Smart home has lost its loyalty to its Customers

[LeeG]

With nothing showing in the Event Viewer when set to Level 3, I would suspect a firewall or VR problem blocking the push of data from the ISY to the Admin Console. Kaspersky and Avast are common sources of this symptom. What VR is being used?

 

Could be a defective PLM but that is way down on the probability list.

 

Has anything been tried besides monitoring inbound X10 traffic? Such as sending an X10 On or Off message to a nearby X10 device. If this does not show in the Event Viewer running at Level 3 then a VR or firewall issue is high on the list of possibly problems.

 

Also the UDI tech support folks are very good at what they do. If a ticket has been opened it would be good to schedule a session with UDI. They can remote in and see what is happening.

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[IndyMike]

Hello Woodchip,

 

I'd like to assure you that the Insteon PLM/ISY are capable of receiving/transmitting basic X10 commands. I migrated from a similar x10 system and still use X10 floodlamps and appliance modules. While I have a number of Leviton HCM06 dimmers, I've elected to retain my old CM15a interface for those units - I'm using the extended code capability.

 

Having had a power supply failure, I'm not sure whether you're in a position to troubleshoot further... The issues with simple on/off commands can be solved. Issues with dimming, depending on your X10 module type, may be a bit more problematic. The PLM does comply to the original X-10 protocol. Unfortunately, there have been multiple revisions of the protocol over the years. For additional information on the protocols/dimming please see http://forum.universal-devices.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=4788.

 

When you get to a position where you can again perform testing, please post the make/model of the X10 units that you are using (ex: TM751 transceiver). A log from your CM15a would also be helpful. I am not at all sure whether you've experienced a hardware failure, or something else... We have a number of people on the forum that have come from the X10 background (Brian is a community organizer on the X10 forum - i.e. expert). This is a solvable problem. Whether the Insteon PLM will meet your need depends on how you currently use/value the dimming function on your X10 units.

 

I would also respectfully request that you start a new thread in the X10 section of the forum. Both the title and placement of this thread make it difficult to locate. Moving the subject will make it easier for others to locate/provide assistance and will provide a resource for future users.

 

IM

[Brian H]

The power supply. May have just been a fluke. Sometimes a marginal part has an early failure. Depends on how much testing the power supply manufacturer puts into their production QC.

 

Do you have a serial port on your computer?

You can test the PLM alone if you care to. Though I also feel it maybe an Firewall or Anti Virus thing.

Using the serial cable packed in the PLMs box. Most likely inside the cardboard cradle holding the PLM in the shipping box.

You can use BusyRats PLM Test program and use an X10 controller to send power line signals.

Every X10 command received would start with an 02 52

http://busyrat.com/plmtest/

 

PLM information here.

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

 

Earlier version of the PLM Developers Manual.

http://www.aartech.ca/docs/2412sdevguide.pdf

 

The send and receive X10 command strings along with the coding chart is in the manual. You can input the send commands into PLM test program and send X10 power line signals if you care to.

[woodchip]

The X10 compatibility discussion segment of this thread has moved to “Board index » INSTEON - ISY-99i and ISY-26 » X-10 » the INSTEON absurdities of X10 compatibility†(viewtopic.php?f=29&t=9732)

[dec3169]

In my way of thinking, using X10, especially these days, is kin to running Windows ME. A totally obsolete system.

I've noticed a number of responses on this thread saying how X10 is dead or inferior or obsolete. For the most part they are correct, but not completely.

 

I use a large number of the X10 motion detectors (MS13,MS14,MS16) all over my house to turn lights on or off or notify me if someone is somewhere they shouldn't be. Those things are great for the price. If you work at it you can find them on eBay for under $10, and often under $5. Sure, they don't have the query abilities as the Smarthome devices, but who cares at the price I buy them at? Seriously, I must have 15 of them in various areas with multiples in places like the garage. It is a pain dealing with the X10 address limitations (house code/unit code) if you don't have a whole-house X10/Insteon thing that lets you use all house codes, but I was able to restrict everything into A1-16 and have a few X10 unit codes left over for things like the Chime module. I have an RR501 and few of the TM751s (I think thats what they are called) to receive the X10 codes, 6 palm pads placed in different rooms around the house, a Black & Decker outdoor outlet (freewire/X10), and a few of those big red buttons. The outlet was like $15 on eBay (compared to $45 for the SmartHome one). I use the red buttons to turn on/off lamplincs that control reading lights over my bed and one in the kitchen coming from my garage where there isn't a light switch. If I come in at night I can hit that and it sends the X10 code to the ISY which then turns on my kitchen light. Of course I have since changed that out and now use a triggerlinc on that door, but when I first got the red button it cost me $3.

 

If I could get that whole-house thing I would probably have 40 or 50 of the motion detectors. It's great to walk all around my house and have the lights turn on automatically, thanks to the programs I wrote (with variables to error check) on the ISY. I don't rely at all on the internal timers on the motion detectors - I have timer programs on the ISY to turn the lights back off if someone forgets. The kid's bathroom is a good example of that - 30 minute timer with a regular "On" and 60 minutes with a "Fast On" using a switchlinc. A motion sensor in there would extend the timer if the bathroom was still occupied when the timer quit.

 

My point is that while X10 is certainly inferior to the Insteon stuff, it still has its place. I won't touch the lamp modules, switches, outlets, or anything else, but the sensors and remotes are plentiful, cheap, and in most cases won't interfere with your Insteon signaling. I personally have almost 50 Insteon devices so I am not an X10 person at all. In fact I didn't start buying X10 until after I had a bunch of Insteon and noticed some shortcomings (or the prices were too high). It may be old technology, but in the places I that I have it in use it is equal or better than the Insteon equivalents in many cases. Note - I have a RemoteLinc and some Insteon motion detectors as well. I hate the RL because of the way I use it with the ISY (never know if a button is on or off since I use all 8 buttons), and the motion detectors seem to lose connectivity every once in a while and also require you to open them up and push the button if you want to make certain changes. To be fair, the X10 detectors lose their unit code when I change the battery but the risk/reward was far greater for them so it doesn't bother me as much.

 

I think a lot of people on this forum just see X10 as old junk and discount it. If you think about it a little bit you might come to a different conclusion like I did. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and this wasn't really pointed at anyone specifically. I just thought I should put this viewpoint out there in case someone benefits.

[Brian H]

Now that X10 has closed their factory in China and having a few core products made by outside vendors.

Almost all X10 devices are no longer made.

I have seen some X10 devices going for close to $100 for a discontinued device on EBay.

 

I do agree that X10 has its place. I have a few Chime Modules and Palm pad remotes to turn Insteon modules with an X10 address added, On and Off.

There is no sixteen button Insteon remotes.