"Is Disarmed" has been added to voice announcements

[apostolakisl]

Once again all of my voice announcements now say what they are supposed to say, followed incorrectly by the words "is disarmed". Again, I have re-saved the program and now it speaks correctly. But this "fix" only lasts a day or so before it starts adding "is disarmed" to the end again.

[NHWA]

Do you ever mute any of your elk announcements? I often mute my elk announcements at night when arming the system. I found that it would randomly queue the end of the muted announcements and then that would be randomly spoken the next time my elk announced something. I never found a reason for this but some others at cocoontech had similar findings. Ultimately, I programmed the elk to speak a "silent" phrase at the end of a muted announcement and then that solved the problem.

[apostolakisl]

Thanks for the suggestion, but no, I don't have anything setup to mute. I also don't have any programs set to say "is disarmed" as part of any voice message. I don't know if this is an ISY or an Elk problem, but it seems to me that if re-saving the program in ISY fixes it, that it is probably ISY.

 

The Elk DST thing is also still screwed up, but that is a whole different thing.

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi apostolakisl,

 

Apologies for not responding to you before. We are looking into it and just haven't been able to reproduce. Can you please tell me how many of these programs do you have and how many times a day they might be repeated? Any type of patterns before it starts going crazy?

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[apostolakisl]

I have 3 programs that ISY triggers Elk speech. One is daily, one is weekly, and one is only if a water detector triggers, so not often. I haven't had the water one go off to know, but the other two keep adding "is disarmed". I'll do some more testing when my little one is not sleeping. I also have a number of programs in Elk (rules) that trigger speech in response to alarms. So they don't go off much either, but I'll run tests on them too.

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi apostolakisl,

 

Thanks so very much for the feedback. Any information you can provide to help us reproduce would be excellent.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[apostolakisl]

This morning I re-saved one of my programs that is adding "is disarmed" and tested it. It did fine, it just said "driveway" and nothing else. Now, 5 hours later I just tested it, and it says "driveway is disarmed".

 

If
       On Tue
       From     7:15:01AM
       To       9:50:00AM (same day)
   And $iTrash.Tuesday is 0
   And (
            Elk Zone 'Back Door' is Violated
         Or Elk Zone 'Garage Door' is Violated
       )

Then
       Set Elk Speak Word 'Driveway'
       $iTrash.Tuesday  = 1
       Send Notification to 'lou text' content 'Take Trash Out'

Else
  - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

[apostolakisl]

I tried resaving a different program that was adding "is disarmed" and the next day it was back to adding "is disarmed".

[Michel Kohanim]

Hello apostolakisl,

 

Is it all possible that you have another program that speaks disarmed? Is it possible that actually two different programs are running one after another?

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[apostolakisl]

No. I don't have "is disarmed" as part of any program. After I resave the program and do a "run then", it does not say "is disarmed". But a few hours later I can come back and do a "run then" and once again it says it.

 

EDIT:

OK, I just did a run then on this program.

 

If
       On Tue
       From     7:15:01AM
       To       9:50:00AM (same day)
   And $iTrash.Tuesday is 0
   And (
            Elk Zone 'Back Door' is Violated
         Or Elk Zone 'Garage Door' is Violated
       )

Then
       Set Elk Speak Word 'Driveway'
       $iTrash.Tuesday  = 1
       Send Notification to 'lou text' content 'Take Trash Out'

Else
  - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

 

And this time it said "driveway is about to expire".

 

Then, I did another run then (having made no changes to anything), and it just said "driveway", nothing more.

 

This is just crazy.

[Michel Kohanim]

Hello apostolakisl,

 

Indeed quite crazy!

 

Would you please:

1) Export the program XML for his speak program and send it to us

2) Send us the log (and let us know roughly what time it happened so we know where to look in the log)

3) If possible, turn on the event viewer at level 3 and wait for it to happen again

 

Thanks in advance.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[apostolakisl]

OK. While the Elk stuff doesn't need the PLM, my system is in a tizzy without a PLM and I would rather just wait till I get that installed before taking on any other tasks.

 

Should be this weekend if Amazon is true to word (which they seem to always be).

[apostolakisl]

Here is the log. I did a run then on the program 4 times. The first time it said "driveway is disarmed", the next three it just said "driveway". The log would indicate it said just "driveway" all 4 times.

 

Keypad Display Text ELK-TX Fri 2014/04/11 04:55:07 PM System Log

Kitchen / Butlers Pantry-Puck L Status 0% Fri 2014/04/11 04:55:09 PM System Log

Get Topology ELK-TX Fri 2014/04/11 04:56:02 PM System Log

Speak Word ELK-TX Driveway Fri 2014/04/11 04:58:34 PM System Log

Speak Word ELK-TX Driveway Fri 2014/04/11 04:59:31 PM System Log

Speak Word ELK-TX Driveway Fri 2014/04/11 04:59:37 PM System Log

Speak Word ELK-TX Driveway Fri 2014/04/11 04:59:43 PM System Log

Keypad Display Text ELK-TX Fri 2014/04/11 05:00:07 PM System Log

 

 

Here are 2 run then in event viewer. These 2 times it just said "driveway"

 

Fri 04/11/2014 05:05:22 PM : [ Time] 17:05:22 7(0)

 

Fri 04/11/2014 05:05:34 PM : [ Time] 17:05:35 7(0)

 

This the xml REST download

 

Trash tuesday Am

2014/04/11 5:09:19 PM

2014/04/11 5:09:19 PM

2014/04/15 7:15:01 AM

 

 

There seems to be a pattern here where it only says "is disarmed" when a speech program hasn't run for a period of time. While I used to think that it was me making changes to the program and saving it that fixed it, it appears that it is just the fact that running it multiple times in a row only is a problem on the first run. If I wait a few hours, I bet it will say "is disarmed" again.

