Re: [mh] W800 Unreliability

[Jim S. <js...@sy...>]

Thomas,

 

You are likely suffering from something either attenuating the X10 signal in
a branch "signal suckers" or something making noise on the power line at
120Khz so that X10 signal cannot generate the level crossings (low 120Khz
level to high 120Khz level) necessary for the device to receive a signal and
to turn on. 

 

The first step would be to document the branch wiring from the main panel -
what branch circuit are your unreliable X10 devices on? Are they all on the
same circuit? Now look for devices on that same circuit that can either
generate noise at 120Khz (switching power supplies - aka slim wall charges,
laptop supplies, etc, and particularly compact florescent bulbs - cheap
ones, or ones at end of life (this is why sometimes circuits work and then
stop working for no reason - the light has to be on, or old and on). Also
look for signal suckers - many electronic devices with switching power
supplies or noise filters, surge suppressors, etc. Even a large number of
X10 modules on one circuit. It is a bit hit and miss finding the problem
without a X10 signal meter. You can buy those (annoying to have to spend the
money), or make one out of an appliance module and a digital volt meter
(really only an option for someone with electronics experience)

 

Sometimes you won't be able to overcome the signal noise makers and suckers
(for example I have 14 12V DC pot lights in my kitchen with high efficiency
switching power supplies - a.k.a noise generators) and I ended up using a
X10 booster.

 

There is a good website http://jvde.us/x10_troubleshooting.htm on
troubleshooting and they also offer a U build it booster - I use that on my
network  that has about40 X10 modules spread over more than 4000 sq ft.. and
I have reasonable reliability. 

 

Good luck

Jim

 

From: Thomas Paine [mailto:pai...@gm...] 
Sent: August 11, 2010 10:58 AM
To: The main list for the MisterHouse home automation program
Subject: [mh] W800 Unreliability

 

I have made some changes to my setup that I would have thought would
eliminate my problems with my house. They don't seem to have helped and I am
still plagued by unreliable motion sensing.

 

I have all X10 devices (wall switches, MS13a's, lamp and appliance modules).
I have a WS800 receiving the rf for my motion sensors and my palmpad remote.

 

My timed events (fish tank light and night time lights I have activate) work
excellent. 

 

My motion sensors still run very poorly. I installed a phase coupler in my
panel, I moved my HA server to my panel, and plugged my CM11 into it's own
15A line in there. The phase coupler is right there as well, so I would have
thought any problems with phases would be eliminated.

 

I will walk in a room, and my motion sensors don't turn the light on and off
properly. Sometimes they will come on, and sometimes they will not. I have
about 4 motion sensors I'm trying to get working reliably, and it's a crap
shoot as to whether they activate the light or not. 

 

Running tail -f on my log file and carrying my small laptop around with me,
I see the motion sensor sending the motion command immediately. This is
working as expected, and all of my sensors are instantly sending the motion
command. The lights aren't being turned on reliably tho. It sometimes works,
sometimes there is a several second delay, and most of the time the lights
refuse to turn on, unless I hit the switch.

 

I am at a bit of a loss as to how to start troubleshooting this. I was
expecting the WS800 & Phase Coupler and moving the server to right on the
panel would have gotten my reliability right up to 100%.

 

Anyone have suggestions on what I should do to start troubleshooting this?

 

I'm tempted to wipe the server and start over. I run CentOS 5, but may move
to Fedora 13 in hopes of getting Festival with more voices working better as
well. Should I post the content in my /mh/winston/code and
/mh/winston/code/common as well? 

 

Thanks.

-- 
-=/>Thom