porscheguy

Thanks for your reply, and I will try out your suggestion when I get a chance. But here is a response to your questions: 1) PLM 2412S, V2.9 Rev 3.1; As far as controlled devices having occasional problems, EZIO40V00, and 2476S SwitchLinc Relay V00, 2476D SwitchLinc Dimmer V00 (all version numbers except the PLM are what my admin window tells me). 2) In the cases of interest, the device actually does not do what it is supposed to do, e.g. a light is supposed to go off and doesn't. Why the commands fail I do not know of course. The signal strength seems to be good; repeated comands from the admin window almost always work, the device responds properly to scheduled program commands on a daily basis for weeks or even months without error, but occasionally fails, and that is why I want to be notified. Sometimes the command fails at a time of extreme "quietness," e.g. early in the morning when no TVs, CFLs or other RF or unusual activity should be possibly interfering with the signals. If it happened a lot it would drive me crazy and I would trash the system. Maybe it is one of those rare neutrino collisions, maybe a cosmic ray, whatever. I just want the system to be reliable and I don't spend my free time studying the idiosyncracies of this system (and there are lots of them!). Now that I have installed 3.1.17 and have variables to play with, I will slowly try your idea and get back with you on this. I will mention that I did, on my own (or maybe as a result of perusing the forum), find a solution of sorts that has been a work around for some time, but I raised this issue again just to see if there is a new, better way. What I did is as follows in pseudocode (I don't know how to copy my code like you did): Program TurnOffValve: If Status Valve Is On Then Set Valve Off; Wait 5 Seconds; Run Program CheckValveIsOff (If) Wait 5 Seconds; Run CheckValveIsOffOrAlert (If) Else (Nothing) Program CheckValveIsOff: If Status Valve Is On Then Set Valve Off; Else Stop Program TurnOffValve Program CheckValveIsOffOrAlert: If Status Valve Is On Then Send Notification To 'Me' content 'Valve is not off' Else (Nothing) The key here is the ability to terminate a program mid-stream by use of the Stop Program command. This has worked pretty well, and since the event happens rarely, I'm not bothered too much (only once in maybe six months on a critical valve, I haven't used this on lights yet). Obviously I can repeat the Wait X seconds and Check many times before sending an alert and hopefully the valve will eventually be shut off without bothering me. But if I am in some remote location when it happens, I can log in remotely and take some kind of remedial action. Thanks again -

Not sure how to do this, but I started this topic some time ago and Michel promised something would be done about it. I've just upgraded to 3.1.17 and wonder if anyone can tell me if it is now possible to respond to an error such as -2 as I had requested? Briefly - this means a command was sent to a device and no confirmation was received (or something along those lines). For me that means something I wanted to happen didn't. So I would like - in program mode - to sense such an error and launch a routine to try to remedy it. For example if a pump is supposed to turn off and a -2 error is received, a routine would be called which could wait 10 seconds and try to turn the pump off again. If the error occurred again, the process could be continued in a loop for a fixed number of times (e.g. 5 times) after which an email notice could be sent alerting me to the failure. Thanks for any update on this -

I'm back again. I decided to continue in this topic because of my issues with errors and wanting to be able to deal with errors in a programming methodology. But it brings to mind a question that probably is better handled in a different forum area, and maybe someone can point me to the appropriate area. The question is - why do I get these errors? Here is my reason for asking this. I have device D200 (the 200 means it is at least 200 ft away from the PLM and ISY), another device D100, and another device D1. (Don't ask me right now which power leg, and how many other Insteon devices are on each path, because I don't know at the moment!) But I send on/off commands to each of these and I get the same basic result on the Event Viewer (without the timng) - [iNST-ACK ] 02 62 16.6A.3F 0F 13 00 06 LTOFFRR(00) [iNST-SRX ] 02 50 16.6A.3F AA.AA.AA 2B 13 00 LTOFFRR(00) [standard-Direct Ack][16.6A.3F-->ISY/PLM Group=0] Max Hops=3, Hops Left=2 What this indicates to me is that in all cases, whether 200 ft away, or 100 ft away, or 1 ft away, the signal is achieved directly with 1 hop (or is it 0 hops?). No problem as far as signal strength. With such seemingly good communication, why do I get any errors at all from such devices? With additional hops available, and with the supposed "Retries" that Insteon claims as part of the "Insteon Engine" it would seem that I shouldn't have any errors. Let me note that I have receivded errors from devices at times when there is no other communication activity anywhere near the time of the error, and early in the morning when no powerline activity at all should be present. I have my event viewer set to Device Communication Events, which I think gives maximal communication info. It would seem to me that the number of hops required should be an indicator of network quality. I agree with LeeG that some device that could record or measure signal quality, noise, etc. would be helpful. What I want to know is: 1) When an error occurs, e.g. -2, will the event viewer show the supposed Retries that Insteon claims is part of the Insteon Engine. 2) As far as the Insteon Retries, how much time is allowed to elapse between retries? 2) Does the ISY as part of its software try to do any communication resolution of its own? Thanks anyone -

