All lights keep changing to a 9 min ramp rate since setting up Alexa and Google Home

[edokid]

I've had no issues with anything turning on or off properly until today.  I bought the ISY portal and then added Alexa.  I added some lights and scenes and it all worked fine, I'd say Alexa turn on the kitchen light and she would etc.

 

I then just added my ISY account to my Google Home, but as soon as I said turn the kitchen light off, it seemed like it wasn't working but then I realized it was actually doing it slowly over about a 10 second period.  When I'd try with the Alexa she was the same.  In the ISY admin console it shows all lights have a 9 minute ramp rate now.  So I changed them all back to 0.1, but when I'd say Alexa or Google turn on the kitchen light, it would again be 10 seconds or so, and the admin console would show every single light back at 9 minutes for ramp rate.

 

I don't get it, as 1) it says 9 minutes but is more like 10 seconds, 2) I keep setting it to 0.1 or 0.2 seconds but it keeps reverting, 3) I don't even see how you can set ramp rate from Google or Alexa.

 

Is there a log or some way to see what keeps changing the ramp rate?  I just started using the ISY yesterday so I literally have no programs or anything that could be adjusting the ramp rate on its own.  Second issue, if I have the kitchen light on at 20%, and I turn it off, if I tell Alexa to turn the kitchen light on, it goes back to 20%, and I have to say "turn it on to 100%."  Is it not possible to have "turn on" mean to 100%?

[stusviews]

The 9 minute ramp rate has been discontinued by Insteon, but the ISY has it to allow older devices to use it, if desired. Setting a device to 9 minutes should be the same as .1 second in later devices, not 10 seconds. What's the result if you use the Administrative console to turn the device on and/or off?

 

BTW, the Amazon Echo sometimes takes a few seconds to respond (but not 10). Do you have any non-dimmers that you can try controlling by voice?

[edokid]

Controlling the lights from the ISY is the same thing, like the kitchen light shows 0.2 as ramp rate, but it takes about 10 seconds to turn on.  And by 10 seconds I don't mean delay, I mean it gradually dims until off over a 10 second period, same with on.

 

If I use the admin console to turn them on and off it's the same thing, although it actually seems worse.  For example all the lights show 9 minute ramp rate, and on level (applied locally) as 0.  Turning on and off from the admin console just doesn't work anymore, only fast on and fast off.  If I set the on level to 100%, it still doesn't work.  I go try another device, come back and it shows 0 for on level and 9 minutes for ramp rate.

 

As soon as I change to any other device it resets to 0 on level, 9 minute ramp.  Every single light, and it never did this until I added the ISY portal with Alexa.  The on level seems to stick a bit more, but the ramp rate always changes to 9 minutes.  Again I'm not setting anything to 9 minutes, I'm setting it to 0.1 or 0.2, but as soon as you switch to another device and come back, or quit the admin portal and go back, it's right back to 9 minute ramp rate.

 

Just one thing to add, on the cabinet lights for example I have ramp rate at 0.2 and on level at 100%.  When I press ON in the admin console, it says "On" for device status, but the light is NOT actually on.  After 10 seconds or so though you see it start to come on, as it's doing the super long ramp rate.  So basically the admin console isn't actually doing anything I'm telling it to.  I set the on level to 100% and ramp rate to 0.1, switch to another device, go back, and the ISY shows it as on level 0% and ramp rate 9 minutes.

[edokid]

I'm also trying to set the on level to 100% on the Switchlinc itself since the ISY just keeps ignoring whatever I tell it to set it at but the instructions in the Switchlinc manual don't even work.  They say:

 

1) Press and hold SwitchLinc Set button until it beeps SwitchLinc status LED will blink green 2) Press and hold SwitchLinc Set button until it beeps again SwitchLinc status LED will blink red 3) Press and hold SwitchLinc Set button until it beeps a third time SwitchLinc status LED will blink green 4) Press and hold SwitchLinc Set button until

 

That doesn't even happen.  You hold set once, it flashes green, hold it a second time it flashes red, but on step 3 where it says hold it a 3rd time, it doesn't turn green it just beeps and turns off.  Then when you press and hold it a 4th time it just beeps twice and turns off.

[edokid]

One quick update, it seems to be working.  I'm still not clear why the ramp rate changed in the first place though, but the problem is you can't just drag the slider to 100% to set it there, that doesn't work.  You basically have to keep clicking in the upper area of the slider, to slowly increase it, so that it goes 20%, 40%, 60% etc.  When dragging direct to 100% the ISY does absolutely nothing, but if you click in between the 0% and 100% multiple times, the ISY responds and shows "writing updates to device" over and over and then it sticks.

[larryllix]

Have you checked your device link tables and compared them to your ISY link tables?

 

Have you tried a factory reset on your devices and then restored them from ISY?

[edokid]

Have you checked your device link tables and compared them to your ISY link tables?

 - No that's what I was posting here, I don't know how to check that.  My system was set up from scratch yesterday morning, everything is new.

