Re: @#$%^& X10 hardware

[Neil Cherry <njc@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 21:32:42 -0500, Robert Green wrote:
> "Neil Cherry" <njc@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>
><stuff snipped>
>
>> OK, I've a little further progress on this subject. Today I was trying
>> out Mark Gilmore's ECS (http://www.omnipotencesoftware.com/) software
>> with my Insteon USB PLC. After some time of fighting with the PLC
>> (it's behavior didn't follow the Insteon documentation, grrr). Anyway
>> I had some of my Insteon working and I had some of the X10 working
>> (more than previous) and it managed to get worse as the day progressed
>> right back to the previous odd behavior. What I have discovered is
>> that the signal is partially getting out. The first half seems strong
>> enough at about 4V. But the second half is getting garbled or not sent
>> at all. While the X10 looks valid the command D1 D1 DON DON gets sent
>> as D1 D1 B5. As the day progressed the Insteon would work also. The
>> Insteon PLC is now flickering, not blinking but flickering like
>> traffic is being sent. This pretty much keeps the PLC from sending
>> anything. The T1103 works but that seems to be it.
>
> Not knowing where to start, I'll comment on what I think it most unusual
> about your situation - that the signal starts out well but deteriorates.
> Noise from a UPS doesn't seem a likely culprit since you would expect it to
> be relatively constant.  The first frame succeeding seems very similar to a
> problem I saw with my repeater before it went back into the junk pile.  Do
> you use a repeater or a Boosterlinc or any device capable of reacting to the
> first frame, even if it's a status response?
>
> Do you have a Monterey Analyzer?  It think the signal dissect mode might be
> useful.
>
>> My next course of action is the start tearing everything out and add
>> one thing at a time until the network fails. I have a feeling that the
>> problem may be related to the cheap Geek Squad UPS units I have.
>> They're behind filters but I still suspect them.
>
> Why would they allow just a partial send?  My UPS's, unfiltered, just suck
> signals into the black hole.  I had a CFL that was putting out noise that
> showed up at about half a volt on both the Monterey and the ESM1 but that
> disappeared behind an X-10 5A plug in filter.

These UPSs are behind the filters, I have a funny feeling they're
interactiing with the filter to change the impedance characteristics
of the filters. To be honest that line of thought is week. Seems more
likely that the signals are being stomped on but by what I can't be
sure of.

Here's what I do know, I've tried removing the signal amp/repeater and
that has had no affect on the problem. On the Insteon side, I can send
commands, they are acted apon but fail to receive the ack back. This
leads me to beleive that something on the same phase as the
transceiver is causing the problem. I should be getting a new
unfiltered powerstrip this evening. I'll be able to move the UPSs to
the other phase plus a few other items. My computer room has both
phases in the same room.

--
Linux Home Automation         Neil Cherry       ncherry@xxxxxxxxxxx
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