Pending Write updates will not clear

[AceRoehrborn]

I have recently upgraded from ISY994 to Eisy, I replaced the PLM at the same time.  Things went generally smoothly.  Most of my devices are not a problem. 

Of my ~50 devices I have 4 that are showing pending writes/updates (the Green 1011 arrow).  The devices in question seem to be responding properly, their statuses update correctly and when I "write to devices" there are no errors. 

I have also done Restore devices.   EISY power cycle, device power cycle etc... 

Seems like nothing I do clears the green arrow.  

I have been on insteon for quite a while so it is possible some of these devices are older.  Wondering if this is a software issue or if these devices are in the early stages of failure.

Anything that can be done to clear the pending writes?

[tmorse305]

What type of devices are they?

[Techman]

@AceRoehrborn

Set your event viewer to level 3, then do a restore device on one of the problem devices, and post the event viewer results.

[AceRoehrborn]

Here is a sample.  A few of the devices are old Icon Devices.

2476D Switchlink v.38

2856D2 Icon Lamplinc 2pin v.37

2876SB IconRelay Switch V.39

Here are the results from a restore to the switchlinc.

Device in question Neuron ID is 15.A7.6C

Log file is attached.

 

Thanks for the help.

 

ISY-Events-Log.v5.7.0__Fri 2023.11.17 06.15.55 PM.txt

[tmorse305]

I see a lot of hops left=0 so it might be communication problems.  Can you move the 2856D2 close to the PLM and try to restore that one?

[AceRoehrborn]

I will try that next. 

Just swapped the switch with a new switchlink 2477D and it fired up right away no coms issues at all.  Other devices with issues are on the same circuit or in the same box as working units which is why I am suspicious that the device is starting to be questionable.  What is weird is that it reports as though it can communicate just seemingly not well.

 

[Techman]

@AceRoehrborn

A lot of your devices are the older powerline only version with older firmware.  Updating your devices to the newer dual band devices will greatly improve your Insteon mesh network.

 

[Brian H]

The log shows the I1 protocol is being used. That requires a lot of messages between the controller and the module. Also power line only as pointed out.

Another thought is something has changed on that circuit. Like a new signal sucker or noise maker. Besides the fact is is old and maybe on its last legs.

The 2477D is dual band so both Insteon RF and power line commands are being used and It is an I2CS device. One command for each byte of data and it has a check sum to help verify the message is not damaged.

[mmb]

@Brian H I found your comment regarding I1 protocol interesting.

I checked communications for one of my switches which is a dual band 2477S V .42 and it's communicating using I1 protocol.

Do you know what switch version started using the newer protocol?  I'm not experiencing any communication problems.

 

[RPerrault]

http://madreporite.com/insteon/insteon.html

but

https://github.com/evilpete/insteonrf/blob/master/Doc/insteon_defcon23.pdf

 

[mmb]

Thanks @RPerrault, in March 2012, Smarthome began shipping new devices using the i2cs protocol.

In any event, seems like a lot of work to reset device protocols for little gain if everything is communicating properly. 

[Brian H]

18 hours ago, mmb said:

@Brian H I found your comment regarding I1 protocol interesting.

I checked communications for one of my switches which is a dual band 2477S V .42 and it's communicating using I1 protocol.

Do you know what switch version started using the newer protocol?  I'm not experiencing any communication problems.

 

It should not be using I1 as that module is I2CS and is dual band as you found..

I believe some commands are I1 to determine some information before using I2 or I2CS.

[AceRoehrborn]

Thanks to everyone for their input help and background with this.  I finally sorted out the culprit and thought I would post with results.

Short story:  Long time ago I installed a cell phone repeater amplifier thing in my attic.  I had forgotten it was even there.  Not sure if ever really helped much but I believe what happened was the repeater or the cheap wall wort power supply is starting to or has failed and was creating a tremendous amount of noise on the powerline.  Interdevice communication was working fine but it was prohibiting communication with my PLM.  Unplugged that cell repeater and magically everything came back online and communication is once again robust and reliable.  

The way I found the issue was basically to shut the entire house off at the breaker panel to start isolating what was stopping communications.  I turned off literally everything.  I picked a device that was not working but on a circuit without much else.  I turned that circuit on and started doing a restore device.  To my surprise that device immediately started communicating, and restored itself, green arrow gone.

While watching the event viewer in mode 3 in a working system you should see that clip along fairly quickly with INST-TX commands followed very quickly by INST-ACK commands.  It cruised along with the commands essentially continually scrolling up the event viewer, with all but two circuits turned off in my situation. 

I started turning circuits on and watching the event viewer work.  If it kept the commands moving I knew the circuit was not the issue, periodically I would have to re-issue another restore command on that device to keep the PLM communicating and the event viewer showing me traffic.  Eventually, I turned on my garage which also feeds the lone outlet in the attic, and the communication immediately changed tone to where I would see much slower communication traffic, way more TX commands, less ACK commands, more hops, and eventually a failed communication with a red exclamation point.  Turning that circuit on and off at the breaker panel would immediately change traffic behavior every time.  I knew I had found it. I unplugged everything in the garage to isolate further (garage door openers, insteon switches, unplugged whatever my wife had plugged in and repeated the test.  Finally remembered the thing in the attic, unplugged it and boom the world was right again.

Long story short thanks for the tips on the event viewer, had not really used that tool before very helpful.

I suspect my original PLM is just fine as well, since the whole reason i switched over was that I suspected the PLM failing was causing my communication issue.  

 

 

[Brian H]

Good to read you found the problem.

My bet would be on the wall wart supply.