Cannot communicate with motion sensor...

[nowandthen]

I get this error message every time I log on to the ISY console. It interrupts what I am doing (like replace with) which is very annoying. Can you make it not interrupt the procedure in process?

 

I changed the battery a few months ago, but continue to get this message. The motion sensor is communicating just fine as every time I enter the dining room the lights come on, then go off after the time out. So there isn't a communication error, yet the ISY continues to think there is.

 

Any ideas as to what the problem is?

 

i have other motion sensors with no issues.

 

Motion sensor is the 2420.

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi nowandthen,

 

There's something wrong either with the motion sensor or the way it's registered in ISY. It's basically sending a NACK to ISY and thus the error you see.

 

You might want to remove it and then add it back.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[nowandthen]

Thanks Michel!

 

I removed the motion sensor and added it back, with some frustration.Iit seems to be working OK.Hopefully it will not complain anymore.

 

Thanks for the help!

 

Todd

[ergodic]

I've had this problem - much more frequently in the past than now. As Michel says, it just indicates that the MS says it had a comm problem.

 

But with which particular device(s) is hard to know, unless it is only linked to the ISY. That's one of several reason I almost always use programs rather than scenes for motion sensors. (Updating scenes is another.)

 

In my case - when it was happening a lot - it was a symptom of a bigger Insteon comm. issue with certain devices and branch circuits. That problem got fixed with a newer rev dual-mode PLM, and then placing that PLM behind a filterlinc so it is forced to use only RF to communicate out. Reliability went back to nearly 100% and I rarely see these MS pop-ups now.

 

A few things I've found helpful in individual cases when I keep seeing this message for a particular MS:

 

1) Replace its battery (duh).

 

2) Do a "restore device" on the MS and also all devices that are linked in scenes to it.

 

3) If you can, move the MS to a location where the RF has a better shot at any nearby AP or dual-mode device.

 

Now I did have this as a chronic problem in my kitchen area for a while, where there were a pair of older MSen to cover it. But I simply couldn't figure out what the problem was. Even a factory reset on the MSen and all of the above didn't make any difference.

 

I finally replaced both with new ones (rev 2 or whatever they are) and there are no problems now. Of course I can't believe both devices failed, but who knows? It was either spend the $70 or the rest of my life trying to figure it out. I opted for the former.

[nowandthen]

I don't link anything to my motion sensors. I use programs as you suggest.

 

Like you there are times I just want to buy my way out of a problem.

 

It's been several days and it's working fine since removing and adding back (knock on wood).