Frustrations using Utility Suite– It’s 2011!

[Anonymous]

#40320

I have purchased two separate USB to Serial converters to try and change settings on my EZIO8SA. I have a Win7 64bit machine. It simply won’t work.

1) Why should we have to jump through these hoops to make the EZIO8SA use momentary vs. permanent relay switching? The Smarthome relays can be changed by using its reset switch.
2) It’s 2011. You can’t even buy a machine with serial ports anymore! Why not ship with a USB to PLM cable? Is Simplehomenet intentionally making its product line obsolete?
3) If we are forced to use this utility suite, why aren’t there ANY instructions for its use? No troubleshooting guides? Example: Port settings?? 9600 8N1, no flow control? Etc.

I am trying to connect to EZI8SA via SmartHome 2413 Serial PLM (stolen from my ISY). The EZIO8SA is connected to a 2412 PLM. I get COM timeout errors consistently:

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Simplehomenet Utility Suite

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No response to PLM Read. Ensure COM3 Port is connected to PLM.
System.TimeoutException: The operation has timed out.

at System.IO.Ports.SerialStream.Read(Byte[] array, Int32 offset, Int32 count, Int32 timeout)

at System.IO.Ports.SerialStream.Read(Byte[] array, Int32 offset, Int32 count)

at System.IO.Ports.SerialPort.Read(Byte[] buffer, Int32 offset, Int32 count)

at Simplehomenet_Utility_Suite.Form1.Button_ConnecttoCommDevice_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e)

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OK

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Starmanj

[Anonymous]

#43766

starmanj

Sorry you are finding the PLM difficult to interface to. What is the configuration where com port 3 is the PLM port. Normally when using some form of USB to Serial conversion port assignments start with 4. Different port numbers can be tried. Start with 1, if that results in the OS indicating the port is not connected try 2, then 3, then 4 etc. Actually I would start with 4 if using USB to Serial conversion. From watching the Powerhome forum users have found that some USB to Serial converters are better with a Serial PLM than others. I do not use these so I cannot suggest a specific manufacturer.

A USB PLM does come with a USB cable. A Serial PLM is designed to connect to a Serial port so a USB cable would not help. Actually a USB PLM is a Serial PLM with a USB to Serial converter built in.

I don’t have a win7 64bit environment but I believe other users have indicated the OS has a means of displaying the com port number of the USB ports. Perhaps through the equivalent of the Device Manager.

Let me know the results of using com port 4 particularly and see if the OS indicates a Com number for the USB port in us.

Thanks
Lee

EDIT: sorry, forgot to mention this. The Timeout error is the result of using a Com number 1,2,3,etc that is not connected to the PLM

[Anonymous]

#43767

I have tried com ports 1 through 8, no go. I have to use a serial PLM to work with the ISY. The PLM that comes with the EZIO is also serial.

The readout above indicates the utility is talking to the comm port, it just can’t get anything from the 2413S PLM.

I am using the device manager settings to control the comm port. What serial port settings does the PLM expect? 9600 8N1?? What flow control? Should the Utility be in XP or Vista compatibility mode? Would be great to have a Wiki or some guidelines.

Starmanj

[Anonymous]

#43768

These are the Com port values the SHN Utility uses to access a PLM. It is the application that establishes these values not the OS.

PLMConnection.SerialCom1.BaudRate = 19200
PLMConnection.SerialCom1.Parity = Parity.None
PLMConnection.SerialCom1.DataBits = 8
PLMConnection.SerialCom1.StopBits = 1

Flow Control is None

When the Connect button is clicked do you see the PLM address and firmware level displayed in the lower left side of the SHN Utility display.

The SHN Utility is an XP appliaction.

[Anonymous]

#43769

Okay I found out the trouble. It works with a Simplehomenet PLM 2412 equivalent, but WILL NOT work with a Smarthome PLM 2413S. I have to order another Simplehomenet PLM to change the EZIO settings. Am I the first to find this out?

[Anonymous]

#43770

I use a 2413U and 2413S all the time, although on XP and I do not use a USB to Serial convertor.

[Anonymous]

#43771

starmanj

Can you identify the brand/model of USB to Serial Convertor that worked with the EZIComm but did not work with the 2413S?

I’ve asked one of the users on the Powerhome forum which convertor he is using with his 2413S on win7 64bit.

Thanks
Lee

[Anonymous]

#43772

I think this goes back to the same issue I found earlier– the newer Smarthome PLM’s do NOT work with the EZIO8SA’s either. Smarthome has ACKNOWLEDGED this to me. The newer firmware I suspect also broke the serial interface.

I have a Prolific chipset USB-Serial adapter from “plugable.com” (as well as another Prolific adapter that I thought was broken, so I bought the other as well). It works, as I indicated, with the 2412 from SHN but NOT 2413 from Smarthome. Smarthome 2413S V1.5 1122, purchased about 60 days ago.

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