CM11A lockup
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Posted by Robert Green on August 2, 2007, 9:42 pm
Please log in for more thread options device to have. I was sitting in my office, surfing and I began hearing random appliance modules going on and off. Every ControlLinc Maxi I checked showed monitor LEDs flashing but this was something different than the typical stuck button lockup. The LEDs were not on constantly as they are when there's a stuck button. Also, legit wireless and PLC command *occasionally* managed to get through. I got the Monterey analyzer and it showed something incredibly weird. The rogue transmitter was issuing about a command each second, and it was incrementing both the house code and the unit code a time. I'd see a general pattern of A's, then B's then C's. Stuck buttons generally appear on the Monterey as a string of "BSC" messages and fill the unit's memory of 190 commands within seconds. This data stream was much slower than that, and was the first time I had seen such a huge variation of house/unit codes in the PLC data stream. In addition, unlike the stuck button case, nearly all of the commands were legit X-10. Unfortunately, the XTB's powerful signal means I can no longer guess the general distance from the outlet-under-test to the transmitter by the voltage reading. The Monterey just reports 4+ volts for nearly every transmission. The ESM-1 could be modified to cope, but the LED bars aren't precise enough to estimate transmitter-to-meter distances with any accuracy. This time, though, my memory was good enough to recall that I had been working in the PC room and had disconnected the CM11A's serial cable from the PC and left it hanging. What I don't understand is why it took nearly 12 hours for the CM11A (which got wicked hot!) to begin its bizarre broadcast? -- Bobby G. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Jeff Volp on August 3, 2007, 12:52 am
Please log in for more thread options X10 land, a quick power cycle on the CM11A was always the fix. This was very good info. Just checking for a repeated command (stuck button) would not catch something like this. Also, there was no fixed housecode to help identify the offending device. FYI, when testing the XTB, I plug my ESM1 into a X10 filter (XPPF) to get usable readings. Jeff | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Robert Green on August 3, 2007, 6:30 pm
Please log in for more thread options > Back when I was beta testing the CM11A, whenever anything bizarre went on
in
> X10 land, a quick power cycle on the CM11A was always the fix.
> > This was very good info. Just checking for a repeated command (stuck > button) would not catch something like this. Also, there was no fixed > housecode to help identify the offending device. Now that I've got the XTBs, I've thought about putting the CM11As back on line. They used to be far too weak to reach every branch, but that's no longer a problem. Their tendency to go wild might be the limiting factor now. Still, having a small unit that can do macros is awfully tempting, especially now that I've got an X-10 AV matrix switcher that requires multiple keypresses on a Palmpad to operate. The CM11A could reduce that to a single button push. > FYI, when testing the XTB, I plug my ESM1 into a X10 filter (XPPF) to get
> usable readings. I discussed that a while back and I thought someone had said it could skew the readings as well as interact with signal suckers in an unpredictable way. Besides, one of the greatest features of the Monterey is that it's smaller than a cigarette pack and has just an AC line cord. There's no wall wart that may or may not fit into the test outlet easily. I'd hate to have to graft one onto it at this late stage. Using the XPPF is great for bench testing but I'd hate to have to deal with it crawling around things looking for outlets to plug into. As it is, the ESM1 is looking rather like a bolo with the extension cord, wall wart and meter head. (-: If I ever get a second ESM1 I'll calibrate it to read the XTB's. What I'd rather have is a slide switch on the Monterey that attenuated the readings, just the way some multimeters have range scales. -- Bobby G. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Jeff Volp on August 19, 2007, 8:05 pm
Please log in for more thread options The XTB-IIR will shut off its transmitter in response to a 'broadcast
storm". Two thresholds are available. One allows a burst of about 80 commands in a minute, or a continuous average of 15 per minute. A higher threshold allows a burst of about 160, or an average of 30 per minute. In either case the XTB-IIR transmitter will re-enable itself after 10 seconds of clear line. The LED flashes continuously in response to a storm. I had planned to issue a STATUS OFF out the digital port when a storm occurred, but it may be more useful to return the actual traffic on the powerline. Thoughts? Jeff > Once again, an X-10 "broadcast storm" detector would have been a very
> useful > device to have. I was sitting in my office, surfing and I began hearing > random appliance modules going on and off. Every ControlLinc Maxi I > checked > showed monitor LEDs flashing but this was something different than the > typical stuck button lockup. The LEDs were not on constantly as they are > when there's a stuck button. Also, legit wireless and PLC command > *occasionally* managed to get through. > > I got the Monterey analyzer and it showed something incredibly weird. The > rogue transmitter was issuing about a command each second, and it was > incrementing both the house code and the unit code a time. I'd see a > general pattern of A's, then B's then C's. Stuck buttons generally appear > on the Monterey as a string of "BSC" messages and fill the unit's memory > of > 190 commands within seconds. This data stream was much slower than that, > and was the first time I had seen such a huge variation of house/unit > codes > in the PLC data stream. In addition, unlike the stuck button case, nearly > all of the commands were legit X-10. > > Unfortunately, the XTB's powerful signal means I can no longer guess the > general distance from the outlet-under-test to the transmitter by the > voltage reading. The Monterey just reports 4+ volts for nearly every > transmission. The ESM-1 could be modified to cope, but the LED bars > aren't > precise enough to estimate transmitter-to-meter distances with any > accuracy. > > This time, though, my memory was good enough to recall that I had been > working in the PC room and had disconnected the CM11A's serial cable from > the PC and left it hanging. What I don't understand is why it took nearly > 12 hours for the CM11A (which got wicked hot!) to begin its bizarre > broadcast? > > -- > Bobby G. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Robert Green on August 21, 2007, 4:42 pm
Please log in for more thread options > The XTB-IIR will shut off its transmitter in response to a 'broadcast
> storm". Two thresholds are available. One allows a burst of about 80 > commands in a minute, or a continuous average of 15 per minute. A higher > threshold allows a burst of about 160, or an average of 30 per minute. In > either case the XTB-IIR transmitter will re-enable itself after 10 seconds > of clear line. Nearly missed this in the "broadcast storm" of MI5 bushwa! Your parameters sound quite reasonable. What does the process for updating the firmware entail? (I'm assuming that my unit's firmware *can* be updated!) > The LED flashes continuously in response to a storm. I had planned to
issue
> a STATUS OFF out the digital port when a storm occurred, but it may be
more
> useful to return the actual traffic on the powerline. Thoughts?
