CTB08 Problem

[nnewby]

So i'm pulling out controllers today and checking to make sure that everything is working before i put it outside, and one of my controllers isn't working now. It's been in storage about 2 months. It was tested and working.

I plugged it in (the LED is flashing) and plugged the cat5 (still flashing) opened up the HU(LED is now solid) and hit the refresh button and it can't find the unit, which was previously set to Unit 01 two months ago. I'm at a loss.

I've plugged the cat5 into both sockets in the controller and in the USB485B and still nothing. I don't know what else to do. if this doesn't work my mother will have a reason to tell me "i told you so" and we just don't need that...

i'll send oraments to whomever solves my problem

[Tim Fischer]

Go into the HWU. Make sure suspect unit is the only thing plugged into the computer. In the change existing ID, select "Any Unit" or "old unit ID". For New Unit ID, select '1" (or whatever you want to call it now. Ignore any scary messages that come up and try to talk you out of doing this.

This *should* correct the problem.

-Tim

[nnewby]

i feel like a duffas... i completely forgot about the "any unit" option... I guess it doesn't help that i've been awake since 2p est thursday...

and that worked. thanks tim *princess voice* you're my hero {bats eyes} */princess voice*

you get ceramic ornaments with crystal glaze mad by me. just pm me your address and i'll send them out when i get them done

[Severex]

I just had the same problem and found this post. Once again Tim F. to the rescue! Thanks for all you do on this forum Tim!

Now... I had this problem last year also with a CTB08. I emailed Dan B. at LOR and told him, "the red light goes solid when I plug in the network cable.... blah, blah..." He said. "That's wierd" and sent me a replacement under warranty (no cost to me). So this year, I have another one go south. Email Dan. 40% off a replacement because it's out of warranty. Okay, that's pretty cool. Now today, the second one goes "poof". No more spares, I am in panic mode. I decide to look here and find the "any unit" trick. Fixed both of my dead ones. Nice.

But here is the BIG question: What is up with the CTB08's and why are they losing/scrambling their UNIT ID's????

I want answers!!!!

Dave

[daniel]

Severex wrote:

But here is the BIG question: What is up with the CTB08's and why are they losing/scrambling their UNIT ID's????

I want answers!!!!

Dave

Dave,

My ctb-08 is a little over the 3-year-old mark. I have set the ID once, and it has never lost its mind or operated in a manor not designed for it to do. I guess it could have something to do with tempatures and humidity. Or something to do with the fact that I use my ctb-08 frequently and that if it sits for a pierod of time, it will lose its ID.



--Daniel L

[Severex]

Hi Daniel,

Thanks for the suggestions, but I have to rule them out for the following reasons:

1) Temp and humidity are out, as I live in Sunnyvale, CA with dry air and temps between 50 and 80 degrees 98% of the time.

2) My CTB08's have always been fine when pulled out of storage. They stop working after being in use and powered up for a couple of weeks. I literally had one fail this year on the Monday before Thanksgiving and last year on the same day. The one that failed yesterday stopped working as I was testing the display. All was fine and then a whole chunk of lights went out.

It has now happened to me 3 times. I'm losing faith in the little buggers.

Dave

[cmoore60]

Dave,

I think you should email support@lightorama.com

Chuck

[Guest wbottomley]

Severex wrote:

I literally had one fail this year on the Monday before Thanksgiving and last year on the same day. The one that failed yesterday stopped working as I was testing the display. All was fine and then a whole chunk of lights went out.

That's the warranty expiration date, didn't you know that.



Email LOR support and they'll help you.

[Severex]

You're probably right!

I emailed Dan B. at LOR last year when the first one went out, described the problem, and his response was not to use the HWU with the "Any Unit" trick, but to send me a new one under warranty. No cost to me. I sent the other one back as a failed unit. It was probably OK.

I'll pursue this with LOR after the Holidays. I hate bugging them right now, especially with all the LOR II software stuff going on.

My finger keeps hovering over the LOR II download button.... DON'T DO IT!! Be patient..... Plenty of time to play with it for next year.....

Dave

[Tim Fischer]

Older firmware chips could lose their unit ID's due to noise on the LOR network... even just unplugging the comm cable while the unit was plugged in could do it. A couple of years ago Dan and team added some protections against this to the newer firmware.

My old units would forget their ID if you sneezed too close to them (or something like that). No issues at all with the firmware chips I got last year...

-Tim

[Severex]

Thanks Tim (again),

It turns out I was troubleshooting network problems at the time of the failure. I guess I'll limp through this season with the old firmware chips (I'm assuming the firmware is the smaller chip?) and wait for the LOR II firmware chips that Dan has promised when LOR II is officially released (and I have committed to using it...).

Dave

[Tim Fischer]

Severex wrote:

(I'm assuming the firmware is the smaller chip?) and wait for the LOR II firmware chips that Dan has promised when LOR II is officially released (and I have committed to using it...).

The firmware is actually part of the main processor chip (large chip).

-Tim