Re: SignaLinc Repeater 3-Wire Dryer - No Dim with Active Home Programs

[ddl@danlan.*com (Dan Lanciani)]

In article <46292685.826542765@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Dave Houston) writes:
| ddl@danlan.*com (Dan Lanciani) wrote:
|
| >In article <sl2Wh.5007$2v1.1466@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, actodesco@xxxxxxxxx (Art Todesco) writes:
| >
| >| So Dan, things like the 1132CU have
| >| these similar problems?
| >
| >The 1132 is itself a controller so you probably wouldn't be using it
| >with Active Home [Pro].  The last generation of problem involved some
| >SwitchLincs not responding to CM11a (Active Home) macros because of
| >(it seemed) a disagreement on the minimum gap between codes.  As I
| >said, I'm having difficulty imagining what they could consider wrong
| >with a particular string of DIM/BRI commands since there aren't a whole
| >lot of choices in how to structure such.  Also, from the original
| >poster's description it isn't a matter of merely failing to repeat the
| >sequence since the DIM/BRI works without the repeater.  They must be
| >actively stepping on the signal.  I wonder if they could be colliding
| >with every other DIM/BRI, turning the sequence into a (perhaps invisible)
| >number of microDIMs?  The light does turn on so something is getting through.
|
| I thought it was Leviton rather than Smarthome who was unhappy with X-10's
| flexi-gap. IIRC it was their explanation for their HCA02/10E woes.

There was speculation here along those lines, but nothing official from
Leviton beyond telling complaining customers that their repeater was
compatible only with DHC components.  SmartHome was the one with the
specific compatibility statement on their site claiming that the CM11a
violated the X10 protocol and that that was why one version of the
SwitchLinc ignored its macros:

``Note to Activehome and IBM Home Director users:
We have found that ON, OFF, Bright& Dim commands sent by these units during
timer and macro events employ signals which are not defined by the X10
protocol. The Switchlinc Lite was programmed to strictly follow the
published spec. The result is that the Switchlinc Lite will ignore the
commands from these two interfaces. Users of these systems are encouraged to
use the original Switchlinc 2-way dimmer for your automation system.''

| Collisions are a plausible explanation and were my first thought, too, but
| this is one of those repeaters that amplifies in realtime so it's hard to
| imagine how it gets out of sync every other 22 half cycles.

I'm sure the answer (if we ever hear it) will be fascinating. :)

				Dan Lanciani
				ddl@danlan.*com