Re: New Smarthome Appliance Module

[Art Todesco <actodesco@xxxxxxxxx>]

Right now, everything is working pretty good.
However, about 2 or 3 times per
year, everything goes nuts.  I use HC N.  N2 will
randomly turn on, maybe 6
times, especially at around dusk.  N2 is a
wallswitch module.  If you manually
(from RF transceiver) turn off N2, nothing
happens.  If you then manually turn
off N1, N1 module (appliance module) would go off,
but in addition N2 would
also go off.  Plus, during these few hours, other
unit codes were unreachable or
would do similar things as described above.  .

After a few hours, all was ok.  I put a few x10
line filters (Smarthome) on the
2 CF lamps plugged into N1 because it "seemed" to
improve things.  I also have
a filter on my computer (w/UPS) and a large
digital computer electronic organ.
This also seemed to help a little.

Dave Houston wrote:
> I think you are wasting your money. External sources are seldom the culprit.
>
>
> When you see random 'on' events, are they logged by whatever interface you
> use? IOW, are there valid X-10 PLC commands on the powerline that could
> account for the events. If not, the filter is unlikely to help. If there are
> valid signals, they could be a symptom and not a cause of the event. (e.g.
> 2-way *Linc modules/switches may be sending them.)
>
> There are other things that can cause random on/off events. Inductive spikes
> from fluorescent ballasts and from motors can cause them and there's
> evidence that noise from other sources may also be a factor. Which
> modules/switches are affected?
>
> Art Todesco <actodesco@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>
>>I didn't really mean to imply that the whole house
>>filter would solve, or even help
>>this problem.  However, I hope it will help some
>>of the random triggering that
>>happens from time to time.
>>
>>Dave Houston wrote:
>>
>>>I doubt a filter will help. There is some evidence that the *Linc modules
>>>and switches are affected by out-of-band noise that the filters do not
>>>block. In my case, X-10 made LM14As worked fine in circuits where 2000STWs
>>>would not work reliably. THe LED on the 2000STWs would blink randomly but I
>>>could see no noise on the line using a scope and ACT's Scope-Test2.
>>>
>>>Does their appliance module have an LED? What is it doing when the module is
>>>unresponsive?
>>>
>>>Art Todesco <actodesco@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Update from OP:  One of the 3 times this has
>>>>happened was most probably NOT a loss
>>>>of housecode/unit code.  I still think the first 2
>>>>occurrences were.  The 3rd occurrence
>>>>was probably a situation where there was some type
>>>>of interference preventing
>>>>access in that particular location.  This seems to
>>>>happen from time to time in my
>>>>house.  Next I am going to try one of the whole
>>>>house x10 filter units.  I'll keep you
>>>>posted.
>>>>
>>>>Dave Houston wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>I don't know what they use in appliance modules but they use a PIC16C622A
>>>>>and a 24LC32A (4KB EEPROM) in the 2000STW lamp module. There's no reason to
>>>>>think that the EEPROM would lose data from power glitches. It's more likely
>>>>>to be a flaw in the firmware used in the PIC so I agree that replacing them
>>>>>is probably futile until they find and fix the flaw.
>>>>>
>>>>>Wayne <wayne@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>Correct, that is not supposed to happen.  But it happens to me
>>>>>>occasionally on multiple modules.  I suspect it is related to power
>>>>>>line glitches or spikes.  Do you have any idea what is causing yours
>>>>>>to reset?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I spoke with some SmartHome folks at EHExpo in March and apparently
>>>>>>they had heard of modules losing thier settings, but didn't have
>>>>>>enough clues at the time to determine a root cause.  I have been
>>>>>>unable to force mine to lose thier settings by simulating power
>>>>>>fialures.  SmartHome has offered to replace them under warranty, but
>>>>>>there isn't much point for me until they fix the issue.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>On Sun, 29 May 2005 08:59:45 GMT, "BruceR" <brNOSPAM@xxxxxxxxxx>
>>>>>>wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Send it back. That's not supposed to happen.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>From:Art Todesco
>>>>>>>actodesco@xxxxxxxxx
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I have one of those new "wheelless" Smarthome
>>>>>>>>appliance modules.  It looses the housecode and/or
>>>>>>>>unit code about once per week.  Is this a common
>>>>>>>>problem?  Anyone else have this problem?
>>>>>>>
>