Help needed on new install Smartenit EZIO8SA – Model # 3011B

[Jim]

Just purchased a new Smartenit EZIO8SA/PLM Combo – Model # 3011B.  I can't get it to work with my ISY994i/IR PRO with Firmware 4.6.2.   I was hoping it was an easy Plug-N-Play like other Insteon devices but it isn't or at least mine isn't.  I bought the combo to reduce risk of start up issues but I am stuck.  I have powered it on with the included 12 power supply and verified voltages out of the unit.  I have the PLM plugged into the same power circuit as the ISY PLM.

I have tried to add the PLM address like I would another Insteon device but it can not find it.  I have tried to put the PLM into link mode to search for it from the ISY but no luck.  What am I doing wrong?  As I have seen other say the documentation is very poor at the least.

Also tried to do the factory reset on the PLM but it doesn't act like the instruction sheet says. For example the sheet says to hold the SET button while plugging the PLM in and hod it additional 2-5 seconds then release button when buzzer stops.  There is no buzzer.

This is the error I get.  BTW I select the EZIO8SA rather than use auto detect and that does not work either.

[Jim]

Further for troubleshooting....

I have  Inputs AN1 and AN2 (Inputs 5 & 6) to GND.

I Select Link Management | New INSTEON Device

I Enter Insteon Address, Name of "Irrigation Control", from Device Type I use pulldown and select [07.04] Compacta EZIO8SA: Insteon I/O Controller.

I Select Remove existing links Radio button

Then click Ok

Event Log:
Sat 05/12/2018 09:08:34 PM : [23 8D 31    ] Added to list of devices to link to ISY
Sat 05/12/2018 09:08:34 PM : [INST-TX-I1  ] 02 62 23 8D 31 0F 0D 00
Sat 05/12/2018 09:08:34 PM : [INST-ACK    ] 02 62 23.8D.31 0F 0D 00 06                 (00)
Sat 05/12/2018 09:08:43 PM : [INST-TX-I1  ] 02 62 23 8D 31 0F 0D 00
Sat 05/12/2018 09:08:43 PM : [INST-ACK    ] 02 62 23.8D.31 0F 0D 00 06                 (00)
Sat 05/12/2018 09:08:52 PM : [INST-TX-I1  ] 02 62 23 8D 31 0F 0D 00
Sat 05/12/2018 09:08:52 PM : [INST-ACK    ] 02 62 23.8D.31 0F 0D 00 06                 (00)
Sat 05/12/2018 09:08:56 PM : [23 8D 31 0  ] Failed to add device, reason 3
Sat 05/12/2018 09:08:56 PM : [All         ] Writing 35 bytes to devices

[Brian H]

I don't see any SRX message received back from the PLM connected to the EZIO8SA.

You may want to check the six digit Insteon ID on the PLM connected to the EZIO8SA label. Sometimes we see the ID read wrong. The newer ID labels have some numerals and letters  like 0 and 8 looking similar and read incorrectly.

Also try moving the EZIO8SA with PLM to another outlet and see if you have a communications issue between the ISY994i's PLM and the EZIO8SA with its PLM.

When you first power it up. Does the LED on the side of the PLM flash on and off a few times as the EZIO8SA connects and initializes the PLM to identify as a EZIO8SA and not a PLM?

Is the PLM a new 2413S or Smartenit EZIComm? My 2413S resets by powering Off for at least 10 seconds. Holding the SET button plug it back in. Keep holding it until is starts beeping and continue holding until the beeping stops. Then release the set button. It will reset and then do a short beep. Since it is on a EZIO8SA the LED will probably flash a few times as the EZIO8SA initializes the connected PLM.

 

[Jim]

Thanks Brian for the response,

I double checked the PLM ID and it is correct 23.8D.31. (see below, sorry out of focus)  Unless there is an issue when manufactured and ID sticker is wrong. 

I have moved the  EZIO8SA with PLM to another outlets - should have mentioned that earlier.

The LED on the side does not flash when I remove the PLM from power for > 10 sec and plug back in.  Neither does the LED flash when I unplug the power supply on the EZIO8SA.