Whatever it takes to immediately ring a bell or sound a buzzer without the X-10 storm blocking the alerting signal! If you're thinking Ocelot, then whatever would end up reacting to the simplest of CMAX programs. Sounds like the Status Off flag would be simpler than parsing the actual traffic. -- Bobby G. > > Once again, an X-10 "broadcast storm" detector would have been a very
are
> > useful > > device to have. I was sitting in my office, surfing and I began hearing > > random appliance modules going on and off. Every ControlLinc Maxi I > > checked > > showed monitor LEDs flashing but this was something different than the > > typical stuck button lockup. The LEDs were not on constantly as they > > when there's a stuck button. Also, legit wireless and PLC command
The
> > *occasionally* managed to get through. > > > > I got the Monterey analyzer and it showed something incredibly weird. > > rogue transmitter was issuing about a command each second, and it was
appear
> > incrementing both the house code and the unit code a time. I'd see a > > general pattern of A's, then B's then C's. Stuck buttons generally > > on the Monterey as a string of "BSC" messages and fill the unit's memory
that,
> > of > > 190 commands within seconds. This data stream was much slower than > > and was the first time I had seen such a huge variation of house/unit
nearly
> > codes > > in the PLC data stream. In addition, unlike the stuck button case, > > all of the commands were legit X-10.
from
> > > > Unfortunately, the XTB's powerful signal means I can no longer guess the > > general distance from the outlet-under-test to the transmitter by the > > voltage reading. The Monterey just reports 4+ volts for nearly every > > transmission. The ESM-1 could be modified to cope, but the LED bars > > aren't > > precise enough to estimate transmitter-to-meter distances with any > > accuracy. > > > > This time, though, my memory was good enough to recall that I had been > > working in the PC room and had disconnected the CM11A's serial cable > > the PC and left it hanging. What I don't understand is why it took
nearly
> > 12 hours for the CM11A (which got wicked hot!) to begin its bizarre
> > broadcast? > > > > -- > > Bobby G. >
> | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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> useful
> device to have. I was sitting in my office, surfing and I began hearing
> random appliance modules going on and off. Every ControlLinc Maxi I
> checked
> showed monitor LEDs flashing but this was something different than the
> typical stuck button lockup. The LEDs were not on constantly as they are
> when there's a stuck button. Also, legit wireless and PLC command
> *occasionally* managed to get through.
>
> I got the Monterey analyzer and it showed something incredibly weird. The
> rogue transmitter was issuing about a command each second, and it was
> incrementing both the house code and the unit code a time. I'd see a
> general pattern of A's, then B's then C's. Stuck buttons generally appear
> on the Monterey as a string of "BSC" messages and fill the unit's memory
> of
> 190 commands within seconds. This data stream was much slower than that,
> and was the first time I had seen such a huge variation of house/unit
> codes
> in the PLC data stream. In addition, unlike the stuck button case, nearly
> all of the commands were legit X-10.
>
> Unfortunately, the XTB's powerful signal means I can no longer guess the
> general distance from the outlet-under-test to the transmitter by the
> voltage reading. The Monterey just reports 4+ volts for nearly every
> transmission. The ESM-1 could be modified to cope, but the LED bars
> aren't
> precise enough to estimate transmitter-to-meter distances with any
> accuracy.
>
> This time, though, my memory was good enough to recall that I had been
> working in the PC room and had disconnected the CM11A's serial cable from
> the PC and left it hanging. What I don't understand is why it took nearly
> 12 hours for the CM11A (which got wicked hot!) to begin its bizarre
> broadcast?
>
> --
> Bobby G.