Re: LampLinc 2000STW - mystery solved

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

"Dave Houston" <nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:430219bc.60162750@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> "Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> >"Dave Houston" <nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
> >
> ><stuff snipped>
> >
> [more stuff snipped]
>
> >Did you think that problem's been engineered out or is it likely to
affect
> >the Insteon line as well?  How would you simulate a brownout for testing?
>
> I don't know. The recent event here was a few days before I started
testing
> the Insteon gear. I did not open up the Insteon modules to see what MCU
and
> EEPROM they use as they were on loan and I did not want to risk marring
> them. It's not easily simulated as there may be characteristics (e.g.
slope,
> duration, magnitude) that are unknown.
>
> There is one factor that may help with Insteon (or make this a bigger
PITA).
> Each Insteon device gets an ID number at the factory - analogous to an
> Ethernet MAC number. You go through an enrollment procedure (see the
Insteon
> white paper) to add new modules to your network. Individual devices will
> retain their hard coded ID number but the controller may lose its memory
of
> them. If so, you'll have to re-enroll _every_ device which is a bigger
> problem than having a few anmesiac modules or switches.
>
> However, SmartHome's ostrich-like behavior regarding an obvious design
flaw
> that is still affecting new LampLinc & SwitchLinc devices has to make one
> nervous about Insteon. I _think_ I even saw reports here of recent (but
> pre-Insteon) PowerLinc controllers losing their memory.

I just looked through Google, searching on various forms of *linc, reset,
power loss, etc and it's clear this issue goes back to at least 1999 with
the same sorts of issues being reported repeatedly.  Some, but not all,
switches in a house will reset to A1 after a power loss.

I suppose we'll learn sooner or later whether the Insteon line has inherited
its parent's flaw as more of them get into the field.  I tend to think that
they're going to use the same design as before on the X-10 side of the
switch.  Let's hope, for end user's sakes that they haven't made it worse
instead of better.

In terms of designing a brownout simulator, it might be very difficult
because in a real power "incident" large appliances will suddenly come back
on line simultaneously and create both an enormous current flow and a great
deal of back EMF.  That might be very hard to simulate without flipping the
main house breaker on and off rapidly.  I'll bet it wasn't part of their
testing procedure even though that's the real world these devices operate
in.

--
Bobby G.