1132B Failure(s)

[Lagerhead]

I have had two Smarthome PowerLinc II model 1132Bs fail spontaneously since April. Has anyone else had this experience?

The installation is simple, 1132B plugged into a GFI outlet and connected via the supplied telco cable to ELK M1G. When they work, they work -- all's well.

When they stop working (which is fatal, complete and final), they do not respond to ELK commands and do not report X-10 traffic back to ELK. There is no smoke or smell. To test further, I move the 1132B serial connection to a computer equipped with Synapse, and here the 1132Bs respond erratically to serial commands, do not send powerline signals, and are effectively dead to all X-10 traffic.

At first I thought my first 1132B was DOA (a new installation); now I am not so sure. I am back in service now with an ancient but functional PSC05, and my 1132B is a brick.

If this is power-line-quality related, I am totally at a loss to understand it, as these failures were not storm induced and nothing else in this house, literally nothing of all the electronics, has ever been affected by lightning, sags, brownouts, spikes, etc.

 

[BLH]

Been a few years now; but I had a DOA right from the box.
I take it you are using the 1132Bs interface signals; that are the same; as the PSC05s and not the serial signals. When in the normally used application.

 

[Lagerhead]

I think I have the answer. A net search for "1132B failures" produces numerous hits, including observations such as:

"The 1132B fails fairly often, perhaps every six months or so. Monitoring the X10 signals with another unit and the Synapse PC
software shows symptoms of seemingly garbled commands."
http://objectmix.com/home-automation/19472...t-failures.html

"Judging by other posts on the newsgroup, the 1132B suffers from a reputation of poor quality."
http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Co...2/msg00257.html

There is also this on the ELK FAQ (apparently from late 2004):
"Elk has discovered an incompatibility between the M1 and the Smarthome Powerlinc II Interface. Based on the specifications by X10, which permits communications logic levels to be up to 15 Volts, Elk designed its PLC port to use 12 Volt logic levels. Unfortunately, the Powerlinc II appears to be limited to 5 Volt logic. Elk has already taken steps to release a new version M1 circuit board (Rev. I) which will permit full compatibility with the Powerlinc II. This board revision will begin showing up in the field during Jan 05."
http://m1dealer.elkproducts.com/index.php?...w&FAQ_id=66

Instructive. I should have checked before buying.

 

[BLH]

Sounds like you found the answer. Thanks for the links. I will have to read them.