Insteon Lights Turning Off

[pkoslow]

Do you have an M1XEP or ELK-RM to view the lighting status page? If so, do the sliders that represent the dim level of the light follow the same pattern that you are experiencing?

ELK asked this of me. I haven't noticed this, has anyone else?

I tried this last weekend and while it's a little difficult to tell (because it happens quickly), but I think ELK-RM follows the lights status.

I know that if I go into the kitchen and turn three lights on (local press from 3 individual switchlincs) ELK-RM shows them "ON". If I then trigger a lighting scene by pressing a group button on a keypadlinc that includes these same three lights, they'll ramp to the proper level and then down to off (or very low).

When I check ELK-RM, it will show the three lights either "off" or the the green icon may still be lit and the slider is at it's very first increment.

Hope this helps... I've been busy with customer stuff through the week so about my only time to work on my own stuff has been during the weekends.

Cheers,
Paul

 

[MrGibbage]

I really hate to let this die. Does anyone know if there is any movement from Elk on this? This is really bugging me and I'd like to get it fixed, if possible.

Skip

 

[opie]

I really hate to let this die. Does anyone know if there is any movement from Elk on this? This is really bugging me and I'd like to get it fixed, if possible.

Skip

Sorry, I have't heard anything from ELK for a week and a half.

I have been really busy putting together a rush job and kind of dropped the ball. I will try to ping support tomorrow to see where they are at with this issue.

I really want to see it fixed too.

Thanks,

Scott

 

[snhroc]

I ran into this issue as well, and contacted Elk Tech Support. They sent me beta M1XSP firmware (filename says 50.0.25), but RP reports at 50.0.23.

It's definately improved. But I still am having issues with a couple of lamps going back down to 50% a few moments after when they are turned on from a local switch. I have not yet validated wither this problem continues to occur when the M1XSP is disconnected from the Insteon network.

 

[opie]

I have also had a little progress on this issue but I'm not sure what fixed it.

I first installed a new M1XEP and loaded it with 50.0.22.

I then enrolled all modules via link 256 and putting each module in linking mode.

At this point I still had lights turning themselves out when locally controlled.

I then decided to reset the PowerLinc connected to the M1XSP. I was too lazy to look up the instructions to verify how to do this so I went from memory. I unplugged the PowerLinc and held the button for 10-15 Seconds and then plugged it in while still holding the button for about 10-20 seconds more. I have not seen the lights turning out problem since doing this. I also have never reloaded groups into the PowerLinc or resynced my Insteon devices with the PowerLinc but all that info seems to be there.

My two-way status is also working much better now but I think that is more due to the newer version of ELK RM.
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Snhroc,

I am curious, did you use PowerHome at all to set-up any part of your Insteon network?

 

[MrGibbage]

Well, that sounds promising. I have noticed one more consistant data point: When I turn the lights on with the switchlinc, one light will always turn on with 100% reliability. It's the other lights that will ramp up and then ramp back down occasionally. And this is from a non-loaded swtichlinc from the three-way kit. That is, there is no local load--the switch only serves as a remote for the other lights. I have no idea why one of the lights would **ALWAYS** work, but the others have this on-off issue.

 

[opie]

Is this one "non-load" switch enrolled in the M1XSP or only the switch that controls the load? I ahve several three-way circuits but didn't really notice if they were this way. Maybe the ELK doesn't see this switch and doesn't do it's "thing"? Just a guess.

 

[snhroc]

Snhroc,

I am curious, did you use PowerHome at all to set-up any part of your Insteon network?

Yes, I did use powerhome to build all my links, and the elkinsteon.exe utility to load devices into the M1G.

Right now I am having one lamp that after being turned on goes to 50% dim level about 1 in 5 times, which is a significantly lower problem frequency then I had with prior firmware. But I will have to go home tonight and validate whether it matters if it's turned on from a load or non-load switch.

 

[snhroc]

One other question I have, is whether a full dim level is supposed to be 255 (FF) or 254 (FE). I've noticed on PH, that my default dim levels on some units is at 254 and some at 255. I'm not sure if there's any relation to this particular problem relating to dim levels, but I will try to co-relate that to problem units as well.

 

[MrGibbage]

I'm pretty sure that I did not enroll the non-load SL in the M1XSP. I don't have any automation rules to use that switch, but I do have rules to control the lights that the swich controlled. I'll double check once I get my powerhome running again. But that's another issue.

 

[Spanky]

We have been working on this for the last few days. We are adding an option to ELKRP to solve the issue.

FYI: We monitor Cocoontech every day.

 

[pkoslow]

Thought I'd chime in since I started the thread...

I've been running the Beta M1XSP Firmware for a little over a day now and having good success. No instances of lights turning off yet, but haven't done much testing. Should have a better feel for the reliability after the weekend.

Cheers,
Paul

 

[gatchel]

I posted the following over on the Elk Forum also:


OK. So I try to go to bed tonight. I turn off my still X-10 bedroom lamp on A1 and I forget to take my vitamin. I turn it back on and my kitchen light goes on which is Insteon device 1.

I just loaded the 50.0.23 firmware today and I think I got it figured out a little better.

It seems that whenever I send X-10 commands to A1 and A2 I get the corresponding Insteon device to follow. An X-10 command from my bedroom Mini-Timer seems to be translating through the Elk panel, A1 turns on and off Insteon Device 1 and A2 turns on and off Insteon Device 2. I programmed the Elk links using the Elk "on" command not using Powerhome utility.

If I unplug the smarthome provided comm cable from the PLC at the Elk panel the mirroring effect goes away.

When I plugged it back in to the PLC the mirroring comes back. It appears to definitely be related to the Elk as I have no other PLC's on the system and the only other controller of Insteon devices 1,2, and 3 is a controlinc.

I pulled the PLC ffrom the ELk panel and hooked it up to my PC with Powerhome on and started polling devices. I currently show no x-10 addresses programmed in to the Insteon Switches and LampLinc's.

I hope this helps. If anyone else can try to duplicate this it would be a help. It seems very odd and I just want to make sure I'm not losing it!

I also have no X-10 controller on the Elk panel only the insteon PLC. All devices are configured as serial expander devices.

 

[upstatemike]

Don't know if this relates to your problem (which appears to be associated with the Elk panel) but I was having a problem with the Christmas tree lights shutting off randomly. PowerHome did not show any X-10 address in the new V2 appliance module I was using. Finally did a hard reset of the module and the problem went away.

Maybe there is a way for Insteon to get into a state where it will respond to X-10 even when it reports no X-10 address configured?

 

[opie]

It seems that whenever I send X-10 commands to A1 and A2 I get the corresponding Insteon device to follow. An X-10 command from my bedroom Mini-Timer seems to be translating through the Elk panel, A1 turns on and off Insteon Device 1 and A2 turns on and off Insteon Device 2. I programmed the Elk links using the Elk "on" command not using Powerhome utility.

This is actually normal beahvior and is working the way it should. You can mix X-10 with Insteon with the ELK but they can't share the same lighting device numbers. For example, A1 is lighting device number one A2 is lighting device number two and so on... If you move your X-10 devices to lighting device numbers higher than your total number of Insteon devices this will stop. I keep X-10 in the Lighting device range of 88 to 192 (starting at K1) to since links start at 193.