Unclear on linking EZIO8SA

[Quixote]

Hi,

I just received an EZIO8SA and cannot link it to my ISY. When I hit "New Insteon Device", enter the address and select the device name from the drop-down, select "remove existing links", and hit ok, it either does nothing at all, or spits out an error that says, "Discovering Nodes. Retry!"

 

Also, while the popup is on my screen in the ISY admin configuration, prompting me for the info on the new device, I cannot enter text into my browser until I close the popup.

 

Can someone please give me a hand?

Thanks.

 

Edit: it looks like this should have been in the bug section. Now I can't even log in. The error pops up and then closes the admin console right away.

[LeeG]

Connect Inputs AN1 and AN2 (Inputs 5 & 6) to GND. These inputs do not have a pullup resister built in because they can be run in Analog mode. As such they are floating and may generate Insteon traffic that can interfere with adding the device to the ISY.

 

The EZIO8SA Device Type must be selected when adding it to the ISY. Auto Discover cannot be used with SHN devices.

 

ISY firmware 2.8.x or above must be used when adding an SHN device to the ISY.

[oskrypuch]

I got hit by this very issue. Lee's suggestion fixed me right up.

 

* Orest

[Quixote]

Thanks guys.

I'll try this out. As it stands though, every time I enter the admin console I get booted out after I click OK on the error.

 

What kind of resistor value should I use?

[LeeG]

If the issue is with the EZIO8SA generating Insteon traffic unplug the EZIO8SA PLM.

 

As a temp fix connect AN1 and AN2 Inputs to GND which will lock the Inputs ON and stop any cycling that may be happening on those Inputs.

 

To use AN1 and AN2 in digital mode they need to be connected to +5V with 10K 1/4 watt pullup resisters. This turns each Input OFF. To turn each Input ON connect the Input to GND through a dry contact switch, leaving the pullup resisters connected.

 

The challenge with the EZIO8SA is that it provides 12V DC, not 5V DC. A 5V DC power supply circuit is required which can be powered from the 12DC. There are fixed 5V regulators that can do that job.

 

EDIT: Radio Shack carries a fixed 5V regulator Item # 276-1770, can ordered online.

[Quixote]

At the moment, all I want is to be able to use the relays.

 

The resetting of the Admin Console was fixed (for now) by unplugging the ISY for a bit and restarting it. I unplugged the EZIO8SA, but I didn't notice the light on the PLM flickering at all when I did, so I don't think that it was flooding the network with traffic. I could be wrong, of course.

 

I found a couple of 10K resistors lying around. I have access to 5VDC on a PC power supply that is housed in the same enclosure as the EZIO -- it is all part of an LED aquarium hood project that I am working on.

 

I know this is a lot of trouble, but would you be able to whip up a (crude) diagram showing me exactly what to do so that I don't destroy any of my hardware?

 

Thanks for all of your help.

 

 

Oh, and one other thing... does it matter that I am using a PLM that is version 2.8? I dug it up from my automation box to save a few bucks instead of buying yet another PLM. I used to use it with my PC before I decided to just go completely with the ISY since the two conflicted with each other.

[Quixote]

If I ground AN1 and AN2, do I still need the resistors?

 

This is so frustrating. Why can't anything just work out of the box like it's supposed to? My aquarium plants are probably all going to die because of this b****#!t. This is NOT why I bought an ISY, that is for sure.

[LeeG]

No resisters needed. Connect the EZIO8SA GND connection to AN1 and AN2 Inputs.

 

I have no experience with a PLM at firmware 28. It must have had lots of dust. The newest PLM I have has firmware 92.

[Quixote]

Great.

So that means that I need to buy a new one probably and then power the EZIO8SA as well since the new PLM won't, from what I understand.

What a PItA.

 

I'll try without the resistors. Thanks.

[Quixote]

Just wondering, what are the exact steps to add the device? There are no instructions anywhere.

I used "add new device" and filled out everything, then hit OK and waited and nothing happened. There wasn't even an indication anywhere that the ISY was searching for it or anything. Do I need to hold the set button down on the PLM or something?

 

Thanks.

[LeeG]

I would try it with the PLM you have. Simplehomenet markets an EZIComm which is a functional equivalent to the 2412S PLM including the 12V to power the EZIO8SA. They may also still have 2412S PLM in stock.

