Active home pro stopped working

When the program opens I get the indication that it's registered and then I get the screen that says the interface is not connected. That as far as I can get. Tim fm CT

In addition to removing the batteries did you disconnect it from the AC power while the batteries were removed? They are known to get into a lock-up condition and that is the only way to fix it.

I think both you and Bruce are thinking of ActiveHome and the CM11A. The OP is asking about ActiveHomePRO and the CM15A. While I haven't followed it closely I do not recall any lockup complaints about the CM15A.

For the OP, you probably will have much better luck if you ask your questions in the X-10 forums on the X-10 web site. There are many CM15A/AHP users there. I suspect you have an issue with the USB connection under XP.

snipped-for-privacy@yahoogroups.com

Hi John, I think I did but I'll check and do it again. Thanks Tim fm CT

Thanks Dave, I'll do it. Tim fm CT

I did it. Still no go. Tim fm CT

It's not the same lockup as we've seen with the CM11A but generally a failure to communicate, as the OP is experiencing, or other odd behavior. One user on the forum you mention below has published a hardware hack to install a reset button, which as I recall involved more than just opening the battery leads.

Good advice. The AHP software driver can get mucked up and some temporary files may need to be deleted to straighten it out. (At least that fixed it for me on one occasion.) My unit has been sitting on the shelf for quite some time now and I unfortunately don't remember what is required.

Regards, Charles Sullivan

I decided to go back to the beginning of this thread to see if there were any clues we missed.

Can you tell us more about what you were doing when you were repairing this light fixture. What was wrong with it? What kind of bulb is in it?

There used to be a test program called USBVIEW.EXE that could be found at

but I don't see it there anymore. Perhaps you could find it or a similar program to test your USB port.

Are you sure the CM15A is defective or is it possible those lights are compact fluorescents or are located near a UPS or some other signal sucker? If some appliance modules are being controlled by the CM15A successfully but light modules are not, I would suspect some signal problem rather than an issue with the CM15A. I am curious. How can the appliance modules work via mouseclick in Activehome if the USB bridge is non-functional? It seems to me you can either communicate with it or you can't. What you're describing is something in the middle.

Do you have an X-10 signal meter like the ESM-1?

-- Bobby G.

I think what he's describing are the sound effects in the AHP software.

snipped-for-privacy@yahoogroups.com

My bad. I guess it was when he wrote: "when I do it with the mouse" that my mind got clouded with disturbing images so I missed the obvious. (-: I don't think I've ever run Activehome on a PC that had sound, either!

No doubt they added those highly useful sound effects to cover the sound of the real relays clacking. Good programming to keep the sounds alive even though the signals aren't reaching their intended targets.

Still, I suspect there's a clue in this occurring after he played circuit panel roulette and switched off multiple circuits. A PC with a dead CMOS battery could recycle to a default state that knocked out a specially-configured USB port but that's *highly* unlikely.

I'd do a file sort on the C: drive to see what's been "fingered" in the last few weeks that might be USB related. Then I'd look in Device Mangler to see that all was OK. Then I might plug a USB mouse into the port in question to see if it worked. Then I might unload/reload Activehome. If that didn't solve it, I'd Ghost the current state to DVD-R and restore from a known-good image backup.

-- Bobby G.

Hi Folks, I'm back to this ng. It was recommended to go to the x10 group which I did. However, after registering and reading the "Read this first" stuff. I still could not determine where to start. I sent my symptoms to a person that had written tips. Mike, I think it was. I'm still where I was. Here's the situation. All my x10 lights etc work via the hand held controllers and the plug in controllers. When I open the AHP it says I'm registered, and I see my units on the screen. Then I get a screen that says "the active home pro usb interface isn't connected to your computer........... It is connected. I've checked that, I've removed the batteries and unplugged it and still the same. I can move the switches and hear them click on the screen but they do not operate any units. X10 is no help at all. Please help me if you can. Tim fm CT

(I'm sorry if this was already suggested) Have you tried uninstalling the cm15a stuff, rebooting, reinstall? I've seen stuff get wacked out, driver wise, under windows.

Maybe as a first step try a different USB port on the PC. Windows should see this as "new HW" and install the driver.

Check under control panel/system/hw to see if the driver is running...

Tim Dolan wrote:

OK, Thanks. I checked the control panel, hardware etc. but I realized that I didn't know what I was looking for. What am I looking for? Also, I think my AHP is a download, so I don't want to delete it. I'll look more thoroughly for the Cd. Tim fm CT

It really depends on the version of windows (checking device drivers).

On XP, click start settings->control panel, then "system". Then click on the "hardware" tab. Then "device manager". Look at the stuff under "Universal Serial Bus controllers" to start.

(That's what I see... First time I've had my cm15a connected to windows in over a year.... It's been on a linux box for a long time!)

First th>

Woody, I don't have another port with that kind of plug..??? Tim fm CT

You only have one usb port? That is very odd!

Head to bestbuy or comp usa and get a usb hub. (~$20). Plug in the hub, then the cm15a into the hub. You'll get "new HW" for the hub, and "new hw" for the cm15a.

What versi>

Hi Woody, Well, wait to you hear this. I think all is ok now. I'll know for sure when one of the timed events takes place. anyway..... Earlier,I was having troubles with the AHP , long story short, it was suggested to move the USB unit away from the computer, and I did. Time went by and a new problem developed. That's when I started this thread. Long story short again, I forgot I had moved the unit and I found the old Active Home (not the pro) unit on the floor which was still plugged in to the computer so I've been doing al the nonsense with the old unit in the wrong port. I noticed the new AHP unit upstairs in an outlet and BINGO ! The "what a dumb ass, I am light went on. See ya, Tim fm CT

Memory is the second thing to go, so they say! :)

Hope it works out for you.

The cm15a has worked really well for me - but I use it in a "non normal" way. It's a "dumb" x10 device connected to a linux server (it's got no events loaded). I also turned off the RF...

-w