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How to waste time (part 2)
Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 11:16 pm
by Noel
Today after programming some more S/DAIX12's and doing some more tweaking on the Domotica system I needed to go downstairs as some guests were arriving for the BBQ.
So. I shutdown the PC in the office (the one I used to access the server in the garage that is running HomeSeer).
After some steaks and burgers, it got a bit darker, and as I had allready big mouthed about my Domotica house, and how great it was to be able to do all the things with one remote control.
So.. I got the remote control and pressed 2 and ON (light living room) ... Gues what.. NOTHING happened. Hmmm I pressed 2 and ON again.. Still nothing... I test some more combinations... Still nothing.. dead.. nada..
I did a reboot of the server running HomeSeer... Guess what... Still NOTHING.. Looking at the log file, all was okay, but still the lights stayed off.
By now my guests were laughing about my system, and making jokes how great it was.
Anyway.. After doing and trying a lot of things I found that the problem was the PC in the office! When it's on the system is working fine, but when off (and still conected to the main power supply ~240) the system does not work.
When I unplug the PC from the power line, the system is working fine again.
So.. I guess that I need somekind of filter between the main power supply and the PC.
Anyone here who knows of such filter?
--
Never start anything you can't fi
How to waste time (part 2)
Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 11:38 pm
by TANE
I know that feeling
You need some noise filters.
My experience is that they do a good job for about 60%
there will be always noise left also after the filter.
You can build your own filter if you have some magnetic rings for the cables.
I have some filters but also without filters everything will work because of the central place for the CTX.
How to waste time (part 2)
Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 11:48 pm
by Noel
I've got some noise filters (ferrite bead inductors), and I will give this a test tomorrow.
Is a noise filter the only option?
--
Never start anything you can't fi
How to waste time (part 2)
Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 11:53 pm
by TANE
new PSU for you computer..
How to waste time (part 2)
Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 11:56 pm
by Noel
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Chak</i>
<br />new PSU for you computer..<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Okay

I've got some spare PSU's here.. I will try this after the noise filter test.
Thank you for the info.
--
Never start anything you can't fi
How to waste time (part 2)
Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 12:10 am
by Digit
Hahaha, it is comforting to know i'm not the only one caught by the noise-trap

Here's my story...
Normally i only have time to work on domotica during the late hours, when the sun has long disappeared behind the horizon.
However, a few weeks ago a new interface arrived and i started testing with it on a sunday afternoon. Everything worked great, fantastic, 100%.
Later that day, around the time that most people go to bed, i did the same tests once again. Nothing worked anymore... switching off TV, doing all kind of other things to create the same environment as existed that afternoon, nothing helped. What's going on here ???
Well, i overlooked one little detail: in my office i have 6 fluorescent lights ("TL-buizen") apparently creating so much noise that nothing worked anymore! So the problem was right above me, but i just didn't SEE it... aaarrgghh!
How to waste time (part 2)
Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 12:20 am
by Noel
Haha.. Thats another funny storry

Great to hear that I'm not the only one with things like this..
--
Never start anything you can't fi
How to waste time (part 2)
Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 12:27 am
by Noel
This all reminds me on an other thing that happened to me (a sort of Domotica thing)
I've got a Roomba here (
http://www.vacuumcleanerlive.com **), and one day I lost the thing!
I just could not find it anymore.
Now how the hell can you lose a vacuumcleaner you think.
The thing is that I have drapes (curtains) all the way to the flore, and one day the Roomba drove over it, and pulled itself all the way up to the roof (behind other curtains)
I was looking for the damn thing for two days!
** The live cam is off-line at the moment as I've just moved house and did not set it up till now. The videos are still online.
--
Never start anything you can't fi
How to waste time (part 2)
Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 12:37 am
by Bwired
I have never encountered the problems you have wifi, I have a 3 phase installation and the only extra device I'm using is a phase coupler. I have the CTX mounted in the fusebox closeth just like Chak, that is very important I found out. But never the problems with computers and other deviced pluged on or off.
How to waste time (part 2)
Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 9:47 am
by Noel
Bwired,,
I also have 3 phases here, but only one phase (phase 1) is used for the domotica. All power outlets and switches are on phase 1.
Phase 1 does have a sper filter (the one from Xanura) on it.
As phase 1 is the only phase that I want to use for Domotica I do not need a phase coupler.
I also have the CTX35 and it's mounted next to the fusebox, and connected to the ~240 of phase 1.
The CTX35 is connected with a +/- 10 meter long RS232 cable, and controlled by a server that is in the garage.
As far as I can see this should all work fine, and it does exept when I have the 'office' PC off and still pluged in to the ~240! When I unplug the 'office' PC, or turn it on, all is working fine.
The 'office' PC is an own build system with a big (I think it's a 500W) power supply in it (not that this should matter).
I'll be doing some more testing today to see if I can kill the 'noise'.
--
Never start anything you can't fi
How to waste time (part 2)
Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 12:04 pm
by Snelvuur
@wifi: i wanted to do the same thing with the webcam idea (the roomba live), but the howto section is still "soon" which is soon for about 2/3 years now?
// Erik (binkey.nl)
How to waste time (part 2)
Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 12:09 pm
by Bwired
OK Wifi
I also think you're setting the way you describe it should work.
The Sperfilter is for blocking the incoming and outgoing signals to and from your home.
The signals can still go over the the other 2 fases, so if you send a signal on fase 1 the signal will also go to fase 2 and 3. But that should not really matter as well, I had that situation in my home as well and worked. Only a few outlets I could not reach, but no noise. I also have like 3 Dell workstations with >500 watt power supply's and dual xeon/quad core etc.
You could use the sperfilter for blocking the Signals of the office PC as well.
Let's hope you won't have any other devices that will interrupt the X10 signal