Eisy came but can't connect to plm

[apostolakisl]

My eisy came today but I can't get it to connect to plm.  My old plm got fried in the lightening strike but I have two spares and neither will connect.  via SSH, eisy says the serial adapter is connected. The PLM's are old but I am pretty sure both of them work.  I did factory resets on both of them and both do the normal factory reset sound.  Ideas?  I am using a USB to serial adapter that I already owned, I don't think it is any different than the one UD sells.  I tried different ports and have rebooted and power cycled eisy as well as the plm multiple times.

 

[admin@eisy ~]$ dmesg | grep -i usb
xhci0: <XHCI (generic) USB 3.0 controller> mem 0x6001100000-0x600110ffff at device 20.0 on pci0
usbus0 on xhci0
usbus0: 5.0Gbps Super Speed USB v3.0
ugen0.1: <Intel XHCI root HUB> at usbus0
uhub0 on usbus0
uhub0: <Intel XHCI root HUB, class 9/0, rev 3.00/1.00, addr 1> on usbus0
Root mount waiting for: usbus0 CAM
ugen0.2: <FTDI USB Serial Converter> at usbus0
ugen0.3: <vendor 0x8087 product 0x0026> at usbus0
uftdi0: <FTDI USB Serial Converter, class 0/0, rev 2.00/6.00, addr 1> on usbus0
ubt0: <vendor 0x8087 product 0x0026, class 224/1, rev 2.01/0.02, addr 2> on usbus0
[admin@eisy ~]$

 

Eisy says 

[paulbates]

My eisy was a new install and I had this problem. I plugged and unplugged the eisy into the wall several times, it eventually connected and have had not further issues. My PLM is USB.

Another thing to look at under the config tab in iox, is the Insteon checkbox checked?

Edited Wednesday at 12:26 AM by paulbates

[apostolakisl]

1 hour ago, paulbates said:

My eisy was a new install and I had this problem. I plugged and unplugged the eisy into the wall several times, it eventually connected and have had not further issues. My PLM is USB.

Another thing to look at under the config tab in iox, is the Insteon checkbox checked?

i can't even buy a usb plm right now, out of stock.  I did check and indeed the Insteon box is checked.  I think I will take my plm's to my church and plug it into the 994i there and confirm that ISY recognizes it before I waste a bunch of time.  I guess the next step would to buy the rs232 adapter from UD, but I really don't think it is different.

[Brian H]

The 2413S serial PLM has a special signal wiring. Using only three wires. Send;receive and common. If your USB adapter is not made to route the proper signals to the correct PLM connections and not connect the other pins. It will not work.

[elvisimprsntr]

@apostolakisl

Serial PLM uses non-standard pinout.  

The one UDI sells is a modified off the shelf cable.

https://www.universal-devices.com/product/serial-plm-kit/

Or you can make your own. 

 

[apostolakisl]

9 hours ago, elvisimprsntr said:

@apostolakisl

Serial PLM uses non-standard pinout.  

The one UDI sells is a modified off the shelf cable.

https://www.universal-devices.com/product/serial-plm-kit/

Or you can make your own. 

 

Thanks for the info.  Looks like need to move positions 3,5, and 6 to 1, 7, and 8.  My wires have different colors than the other post.  I'll give it a try when I get home from work.

EDIT: Still no luck.  I am confident I have the wires moved correctly.  I'll order the UD one and see if there is an issue with the console cable, but I just don't think there was.

Edited Wednesday at 08:47 PM by apostolakisl

[Geddy]

@apostolakisl do you have the serial cable that came with the PLM? I added this to the cable that came with the PLM and it works fine with my eisy.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IDSM6BW

I do like the UD option for a single cable connection, but if Amazon can deliver quicker might get you up and running sooner. Good luck recovering everything. 

[apostolakisl]

1 hour ago, Geddy said:

@apostolakisl do you have the serial cable that came with the PLM? I added this to the cable that came with the PLM and it works fine with my eisy.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IDSM6BW

I do like the UD option for a single cable connection, but if Amazon can deliver quicker might get you up and running sooner. Good luck recovering everything. 

Yes, i actually just ordered the same thing (different brand) from Amazon because UD is not exactly speedy at shipping.

 

[Techman]

@apostolakisl

You should take a look at this possibility

Amazon.com: CYANTEKOMS Copper Brass Lightning Rod Kit with 60 Feet 6 AWG Down Conductor and UL Listed Rod Clamp for Pole Top House Tower Tank Roof Safety : Industrial & Scientific

 

 

[apostolakisl]

14 hours ago, Techman said:

@apostolakisl

You should take a look at this possibility

Amazon.com: CYANTEKOMS Copper Brass Lightning Rod Kit with 60 Feet 6 AWG Down Conductor and UL Listed Rod Clamp for Pole Top House Tower Tank Roof Safety : Industrial & Scientific

 

 

When I built the house we looked at having lightening rods as part of the build.  It was very expensive and of course far more extensive than this.  I'm sure the professional one would work well.  I just wonder if a rod like this DIY one is effective.  So hard to know since it is such a rare thing.  16 years and this is the first time.  I also am not sure exactly where the strike was.  I can't find any physical damage anywhere.  It was most definitely a lightening strike as my wife was at home and says there was a flash/bang simultaneous and instantly the whole house went crazy (mostly the alarm system).  I have an Elk and I though those things were bullet proof.  I even have the Elk surge suppressor on my system.

[apostolakisl]

On 7/9/2025 at 6:40 PM, Techman said:

@apostolakisl

You should take a look at this possibility

Amazon.com: CYANTEKOMS Copper Brass Lightning Rod Kit with 60 Feet 6 AWG Down Conductor and UL Listed Rod Clamp for Pole Top House Tower Tank Roof Safety : Industrial & Scientific

 

 

This worked.