I guess what I was thinking is that in the cases I experience, it seems the first time I retry it succeeds, although currently there is a significant time lapse between an error and my finding out about it and trying to correct it. If a program condition were available, I would use repeats with a wait of some time - maybe 10 seconds - and retry. I'd also give up and send a notification after some number - say 5 - unsuccesful retrys. If there is a major communication problem I'm up a creek anyway and a notification would hopefully go out and I'd get around to finding out what is going on. If it's optional - let the buyer beware! But anything in this direction would be appreciated. Thanks Michel - I guess that's enough on this subject.

Thanks Michel - I think that would be very useful. Just as a thought, maybe if something like this were available, the user could select which specific errors would result in a notification; any error, or a set of certain selected errors. On another tact, it would also be nice if an error could trigger a condition in a program in which case a repeat loop could be implemented to try to resolve the error. Thanks again -

FYI - I just had another of those "infrequent" failures to communicate. A pool pump controlled by an EZIO40 failed to operate because of a communication error. It has worked for weeks but today it decides not to communicate. I get a nice dialogue on my ISY that that particular device failed to communicate. It seems it would be very "easy" ( for you that is) to, at the same time that the dialogue is gereated, an optional notification could be generated. However, in the log, I note something that I don't understand. I don't know yet how to cut and paste from the log and get it to look right, but here is a segment: PoolEquipment / ValveDirection On 255 Tue 2011/04/05 11:00:00 AM Program Log PoolEquipment / ValvePower On 255 Tue 2011/04/05 11:00:00 AM Program Log ] 02 02 [uNKNOWN ] 02 02 Tue 2011/04/05 11:00:01 AM System -2 PoolEquipment / PoolPump Tue 2011/04/05 11:00:05 AM System -2 PoolEquipment / ValvePower Off 0 Tue 2011/04/05 11:00:40 AM Program Log PoolEquipment / ValveDirection Off 0 Tue 2011/04/05 11:00:40 AM Program Log PoolEquipment / ValveDirection Status 100% Tue 2011/04/05 11:00:40 AM System Log PoolEquipment / ValveDirection Status 0% Tue 2011/04/05 11:00:41 AM System Log At 11:00 am it is correct that a command to turn on ValvePower, and turn ValveDirection off. I see the commands going out and then later the status showing that the commands were correctly executed. But in the middle of all of this there is the two -2 errors and the UNKNOWN indicator. None of this should be there - there is no communication scheduled for the PoolPump at this time. What is all this about? All of these - ValvePower, ValveDirection and PoolPump are relays in the same EZIO40. Is this somehow relevant?

That would be a good thing - Thanks Michel

Hmmm - Obviously I'm new at this, but I find this troubling. Insteon touts their product as being very robust, but in fact it isn't. The forum is full of users who are happy to finally achieve 98% reliability. So if I have a control system, that really controls much of the time, but occasionally not - I at least want some way of knowing when there is a problem. And I'd like to know right away - not a week later when I return home, or when I happen to log in from a remote location and find the error in a log file. At least so far, the only problems I have are due to device A (for example a relay) that is told to activate (or deactivate) and it doesn't do it. In this case the error is that a status request is unanaswered and the ISY flags this as an error. Is there no way that I can get a notification (email) whenever there is an error of any kind?

I've searched for a while trying to find a post dealing with this issue but decided to just ask a question: I have what seems to be a pretty solid Insteon-only (no X-10) system. I have no problem communicating with all devices manually, and under program control I get pretty reliable performance. But I occasionally get errors (-2) where no acknowledgement of the status occurs, and this usually means that the device does not do what it has been commanded to do. I can and will continue to work at getting a better network but what I want to know is how - under program control - to deal with errors when they occur. Whenever I've experienced an error - the next time I try to communicate with the same device it works fine - so it is an infrequent event. What I'd like is a way of detecting the error and be able to repeat the command until it "takes" or, if it doesn't after a few attempts, have it notify me by email. I see nothing in the program capabilities that detects an error so I can't use it in a condition. What is the best and most general way to detect and respond to an infrequent error of this type automatically (or automagically) when they occur? Thanks for any help -

I would like to know, if anyone can answer this; what does the InLineLinc (ILL) sense input circuit look like? A simplified circuit is all I'm looking for. I've determined that it needs more than 66 VAC for the ILL sense to detect an "On" state from a motion sensor (MS). 80 VAC does work, and I've seen elsewhere on the forum that it needs to go pretty close to 0 VAC to sense an "Off". My question is whether it needs to be AC; will a DC level work? Is there a capacitive input? (I'm asking here before I try it in hopes of not destroying an ILL to find out!). I have a MS that does not put out enough VAC when "On" to trigger the ILL. Yes, I can go get a different MS but if a DC signal will work, a few inexpensive passive devices can get me the requisite DC level without much trouble. I would like to keep the exisiting MS. Thanks for any input.

