X10 Troubleshooting

[los93sol]

I just picked up a CM11A and a few WS12A switches to test with, I was able to get everything setup on my system by following the wiki and I am pretty certain that I have it configured properly, but my device is not working at all.  How can I view the logs for this device to ensure that it is even attempting to communicate with my LMCE box?  I'm thinking I might have a phase issue, but I haven't found any information about how to determine whether a device is on a seperate phase or not and/or how to distinguish between the phases wired in your home.  Any information is appreciated.

[jondecker76]

where are you located?

One way to see if it is a phase issue is to use some 220 volt appliance (such as a dryer or oven). While the appliance is on, the phases are effectively (and temporarily of course) coupled. Phase couplers are very cheap on ebay, and you simply must have one for a reliable system.

Open the CM11A device in the web admin. At the top of the device information are links to view the log, follow log, etc.

[Zaerc]

Another way to avoid that problem during testing is to plug the devices into one power-strip (if that is the right term) along with the CM11  then they should definately be on the same wires.

[los93sol]

Thanks for the tips guys, I was able to test the connection at the same outlet and control the test light I setup with a different computer running windows and the ActiveHome software.  Unfortunately I tried taking the batteries out and letting the CM11A sit overnight before trying again on my LinuxMCE box, but it still is not working from there.  I checked in the logs and it shows Connection Refused to the CM11A.  I searched around but didn't come up with much information, any ideas?  I should mention that I am using a USB-Serial adapter now since that's the only way I could get it working under ActiveHome as well, it just didn't work off the serial port for some reason.

EDIT:  Added the snippet from the logs

========== NEW LOG SECTION ==========1   02/20/09 18:43:43   52 (spawning-device)   Starting... 11   02/20/09 18:43:43   52 (spawning-device)   Found /usr/pluto/bin/CM11A05   02/20/09 18:43:45.552      Connect() failed, Error Code 111 (Connection refused)) <0xb78c06c0>05   02/20/09 18:43:46.552      Connect() failed, Error Code 111 (Connection refused)) <0xb78c06c0>05   02/20/09 18:43:47.738      Connect() failed, Error Code 111 (Connection refused)) <0xb78c06c0>05   02/20/09 18:43:48.744      Connect() failed, Error Code 111 (Connection refused)) <0xb78c06c0>

[jondecker76]

ok at least we can tell now that LMCE is not connecting to the CM11A as it should.

When you look at the Interfaces page in the web admin, make sure that the controlled by device is set to the machine the CM11A is connected to ("Core" for example). Also make sure the correct option is selected for the serial port. Normally, a USB to serial adapter will start out with a "pci:..." and won't be a true serial port number like ttyS0 etc.

[los93sol]

I played with this until the early hours of the morning last night and still have not gotten it sorted completely, but I believe I am extremely close.  I switched back to the serial port and got a little further.  I noticed that several people were using Heyu so I installed it on my LMCE box to test.  When I run heyu info it will talk to the cm11a once, but then something happens and the cm11a won't respond until heyu is stopped then started again (has to be shut down for about 2 minutes or the cm11a won't start communicating again).  Finding that it would communicate I decided to try LMCE again and followed the wiki article to the T, and everything went exactly as explained in the wiki, then I restarted and checked the cm11a log files and was excited to see this:

========== NEW LOG SECTION ==========1   
02/22/09 03:19:36   61 (spawning-device)   Starting... 11   
02/22/09 03:19:36   61 (spawning-device)   Found /usr/pluto/bin/CM11A05   
02/22/09 3:19:36.971      Creating child 62 <0xb79216c0>05   
02/22/09 3:19:36.972      Note: Device manager has attached a device of type 38 that this has no custom event handler for.  It will not fire events. <0xb79216c0>05   
02/22/09 3:19:36.972      Note: Device manager has attached a device of type 38 that this has no custom handler for.  This is normal for IR. <0xb79216c0>05   
02/22/09 3:26:51.622      Got a reload command from 0  <0xb711fb90>05   
02/22/09 3:26:52.320      void ClientSocket::Disconnect() on this socket: 0x806f338 (m_Socket: 6) <0xb79216c0>Return code: 22   
02/22/09 03:26:53   61 (spawning-device)   Device requests restart... count=1/50 dev=61
Sun Feb 22 03:26:55 EST 2009 Restart

I expected that everything was going to work since I had apparently worked out my Connect() failed issue...wrong!  Nothing worked so I decided to try a reload and regen on all orbiters, went to check the logs and was geeted by these familiar lines:

========== NEW LOG SECTION ==========1   
02/22/09 04:22:10   61 (spawning-device)   Starting... 11   
02/22/09 04:22:13   61 (spawning-device)   Found /usr/pluto/bin/CM11A05   
02/22/09 4:22:14.289      Connect() failed, Error Code 111 (Connection refused)) <0xb79326c0>05   
02/22/09 4:22:15.286      Connect() failed, Error Code 111 (Connection refused)) <0xb79326c0>05   
02/22/09 4:22:16.286      Connect() failed, Error Code 111 (Connection refused)) <0xb79326c0>05   
02/22/09 4:22:17.288      Connect() failed, Error Code 111 (Connection refused)) <0xb79326c0>05   
02/22/09 4:22:18.286      Connect() failed, Error Code 111 (Connection refused)) <0xb79326c0>05   
02/22/09 4:22:19.286      Connect() failed, Error Code 111 (Connection refused)) <0xb79326c0>05   
02/22/09 4:22:20.298      Connect() failed, Error Code 111 (Connection refused)) <0xb79326c0>05   
02/22/09 4:22:23.345      Creating child 62 <0xb79326c0>05   
02/22/09 4:22:23.345      Note: Device manager has attached a device of type 38 that this has no custom event handler for.  It will not fire events. <0xb79326c0>05   
02/22/09 4:22:23.345      Note: Device manager has attached a device of type 38 that this has no custom handler for.  This is normal for IR. <0xb79326c0>05   

I really don't know what I am doing wrong, but I'm sure it is something silly as it worked straight away for me with the ActiveHome software, but not in Linux.  I have also attached my screencaps for my device.

