AD10 "All lights on"?

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  • Jonnieboy
    Automated Home Lurker
    • Feb 2008
    • 5

    AD10 "All lights on"?

    Hello.

    I have been using x10 at home now for around 6 years.

    I recently installed a system in my parent's outbuildings for switching lights/floodlights and a few universal modules for operating the automatic gates and garage door opener etc. I also used a "Maplin" 3-channel remote together with a powerflash module to allow remote operation of the door, gates and to trigger a macro which switches on the floodlights for 2 minutes running on a CM11.

    I originally purchased three wall switches from x10-hk (all of them are two-load appliance modules). Although they all worked great, they felt a bit "plasticky" and, of more of an "issue", they metal faces under the plastic switch-fronts showed some charge - enough to light a neon electricians screwdriver - although not enough to shock. Earthing the mounting screw of the module got rid of this problem but I couldn't shake the "cheap" feeling.

    I have replaced these switches with MK Grid metalclad units and have installed two MK consumer units, with a total of six AD10s.

    The problem is the length of time it takes to switch these lights on using a macro - the original switches could be programmed to respond to "all lights on" - perfect since they were attached to fluorescent lights. Obviously, the AD10 lacks this ability.

    Is there any obvious change I could make to the AD10 board to allow it to respond to the ALOn signal? I'm guessing not - and I should have purchased LD10s instead and tried to remove the triac and related components and installed a relay instead.

    Any thoughts? Any alternatives?
  • toscal
    Moderator
    • Oct 2005
    • 2061

    #2
    Why not use a macro. Call it say B1 and have it turn on or off your lights. So when you press B1 ON it turns on all the lights and B1 OFF would turn them OFF.
    Last edited by toscal; 19 February 2008, 12:18 PM.
    IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.
    Renovation Spain Blog

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    • Jonnieboy
      Automated Home Lurker
      • Feb 2008
      • 5

      #3
      "The problem is the length of time it takes to switch these lights on using a macro"

      Since the AD10 can't respond to "All lights on", switching the six lights on takes about 5 seconds using a macro on the CM11. As I add more lights to the system, the problem will only get worse.

      Comment

      • toscal
        Moderator
        • Oct 2005
        • 2061

        #4
        I take it you are using ActiveHome software. I use a Homevision controller and can send a command that will essentially arm the modules then it just sends the House code and Command. For example:
        To switch off 3 modules which are a mixture of appliance and lighting modules you set up a macro like this:
        X-10: A 1 (Halogen) Transmit only house/unit code
        X-10: A 2 (HiFi Lights) Transmit only house/unit code
        X-10: A 5 (Outside light) Transmit only house/unit code
        X-10: Transmit House Code 'A' Off
        Can't remember if you can do this with active home
        IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.
        Renovation Spain Blog

        Comment

        • Jonnieboy
          Automated Home Lurker
          • Feb 2008
          • 5

          #5
          This is the same way that the CM11 executes fast macros - in fact, it would be preferable in some ways if it didn't...

          The CM11 is slow slow slow.

          The CM11 has a P1-ON macro which switches on three A/Ms, waits 2 minutes and switches them off. The P1-ON is initiated by a powerflash module connected to an RF remote control. The issue is that from pressing the remote control, there is a 3-5 second pause before the lights come on.

          The lights all come on simultaneously - so the CM11 is definitely sending F1, F2, F3, F-ON but the process takes FOREVER (or so it seems).

          Previously, the CM11 only had to send F, ALL-ON which meant pressing the remote had the floods on in about 1 second.

          I have toyed with the idea of getting a homevision but cannot justify £600-odd just to run three or four macros.

          Adding a few more A/Ms will just make things worse as more devices must be addressed. I think the CM11 adds far too much latency - theoretically, an address could be sent every fourth phase cycle (I think) but it seems to take around a second for each address to be sent.

          Comment

          • Jonnieboy
            Automated Home Lurker
            • Feb 2008
            • 5

            #6
            Oh, and when I said it would be preferable if it didn't, at least if the macro sent F1, F-ON, F2, F-ON, F3, F-ON the lights would start coming on sooner, albeit one at a time.

            Comment

            • toscal
              Moderator
              • Oct 2005
              • 2061

              #7
              Just dug out my copy of ActiveHome.
              On the edit macro page on the right hand side is an Icon that looks like a module called Global with a man standing in it. create a fast macro and drag this over to the left hand side. Select either on or off. And that's it. Your lights should switch on or off at the same time. Though ActiveHome may just send out the commands consecutively, so you get A1 ON then A2 ON etc.
              The reason there is no All appliance modules on command is down to a safety issue. Since these modules can control heaters, coffee makers and the like there is a potential fire risk.
              IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.
              Renovation Spain Blog

              Comment

              • Jonnieboy
                Automated Home Lurker
                • Feb 2008
                • 5

                #8
                Oh, I realise WHY the command is "all lights on", not "all units on".

                What you are suggesting doesn't make any difference - even if global "intelligently" worked out which module type is which to decide what to do, for A/Ms, it is still stuck with the F1, F2, F3, F4, F-ON method which is too slow.

                Besides, I'm 95% certain that when I tried this, "Global ON F" sends "F, ALLLIGHTSON" and the AD11 doesn't respond to that.

                Thanks for trying to help though...

                Out of interest, how long would HomeVision take to process a series of ON signals like this?

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