OK. After some detours I was able to carry out the experiment and I think you've got it nailed. I was able to link the EZIO40 to a SwitchLink in the same circuit a few feet apart. The relay on the EZIO40 does activate (click). The links table on the SwitchLink does show a link to the EZIO40 but the links table on the EZIO40 is the same as before. So - bottom line I need newer firmware on the EZIO40? I've got a call into Simple Home Net to see how I can get this done. Thanks for all the help. (I've got to go away for awhile but I'll check in later.)

So let me get this straight: for this experiment do I link the devices "outside of the ISY"? In otherwords act like there is no ISY and link the devices first by putting controlling device (e.g. a SwitchLinc) in the linking mode and then put the EZIO40 in linking mode (by using the Set button sequence for the particular relay)? Then add the EZIO40 and look at the links? Should both devices (the SwitchLinc and EZIO40) be deleted from the ISY before doing the preceding?

OK - now what is going on! This is like many of my projects - I start making a small change and things snowball. I decided to do your last suggestion: I deleted the EZ, then did the factory reset, then I added it back into the ISY using the address and pulldown menu approach. I then decided to look at the links table of the EZ. It comes back with: 0FF8 : 00 10 AA.AA.AA FF 00 00 I then did a Compare. In the past a window comes up and shows the ISY table and says identical or not on each line. Now I never get the other window and I have an hourglass cursor that won't quit. I exited out of the admin window, reopened and all looked good. But if I try to compare link tables I get the hourglass again. Should I have removed the remotelinc too? Finally - I did delete the remotelinc (because there might have been some vestiges of connection to the EZ) and restarted the admin window. When I looked at the links table for the EZ it is a single line as above. But this time instead of a compare right away, I instead looked at the ISY links table and for the EZ it is blank. Why isn't there a link? And by the way the EZ works if I send a command from the device window. Also by the way - once I removed the remotelinc I no longer get the hourglass when I hit the compare but I don't get the behavior I saw before either (window popping up showing identical on each line) even for a "good" behaving insteon device where the two links tables look the same except for a line in the device with all zeros. Now what?

LeeG Sorry, but I guess I don't know how to do a factory reset on the EZIO40. It doesn't seem to be in any of my documentation.

Thanks for the input, Lee: I purchased my EZIO40 5/12/09 from SmartHome. But if the ISY does communicate fine with the EZIO as I have mentioned (just not within a scene) can the EZIO be "plugged"? By the way what does that mean, anyway? And also - it seems the links are alright. Also, earlier you asked: Here is what mine does when I press button 1 on the RL: Wed 02/09/2011 03:20:13 PM : [iNST-SRX ] 02 50 0A.2C.72 00.00.01 C7 11 00 LTONRR (00) Wed 02/09/2011 03:20:13 PM : [standard-Group][0A.2C.72-->Group=1] Max Hops=3, Hops Left=1 Wed 02/09/2011 03:20:13 PM : [ A 2C 72 1] DON 0 Wed 02/09/2011 03:20:13 PM : [ 1 72 14 1] ST 255 Wed 02/09/2011 03:20:13 PM : [iNST-SRX ] 02 50 0A.2C.72 00.00.01 C7 11 00 LTONRR (00) Wed 02/09/2011 03:20:13 PM : [standard-Group][0A.2C.72-->Group=1] Max Hops=3, Hops Left=1 Wed 02/09/2011 03:20:13 PM : Duplicate: ignored Wed 02/09/2011 03:20:13 PM : [iNST-SRX ] 02 50 0A.2C.72 00.00.01 C7 11 00 LTONRR (00): Process Message: failed Wed 02/09/2011 03:20:13 PM : [standard-Group][0A.2C.72-->Group=1] Max Hops=3, Hops Left=1 Wed 02/09/2011 03:20:13 PM : [iNST-SRX ] 02 50 0A.2C.72 AA.AA.AA 41 11 01 LTONRR (01) Wed 02/09/2011 03:20:13 PM : [standard-Cleanup][0A.2C.72-->ISY/PLM Group=1] Max Hops=1, Hops Left=0 I'm going to try your procedure anyway and I'll get back after I do it.