ISY Loopy Linking - Continual writing to PLM in Linking Mode

[mwester]

I too thought I'd invested way too much effort with HouseLinc and my devices to start all over again with the ISY.

 

I was wrong.

 

It proved to be a nightmare in terms of management to try to preserve the links.  After pulling out my hair (something I can ill-afford since I have so little left), I gave up -- factory-reset all devices, the PLM, the ISY, and started afresh.  It was the best choice I could have made, and proved to be far less work in the long run.

 

I'd advise you to do the same - reset everything, start fresh with the ISY, and use it for all link management.  Much easier.  Heck, I'm betting the effort you invested thus far as documented in this thread is more than you would have spent if you reset and started over to begin with!

[svetter]

I've been on the ISY for a few of years now (enough to be on its second PLM).  For a while I used HouseLinc on its own PLM along side to the ISY until I had the new network working correctly. It wasn't running, I'd just plug in the PLM when the deskside was booted to check things. Then the HouseLinc wouldn't work with new firmware levels so I made the jump and learned ISY speak (still learning).  I started with Insteon when it was V1, migrating from X10.  The Switchlinc 2's were a great improvement.  But, I digress.

 

Though the actual problem turned out to be the way a Java app is different when launched by a browser with respect tot he looping, I agree with what you say about starting fresh, but Geez, with all the ramp rates, local vs. scene settings, it looked like a huge job.  What I have been doing is when I upgrade a device that is no longer responsive, I would reset, then do a restore device.  Not a clean cut from scratch, but at least what the ISY knew and not some leftover HouseLinc zombies.  But, in the last two cases, this didn't work.

 

Some of my oldest V2 devices were a couple of KeyPadLincs (all X10 long gone), perhaps V40 hardware, the first gen with the laser etched keypads.  I installed the new dual band, reset it, and did a restore.  I added them as new devices, and asked the ISY to replace the old with the new.

 

After Err 0's Err 1's etc. I knew something was up. These keypads, though working fine, were originally programmed with HouseLinc.  Then I tried to reset them and restore them.  One of the restores changed a 6 button to an 8 button and none of the scenes worked from the device (they worked using a scene test).  I reprogrammed the switches from scratch and everything works perfectly.   There must be meta-data (like toggle modes, beep settings, etc.) that when written corrupted the device that would no longer communicate.  I just have to remember to set the toggle mode before adding it as a controller to a scene next time .  

 

I was lucky that I discovered that creating scenes for KeyPadLinc buttons made far more sense than linking each button to multiple devices.  If you change devices, you just need to re-link the scenes. 

 

This is a great forum.  No one in my grill about a learning curve.  Thanks!

[LeeG]

svetter

 

The PLM should not be listed as a device under  ISY nor should it appear as a device in a Scene.   Is this the PLM the ISY is using?  Again, the PLM used by the ISY should never be listed as a device nor appear in a Scene.

[svetter]

Interesting.  I shows as XX.XX.XX Unsupported Device 3.19

 

I'm only running with one PLM, and I've watched it update every time I made a change to a device, so I just assumed this is now the ISY worked.  It is most certainly listed under ISY, and in Scene 82, which I assumed, up to now, was the scene the ISY uses to do the nightly query.  I haven't been bold enough to delete it, because I saw all the writes to it when I replaced a PLM that went bad.

 

Prior to the ISY, the house was automated with the EZServ (which did the job) managed by HouseLinc.   I did play with the 2412N, before getting a Hub, that  is still not in any real service.  I never had a computer running full time to control events with HouseLinc, so prior to this an X10 photo eye thing controlled automated scenes.  I've been a fan of dedicated controllers.

[LeeG]

I would Delete the device.   The PLM used by the ISY never appears as a device.

 

Tools | Diagnostics | PLM Info/Status displays the ISY PLM information.

[svetter]

I bet this is the old EZServ!  Ha!  Certainly a different address than the PLM listed under PLM Info/Status.  I don't miss the EZServ this much.  The ISY links table has many devices to it, probably that Scene 82 I could never figure out.

 

I really haven't messed with Houselinc since they dropped support and probably plugged the EZserv the last time.  Consider it gone!  It will go to the shelf with my original flip phone.

[LeeG]

My EZSrve has its Insteon address on the back of the device.

[svetter]

And that is another thing.. I could never spell EZSrve.  Thanks for letting it roll.   I'll check it when I have access, but putting things together there is a high probability.  I've deleted Scene 82, and the unsupported PLM (aka EZSrve).   I bet it read it in from all the device links table when I was populating the ISY.  I hope this will cut down on a lot of the network traffic and maybe get rid of the Red LED flash on some of the new devices that have multi-color LEDs.  I was VERY excited when I heard my first SwitchLinc beep.

 

I still have 8 devices on v.27 firmware.  Finally got rid of my last ICON.