Here is a difference I see in your set up.  The PLM that came with the combo is a EZIComm 5010K and the instructions I have tried to follow on a factory reset but there is no beeping or buzzer as it states in the instructions.  As I plug it in the LED comes on and stays on.  I have held it for over a min. and the light just stays on solid.  When I release it the LED goes off then flashes bright then goes solid (dim)

 

[Brian H]

Smartenit indicates the 5010K is now a single band PLM. Due to availability from Smartlabs and not a 2413S Dual Band equivalent. Equivalent to a 2412S PLM.

The 2412S use to supply power to the EZIO8SA through the cable between them. I don't know if the present one from Smartenit has the power on the serial cable. As their EZIO8SA kit with a 5010K also includes a 12 volt 600mA 5.5mm X 2.5mm wall wart. Are you powering the EZIO8SA wit a 12 Volt wall wart? Maybe it is not getting any power.

Some of the earlier information I gave you was for a 2413S PLM so the factory reset maybe incorrect. As the older 2412S did not have a dual color LED or beeper. Old memory here. I believe powering the PLM up while holding the set button for thirty seconds would do a Factory Reset.  I suspect the EZIO8SA is not getting any power if you don't have a wall wart supply.

[Jim]

Yes I have the wall wart. I have 12 volt at the + terminal on the EZIO8SA.

 

interesting.  I thought I was getting a dual PLM with this combo. Also I would hope they would give proper reset instructions if the substitute.

 

I am not a happy customer right now since I purchased direct.

[Brian H]

If you have  +12 volts on the 12 volt terminal to common. It is getting power.

I can't say how it will act with their latest PLM. As it may act differently than my older 2412S PLM. Mine has a single color LED {I have seen White or Blue mentioned}. When powered  up. The LED on the side of the PLM  lights. Then a second or so later flashes off and on bright a few times as it is initialized to what the EZIO8SA requires.  Tried a Factory Reset. Held the Set button at power up for ten seconds. The LED was on bright. When I released the Set button. The LED went out while it reset then came back to it normal brightness. If the EZIO8SA was connected. It went through the initialization sequence again. Actually every time it power up. It did the initialization again.  This is for an old EZIO8SA from the Compacta days and a late revision 2412S. So how it acts now maybe different.

Your photo looks like the single band as they indicate it has the pass through  outlet on the front. Just like the older 2412PLMs. The later 2413s Dual Band based module. has no pass through outlet on the front. I suspect they got from Smartlabs a base 2412 main board and later revision serial port board with no F1 fuse on it to pass power to the EZIO8SA.

https://smartenit.com/product/ezicomm/

EZIO8SA kit says single band power line only . " Product appearance may be different than what is shown. "

I would definitely call them about the kit being single band and how the LED on the side of their PLM should act at power up. That should help and determine if it is acting correctly and maybe a power line signal issue. I also saw that the photos on the sales pages didn't match the descriptions. Yours has the pass through outlet and the sales pages show the case with no pass through outlet. Though the sales page does indicate it has a pass through outlet.

[Brian H]

Reread your early post messages.

If the EZIO8SA with power supply and its PLM. Are in the same outlet as the ISY994i's PLM. I would suspect the new EZIO8SA kit  you have. Has a defective part. Either their PLM is bad or the EZIO8SA is not communicating to its PLM.

One added thing to try is a different network style cable between the EZIO8SA and its PLM.

My old EZIO8SA that would need an update {their web information page} for a 2413S PLM. Did add to my system with a 2413S  and 12 volt supply. Though their Smartenit utility may not have properly controlled it. I didn't go much further.

[Jim]

Yes they are on the same circuit as the ISY PLM so its not a phase issue.    I appreciate all your help and advise here.  I have sent an email to their support but they are only available M-F west coast time so I'll let you know the response when I get it.

Looking at your comments and others I have googled I really think the problem is the PLM they have substituted but still calling it the same part number.  They are using the same label and the dual PLM in the photos and the one page instructions they pack with it still call out a dual PLM.  If I had an extra dual PLM laying around I would have tried it.

It appears they really want you to use their Smartenit utility software and they are not excited about Insteon support and especially the ISY.  Too bad because this appears to be a great solution to discrete I/O in one location.

[Brian H]

Hope you get some help from Smartenit.

I had another thought. Though rare. We have seen the six digit Insteon ID wrong on the back label. If it is wrong. Trying to add it with the incorrect ID will result in what you are seeing. No responses back when trying to add it.

