yardman 49

No, that does not help at all. I didn't think that it would. As I previously stated, my PLC works just fine with all Insteon signals from the same outlets.

Mark: Yes, I do. I have Access points. The Insteon portion of my network if very solid. All my Insteon stuff worked just fine, controlling through a PLC in my office. But not through the ISY/PLM.

Well, after playing with X10 last night, this morning I tried to add my hall KPL and two togglelincs to the ISY. Big problems right away: When an Insteon device is added, or a device is turned on or off, I will usually get an error message stating that "Cannot Communicate with (device code). Please check connections." Sometimes the communication will actually go through. In fact, usually the lights I'm controlling will indeed go on and off. But it seems as though the return communication is not occuring. Well, the result is now that my existing links on the KPL and dimmers were indeed overwritten (including previous scenes programmed to buttons). But now I keep getting these errors. Troubleshooting I did: - I removed the APC serial surge suppressor = no help. - I turned off my computer firewall (just in case) = no help. - I tried different outlets in my office for the PLM. Also tried one in the hallway = no help. Just for background info: my current PLC running Houselinc in in my office, and does not have these problems. - I unplugged my existing Houselinc PLC = no help - I power cycled the ISY and PLM = no help. So I'm kind of out of options. Questions: - Is it possible that the PLM that I received is defective, and is causing these problems? - Is the tranmitter/receiver on the PLM the same as the PLC, so that I should expect the same level of performance? - Is the ISY possibly bad? Kind of doubt this, but is there a way to check? Thanks

Hello again Michel: I currently have some KPL buttons and other Insteon devices (Togglelinc, Lamplincs, ApplianceLincs) that I have configured for X10. So for instance, on my kitchen sink KPL, button E is coded for X10 E2, and button G for X10 E3, each controlling various groups of lights in the house. When I add that KPL to the ISY, if I choose to "Overwrite" the existing links, will my X10 codes remain unaffected, or will I have to recreate them on the KPL? Thanks

Hello Michel: Thanks for sharing the "X10 history" with me. For what it's worth, I am very glad that you did add some level of X10 functionality. I probably wouldn't be integrating the ISY into my system if some level of X10 were not available. So I am very appreciative. Would you consider adding just a very basic type of direct X10 control? Not adding X10 to the tree, but maybe as a new tab under "Configuration", just before or just after the ELK tab. I picture this new tab view as having a table/spreadsheet built into it that would allow us to enter a list of our X10 codes, with a description box for each code where we could manually identify the devices associated with that code (e.g., flood lights, KPL button H, motion sensor, etc). The list could be active, such that you would click and highlight an X10 code ("selecting" it), and then you could could click a function button, such as "on", "off", "query", etc., to immediately send a command out to the selected code. I think that this could help in troubleshooting X10 problems, in my opinion. Due to the inherent signal problems with X10, it would just be nice to have a way to see if a direct control signal from the GUI thru the ISY to the PLM to the network is actually getting through. Thanks

Wow, Mark....thanks for getting back so quickly! I should have posted earlier and saved myself some time! So what I just did in way of an "X10 test" was to create two programs. The first was "If M1 'X10/on' is received, send E1 'X10/on'". And I made a second one to turn E1 off. This worked for my E1 coded lights. So at least I know that the hardware is working, albeit slowly. Probaby about 1 to 2 seconds, which is actually much slower than X10 signals normally pass around my house. But at least it does work. Michel: Have you considered giving us the ability to add X10 codes similar to adding Insteon devices? We could then more easily test X10 control, and also keep a list in the GUI as to what X10 codes control what X10 devices in our networks. We can presently do this with SH Houselinc. Thanks.

