No comm with PLM

[Harold]

My Insteon has been sitting here for a couple of years. I am not using anything except links set directly from the installed switches. I have a PLM 2412S and Isy 99 installed. They have been working fine, although I have not used them other than to find all the installed Insteon devices. From time to time I have updated the I99 firmware. I have multiple access points installed.

 

I just updated to the current RC. When I start the Isy all the installed devices are shown in red. It says I am in safe mode which is usually caused by a bad PLM (or connections). If I use tools, diagnostics, plm info/status I get nothing at all. No response.

 

I just did a factory reset on the PLM. As I anticipated (perhaps in error) the list of devices is now empty, still no response to the info/status command.

 

I have read a bunch of threads on the site. One resembled my problem rather closely, but ended in "it works now".

 

Is there a way to test/evaluate the PLM? To the best of my knowledge I have not changed anything that is likely to affect this interface since the last time I used it.

 

I have no trouble lights on the Isy. Power and Rx are lit.

 

I would prefer not to just buy a new PLM to see if it helps. Particularly after reading a rather long thread about the 2312 vs the replacement device.

 

Any suggestions?

[LeeG]

Is the LED on the side of the PLM on? The Rx LED being on indicates a problem communicating with the PLM. Unplug the PLM for 30 seconds which will also bring down the ISY as it is powered from the 2412S PLM. Check the cable between the ISY and PLM. Plug the PLM back in. It will take a minute or two for the ISY to boot up. Is the Rx LED off now?

[Harold]

The white led on the PLM is on.

 

I have removed the PLM from the power outlet for several minutes (several times) and re-inserted. The Rx light on the ISY is on. It seems to me that it was normally on, but I am not sure. It has been awhile. I also tried a factory reset on the PLM. No change except all the Insteon devices are now gone (as expected).

 

Somewhere I think I have an old Smarthome X-10 PLM. If I could find that, is there anything that it might be able to do to help diagnose what is happening?

[LeeG]

An X10 PLM will not be of any use. The PLM must be a 2412S or 2413S (Dual Band PLM). Indications are the PLM has failed. The 2412S is no longer available. The 2413S Dual Band PLM is the current PLM. It does not provide power to the ISY as the old 2412S did. A small external power supply is required when using a 2413S PLM. Smarthome carries the power supply.

 

The Rx LED is not normally On. Refer to page 60 of the ISY User Guide for a chart of the ISY LEDs. It indicates the Power and Rx LED on is a PLM or cable problem which is consistent with no PLM connection information.

[Harold]

Thanks. When I was looking for trouble shooting info I missed that table.

 

I will try a new Ethernet cable first.

 

Assuming the PLM is broken. Is there any significant advantage to also upgrading the 99i to the 994i? I currently have the ISY 99i/IR Pro. I did not see anything different looking at the product descriptions except being able to plug in different radio cards.

 

The cable was fine. I need a PLM. An interesting thing I noticed while looking at Smarthome. They actually still sell a 2412 PLM, but it is N - direct Ethernet connection. That would be a useful interface if the ISY could use it.

[LeeG]

Although the 2412N does contain an internal PLM as all 120V Insteon devices do, it is not a variation of the 2412 PLM. The 2412N is a basic entry level stand alone automation controller. It has basic timer support but no facility to trigger events based on device activity.

[Brian H]

Don't forget an external power supply.

The old 2412S supplied power to the ISY99i. The replacement Dual Band 2413S does not supply power to the iSY99i and you use the external power connector on the ISY99i to power it.