Can't calibrate temperature reading of MS II

[Jimini]

I am just starting to set up the MS II as a temperature sensor and having trouble calibrating it or even getting sensible readings. I've tried two of the three I purchased with similar results.  It would appear that I haven't set it up correctly.  

Out of the box, I removed the battery and connected the USB cable for power. 

I linked the unit to my ISY using the "Link a sensor" -> "Motion Sensor II".  This created three devices, the temperature sensor, Motion Enabled and Tamper, which I 've read is normal.  The icon to the left of these device names in the Console listing of ISY devices looks like the capital letter "N" with a ball at the end of the up going and down going lines.  Since this is my first senator device, I assume this is the normal symbol for a sensor.  

I did not change settings in the window that pops up in response to pressing the Options button.

To calibrate, pressed the set button on the MS II (I read somewhere that it needed to be in set or link mode), selected the temperature device on the Console, typed a new number into the box just to the right of the Calibrate Temperature button and then pressed that button.  The response I get to these actions is varied.  Ready changes to System Busy in the lower left corner of the Console window and a few windows pop up sequentially warning me not to power down or change any settings.  It's clearing trying to write to the MS II.  During that period, the value I typed into the box to the right of the Calibrate button changes.  Most often it changes back to the value displayed as the temperature read back which is where the operation ends with no change to the temperature reading.  Sometimes it changes to a different temperature but not the one I entered and then the temperature read back also changes to that value.  By repeating this calibrate sequence several times, I can get the read back to get close to the number I entered, sometimes above my value, sometimes below my value.  Never the same value.  One attempt changed the temperature to  -17.9 degrees.  

I've also tried this calibrate sequence without first pressing the Set button on the MS II unit, with similar results except a few times that resulted in an error message saying that ISY could not communicate with the device. 

As I am writing this message, I tried repeating the sequence above a few times to make sure that I am recording the correct sequence and response but the response has changed.  Firstly, I now see that as soon as I enter a new value to calibrate to and press my enter key, the system goes busy.  It doesn't wait for me to press the Calibrate Temperature button.  I had not noticed that before.  Secondly, the popup windows warning me not to change anything are not appearing.  It doesn't appear that ISY is writing to the device.  

As I stated above, I've tried this with two of the three units i purchased with similar results.  I hope someone can point to some step I've left out because this is very frustrating.  

[ELA]

Search for "mysterious motion sensor II"

I had detailed my experience there.    Running on USB power is most important when experimenting to learn about it.

[Jimini]

Thank you, ELA, for your reply and reminding me to read again your previous report.  I had read it before and was very impressed with the details you followed and reported.  In reading it again, I found one important statement that I had not paid sufficient attention to in my first read, that is the necessity of executing a Query after a Calibrate. This seems very odd but now I found that indeed a Query immediately after a Calibrate results in a different value reported, one that is much closer to the requested Calibrate value.  The whole calibration operation seems very odd to me both because of the need for the Query and the need to repeat the Calibrate several times to get close to but not exactly to the desired value.  But by executing the Query after Calibrate I was eventually able to get to within a degree of my desired value on all three MS IIs which I have mounted on a board next to each other. 

Over the last three days, I have performed queries 4 times were day comparing the three MS II readouts to a room thermometer I have.  Two are tracking very well, exactly matching when applying a software correction based upon the final calibration offset. One, however, performs mysteriously.  With many of the reads, it also reports a value within a degree of the other two, however, on some of the reads it first reports the same value as it previously reported  several hours before, but on a second query command, it reports the correct new value.  On one read sequence, it continued to report the value from several house before even after three consecutive reads.  I am concluding that this devices if faulty and should be returned.

I do have a few questions that you possibly can help answer: 

1) It appears that when powering the MS II with USB power, one does not need to put the device in set mode.  Another person had commented that this was necessary but I think that is only in battery mode.  Is this correct?

2) Once the devices is calibrated powered by USB, can the device be powered down to be moved to a different location without recalibrating?  I assume it will hold its calibration after a loss of USB power, which will be important in operation during a general power failure?  

3) Some Query commands put the ISY is Busy Mode for an extended period of time during which several pop up windows appear with the warning not power to down or change configurations, but some Query commands show System Busy for only a very brief moment and then return to Ready. Is this normal? Do you know a reason why the difference? 

4) I have not done any thing with the motion part of the device.  I just linked the device which produced three devices in the ISY device list. The MS II unit will often flash a red light in addition to the green light.  The manual states that the red light implies "Error Controlling a Device",  which is odd since I have not purposely set the MS II to control anything.  There is no report in the ISY Log or Error Log associated with this device.  Is this a concern? Do you think this affects its temperature sensing, which is the only purpose I intend for the device?  

Thanks again.

[ELA]

On 9/16/2019 at 9:29 AM, Jimini said:

What I think I know in blue

Thank you, ELA, for your reply and reminding me to read again your previous report.  I had read it before and was very impressed with the details you followed and reported.  In reading it again, I found one important statement that I had not paid sufficient attention to in my first read, that is the necessity of executing a Query after a Calibrate. This seems very odd but now I found that indeed a Query immediately after a Calibrate results in a different value reported, one that is much closer to the requested Calibrate value.  The whole calibration operation seems very odd to me both because of the need for the Query and the need to repeat the Calibrate several times to get close to but not exactly to the desired value.  But by executing the Query after Calibrate I was eventually able to get to within a degree of my desired value on all three MS IIs which I have mounted on a board next to each other. 

Over the last three days, I have performed queries 4 times were day comparing the three MS II readouts to a room thermometer I have.  Two are tracking very well, exactly matching when applying a software correction based upon the final calibration offset. One, however, performs mysteriously.  With many of the reads, it also reports a value within a degree of the other two, however, on some of the reads it first reports the same value as it previously reported  several hours before, but on a second query command, it reports the correct new value.  On one read sequence, it continued to report the value from several house before even after three consecutive reads.  I am concluding that this devices if faulty and should be returned.

I do have a few questions that you possibly can help answer: 

1) It appears that when powering the MS II with USB power, one does not need to put the device in set mode.  Another person had commented that this was necessary but I think that is only in battery mode.  Is this correct?   No need for linking mode when on USB pwr ( Key is that device remains awake when on USB power.

2) Once the devices is calibrated powered by USB, can the device be powered down to be moved to a different location without recalibrating?  I assume it will hold its calibration after a loss of USB power, which will be important in operation during a general power failure?   Certainly would expect this to be true but not tested directly

3) Some Query commands put the ISY is Busy Mode for an extended period of time during which several pop up windows appear with the warning not power to down or change configurations, but some Query commands show System Busy for only a very brief moment and then return to Ready. Is this normal? Do you know a reason why the difference?   Use event viewer in level 3 to discover why some comm events take longer than others.

4) I have not done any thing with the motion part of the device.  I just linked the device which produced three devices in the ISY device list. The MS II unit will often flash a red light in addition to the green light.  The manual states that the red light implies "Error Controlling a Device",  which is odd since I have not purposely set the MS II to control anything.  There is no report in the ISY Log or Error Log associated with this device.  Is this a concern? Do you think this affects its temperature sensing, which is the only purpose I intend for the device?     Dont know did not observe

Thanks again.