fisix

Just an update. I went ahead and purchased the selection of caps from Mouser, and installed them in my V1.5 1130 PLM. The LED hadn't dimmed in a way that I could recognize, but given the general failure rate, I went ahead and replaced them because I'm having problems that sound a lot like PLM issues. After replacing the caps and Restoring Devices, everything is working well. I won't know for sure that it was the PLM that was the issue (and therefore needed/benefited from the cap replacement) for at least a few weeks. If the system is reliable for more than a few weeks, it'll be safe to add my PLM to the list of failed/repaired. I still have the old caps, so I guess I could try to measure their capacitance...

Alright fellas, just an update. The system went back into the mode where none of the programs that required transmissions from switches/sensor BACK to the ISY were working, AND, on top of that, I couldn't run any of the programs using the various Alexa devices around the house. Just to remind, last time, the device-->PLM programs weren't working, but I could still verbally control things through Alexa... so, it at least seemed like signals from the PLM were getting transmitted out to the devices, but signals from the devices weren't being received by the PLM. I didn't do a lot of testing this time, unfortunately, but given the info you all provided before regarding the PLM failure rates, and how old mine was, I went ahead and ordered the caps to perform a repair. I did look at the LED light, and it didn't look dim to me... but whatever. In any event, tonight I pulled the old caps, installed the new ones, and then hooked everything back up. Initially, I noted that the device-->PLM programs still weren't working, but PLM-->device controls WERE working, and now I could control devices using Alexa (meaning, I could run the "then" parts of programs and control devices). So, I thought maybe I had made some headway, but things still weren't back to normal. Finally, I again went through the Restore Devices process. The process completed with no errors, and now all the programs are working as normal... meaning that both the PLM--> devices and devices-->PLM communications appear to be working. That's great, but I'm not feeling very confident about the reliability of the system at the moment. Which is a bummer after years of it being bullet proof. So, right now I'm in testing mode. If you guys have any thoughts on what might be happening, other than the caps going bad in the PLM, I'd love to hear it. Some possibilities: 1) some other component in the PLM is going bad - it seems like this would be tied to the Rx channel, but it would be pretty far upstream because it appears to be broken for both wired and wireless Rx signals. 2) some electrical component in the ISY is going bad - this could be tied to the Rx channel from the PLM to the ISY (Maybe the daughter card in the PLM is going bad?). This could be the issue - the PLM is plugged into the wall, and the ISY is plugged into a UPS - their grounds aren't the same, so I guess there's a chance that a power surge/outage could have caused a differential voltage to build up between them, enough to damage the communication components, even if they are only linked by transformers or optoisolators. 3) some logic component in the ISY is going bad - this could be a memory issue, but it'd have to be pretty mild to basically make the state machine crap out but still allow control signals to be transmitted to devices using the GUI. 4) some device in my group of devices is somehow corrupting the communication channel. I don't know how this might happen, but from other threads it sounds like some of the Insteon devices can go bad just the PLM does and perhaps send out noise on the communication channel... which could basically fuzz the system and generate erratic behavior. Just something to mull on while I wait to see if the system falls back into non-working mode. This last time, it took 2-3 weeks for the system to die, from when I last Restored Devices. Thanks everyone.

Got it. Oh well. Just get good caps and pray. Well, and maybe a whole house surge protector or whatnot.

Mine is V1.5 1130. Which makes no sense if I interpret 1015 as the tenth week of 2015. Unless there's a time warp. And V1.5 I don't think goes back to 2011... let alone the 30th month of that year. I'm working on finding a backup. Thanks for the links!

Hmm. You know, if all we need is 5V... those usb charger warts that Apple ships with their iPhones and iPads are very nice, and very small, and they seem to last forever (as long as you don't get one of the fake aftermarket knockoffs). I haven't looked inside to trace where the communication signals get patched back into the power lines, but would it be possible to just remove the power supply circutry that's in there and replace it with one of those warts? I think they're about the same size as the transformer in there.... any other voltages generated by the current PS? Anyone know what the current draw is on the 5V rail? Just a thought. The engineering Apple (and others) have done on those small warts is superb, and it'd be great to leverage it for something as important as the PLM. I've had to repair old Gb switches (that I didn't want to replace) with crappy PS units, and I've had good luck just finding a contemporary PS that generates the right voltages, can supply more than the rated current, and fits within the case. Newer isn't always better, but from the right manufacturer with the right philosophy, it almost always is. For these PLMs, I'd contemplate something that didn't fit within the original cover and just 3d printing a tumor-like mesh cover to keep fingers from shorting things unintentionally. Unfortunately, such fix wouldn't generally work with other devices that have to fit within a typical electrical box...

How do I check if the link database is the PLM is empty? I was trying to diagnose last night but didn't really find a way to drill down into the functioning (or not) of the PLM.

It's either 6 years old or 4 years old. I purchased one with my 99i, then got another when I upgraded to the 994i. I can't find the 99i or the other modem... so I can't tell what the date is exactly, I guess. That'll suck if it's going bad.

All is good on the western front. Restore devices worked fine. Used this: http://wiki.universal-devices.com/index.php?title=ISY-99i/ISY-26_INSTEON:File_Menu#Restore_Modem_.28PLM.29 Thanks!

Ok, I figured it out. I restored a single switch, and now it works fine. That means I probably need to restore all devices to be safe. Sigh.

Well... actually, I was able to reload the remotelinc, and now the programs tied to those switches run properly. I'm not sure what I'm seeing. I'm guessing there's some kind of link mapping that's now wrong for the fast on/off (multiple switches), and for the motion sensor. Maybe a data munging, or maybe the PLM is funky and needs to be remapped. Should I try "restore devices"? I've just now backed up the ISY, and the last backup I have is from version 4.5.4 of the firmware. Not sure how compatible the backups are...

Hard boot didn't work either. I tried to replace cables and place the modem in a different socket, to see if that helped, but nothing. Clearly the motion sensor is wireless, but is perhaps the fast on/off feedback through the wireless channel rather than through the wired? I can control everything through the UI, as far as I can tell, but the remotelinc and the motion sensors aren't working. Could the dual band modem have lost its wireless band? It's the typical one from smart home, and it may be about 7 years old... Is there a way to diagnose the modem? Unfortunately, I don't have an extra one around...

Firmware and UI are 4.6.2 and match. I'm going to go through both the reboot and the hard power boot and I'll report back. I've tried both but had no luck. I tried to get an 8 scene remotelinc to connect while rebooting and such before, but no joy. The ISY can send control signals to devices, can read device statuses properly (on/off), and if I run the "then" part of a program, the device does what it should, but the ISY just can't trigger any of the programs (none of the "if" conditions tied to device status/controls work). I just tried the reboot. Didn't work. Error log is below, and will try the hard boot next. Error Log: 2017/09/25 22:32:11 System -5 Start 2017/09/25 22:32:13 System -170001 [Network] Established

I should add - it's just the programs. My tie-ins to Alexa are still working. Could a power outage have done something weird with the module that links the ISY to the power lines?

Weird problem that seems to have just started today. None of my programs are executing - it's as if the ISY isn't receiving anything back from the various sensors/switches in the system. Including motion sensors, light switches (I have some programs tied to fast on fast off), and others. Any hints on what to try/look at?