[jondecker76]

I'm not sure how much of a difference this makes.... But, in my installation, the CM11A is a child of the Core, not the hybrid.  I'm guessing that you added it manually as a child of the hybrid. If this is the case, i would remove the CM11A device manually, and add it by going to Wizard->Interfaces on the left pane, and then using the Add Device button where you can select the CM11A.

Also, I recommend running the CM11A without batteries. They add no extra functionality for LMCE, and can make resetting the unit complicated should you need to reset it because of memory retention. Also, when you do re-install the device, to reset the CM11A, unplug it from the wall (batteries removed) and then unplug the rs232 cable for 15 seconds. Plug the RS232 cable back into the unit and then plug it back into the wall. I've found that whenever I change from testing something in Heyu and going back to LMCE for control, its a good Idea to do this reset.

Hopefully something in here will get you on your feet.

[jondecker76]

actually, as far as setting it to be controlled by the core, the easiest thing to do would be to just change its controlled by entry on the interfaces page of the web admin.

Also, changing the logging level temproarily will give you some more verbose logs that might help find the problem.

[los93sol]

Thanks for your help, +1 Karma for you!  The issue was that I had it under the Hybrid, I originally had it under the Core, but it wasn't working, I must have had something else misconfigured at that time.  I am happily controlling my test light plus another that I just setup.  I'm very curious now to know how to determine where a device should be placed?  I have an IP camera that has been unstable at best and is exhibiting the same flaky behavior I was seeing from the CM11A before moving it.  This device is also under the hybrid, I'll try moving the motion wrapper and camera under the core and report back.  Thanks again for your help.

[jondecker76]

FYI - I use motion wrapper as a child of the core with no problems

As far as the hybrid - its not a "hard" device like the core or other media directors, so when in question I usually make the actual core tha parent device for anything that is controlled by the hybrid.

[los93sol]

My X10 devices are working great now, but I noticed that my floorplan doesn't update the status of the device when it is operated from the switch instead of through LMCE.  I read in the wiki that work was done to make the CM11A 2-way communication so I'd assume that the floorplan should be updating, is this a bug with 0710 or has the updated template not been released yet?

[seth]

My X10 devices are working great now, but I noticed that my floorplan doesn't update the status of the device when it is operated from the switch instead of through LMCE.  I read in the wiki that work was done to make the CM11A 2-way communication so I'd assume that the floorplan should be updating, is this a bug with 0710 or has the updated template not been released yet?

I can attest to this, I have switched back to my cm11a (BTW working excellent now) in lieu of my failing to get started Insteon PLM. I have given all my Insteon devices an X10 address, and If I actuate a switch either Insteon or X10, the light of course works, but the Lighting Map is not updated. But only when you turn it on, when you turn it off, if it is lit up in the lighting map, it does go off. So maybe it is unidirectional for on, and bi-directional for off. Either way, they still work swimmingly well. Just needed to modify one of the lights in the Showtime scenario to not turn off. The wife was getting angry when the light above her chair dimmed (I have them set to 40%) while she was trying to do needle-point, during the watching of TV or Videos.

But anyways, just adding my recent experiences. This is using 710 RC1.

Regards,

Seth

[los93sol]

something else to add to this that appears to be a bug, if a light is off and you attempt to set it to a dimmed value from off it will raise the lighting well above the dimmed value selected then the light will turn back off.  It does work properly when dimming from full on though.

[jondecker76]

The CM11A is a 2 way interface, however, most X10 switches are not - meaning that when used locally it will not update the floorplan icon. So this is not a bug. However, if you use an X10 remote, or LMCE to operate the light, the floorplan will update. I never implemented the status request function of the CM11A because of this. Maybe I should implement it now, as the Insteon might actually send it when used in X10 mode....

Regarding dimming, I am aware of some bugs with the dimming that I will have ironed out by the 810 release. - though i've never seen the exact bug you are describing

[seth]

 
I noticed something this weekend. I have a Insteon SwitchLinc Keypad Dimmer. I have assigned all of its keys, including the main light switch one, X10 addresses. Now, when I send an on or off command from the keypad, it updates in the lighting map. When I send the on/off commands from the LMCE orbiters, it turns on/off the light for that particular device on the keypad respectively.

Now I have 2 types of switches, X10 style, in my home.

Deluxe, 1-way/3-way decora dimmers, and single toggle dimmer switches. The single toggle dimmer switches only update the insteon Switchlinc keypad, not the LMCE orbiter lighting map, however the decora models do both.

So there is definitely some kind of 2-way communication, or, perhaps the Insteon devices are 2-way for X10, and they are doing the updating to the lighting map.

I will test some more, when I get the chance.

Regards,


Seth