Smarthome Valve not operating correctly

[GMS52]

When water shout-off valve is activated by I/O link, it closes halfway and then opens.

[paulbates]

Hi, welcome to the UDI Forums!

The iolinc is flexible device able to support a number of contact closure applications.. including momentary closure. It has a default value that is momentary as that is popular, and if that's the problem needs to be changed.

Can you go into the admin console, click on your iolinc, click options and past the picture back here? It will look something like this:

As a look ahead, my attic damper application uses Latching / Continuous. You'll need that too... but lets review them all to be sure. Some of the check boxes could potentially cause other problems if checked.

 

Paul

[GMS52]

A bit more history on this issue - All worked well with my leak sensors, valve switch, and PLM and IO Linc.  Phasing is ok as I have two Insteon Range extenders to bridge the phases.  My problems with valve operation began after a factory reset, at advice from Insteon.  Now, the leak detectors, when tested, send a signal to IO Linc to close the valve but valve begins to close and then reverses to full open.  This occurs even if I close the valve from my Mobilinc app.  (I had this problem when initially setting up the system and Insteon (I believe) had me do some resets to make it work.  Anybody recall what these resets are?

 

Another issue that Universal Devices is having trouble with is the installation of a leak detector (in fact three different ones) that are recognized by the ISY944-i but the current state area on the Main UDS screen remains empty.  he valve does not communicate with the IO Linc in this condition.  UDS was unsuccessful in their advice.  It's not strength of RF signal as I am in the same room as the PLM power linc and when I test it I remain in the same room - just five feet from the PLM.  You can only uninstall and reinstall (3 different sensors) the devices and keep getting the same results so many times before you realize its a system software problem and not hardware

 

george

[paulbates]

The behavior of it starting to close and the suddenly stopping suggests that the iolinc is configured for momentary action: it  will respond and turn on for XX seconds as commanded, and then it will turn back off. If its set on momentary and not on latching, like my picture is,  the behavior you're getting is "working as configured". Factory resetting it removed whatever configuration it had before.

Please follow the steps of finding out how the iolinc is currently configured (look at the picture)

• Click on the valve device in the device tree in the admin console. its icon will be a yellow arrow pointing left
• Then, on the lower right of the Admin Console, click the options button
• When the options window pops up, is Latching selected, or is one of Momentary options selected? The answer is the key
  • If its one of the momentary options, the iolinc is behaving the way its configured. No matter what is used to turn on the iolinc and valve (Admin Console, mobilinc, ...), it will only activate for a few seconds and then turn back off
  • You need it to be configured to Latching / continuous to support your valve application 

 

Paul

[GMS52]

Thanks Paul.  Unfortunately for the fix the IO Linc is set to Latching-Continuous.  However, I do have a red ! in front of the IO Linc-Relay in the device tree in the Admin console. I guess this means the IO Linc is not communicating with the ISY.  I know the ISY program is working, because I am getting notifications of any alarm condition I create to test the system, however the part of the program to change the IO Linc Relay from closed (valve open) to open (valve closed) is not occuring.  The strange thing is it worked fine on all the sensors except one up until a few days ago.  After putting it back to factory reset, and restoring all the sensors (and then physically resetting the leak detectors at each sensor) all my problems started.

THe valve starts to close and then reverses in the alarm condition.

Appreciate your assistance

 

 

[paulbates]

George

Something is wrong if the Admin Console says "Latching" and you turn it on from the Admin Console "on" button and it goes back off. Some things to try to debug it:

• There will be a query button in the admin console for the iolinc..
  • Does the ! go away?
  • When you press it, do you get the same behavior?
  • If yes, it may not be set to what you think it is... and the ! could mean that the setting in the iolinc is not what the admin console thinks it is
     
• Right click on the iolinc and pick "Restore Device". 
  • Does that complete? If not what kind of errors pop up?
  • If it completes, does it work now?

Paul

[GMS52]

When I QUERY, the red exclamation mark turns to a green arrow (1011) which I believe means the IO Linc is waiting for a device update.  WHen I do the device update the green arrow (1011) turns back to the exclamation mark.  In both cases, the valve only operates to half close and then opens.  Frustrating!

[Brian H]

At any point in your tests. Was the I/O Linc power cycled? So if it was in a strange state it was power reset.

The I/O Linc is a power line only device. If you can temporarily disconnect it and move it close to the PLM. Then try the update and see if things change. There maybe some new noise or signal sucker on the I/O Lincs power circuit.

Is the I/O Linc fairly new or over a few years old? The module uses the same switching power supply chip and may have capacitor issues. I know my early hardware I/O Linc modules have a capacitor that has been updated in the recent hardware.