 

Have you tried a factory reset on your devices and then restored them from ISY?

- I really don't think I should have to do that?  I just bought all of this yesterday and set everything up.  If the system is so buggy that devices will fail and require they all be factory reset less than 24 hours after being set up, then I feel like this might be going back in the box as I don't have that much time available to reset all the devices.

 

Either way it is working now, as mentioned you can't just select with the slider 100% for on level, or 0.2 for ramp rate, you have to click over and over and let it slowly change it.  Still not clear why it keeps changing though.  The kitchen lights still don't work, the ISY I will press Off, it says they are off, but they aren't.  You query them and it shows 80%, query it a few seconds later and it says 70%, so it's slowly dimming off, even though the ISY says the ramp rate is 0.2.

[larryllix]

 

Have you checked your device link tables and compared them to your ISY link tables?

 - No that's what I was posting here, I don't know how to check that.  My system was set up from scratch yesterday morning, everything is new.

 

Have you tried a factory reset on your devices and then restored them from ISY?

- I really don't think I should have to do that?  I just bought all of this yesterday and set everything up.  If the system is so buggy that devices will fail and require they all be factory reset less than 24 hours after being set up, then I feel like this might be going back in the box as I don't have that much time available to reset all the devices.

 

Either way it is working now, as mentioned you can't just select with the slider 100% for on level, or 0.2 for ramp rate, you have to click over and over and let it slowly change it.  Still not clear why it keeps changing though.  The kitchen lights still don't work, the ISY I will press Off, it says they are off, but they aren't.  You query them and it shows 80%, query it a few seconds later and it says 70%, so it's slowly dimming off, even though the ISY says the ramp rate is 0.2.

 

OK. some basics.

Always, always, always! factory reset any Insteon device when it is new. They come out of the factory doing impossible things that shouldn't even be possible sometimes. Sometimes they work great forever.  Sometimes they act up a month later. Some have X10 code installed in them and can be operated by neighbours.

 

Load the admin console and make sure your Firmware and User Interface match versions! Mismatch will cause you all kinds of problems. Admin console top menu | Help | About

 

 

This one is a very good tool provided by your friend, ISY.

In the admin console, displaying the devices tree.

Right click on the device and select Diagnostics | Show Device Links table

 

Give it a minute and see the list of links installed in that device. It should be terminated with an all 00 00 link.

Click on "Compare" at the bottom.  ISY will read and compare what it thinks the device should contain, with what it just uploaded from the device.

 

IF they differ and/or after factory resetting any device, you can use the Restore function to correct any missing or bad links. In the Admin Console device tree, right click on Device | Restore Device.

 

These links are important and there is one for every function, in every device, connected to your PLM. They all have to be correct for all functions back and forth to work.

[LoneShark]

Is there a way to have the ISY compare it's device database with each device - then restore the device if there is a mismatch - making the all the devices and the ISY "sync'd up" ?

 

As an alternative -- Create a list for me of devices that don't compare.

[larryllix]

Is there a way to have the ISY compare it's device database with each device - then restore the device if there is a mismatch - making the all the devices and the ISY "sync'd up" ?

 

As an alternative -- Create a list for me of devices that don't compare.

Welcome to the forums!!!

 

No lists but...

 

Right click on a device in the device tree page using admin console.

Select view device link table. Then click compare once  it is done. You will see a line with all 0s. Battery devices have to be put into linking mode first.

[LoneShark]

Thanks for the Welcome  - I'm a long time lurker.  I've used the device links compare as a tool to see if the ISY and device were not in sync. many times.  It just seems that this would be a great tool if it was automated.  I have over a hundred devices and occasionally some seem to get out of sync and I was looking for a way to automate the lengthy process of discovery and repair.

[larryllix]

Thanks for the Welcome - I'm a long time lurker. I've used the device links compare as a tool to see if the ISY and device were not in sync. many times. It just seems that this would be a great tool if it was automated. I have over a hundred devices and occasionally some seem to get out of sync and I was looking for a way to automate the lengthy process of discovery and repair.

I find the devices usually cause some problem indicating it is needed about once every few months, only.

 

Sent from my SGH-I257M using Tapatalk

[stusviews]

Something is amiss. You indicated that the dimmers show a 9 minute ramps rate, but take about 10 seconds to ramp up. As I posted, (#2), 9 minutes was to accommodate very early dimmers, but in any but those older devices, should ramp uo at 0.1 seconds. Too, the method you wrote for setting the On-Level is incorrect. It's press (for green), press (for red), then tap (not press) for brightness level (green), adjust, then tap (not press) for save.

 

For ramp rate, it's press (for green), press (for red), then tap (not press) for brightness level (green), tap (for red), adjust, then tap (not press) for save. I'm reasonably sure I got is righet. In any case, consult the Owner's Manual. It's also possible that you're in Resume Dim mode.

 

To automate querying, schedule the nightly QueryAll.

 

But, I'm still perplexed that the ramp rate changes. Try a Factory Reset on one device that you are sure is errant.