Hello all: Well, I finally have started to set up my ISY-26. As I have many links to rebuild, I figured that I would start slow and try to add my X10 codes first, and then do the Insteon stuff later I have downloaded and installed 2.5 Beta (2.4.12). I've been looking around the forums, but cannot find any information on how to add and manually trigger an X10 "on" or "off" command. I thought that I had seen a post on this a few days back, but could not find it tonight. Please forgive my ignorance. I'm and Essential Timer and Houselinc refugee. I thought that there would be a command that would allow me to simply add an X10 code to a list or tree, where I could identify what the code was used for, and then be able to click on or select that code to send an "On" command out for that code. It doesn't seem like there's much on the Wiki, either. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Hello Michel & Chris: I am aware that SH is currently beta-testing some sort of touch screen device for their Insteon products. But from what I understand it will not function as a true interface for the ISY-26 or the 99.9 product. As an idea for a future ISY product, could I suggest a similar touch-screen interface for UD's products? For instance, such a device would enable you to interface with scenes and devices that have already been programmed into the ISY/PLM combo. In that way, the ISY would be fully "aware" of what scenes are being toggled on and off through the touchscreen (and vice-versa), without the need for any additional programming. I could see where there would be two different levels of access: the basic level would only function as a trigger, switch control, and readback. An advanced level would require a password, and would allow some level of timer and scene re-programming. This would seem to fill a "niche" between the high-end, high-cost, full-automation systems, and low-end, entry-level lighting control, thus futhering the mission of the ISY to provide user-friendly automation without the need for a "always-on" pc. Keep up the great work! Frank

FrankG wrote: I think that I have a solution for you: put the Linksys wireless bridge in the room behind (or under, or above) your media center. Run Cat5e cable through the wall, from the room with the media center to the room with the wireless bridge. Put network port plates in the walls of both rooms, plug in the devices, and you should be able to accomplish your goal. If you already have wall plates for cable connections, you can substitute a modular type plate that lets you have mixed media jacks on the same plate. Thus, you could use an already existing plate in the media room, and simply add an ethernet port to it. As an example of this, when I finished my basement I wired three rooms for 4 phone lines, 1 cable drop, and 1 network drop. Each wall plate that I installed has 2 duplex RJ6 telephone jacks (for a total of 4 lines), 1 cable port, and 1 ethernet port. It all functions well and looks very neat. You can get everthing you need at the big box stores or Radio Shack for pretty cheap. Best wishes

Hello Michel: When SH finally releases the 1600 link PLM, will we be able to easily swap it into our ISY network? I know that you guys are really on top of things, so I'm assuming that your code will be updated to allow for a seemless swap-out to the new "high link" version of the PLM. Best wishes

md castle asked: I don't know specifically about a Leviton GFCI recepticle. But there have been reports on the SH forum about interference caused by some GFCI. I had to tap into an existing GFCI protected circuit while installing an X10 floodlight. Fortunately, the GFCI outlet that protected that branch of the circuit was also where my tie in point was going to be. Therefore I has able to use the "line" side of the GFCI, so that my X10 signals did not even have to pass through the GFCI. This approach worked without problems for me. After looking at what you stated about your installation, it would seem best (if possible) to be able to not have your PLM signal pass through a GFCI. ********************************* You also wrote: Up until now, I have been running a PLC in my office to control my devices. I don't know if it is comparable to the PLM in terms of transmission and reception, and sensitivity to power line noise. But I do now that after I put an APC UPS on my main computer in my office, my PLC started registring all sorts of noise on the activity light. This noise would seem to cause slowdowns when I tried to download link changes to my Insteon devices. I tried Filterlincs and other brands of filters on the UPS with no success. In fact, when I would put a filter on the UPS, the powerline noise got even worse! I finally was able to get rid of most of the noise by filtering select devices that were plugged into my UPS (most significantly, my HP AIO printer), but not the UPS itself. Weird, but it worked. Strangely enough, my previous Cyberpower UPS did not have the same problem. I have successfully used FilterLincs in other parts of my house to solve X10 transmission problems. The worst one was actually my son's laptop computer power supply/charger. Strange when you think of all the other electronic gear that I have plugged in, that a laptop would be sucking up so much signal. I also have halogen under-counter lighting that I had installed this summer. Due to problems that I saw others reporting on the SH forum with such lights, I pre-wired some Leviton model 6287 in-line filters right into the light housings. As far as I can tell I have had no noticeable powerline noise problems caused by these lights with the filters installed I cannot say if other Insteon devices plugged into your office will suffer similar problems to the PLM. But I know that when I used to have a Signalinc plugged into my office circuit that it would "see" the same noise on it that my PLC was seeing (from my UPS). So I ended up moving the Signalinc to another circuit. Hope this helps a little.

