CPRail1

@Techman Agreed and both in play exactly as and for why you suggest. Cheers, Peter

Techman - Thank you. Yes the outlet's reliable and the led is consistent : off on the failed one and on with the good one, when plugged in. The failed one is actually only 3 months old so a warranty candidate indeed. Brian H -Thank you also. I did reboot the eisy and plm a couple of times separately and together along the way towards concluding that the plm was the issue and started the replacement process. The failed plm is Revision 2.7 , 2823 , purchased in June 2024 whereas my back up that is now in service is Revision 2.6 1223 purchased a year or so earlier with the eisy. Any other thoughts welcome but I do appreciate the concurrence that my diagnosis seems to have been solid. Just seemed so unlikely that a new PLM would have failed so quickly but it has. New electronics can do that. C'est la vie. p.s. I should add for others who may read this that the PLM and eisy are behind a UPS system and also in a solar charged house powering backup battery system in a reliable urban area not often subject to power outages or issues so decently albeit never perfectly protected from SCE power challenges. No other electronics experienced issues although the failure did occur during one of SoCal's hottest times so the grid was likely being challenged. Cheers, Peter

We came home yesterday after three weeks away to find that any Insteon/eisy based automation in the house was not working while any z-wave/eisy items were doing fine. Diagnosing today the 2413U usb plm had no led activity. Unplugging it and plugging in had no impact on the status LED. Always dead. Looking at it from within the admin consol the PLM showed as not connected. All physical connections appeared fine. I restarted the eisy to be sure. Ditto checked connections. No joy. As I had a spare 2413U for just such an occasion I have started the process to replace the one PLM with the other. This is solving the problem as now, once updated appropriately, the Insteon devices can be controlled and thus the automation actually working. Tentative conclusion, the original 2413U plm failed. My two questions: 1) My ISY 994 + serial PLM worked without issue for years. Decades perhaps. So long and successfully that I often forgot the details of accessing the admin console as I rarely needed it despite having a ton of automations in play. I only migrated to the eisy reluctantly, albeit understanding the logic behind why, a few months ago. Talking the opportunity to change to the USB PLM. Everything has worked fine for several months. Now I've apparently had my first PLM failure, ever. This seems suspicious since I'm relatively new at eisy. So, question : Did my diagnosis seem correct or have I been extreme in replacing the PLM ? i.e bad luck or bad diagnosis ? 2) Since I've only lasted a few months without a PLM failure, I am thinking I need a keep alive notification to warn me when the eisy and plm are not communicating and/or the plm has failed. I use the UDI mobile app. How would one recommend I do this ? Thank you for any thoughts, Peter

Hi Michel, Thank you. That will be a good long term solution so I'll keep a spare machine at Java 8 unless you've other suggestions of how I can do admin functions like program creation in the interim. Cheers, Peter

So I've done some more self education and it seems my issue is that a *.jnlp file needs a.javaws executable and the install noted above only results in a java and javaw executable. Looks like I'm going to have to do additional education on installing Java 11 to keep both tool groups happy. Update - So figuring that the Oracle install might give the javaws executable that I believe the *.jnlp is looking for, I uninstalled the AZUL version of Java 11 , restarted, and installed the Oracle Java 11. jdk-11.0.13_windows-x64_bin.exe - link, not the file. Same issue, no javaws executable. I'm sure I'm just missing a core concept here so any advice - basic or complicated - welcome. Thank you, Peter

Hi Geddy, Following what sounds like your same logic, I did initially start with the Java 11 from the Oracle site. When I ran into this same issue after that install - the 'other' tools working but the ISY's launch not - I figured perhaps some configuration / registry pieces were missing that an experienced Java person would know but I didn't. As the Oracle Java 11 download site didn't have a *.msi file (as the machine in question is Windows 11 using a *.msi seemed the KISS answer ) available, I started again from scratch with the Azul implementation which did. In checking things just now I see that I've no default application listed against *.jnlp so that would seem to be the core issue, at least with the launcher. Manually assigning the Azul's java.exe or javaw.exe to it didn't help the issue. Any other ideas welcome. I'm sure this will be obvious in retrospect after I've resolved it. Thanks, Peter

