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Revisiting "All On" PLM Bug


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Posted

Like many of you, I have suffered from the PLM All-Lights On bug for a while now.  My PLM was replaced a couple of years ago, and since then, it was about a once-a-month occurrence, sometimes less.  However, over the past couple of months, it has occurred about three times a week.  Always at night (dark outside).

My motion sensors are monitored by programs, and I have added delays of at least three seconds to the responding programs before commands are sent in an attempt to reduce the possibility of Insteon collisions.  Also have replaced all of the batteries to take care of the multiple-transmit issues from a sensor with a low-battery condition.

I have added a method to detect when this event occurs - every five minutes during sleeping hours I query my office ceiling fan and the keypadlinc that controls it.  If the fan reports "not off" and the KPL reports the three buttons (High, Med, Low) are "off" then I set a variable to be on.  This has proven to work, and I intend to use this variable to cycle the house off during sleeping hours.

One important note here:  I have noticed that devices that I have replaced or installed within the last 18 months or so don't seem to respond to the All On bug.  This includes a new KPL, four new Lamplincs, and one FanLinc. They seem to remain in their previous state -- which is a good thing, the FanLinc is in my son's bedroom and I don't want him waking up to retina-searing light.

Has anybody got any other suggestions that might prevent this from happening, or do I just need to live with it?

Posted

I noted the time of the event as closely as I could. Then I investigated my ISY error Log and found a bad response from a plug-in OnOff Module about the same time. Unplugging that module and simply plugging it back in again, I have not had a problem for the last 2-3 years now.

Turns out the OnOff module was sending out a 'scene on' command code instead of an ACK when turned on remotely. This plagued me, at random times for a few years before I got fed up.
It was never an All-ON.  it was a specific lighting scene that I could recognise. I searched and analysed my programs many nights to find what was doing this. It wasn't a program running a scene.

 ISY does not log scene responses from devices when they don't come from ISY. Devices don't report their status changes so I try to avoid Insteon scene usage where possible.

 

KPLs are another problem as they contain so many nodes in one Insteon address. Pushbuttons with an immediate LED change command from an  ISY program can cause problems, and especially while battery devices are still repeating command sending.

Posted
17 minutes ago, Techman said:

Thanks Techman, I've seen this and tried to modify my programs and such with sufficient delays.  I think I've narrowed it down to the motion sensor programs since all of the events I've seen occur with nobody pushing any buttons -- most of them in the middle of the night while everybody is sleeping.

Posted

I've had a few ALL ON EVENTS in the past and after changing any programs that included motion sensors I've not had another event.

The older motion sensors were notorious for sending multiple on signals when their batteries were low. Not sure if they rectified this in the newer motion sensors.  It's possible that during cold evening hours the MS battery voltage could drop triggering the multiple on signals.

Posted

Mine older version MSes flash for almost a minute with high voltage Lithium batteries inside them. I got some super duty 1200mAh units off eBay and they run over 11.0 volts.  I thought a week of usage would wear the voltage down but apparently not.

I would think they are sending an On signal every flash like a low battery indicator. The MSes don't like it, but still seem to function OK.I do not let ISY respond to their On signals. Any lamps/lights are a direct linked scene with them for ON commands only.

Posted
4 hours ago, Techman said:

I've had a few ALL ON EVENTS in the past and after changing any programs that included motion sensors I've not had another event.

The older motion sensors were notorious for sending multiple on signals when their batteries were low. Not sure if they rectified this in the newer motion sensors.  It's possible that during cold evening hours the MS battery voltage could drop triggering the multiple on signals.

You know, it has been chilly here lately... maybe the battery voltage is dropping.  I'll have to put in a trap to see if I get a low battery signal reported.

Posted
Quote

 

The problem with some of  the older motion sensors is that they would false out and/or fail before the low battery signal was sent.

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