar purpose to your "Home" vs. "Away." There is one program to set vacation mode on, and one to turn it off. I can run these programs by KPL button press or from my Mobilinc Pro on my iPhone, so that I can put the house in vacation mode when I am leaving by pressing a KPL button, and then turn off vacation mode from the plane on the way home, so the house is toasty warm when I arrive. The programs also set a status flag, which is used by other timed programs that run every day to decide how to operate (such as indoor and outdoor lighting, holiday lighting, random security lighting, etc.) Here is the "Set Vacation On" program: If Control 'Main Floor / Garage Keypad-Vacation' is switched On Or Control 'Basement / Door Keypad-Vacation' is switched On Then Set 'Master Suite / Upstairs HVAC - Main' 62° (Heat Setpoint) Set 'Master Suite / Upstairs HVAC - Main' 85° (Cool Setpoint) Set 'Main Floor / Downstairs HVAC - Main' 62° (Heat Setpoint) Set 'Main Floor / Downstairs HVAC - Main' 85° (Cool Setpoint) Set 'Basement / Basement HVAC - Main' 62° (Heat Setpoint) Set 'Basement / Basement HVAC - Main' 85° (Cool Setpoint) ... Set Scene 'Status / KPL Status LED-Vacation' On $VacationState = 1 Else - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action') Note that the 'KPL Status LED-Vacation' scene has all KPL buttons as responders, so turning this scene on or off controls all the KPL button lights. The $VacationState flag is used in several other programs that run daily. Here is the "Set Vacation Off" program: If Control 'Main Floor / Garage Keypad-Vacation' is switched Off Or Control 'Basement / Door Keypad-Vacation' is switched Off Then $VacationState = 0 Set Scene 'Outdoor / KPL Status LED-Vacation' Off ... Set 'Master Suite / Upstairs HVAC - Main' 78° (Cool Setpoint) Set 'Master Suite / Upstairs HVAC - Main' 68° (Heat Setpoint) Set 'Main Floor / Downstairs HVAC - Main' 68° (Heat Setpoint) Set 'Main Floor / Downstairs HVAC - Main' 78° (Cool Setpoint) Else - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action') Good Luck!

I don't suppose you are up for making a Youtube video?

Is there some place to find details for these mods?

So, does the Icon Relay not have the local control sense current? Also, is there a more elegant solution that doesn't require a "wall wart," night light, or Airwick Oil dispenser hanging in my Christmas decorations? Like bridging the last plug on the series of LED lights with a resistor or something? I would even entertain opening up the appliance link and cutting a wire to disable the local control sense circuit, if that is possible?

I have a couple of ApplianceLincs and several Icon relays in the mix for holiday lighting. Those ApplianceLincs running LED lighting are leaking, in that even when off the LED lights are dimly lit. Are these ApplianceLincs bad? Is there a better module to use here? How can an ApplianceLinc leak?

Oops, sorry. Didn't see the 2.8.16 in the first post. Just change every "$WakeupState = 1" to "Run Program 'WakeupState' (Then Path)," "$WakeupState = 0" to "Program Program 'WakeupState' (Else Path)," and "$WakeupState is not 0" to "Program 'WakeupState' is not False."

Here is anoter take on it. You need a global state variable "WakeupState" with an initial value of 0. Modify your first program as below: If On Mon, Wed, Thu Time is 5:40:00AM Then $WakeupState = 1 Set 'LR Table Lamp' On Wait 30 minutes Set 'LR Table Lamp' Off $WakeupState = 0 Else - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action') Now, add a second program: If Control 'Garage Door Sensor' is switched on And $WakeupState is not 0 Then Set 'LR Table Lamp' Off $WakeupState = 0 Else - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action') Good luck!