[GMS52]

I thank everybody for their assistance, but so far nothing has worked and the system is regressing.  The ISY program is working as I get messages of alarms and it is turning lights on and off.  Just not communicating with IO Linc.  However, the MobiLinc app on my phone is.  I am tied of the troubleshooting and believe it is time to purge the entire system and reload my program from before the last firmware update.  Also I will reload the sensors, and reset the PLM and IO Linc and switches.  My question is -

What is the best way to wipe out everything so I could start over.  It is probably more than just deleting the program and th Universal Device software and Java software.  Looking for the best way to start with a clean page and readd all hardware.

 

Appreciate any feedback anybody has.

THanks

george

 

 

[brians]

What happens when you tap the set button on the side of IOLinc? That should manually turn it on/off without ISY.

 

[Scottmichaelj]

Just out of curiosity have you tried another power supply?

[GMS52]

 

Brians- The valve manually opens and closes when I tap the set button.  This is major improvement of my initial issue with valve starting to close and then reversing half way thru.  I restored the ISY to a program before the last firmware update.

Scottmichaelj --   Power - supply - Not really possible where valve is located - outside house or where Plm is located - near computer but not connected to UPS of power strip. It could be on same circuit as modem, laptop, and monitor though.  But it worked perfect for 4 months and trouble started when I had sensor issues and did some resets.  

 

Now restoring ISY and looks promising.  

[GMS52]

New issue now with IO Linc.  It was recognized by the ISY when I plugged it into the outlet in the garage and it was recognized by all programs.  However, now it went from two solid arrows on the IO Link and IO Sensor (to which nothing is attached) to the small green arrow that have 1011 inside them.  I assume this means the ISY is not communicating with the IO linc, which explains why the water leak programs do not work.  Anybody know why this could be happening.  It is not a phase issue.  The ISY did recognize the IO Link to add it to the ISY.  This appears to be the heart of my problem.  I think?

[Scottmichaelj]

New issue now with IO Linc.  It was recognized by the ISY when I plugged it into the outlet in the garage and it was recognized by all programs.  However, now it went from two solid arrows on the IO Link and IO Sensor (to which nothing is attached) to the small green arrow that have 1011 inside them.  I assume this means the ISY is not communicating with the IO linc, which explains why the water leak programs do not work.  Anybody know why this could be happening.  It is not a phase issue.  The ISY did recognize the IO Link to add it to the ISY.  This appears to be the heart of my problem.  I think?

 

That means the device has data to be written to. As for the power supply I was wondering if it maybe failing and while closing the pressure is just enough to stop it.

 

Edit: Meaning it might need more power.

 

[brians]

If see the 1011  right click and try writing updates.

Sounds to me though like a flakey I/O Linc. Get a new one to try. I've had several fail for no particular reason... they just stop working.

 

 

 

[apostolakisl]

On 10/13/2018 at 1:41 PM, GMS52 said:

I thank everybody for their assistance, but so far nothing has worked and the system is regressing.  The ISY program is working as I get messages of alarms and it is turning lights on and off.  Just not communicating with IO Linc.  However, the MobiLinc app on my phone is.  I am tied of the troubleshooting and believe it is time to purge the entire system and reload my program from before the last firmware update.  Also I will reload the sensors, and reset the PLM and IO Linc and switches.  My question is -

What is the best way to wipe out everything so I could start over.  It is probably more than just deleting the program and th Universal Device software and Java software.  Looking for the best way to start with a clean page and readd all hardware.

 

Appreciate any feedback anybody has.

THanks

george

 

 

I hope you haven't messed with reverting to old  isy firmware or making any changes to isy.  It is not ISY or its firmware.  The issue you are having is an Insteon issue.  The ISY is not responsible for any of these failures, it is just telling you about the failures.  As mentioned, it is probably the iolinc being flaky.  It sounds like you factory reset your iolinc before starting this thread at the rec of smarthome, which tells me you were already having issue with it.  Controlling the iolinc is far less data and processing at the iolinc than writing to it, which explains why you have success sending simple commands to it and using mobile linc (mobilelinc is not controlling the iolinc, ISY is, the command goes from mobilelinc to ISY to the device).  The 101010 is telling you that the PLM is failing to write settings to the iolinc.  This is not an ISY failure, this is a PLM/iolinc failure.  I have a KPL that has similar issues.  It takes a lot of tries to get settings written to the kpl, but once I get the settings, it works fine.  I suggest you take your iolinc and plug it in right next to your plm.  Do a factory reset on it, and then a "restore device" from ISY.  If you can't get it to take the settings after a couple tries, then you need to give up on the iolinc.  And if the iolinc is a "mission critical" device, I would replace it no matter what.