I tried this with a 2412S PLM. In the Administrative Console. Picking the Start Linking choice. Then holding the set button on the PLM is question until it is detected. It will show the tested PLM six digit ID. Of course after the test. You have to remove it from the Administrative Console.

 

I am not sure how much the ISY994i can set in the EZIO8SA. Their utility needs a Insteon Interface to access the EZIO8SA/PLM. It would need a computer with a serial port if you used a 2412S/2413S and the PLM interface series cable buried in the 2412S/2413S packing material. Can't say if the Smartenit PLM supplies the serial cable for a PLM. Some say you can temporarily power down the ISY994i setup and use its PLM.

[Jim]

Update,

Made arrangements to talk to support this evening.  Before they called I did find an old 2413S PLM with ver 1.B firmware.  I guess I replaced it and forgot I had it.  Anyway I plugged this unit in and did the factory rest (which by the way worked exactly as you indicated) and as soon as I put its address in and hit enter it found it instantly and loaded the EZIO8SA like suppose to be.

When they called I told them what I did.  They asked me to do the factory reset on the PLM they sent and it did not work.  Conclusion is I have a defective new PLM.  They will send me a new one.  What are your thoughts?  Am I better off with this dual band PLM even though it is ver 1.B or put the single band unit in when they send it?  He told me they had too many problems with the dual band units and reason going to the single band ones.  

For others troubleshooting the single band unit... the instructions on factory reset that comes with the EZIO8SA is wrong.  The single band unit does NOT beep and you only hold the button in while plugging in and then release 2 sec later.

Thanks for all your time and trouble helping me troubleshoot this.  I just hope it helps others should they have same issue.

Jim

[Brian H]

Thank you for the update. I am glad the problem part was found and being replaced.

Hard to say about using the V1.B 2413S. Depending on how long it was in service. If it is close to the slightly over two years in use. Its power supply maybe getting close to failing. Just like the 2413S PLM failures we are seeing  on our ISY994i. Dual Band would add RF communications that may help in some setups. Though it could fail in a few months.

Though Smartenit didn't point it out directly. Their now Read Only Forums. Showed many failures with the Dual Band base board. Used in  many of their standalone modules that where built on the base 2413 board and their Dual Band  PLM models.

I found on their sales pages their present model PLM is equivalent to the older Smarthome single band 2412S. The factory reset procedure they gave you is for the 2412S PLM and it looks like they did not update their literature. That still must be written for their Dual Band model PLM and maybe their other Insteon modules based on a PLM main board .

[paulbates]

I would think about using the replacement smartenit PLM. The 2412 PLM did not have the 2 year death cycle that the 2413s can have.

While I've gotten a lot of years out of my 2413, there is plenty of evidence here on this forum of people disassembling and de-soldering 2413 to replace a $1 worth of capacitors that should never had been cheap to begin with. There's no evidence I've found that SH actually fixed the problem. It mind blowing in that I have original gen 1 lamplincs and inlinelincs from over 10 years ago working perfectly... its not a hard problem for SH to fix.

If you are controlling something critical to your house, I would pick the PLM that's more likely to last.  See if you actually need dual band. You can put a lamplinc or range extender nearby if you do.

Paul

[Jim]

Thanks,  All good points.  I probably don't need the dual band because it will be on the same circuit (within inches) to the dual band PLM  on the ISY.  The one positive to the Smartenit PLM is it has a pass thru outlet so I may just piggyback the ISY PLM on it if that would not be too close.  At least there should not be a communication issue.

I did scold Smartenit for sending out instruction for something that they consider obsolete.  It's one thing to put a note to the fact on the website that your getting something different because of the photos they have are not correct but the simple printing and supplying proper instructions should be a no brainier. 

 

Jim

[Brian H]

I would probably use the new one. The main board in the 2412 series Insteon modules did have real power transformer power supply. Majority of them lasted many years. If it will be that close to the ISY994i PLM. I doubt there would be any communications issues.

I agree. Their web site and your description of included paper work. Is out dated and could be confusing. They may even have in an archive the proper photos and sales pages. They originally used the base 2412 main boards in their PLM and other modules using the same main board with their custom Daughter Board.

It could also be Insteon is not the most important thing they are selling these days. I see many new devices for things like Security, Zigbee, energy  and others. So keeping Insteon things current  may not be top priority anymore