From: Eloy P. <pe...@ch...> - 2012-11-04 14:17:05
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On 11/03/2012 10:03 PM, Marc MERLIN wrote: > On Sat, Nov 03, 2012 at 09:34:24PM -0400, Stewart C. Russell wrote: >> On 03-11-12 18:31 , Marc MERLIN wrote: >>> >>> That's correct. Also, if you use CFL light bulbs, or dimmers, you are likely >>> in trouble. >> >> Wait, what? I think I have one non-CFL bulb in the house. Been using >> them since the Philips SLs were the thing in the 80s. Also, every > > I should have been more precise. If you use on/off switches, you're ok. > If you use dimmers with CFLs, it'll throw a lot of noise on your power bus. I've confirmed that CFLs generate noise too -- when they are off there's no problem but when you turn them on then there is some noise that affects an INSTEON's switch ability to turn the light off. I have a light fixture with three CFLs and I was getting unreliable comms with the switch until I unplugged 2 or the 3 CFLs. Perhaps it is not all CFLs and just the specific brand/model that I've got... >> (non-laptop) has a UPS. You mean to say that Insteon gets all bent out >> of shape with standard lighting and appliances? > > Just like X10, it is subject to line noise, yes. > However, it will retry 3 times (or more) and knows whether the message got > there. This part is something that I have never understood... it is stated everywhere (Smarthome literature, common knowledge online, etc.) that INSTEON has wonderful re-transmissions that make it more robust when compared to X10. Sure, that's very nice. However, as far as I know these re-transmissions are not part of the INSTEON protocol itself, i.e. device firmware does not implement re-transmissions. Instead, it is the INSTEON stack in the application the one that implements the re-transmissions when an ACK to a command is not received. I know, the end result is the same, but I think the marketing literature is a bit misleading on this regard. Our INSTEON stack in MisterHouse does implement the re-transmissions. Cheers, Eloy Paris.- |