[LeeG]

Use firmware 2.8.x and above. Use New INSTEON Device

 

Enter Insteon Address, Name, and Device Type of EZIO8SA.

 

It will take a few minutes. There will be 7 Controller nodes and 8 Responder nodes when the add is finished.

[Quixote]

Do I need to hit "start linking"? Is there any indication that the ISY is looking for the device? I see none, and it just says "Ready" at the bottom left. I am using the latest beta firmware for the ISY.

[LeeG]

DO NOT use start linking.

 

Select Link Management | New INSTEON Device

 

Enter Insteon Address, Name of your choice, from Device Type pulldown select [07.04] Compacta EZIO8SA: Insteon I/O Controller.

 

Select Remove existing links Radio button

 

Click Ok

 

I suggest starting Tools | Diagnostics | Event Viewer with Device communications events selected before starting add process. That way if it is unsuccessful there will be documentation of the add process.

[Quixote]

hmmm.

It does absolutely nothing and there is nothing shown in the event viewer.

[LeeG]

Are the My Lighting devices showing On/Off status and reflect new changes when turned On/Off at the device?

 

Whatever the issue it has nothing to do with the EZIO8SA at present, If no commands are logged the ISY make no attempt to talk to the device.

 

Perhaps something happened or was wrong before when the invalid address format message was issued that has hung up the ISY. Try unplugging the PLM and ISY power supply if there is one.

[Quixote]

OK, that's just weird. I shut down the admin console and started it back up one more time just to try adding it one more time for literally the 50th time because I noticed some "artifacts" at the bottom right of the display (the buttons at from the top were appearing there for some reason), and all of the sudden I see 8 items for "Aquarium", the name I gave the EZIO8SA. I had done nothing what-so-ever differently this time.

They seem to be partially functional. I was able to activate a few of the relays, but not all of them and the status was not properly updated.

 

This just get stranger and stranger! At least my plants will get a little light though!

 

Thanks for sticking with me through this.

[LeeG]

Sure, happy to.

 

I suspect something happened during one of the earlier add attempts that damaged the Admin Console instance and aborted the add process. Since the Admin Console was affected I doubt it was device specific but that is not based on objective information. With no Controller nodes for the EZIO8SA and some of the Responder nodes not functional (relays) I hate to say this but there is no recovery from that besides Deleting the device and doing another add.

 

Perhaps at some time after the water has been adequately returned to normal so that there are some hours to try again. If attempting again in the future have the Event Viewer running with Device communications events selected. The Event Log will be pretty large as 15 nodes with associated link records are created during the add process. Event Log will likely be too large to post. You can send the Event Log file to lwgwork@embarqmail.com if it fails again. Perhaps I can see something as it is happening. If it is Admin Console related it may not show in the Event Log.

[Quixote]

Thanks again! You're a gentleman and a scholar.

I'll give this a try again a little later.

[Quixote]

Well, the device is added and relays are functional, but I cannot see the state of the relays.

In fact, I cannot see the state of any of my devices, even when I hit query. Perhaps I need to buy more Filterlincs. It occurred to me earlier that the area around the aquarium must be a very noisy place in the power lines since there are motors in the filter and aerator and a PC power supply to power my LEDs.

I had put a filter on the PC power supply and plugged an access point right beside the PLM for the EZIO8SA, but it may be that I haven't taken enough measures against noise.

I'll do some rearranging and see if I can get better results.

 

I really think that the ISY should do more to make it obvious if it's having trouble and have status animations, etc. to convey progress or activity in general.

 

With all the trouble I've been having lately with my gear, this was almost the straw that broke the camel's back. I really have a love/hate relationship with technology.

[LeeG]

Turning the relays On/Off through the Admin Console or Programs do not show the relay state with the Admin Console?

[Quixote]

That's correct.

[LeeG]

Try restarting the Admin Console. There is a glitch which I think UDI said is fixed in the next Beta drop where the Admin Console does not show any device state. I see it once in a while. When the Admin Console comes up without device states I just restart it until it does. Normally one restart resolves the problem.

[Quixote]

Way ahead of ya.

 

Tried that at least three times and it's still not working. Who knows, though. The way things have been going, it might work next time. I'll give it one more try and report back if anything has changed.

[LeeG]

Is the Current State field blank or it shows some On/Off state but is not being updated when the device state changes?

 

Any chance the Java cache was not cleared after an update or the wrong URL is being used to start the Admin Console? That can result in the device status not being updated.