Program doesn't start

[Jack D]

I am an old Insteon user. I have about 70 devices. I bought and installed a 994i about 6 years ago to migrate off my original Insteon hub. I used the 994i to control a few new devices in a back garage and when I started to add existing devices the text advised me to reset all existing links to eliminate half links, etc. 

Because I have many keypads and lots of scenes with over lapping devices I decided that I would complete the transition when the hub failed. Obviously my hub has failed and after Insteon abruptly going away I decided it was now time transition to the 994i.

I updated the admin console and the 994i to  5.3.4 and got the UD app operational so I can work with devices using my iMac and my iPhone. 

I set my first program to set a few lights on at sunset and another to turn off some of them at 9:30 PM and the remaining at sunrise. Anything I set into the sunset program lights but none of my other programs turn off anything. in fact if I make another program to turn another light on it will not run. I see in the 'Program Summary' page on the admin console that every program I make shows a status of 'False' except my 'Sunset' program and it show 'True'. I read through as much doc as I can handle on program creation and troubleshooting but can't find an answer. False according to the doc says I haven't met the conditions for starting the program. all programs are enabled..

I give, Help!

[Geddy]

@Jack D Welcome to the ISY way of life! We're here to get you sorted out. The forums are great for user-to-user support and assitance.

First off, the best way to get program help is to post the actual program. If you're on the details tab and click on the program you want to work on. Right click that program and at the bottom of the menu that comes up will be the option "Copy to Clipboard". Then come to the forum post and paste it as text. 

For your first request, here is a simple program that turns on a light in the evening and off in the morning.

Front Light - Night - [ID 0002][Parent 0001][Run At Startup]

If
        From    Sunset  -  1 hour  and 30 minutes
        To      Sunrise +  1 hour  and 20 minutes (next day)
 
Then
        Set 'Front Door' On
 
Else
        Set 'Front Door' Off
 

The way the ISY programs work is they are ALWAYS running. So you seeing them "enabled" is fine. The "True" and "False" status is what you want to look at. 

A program that is "TRUE" means everything in the "IF" portion of the program happened. My program above currently shows:

 

The program would be "FALSE" when it doesn't meet the criteria of the "IF" portion. 

 

The best thing I would suggest to you is to review the UDI Wiki and download the ISY Cookbook and search for topics you want to learn more about. The cookbook was written a few years ago and hasn't been "updated", but it still reflects the basics of how to program and definitions of each part of a program mean. 

 

Post your program to get help with the specific issue. The summary tab doesn't help us be able to help you very much.

It's also key for us to know what your ultimate goal is. So just turning some lights on at sunset and off at sunrise can be done with a very simple program. More complicated things will require a lot more information from you for what you actually want to accomplish. 

 

[Jack D]

OK, Sounds like a plan.I looked through the cookbook and the Wiki but came up empty. 

I posted both. The Sunset program runs every day but the Sunrise program doesn't seem to run. 

*********************

Sunset - [ID 0007][Parent 0001]

If
        Time is Sunset 
 
Then
        Set 'Main Room / Overhead LED Strips' On 19%
        Set 'Credenza Lamps' On 50%
 
Else
   - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')
 

************************

Sunrise - [ID 0003][Parent 0001]

If
        Time is Sunrise
 
Then
        Set 'Main Room / Overhead LED Strips' Off
 
Else
   - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')
 

*************************

 

 

[kclenden]

36 minutes ago, Jack D said:

The Sunset program runs every day but the Sunrise program doesn't seem to run. 

I don't see any reason the Sunrise program shouldn't be triggered at sunrise.  When weird things like this happen, the first thing I check is that my Firmware and UI version match in the "About" dialog box that you get via "Help->About".

[Geddy]

@Jack D yes, check the version to make sure they match. Especially since you said you just updated. 

Looking at your programs again and the summary something isn’t right…the “Sunset” program should only be “True” at the moment of sunset. All other times it should be false. Something is causing it to always be true. Perhaps UI/FW don’t match. 

A way to test is:

Then turn on the light strip.

Right click on the sunrise program and select “Run Then”. Do they turn off? Doing this is a simple way to test that the program actually controls what you expect it to do.
 

Do you have any other programs that might be conflicting with the time and keeping those lights on? 
 

Lastly, since you said you transitioned from the Insteon Hub to the ISY did you reset any/all devices before adding them to the ISY? I don’t think that would block a program from even running and it clearly doesn’t have a “last run” time shown. I assume you made the program before today so it should have run at sunrise today. 

Also since you did just update make sure you save the programs again. Select one, then hit save again. Just as a troubleshooting step following the update.  
 