[Xathros]

I wonder if "is disarmed" is in queue in the elk from a recent disarm event then simply pushed through by your speak request.

 

 

-Xathros

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[apostolakisl]

I wonder if "is disarmed" is in queue in the elk from a recent disarm event then simply pushed through by your speak request.

 

 

-Xathros

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Good thought. I'll try tomorrow when the little guy is awake. Though Elk isn't supposed to do anything like that.

 

The thing is it did not always do this. It just started a few months ago. To the best of my knowledge, I hadn't changed anything.

[apostolakisl]

I wonder if "is disarmed" is in queue in the elk from a recent disarm event then simply pushed through by your speak request.

 

 

-Xathros

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

OK Xathros, it looks like you nailed it. Ever time I arm/disarm, the next time I initiate a speech from ISY to Elk, it adds "is disarmed". Then it won't do it again until I cycle the arm/disarm.

 

And in fact, if I run the program while it is armed, it says "is armed away mode" or whatever mode it is actually in.

 

Michelle . . . how do I fix this

[Xathros]

Is it possible to have the elk speak disarmed when you disarm the alarm that way there is nothing left in the speech queue?

 

 

-Xathros

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[apostolakisl]

Is it possible to have the elk speak disarmed when you disarm the alarm that way there is nothing left in the speech queue?

 

 

-Xathros

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Probably, but I would rather not do that because people (and babies) are sleeping when I disarm the system and I don't want it saying stuff.

[DennisC]

When I arm or disarm my Elk, it speaks accordingly. When I was setting it up, I recall seeing an example on the Elk technical help site about limiting voice mode by time of day.

 

I am wondering if you could do something like that as a test?

 

Dennis

[NHWA]

I really think this is the same issue that was happening to me. Except in my case, I was muting the system and you just have it not speak during certain times. This came up with a few ELK M1 users but not all and we couldn't figure out a common variable since it happened to some that did not even have the ISY, different versions, etc.

 

I also need to disarm the system without waking others so here is my set up in case it helps.

 

In my specific case, I have all my announcements from my elk go to an intercom system for an announcement. The intercom only turns on when output 3 on the Elk is on. I have a set of rules/programs as follows:

 

1) (in Elk) Whenever audio amplifier is on and alarm is active then turn on output 3 (so if an alarm is active the system speakers are on).

2) (in Elk) Whenever audio amplifier turns off then turn off output 3 (so the speakers turn off once the ELK is done with an announcement)

3) Then I have a program in ISY that anytime any of my keypads have the "*" key pressed that a phantom output (208) turns on

4) (in Elk) Whenever output 208 is on then disable non alarm voice messages for 65 seconds (my mute key)

5) (in Elk) Whenever output 207 and 208 are on and no alarm is active then turn on output 3 (this turns on my speakers for non alarm messages like saying it is armed or disarmed but only if output 207 and 208 are on)

6) (in Elk) Whenever output 208 is turned off the turn on output 207 for 3 seconds and speak "blank" then enable non alarm voice messages (this is the relevant part to you probably; this re enables my non alarm messages but keeps my speakers off for 3 seconds while it speaks a blank phrase so the last thing in queue is a blank phrase)

 

Whenever I want to arm or disarm my system without waking anyone, I hit "*" and then my code. The Elk doesn't speak random things such as "is disarmed" later because the last thing it has in queue is a blank phrase. This isn't the most elegant way to accomplish this and others may have a better idea, but this gave me a work around to a similar problem as you.

[apostolakisl]

I appreciate the work-around ideas. But I would rather it just not be saying stuff that it isn't supposed to say. I don't understand why it is adding the alarm state, only when the alarm state has changed, to a voice message that isn't supposed to say anything about the last change to the alarm state.

[Xathros]

I appreciate the work-around ideas. But I would rather it just not be saying stuff that it isn't supposed to say. I don't understand why it is adding the alarm state, only when the alarm state has changed, to a voice message that isn't supposed to say anything about the last change to the alarm state.

 

I get the feeling that this is an Elk issue and not directly ISY related. Can you configure an Elk keypad button to speak something and then see if you get the same behavior from that as you do when speech is initiated via the ISY after an arm/disarm event?

 

-Xathros

[MWareman]

I think I may have figured a workaround that works for me.  It's been driving me nuts.

 

In ElkRP - select 'Globals' 'G19-G25' and check 'Disable All Voice Messages'. This does disable the voice chime - but ISY can still issue voice announcements. This works for me because I manage all voice announcements thru ISY programs.

 

On my setup - Elk stops adding 'Is Disarmed' when I do this!

[raymondh]

I think I may have figured a workaround that works for me.  It's been driving me nuts.

 

In ElkRP - select 'Globals' 'G19-G25' and check 'Disable All Voice Messages'. This does disable the voice chime - but ISY can still issue voice announcements. This works for me because I manage all voice announcements thru ISY programs.

 

On my setup - Elk stops adding 'Is Disarmed' when I do this!

Thank you! This has been driving me nuts...