I've needed to update my Java to version 11 for reasons unrelated to the ISY due to a Java based suite of tools I use for other things whose developers are requiring Java 11 instead of Java 8 In doing so, my direct ISY launcher no longer works and while I can access my ISY through Firefox, I cannot access the admin console, stating Jave 2+ is needed. It would seem the most likely issue is that while I have Java 11 installed and working fine with the non-ISY suite of Java based tools, I've missed a step or something that I need to do to have the ISY's related links find the Java 11 installation. I am by no means an expert here so any advice welcome. The Java 11 install was done by uninstalling JAVA 8, restarting, and then installing the Windows 64 bit, *.msi version of https://www.azul.com/downloads/?version=java-11-lts&package=jre of Java 11. I'm running 5.3.4 . With no other issues, by the way, very stable. Any advice welcome, Cheers, Peter

Dennis, Thank you. I'll try resetting the module. It is not caused by a program, confirmed by both the log and the fact that I can trigger it by running the Query any time I choose. Appreciated, Peter

Hi all, I've discovered that whenever the "Query all" program runs at 3 AM (a default program and time if I recall) , one of my on/off Outdoor Modules (2634-222) turns off and then turns on again. I can recreate this at will by running the Query. What is this telling me and how do I fix it ? Thank you, Peter

Gspitale, As you'll see earlier in the thread I went with the ZRTSI via the ISY's z-wave and I'm very happy with it. EditOne downside is that, at least as far as I've been able to learn, it only supports the blinds as full up, or full down. You cannot stop midway nor have a 'favorite' setting as the Somfy handheld allows. The two both work independently of each other so when my wife wants a specific location, she uses the handheld, when the automation is just putting everything down automatically such as across our very hot mid afternoon sun, the system does it. Edit - As Dean noted in his edit above and I just independently discoverered myself, the "fade stop" command does stop the blinds wherever they are while in motion. I do own a Polisy but I've not yet tackled doing anything with the blinds. I'm very interested in seeing how others progress though. Also, if curious, there are Somfy blinds that are now natively zigbee and z-wave with no need of the ZRTSI. They were not applicable in my case as they didn't support the battery option we prefer in several of our installations. In case you're curious, here are some comments on them between myself and an industry contact familiar with them. Zigbee: "Question – From a networking perspective I’d have a cleaner and more reliable connection to the blinds if they supported Zigbee, thus allowing communication over the Eero 6 mesh which blankets the house. Also, the less competing networks, the better. The Somfy site indicates they have a Zigbee solution. https://www.somfysystems.com/en-us/discover-somfy/power-technology/zigbee . Ans: The two Zigbee modules on the link referenced from Somfy are for a completely different type of motor. These interfaces pertain to their SDN (Somfy Digital Network) Motors which required dedicated power to each motor. They don’t support Battery Powered Motors. At some point in 2021, Somfy will be releasing a Battery Powered Motor with a Zigbee module. Detailed specifications have not been released yet and I’m not sure of the minimum window shade width for these motor. If I recall some of the motors you have currently in your home have to have an external battery pack due to the narrow window width. But Somfy saying 2021 could be March or December. They test and test and test before they release product to the market. Based on the limited amount of email from Somfy about this upcoming system, I think it will be the second half of next year. Z-wave Also, there is a z-wave solution built by Somfy but not needing the ZRTsi. These are being sold through a third party who, I gather, contracted Somfy to build for them. Here is what I've learned on that. "Subject: Re: BaliBlinds Customer Support [#584742] Hello Peter, Our AutoView motorized shades are Zwave. You can read more about the Zwave motorization on our website www.Motorization.Support. " And my contact's thoughts " Bali is the same as Graber. Springs Windows Fashions is the parent company of both. The Graber Brand is marketed through the Customer Dealer Distribution Channel and the Bali Brand is marketed through the Lowe’s Warehouse Distribution channel. AutoView is the Bali name and VirtualCord is the Graber name, but it is an Z-Wave embedded motor manufactured by Somfy for Graber/Bali. This is the motor we have experienced the premature battery drain and quality issues and as such, we have decided not to use it on projects. But nonetheless, Graber/Bali/Springs will not sell motors without purchasing a complete shade. In our opinion, the Somfy RTS motor is still the best option until the technology is improved with the Z-Wave embedded motor. " I can only directly comment on the ZRTSI solution as that's the one I've used. The above two add ons are just some of the things I've learned in the interim as I watch the market. We so love the automated blinds so much that, eventually, we will do many more in the house. Your milage may vary. Cheers, Peter

