Tim Fischer Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 Any word on whether LOR will ever support the CM15A (USB) X10 interface? The CM11A's are getting harder and harder to find, as are serial ports on PC's... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iresq Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 Seems that with all this DMX this and DMX that talk, X10 has fallen by the wayside. I, too, am interested in CM15 support. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Fischer Posted February 1, 2010 Author Share Posted February 1, 2010 iresq wrote:Seems that with all this DMX this and DMX that talk, X10 has fallen by the wayside. I, too, am interested in CM15 support.I hope not. They solve very different problems. CM15 support has been requested for many years now... I can't imagine they changed the protocol all that much, but I don't know that for a fact... They're probably just using some sort of virtual com port just like the LOR USB stuff does...That's the downside of free upgrades-- this feature doesn't really benefit LOR's bottom line since it might actually take away from folks buying more LOR controllers. But now that there's the potential for paid upgrades, maybe it will finally happen... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LightORamaDan Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 It is on our list of things to do. We have a couple of the CM15As to test with. As far as I understand, it will be completely different than the CM11A but we have not spent enough time on it to be sure.Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Hughes Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 Raising my hand for CM15A also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LightORamaDan Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 Rick Hughes wrote: Raising my hand for CM15A also.Yes we have had a large number of hands up for the CM15A. If we are going to continue to document that we support X10 we will really have to add support for the CM15A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldoradoboy Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 get ready for some fun... ive done some messing around with the CM15A and found I had to write a lot of new code to get it to work Right... then I ended up abandoning that project anyway due to a change in needs... go figure....but at least I have the CM15A for when LOR supports it...-Christopher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Fischer Posted December 7, 2010 Author Share Posted December 7, 2010 I've been pounding my head firmly against the wall all season trying to get my X-10 stuff working with LOR S2. My aging CM11A is begging to be replaced. I finally broke down and ordered a CM15A - not sure when it will get here, but I need my show to be fully automated on some nights and thus far, I've had to do manual intervention Every Single Night.All I need X10 to do is turn on some lights at the start of the show and turn them back off at the end. If it's easier to add CM15A support to do that vs. all the "virtual channel" stuff LOR does now, that's just fine by me.I'm going to try to hack some CM15A support into LOR using the Windows Command function and .BAT files. If that fails I'll have to set up a separate "Show" in Activehome Pro, which is far from ideal. Bleah.Here's another old thread pointing out potential X-10 problems in LOR. Not sure if this was ever fully addressed: http://lightorama.mywowbb.com/view_topic.php?id=20033&forum_id=72You know I love LOR, but I'm really, really frustrated by this. I agree with Dan's post above that LOR needs to quit claiming it supports X-10 if it can't get basic CM15A support into the product. The CM11A has been deprecated for about 5 years now.Edit to add: I've had a number of people PM me about why I don't just abandon X-10 and buy more LOR controllers. Here's why: I have X-10 controlling things on at least 7 different circuits, scattered around the yard and some indoors controlling lights in windows. Spending $1000-$1500 (minimally) on LOR controllers which only do a single "on/off" cycle every night seems like a ridiculous proposition, not to mention the additional hassles of getting cabling to all the various places or spending even more moneh on ELL's. I'm happy to buy more LOR controllers for the animated items in my display, but LOR makes an awfully expensive "once on, once off" timer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iresq Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 Tim, I'm with you. I use X10 to handle all my inside display lighting. It is just not practical to run extension cords to every room. I also use X10 outside to handle things like inflatables and certain static elements. Currently I control with a device called Ocelot. It would be great to have LOR control via CM15. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Fischer Posted December 7, 2010 Author Share Posted December 7, 2010 iresq wrote: Tim, I'm with you. I use X10 to handle all my inside display lighting. It is just not practical to run extension cords to every room. I also use X10 outside to handle things like inflatables and certain static elements. Currently I control with a device called Ocelot. It would be great to have LOR control via CM15.Is the Ocelot using a completely separate schedule, or does it somehow interact with LOR? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iresq Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 It runs stand alone. It has the ability to accept triggers but I have never used those capabilities. I use it mostly for advanced macros in my home theater. The software makes use of variables which allows for some neat programming and IR/RF integration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Fischer Posted December 7, 2010 Author Share Posted December 7, 2010 Another night, another need to bring all my static lights down myself via the X-10 remote. If it works with the remote, it should be working with LOR. I'm convinced something is broken in LOR with X-10 in 2.8.12 as this worked fine last year -- sometimes one module would get missed but that's standard X-10 line noise stuff. This year NOTHING is going off. For what its worth, the background sequence is turning ON the X-10 stuff just fine, it just refuses to turn it off.Tomorrow I'm pulling all X-10 out of LOR and programming it separately into ActiveHome. PITA, and won't be synced up with my shutdown sequence, but what do you do?I'm unhappy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldoradoboy Posted December 8, 2010 Share Posted December 8, 2010 I tried last year to get LOR to run the X-10 for turning on and off my security spots and outside houselights without Luck..I ended up just using my existing home automation system and Ocelot to do the X-10..which worked out well because I activated a channel at the end of the show on my DC controller which closed a small 12 volt relay and activated a dry contact closure to the Ocelot which in-turn could fire the X-10 events....this year everything is on the X-10 / Insteon since im not doing an LOR show-Christopher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Nichols Posted December 8, 2010 Share Posted December 8, 2010 I am running with 2.8.12 and X-10 with no problem. I use it to turn power on and off on my RF transmitter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Fischer Posted December 8, 2010 Author Share Posted December 8, 2010 Leo Nichols wrote: I am running with 2.8.12 and X-10 with no problem. I use it to turn power on and off on my RF transmitter.Are you using a background sequence?I don't want to be too quick to blame LOR, but I've been using this method since the first year background sequences were available, and suddenly it's not working. Plus it works fine when I send the command from the remote.Thanks for the input. I'll know more tonight when I try it with ActiveHome running that part of the show...-Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Fischer Posted December 8, 2010 Author Share Posted December 8, 2010 OK, for those of you keeping score: (yeah, I know that's pretty much just me )Tonight I moved the X-10 schedule back into Activehome. So basically: Same show computer. Same CM-11A Same outlet for CM-11A. The ONLY thing that changed is I removed the background sequence responsible for running X-10 through LOR, and instead implemented it as "Fast Macros" incide the CM-11A.And it worked like a charm.So, I'll stop short of saying LOR has an X-10 bug. But I have no other explanation why things worked like a charm tonight (not using X-10 via LOR) when it hasn't worked any night before using LOR.If anyone from LOR cares to see any of my show, sequence, whatever files, I'll happily provide them. I'll be happy to eat some tasty crow if it turns out I misconfigured something. But I've been doing it the exact same way for years... I literally copied my 2009 show file for this year.Thanks!-Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Fischer Posted December 10, 2010 Author Share Posted December 10, 2010 Last night the static show went off perfectly again with the ActiveHome schedule. So LOR's X-10 track record for me this year was 0 of 9 and ActiveHome's is 2 of 2.The only problem, aside from having to maintain 2 separate schedules, is that there's no way to coordinate it with the music. In past years, the last song finished, a final "thanks for stopping, the show is now done for the night" would play, and all the lights would go out. Last night, the static lights went out as the last song was finishing. I can extend it by another minute or two, but then they'll stay on too long.Oh well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 I've also been having X-10 problems, so I ordered one of these. I'll let you know what happens when I get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim from St.louis Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 Steven wrote: I've also been having X-10 problems, so I ordered one of these. I'll let you know what happens when I get it.I ordered one of those also, I have heard very very good things about it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Fischer Posted December 18, 2010 Author Share Posted December 18, 2010 Steven wrote: I've also been having X-10 problems, so I ordered one of these. I'll let you know what happens when I get it.My X-10 problems are definitely LOR related and not general line noise, etc. My display has been running flawlessly via Activehome ever since I gave up on trying to use LOR's X10 functionality. It's a pain to have it not synced up with my startup and shutdown sequences, but it's a bigger pain when the lights do not go on or off properly.I also now have a CM15A and while I'm reluctant to change the show during peak display period, I may try switching to scripting via the CM15A a between Christmas and New Years. At least I'll be ready for next year, and if it works, I won't have to keep complaining about lack of X-10 support from LOR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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