I just thought of something else: I suppose that ideally I would want to get the PLM with the latest firmware update when I order the ISY-26 (Rev. 2.4, Firmware 52 ??). Do I need to place my ISY order directly with UD to be able to be assured of getting a PLM with the latest firmware, or can I order the ISY through SmartHome and still be assured of getting the latest version?? Thanks again

Thanks Sloop, Mark, Michel. It would seem that the the current PLM should work for me. I will only have 5 KPLs (8 button), 2 Controlincs, and 2 RemoteLincs for my multibutton devices. Most of the rest are ToggleLincs, with a few LampLincs thrown it. And then some x10 controlled lights, lamp modules and appliance modules. I'll let you know how it all works out. Thanks again

Hello Michel K and the UD staff: I am ready to go ahead and order my ISY-26. My only reservation right now is the PLM. I have about 30 Insteon devices and several X10 devices in my system. Of the Insteon devices, 5 of them are KeyPadLincs, with multiples scenes and many linked devices. I'm worried that I may hit the 417 link limit in the current PLM, which is what is holding me back from ordering right now. Is is possible for me to order the ISY-26 with a beta-version of the rumored "1k link" PLM? If so, how would I go about doing that? ************************************************************* On another note: I am not too worried right now about the ISY receiving X10 commands reliably. But being able to reliably send X10 commands is a must have for me, due to various X10 timed events that I use. I have a Smarthome 4826A Signalinc Repeater and a couple of BoosterLincs in my network, as well as FilterLincs as needed, so my X10 reliability from my KPLs and switches is good. So as long as the ISY/PLM can send a good signal, it should get propagated and received. But please see below for more on this. ************************************************************* For what it's worth, I've seen some strange phenomena on the Smarthome PLC (yes, not the PLM) that I currently use with their "Essential Timer" software. I share this in case it provides any insight for you on the PLM problems that users may be experiencing. Granted, I don't know how similar the PLC is to the PLM. 1) When my downloaded "Essential Timer" timers run from the PLC, if one works, they all work. There is an occasional failure scenario where once in a while, none of my timers will fire. To fix this, all I have to do is re-download the timers, and everything is happy. Maybe once every month or two. In this scenario, it seems as though the downloaded timed events just get locked up, and re-downloading them fixes it. 2) Except the occasional problem #1 above, the X10 timers run reliably from the PLC. But if I manually trigger an X10 device from the PLC (through the Essential Timer software), I have to use repeated tries to get the device to turn on or off. (On the other hand, I can manually trigger the same device through the same PLC using SmartHome's "Houselinc" software, and the device will fire reliably). I've moved the PLC to various outlets, but the result is always the same. So apparently, however Essential Timer and the PLC handle X10 commands, they do it differently when the commands come as a timed event from within the PLC versus a direct control command from the ET software via a computer through the PLC. I've never understood this. When my network was more simple, I don't remember seeing this. It happened as I added more Insteon devices. But it's just weird that downloaded timers work, but direct X10 doesn't in Essential Timer. Again, HouseLinc seems to work just fine at direct X10 control. The various Insteon KPL buttons and ToggleLincs that I use for X10 control also seem to control and respond reliably at the first push. It's only the Essential Timer software direct control that does this. I only shared this in as much as I was wondering if this related to the X10 failures that you are seeing with the PLM. Could there be some timing problem with the PLM between incoming and outgoing signals that is exacerbated by line noise? Anway, thanks much and best wishes to you and the UD staff.