Ok, that version does make more sense to me and looks like many of mine I can empathise with your logic of adding 'just in case' components as, like you, I've a programming background but still find things in the ISY, or maybe it is Insteon, that don't work as I would expect intuitively. I honestly would not have been at all surprised to find out your original version was correct and I'd "missed a memo". The experiences of others on these forums clear those up in many cases. Of course the MII is one of the Insteon side mysteries and this thread is a wonderful example of what can be learned through the patient experiments and experiences of others

Tjkintz, Thank you for posting this. I've been following this thread with interest and always like to see how others do things. That said, I don't think I'm understanding the purpose of the middle "AND" . Unless values other than 0 or 1 are possible, will that AND not always be TRUE ? And, regardless, doesn't the last AND dictate that, regardless of everything else, $Master_bath_night_light_status must be 0 for anything to happen ? I'm wondering if you truly intended to use the variable $Master_bath_night_light_status in both AND statements or if you have an additional variable in play but accidentally not used. Or brackets in the wrong place. By my reading, you could remove the middle AND with absolutely no impact. But it is Monday AM... Cheers, Peter

Hi TDay, Now that is intriguing ! I have had 20 blinds, of two different lengths and motors, set up now for about 8 months, controlling them through the ZRTSi via Zwave and the ISY. They've worked reliably with the one disappointment that they are either full up or full down. The ZRTSI / ISY combination apparently doesn't understand the more capable position and "stop now" commands that the native Somfy hand held can do with the same sets of blinds. But I digress. That is an interesting development with the Autoview and the Easyview. I actually have several of the blinds disassembled right now so I'll check out the motors and see if I can see the name on them. I'm currently trying figure out a less awkward charging set up - we're using battery and the installer brilliantly mounted the battery so the charging port/connection is inaccessible without taking the whole things apart so I'm investigating making my own JST pigtails. We are pondering adding additional blinds as we love the convenience. so I'll definitely keep my ears/eyes open for anything on the Autoview. Thank you for adding ! Cheers, Peter

Gzahar, Thank you ! Cheers, Peter

Hello all, I use the 2334-222 8 button key pad and similar items to control scenes and have a 'best practise' question' as I'd like to understand what others do. Q1. I have a scene 'Cathy entertaining' that allows my wife to set up the house the way she likes it for guests. She starts it with an 8 pad button. She rarely shuts it off by same - I'm the geek. Rather than have the scene accidentally shut off by time or duration when her guests are still here I just use a somewhat brute force method by triggering a different scene "All off" that shuts everything off in the house. This runs a couple of times in the early am just as a catch all. As the 8 way is is not a controller of this scene, it and its associated backlit stays on despite all of its scene members being off. Without running a program to explicitly turn the entertaining scene off, I'm assuming there's an obvious and logical way to get the keypad button turned off. What am I missing ? Q2. We have occasion where members of two scenes over lap. Is there an elegant (meaning not a ton of almost duplicate programing) way to have the keypad button light shut off when members of its scene are shut off by another scene thereby making it obvious to my wife to hit her button again ? Q2b - An example of this is when a traditional 3 way - one light, two switches - managing a hall light by example is also a member of her scene. Q3. The Agave program does an interesting job of showing a % active of a scene, triggered or not. By example we have 20 different blinds controlled via the z-wave ISY and when, say, the downstairs ones are up and upstairs are down, the app shows 50% . If 1 is up and the rest down, it shows 5%. Has anyone tried to replicate something like this through a program that in turn sets the back light percentage of a key pad or similar I've been thinking of adding up items on, off, etc and using it as a variable to drive the % . Anyone else's ideas or code would be appreciated. Thank you all. Again I know I can figure out brute force methods of accomplishing these things but i'm hoping others can shed some elegance/ best practises that allow the methodology to scale to a significant number of scenes and, preferably not need a ton of tweaking when I create new scenes or modify old. Any guidance welcomed, Cheers, Peter