 

[Geddy]

@Jack D 

For your Sunrise program is there a "Next Scheduled Run" time shown?

I just created a test program like your Sunset program. The status matches what you're seeing.

The above "Light-test1" is for Sunset, and "light-test2" is for Sunrise.

 

Make sure that you've saved the programs. They shouldn't have a green arrow on the name like this one does:

If I run the "IF" of the Sunrise program my light turns off. It also updates the summary for "Last Run Time" so you know something in that program ran when you triggered it manually.

 

The program is:

light-test2 - 

If
        Time is Sunrise
 
Then
        Set 'Front Door' Off
 
Else
   - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')
 

 

 

OH!!!! I've got it (I think)! While I was typing the above I looked at your screen shot again. You've got a folder condition in the "My Programs" folder that is making the folder false. Anything in that folder won't run. (which makes it odd that your sunset program ran - maybe it ran yesterday, but didn't run tonight if you changed something today). 

Make sure your "My Programs" folder looks like this:

NO conditions!

Mine doesn't have any conditions and doesn't show up in the summary tab. I added a condition that would make that folder false and it showed up in the summary tab. Because the "My Programs" is typically the root folder none of the programs in the root would show that as the path. Only programs in subfolders would show something in the "Path".

I still don't know how your Sunset program shows "True". 

[kclenden]

12 hours ago, Geddy said:

OH!!!! I've got it (I think)! While I was typing the above I looked at your screen shot again. You've got a folder condition in the "My Programs" folder that is making the folder false. Anything in that folder won't run.

What's weird is that my "My Programs" folder doesn't even appear in my "Summary" tab.  Does it appear in yours?

Update: Never mind.  I added a condition to "My Programs" and it appeared in my "Summary" tab.  Removed the condition, and it disappeared from the "Summary" tab.  Guess I didn't read all the way through your post.  🙂

Edited March 11, 2023 by kclenden

[kclenden]

12 hours ago, Geddy said:

I still don't know how your Sunset program shows "True". 

Maybe the condition on his "My Programs" folder is SUNSET.

[MrBill]

30 minutes ago, kclenden said:

Maybe the condition on his "My Programs" folder is SUNSET.

...and "Sunset" as the only condition is only true for 1 second, at sunset.

[Jack D]

Thanks for helping me. I am somewhat relieved that you guys didn't solve this in one post.  I tried to do the research before posting.. 

OK, y Folder is False. I don't see where I change that.. I have to go out will look again at this tommorrow.

[Geddy]

@Jack D

Yep...your folder is messing you up...

20 minutes ago, Jack D said:

The My Programs folder has a "next scheduled" run time. I assume that's also sunset. So for that moment the folder is true thus allowing the sunset program to run. After such time the folder would be False and not allow anything else to run. That's why no other programs have a "Next Scheduled Run" showing. Even the Sunset program itself doesn't have a next runtime because it's in a false folder.   (Notice that your "ON" "Query All" also don't have any last run times and no scheduled run times.)

• Click on the "My Programs" folder.
• On the right side there should be a line in the "IF" area. Click on that.
• Click "Remove Line" (see arrow below)
• Then "Save Changes" on the bottom left column of the admin console

 

Once you do that the "My Programs" folder shouldn't appear in the summary screen. As noted above when there aren't conditions in the folder it won't show up on the summary tab because it has no reason to run.

Your other programs should then populate "Next Scheduled Run".

 

Final comment - notice in my program above that you can achieve both the On and Off setting with one program. You don't need to have two programs for the different times. If you really aren't turnning off both devices that you're turning on at sunset then just put the ones you want to turn off in the ELSE of a single program to run from Sunset to Sunrise (next day) and the light will turn off (if you follow the program I posted earlier.

 

Good luck! 

[Jack D]

Ding, Ding, Dung...... we have a winner.

Looks like when I started my first programing attempt I used the folder, My Programs. There was an if condition present with Sunset.. Once I started reading the doc I generated actual separate entries under "My Programs'. Not knowing that the folder contents were critical to the whole process. Noob mistake. Looks as you predicted. I will include my summary so someone else my benefit from our exchange. 

Thank you. On to the next windmill...

 

 

 

[larryllix]

19 minutes ago, Jack D said:

Ding, Ding, Dung...... we have a winner.

Looks like when I started my first programing attempt I used the folder, My Programs. There was an if condition present with Sunset.. Once I started reading the doc I generated actual separate entries under "My Programs'. Not knowing that the folder contents were critical to the whole process. Noob mistake. Looks as you predicted. I will include my summary so someone else my benefit from our exchange. 

Thank you. On to the next windmill...

 

 

 

Oh he's good,  but send money to me at .....