KPL button status communication?

[David D]

I have two older KPL's (2486D v.26) on the nightstands in our master bedroom that control the bedroom lights as well as activate a "wake up" and "bedtime" scene/program via the "A" button. In the morning, the "A" button is supposed to toggle on to turn on the lights in the living room and kitchen. At bedtime, the "A" button gets toggled off to turn off all the lights in the house, except for a lamp in the dining room and our post light which both get dimmed.

 

Problem is, the "A" button light (status) on both KPL's is very unreliable. Most of the time, I will toggle the button off (bedtime) and all the lights will shut off, but the button will remain lit. I have recently installed a dual band lamp module for the lamps on the same nightstands as well as a couple more to help things, but no joy. Any ideas?

 

I'm using these programs to control the KPL button lights:

 

(Nighttime lights status)

If

Status 'Living Room Lamps' is not Off

Or Status 'Kitchen Lamp' is not Off

Or Status 'Dining Rm Lamp' is not Off

 

Then

- No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

 

Else

- No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

 

 

(MBR KP (D) Button A Status)

If

Program 'Nighttime Lights Status' is True

 

Then

Set Scene 'MBR KP (D) Button A Status' On

Set Scene 'MBR KP (A) Button A Status' On

 

Else

Set Scene 'MBR KP (D) Button A Status' Off

Set Scene 'MBR KP (A) Button A Status' Off

 

 

 

For reference, MBR KP (D) is mine (David), and MBR KP (A) is my wife's (April). They're both supposed to function the same. Is there a better (more reliable) way to do this?

[TJF1960]

Hi David,

 

I am not sure at this point if it is a comm. issue with the KPL's or a program issue. You might try adding a Wait 1 or 2 seconds before the action of the Then and Else in the program to give any Insteon traffic from any of the lights included in the first program time to finish before the ISY issues the On or Off commands.

 

(MBR KP (D) Button A Status)
If
Program 'Nighttime Lights Status' is True

Then
Wait 2 seconds
Set Scene 'MBR KP (D) Button A Status' On
Set Scene 'MBR KP (A) Button A Status' On

Else
Wait 2 seconds 
Set Scene 'MBR KP (D) Button A Status' Off
Set Scene 'MBR KP (A) Button A Status' Off

Tim

[oberkc]

Most of the time, I will toggle the button off (bedtime) and all the lights will shut off, but the button will remain lit.

 

So button A is, initially, on. You press button A. It stays on!? (Is it in toggle mode?) This does not suggest communication problems, but either a hardware problem, or, as TJF1960 suggests, your programs are turning it back on. I like the addition of the wait statement, but suspect there is something else going on, as well.

 

Is the button A a controller of a scene? With what other devices? What are the other programs triggered by button A (I assume you have bedtime and wakeup program)?

 

Is it possible that button A is controller of a scene with 'Living Room Lamps' as responder? Is it possible that your bedtime program, triggered by button A off command, tells 'Living Room Lamps' to turn on to "dimmed" setting? If so, you may have a chain of events going on:

 

At the end of the day, you press button A (goes from on to off). Because of the scene, a bunch of lights turn off, and 'nightime ligts' status goes false. A few milliseconds later, your bedtime program fires, turning 'Living Room Lamps' to your dimmed setting. This causes 'nightime lights status' to turn back to true. This causes 'MBR KP (D) Button A Status' to trigger (now true) turning button A back on.

 

Does this scenrio sound plausible?

[David D]

Maybe this will help. Here's my "bedtime" and "wake up" programs:

 

(Bedtime)

 

If

Control 'Master BR KP (D) - Button A' is switched Off

Or Control 'Master BR KP (A) - Button A' is switched Off

 

Then

Set 'Living Room Keypad - Post Lig' 50%

Set 'Living Room Lamps' Off

Set 'Kitchen Lamp' Off

Set 'Dining Rm Lamp' 35%

Set 'Den Wall Switch' Off

Set 'Den File Cabinet' Off

Set 'Den Desk' Off

 

Else

- No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

 

 

(wake up)

 

If

Control 'Master BR KP (D) - Button A' is switched On

Or Control 'Master BR KP (A) - Button A' is switched On

 

Then

Set 'Living Room Lamps' On

Set 'Dining Rm Lamp' On

Set 'Kitchen Lamp' On

 

Else

- No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

[David D]

Hi David,

 

I am not sure at this point if it is a comm. issue with the KPL's or a program issue. You might try adding a Wait 1 or 2 seconds before the action of the Then and Else in the program to give any Insteon traffic from any of the lights included in the first program time to finish before the ISY issues the On or Off commands.

 

(MBR KP (D) Button A Status)
If
Program 'Nighttime Lights Status' is True

Then
Wait 2 seconds
Set Scene 'MBR KP (D) Button A Status' On
Set Scene 'MBR KP (A) Button A Status' On

Else
Wait 2 seconds 
Set Scene 'MBR KP (D) Button A Status' Off
Set Scene 'MBR KP (A) Button A Status' Off

Tim

 

Thank you Tim. I gave that a try and get the same results. I also tried upping the "wait" time to 6 seconds that didn't help either. Is there anything else I should look at programming-wise?

[oberkc]

Your bedtime program sets 'Dining Rm Lamp' 35%. This change, alone, will trigger program "Nighttime lights status". Since dining rm lamp is not off (now at 35%), the program will evaluate as "true", which will trigger program 'MBR KP (D) Button A Status', which will turn 'MBR KP (D) Button A Status' and 'MBR KP (A) Button A Status' on. I consider this to be the most likely cause of your problem.

 

I am still curious if your keypad buttons are also scene controllers. This may still be a factor that neads dealt with. May I assume that your failure to mention this means that they are not?

 

My quick suggestion to confirm this theory is to remove your dining rm lamp from your program 'Nighttime lights status' to see if this solves your problem:

 

If
Status 'Living Room Lamps' is not Off
Or Status 'Kitchen Lamp' is not Off
Or Status 'Dining Rm Lamp' is not Off  <<
Then
- No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

Else
- No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

[David D]

Ok, it took combining both suggestions and it seems to be working reliably now!

 

I deleted the dining room lamp per Oberkc's suggestion and added the 2 second delay to the status programming. Thanks!