GEM Down - Installed Xbee - Com Port issues

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Mustang65
Posts: 70
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2015 11:17 am
Location: Central Florida

GEM Down - Installed Xbee - Com Port issues

Post by Mustang65 » Fri Jan 19, 2018 9:33 pm

Today I received my Xbee module and figured it was a good day to install it and get it communicating with ISY. So at 4:48PM, I powered down the GEM, installed the Xbee module (yes all the pins lined up with the socket) and removed my Wi-Fi module as the AP without the antenna was appearing while off my property. I use Ethernet connection via/Cat5 cable to my office Wi-Fi router. System was working perfectly before this upgrade.

I powered up the GEM and after it booted I noticed that the blinking lights did not look normal. After waiting a few minutes I figured I would go into the office and see what I have. Also, I may have hit the PB button on the bottom of the GEM as I was moving a PVC conduit under it.

Logged into the GEM and encountered a Com issue instantly, could not locate any com ports. Also the Com and baud rate disapeared out of the two fields that it normally appeared. I tried a few things with no success.

Here are some pictures and a video of the lights that may help.

I Guess the video link is not supported but here it is
http://www.how-to-doit.com/wp-content/u ... Lights.mov

Don
[video]http://www.how-to-doit.com/wp-content/u ... Lights.mov[/video]
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delete - GEM Status.jpg
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delete - GEM No Serial port detected.jpg
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delete - GEM Detected Energy monitor.jpg
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delete - GEM Baud Rate waiting for response.jpg
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delete - GEM baud rate search.jpg
delete - GEM baud rate search.jpg (139.38 KiB) Viewed 1996 times
Don

Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I will understand.
Benjamin Franklin
Teken
Posts: 2700
Joined: Wed Dec 15, 2010 4:09 pm
Location: The Bad Lands

Re: GEM Down - Installed Xbee - Com Port issues

Post by Teken » Sat Jan 20, 2018 1:23 pm

Hello Don,

I'm remote and off site and have spotty data coverage so I'll try to cover as much as possible before I get cut off in the bush.

Some quick house cleaning items for you to try and check. In the worst case scenario I would remove the ZigBee card and see if the GEM comes back up once its been powered down and reset.

If it doesn't the process to reset the GEM to a OEM state is in the full users manual. This is obviously your first priority over anything else. But lets assume you finally get the GEM back on line the following commentary is to help you get the pieces connected and talking to one another.

There are some items that need to be in place and set on the Dash Box, GEM, ISY Series Controller. I'm not in front of my system so much of this is going off memory but the projects thread in my signature has lots of images and steps I took to connect all of the above together.

Apologies in advance as some of the steps and software has changed quite a bit since I started that projects thread more than seven years ago. The plan has been to edit out those old entries and update with the latest but time is limited these days.

Anyways these are some of the things I recall off the top of my head so please check and compare and change where appropriate. You will need to ensure the GEM's COM 2 is set to 19200 baud in the Advanced tab. Under Packet Send set Secondary COM 2 to ISY 11 format.

Dash Box: Settings -> System -> Change Baud Rate -> COM 2 = 19200

I noticed in your image capture there is no hardware defined and that is one of your problems. On the left hand side on the GEM Network Utility Tool. Select which communication hardware you have like WiFi / Ethernet and of course you need to select ZigBee once its in place and hit save.

These items are the basics you need to have in place and once I get back home I'll circle back with you. If you have time tomorrow maybe we can connect and see if two old guys can get this sorted out together over the phone.
Teken . . .

My ongoing projects thread: http://www.brultech.com/community/viewt ... ?f=2&t=929
Buy me a cup of coffee: https://www.paypal.me/Teken https://gfinotify.com/ Discount Code: PC10
Mustang65
Posts: 70
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2015 11:17 am
Location: Central Florida

Re: GEM Down - Installed Xbee - Com Port issues

Post by Mustang65 » Sat Jan 20, 2018 3:55 pm

Thanks Teken,

Reset Baud rates...
Powered down... (again)
Came back up running and the GEM is back to monitoring

Unsure about Xbee or Wi-Fi at this time.
Don

Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I will understand.
Benjamin Franklin
Teken
Posts: 2700
Joined: Wed Dec 15, 2010 4:09 pm
Location: The Bad Lands

Re: GEM Down - Installed Xbee - Com Port issues

Post by Teken » Sat Jan 20, 2018 5:33 pm

Mustang65 wrote:Thanks Teken,

Reset Baud rates...
Powered down... (again)
Came back up running and the GEM is back to monitoring

Unsure about Xbee or Wi-Fi at this time.
Great to hear the GEM is back up and running. When you launch the GEM Network Utility Tool and connect to the GEM under the firmware tab. The software will auto detect what hardware is on board and if it shows up for example WiFi / Ethernet you're good.

At that point you can power down the GEM and install the ZigBee card and power the unit up again. Launch the GEM Network Utility Tool and connect to the GEM again. You will at this time select (enable) the ZigBee so the GEM knows you now have ZigBee card on board.

Once that is done you will make the changes I listed on both the GEM / DB to match the 19200 baud rate on COM 2.
Teken . . .

My ongoing projects thread: http://www.brultech.com/community/viewt ... ?f=2&t=929
Buy me a cup of coffee: https://www.paypal.me/Teken https://gfinotify.com/ Discount Code: PC10
Mustang65
Posts: 70
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2015 11:17 am
Location: Central Florida

Re: GEM Down - Installed Xbee - Com Port issues

Post by Mustang65 » Sun Jan 21, 2018 2:43 pm

Teken wrote:
Mustang65 wrote:Thanks Teken,

Reset Baud rates...
Powered down... (again)
Came back up running and the GEM is back to monitoring

Unsure about Xbee or Wi-Fi at this time.
Great to hear the GEM is back up and running. When you launch the GEM Network Utility Tool and connect to the GEM under the firmware tab. The software will auto detect what hardware is on board and if it shows up for example WiFi / Ethernet you're good.

At that point you can power down the GEM and install the ZigBee card and power the unit up again.
DONE
Launch the GEM Network Utility Tool and connect to the GEM again.
DONE

You will at this time select (enable) the ZigBee so the GEM knows you now have ZigBee card on board.
Never displayed enable. Tried to check it off and save, nothing, tried FIND, still nothing.

Once that is done you will make the changes I listed on both the GEM / DB to match the 19200 baud rate on COM 2.
I have the DashBox connected to ComPort 2. Is that going to be an issue. Not sure, but I thought that I read somewhere that the Xbee uses Com2? If so, I need to get the Wi-Fi up and running, before I run another Cat5 out back.

Thanks,
Attachments
GEM - Seeing Wi-Fi and Xbee.jpg
GEM - Seeing Wi-Fi and Xbee.jpg (160.51 KiB) Viewed 1972 times
GEM - Firmware not displaying.jpg
GEM - Firmware not displaying.jpg (202.12 KiB) Viewed 1972 times
Don

Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I will understand.
Benjamin Franklin
Mustang65
Posts: 70
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2015 11:17 am
Location: Central Florida

Re: GEM Down - Installed Xbee - Com Port issues

Post by Mustang65 » Sun Jan 21, 2018 2:54 pm

Latest attempt..
Tried "SAVE"
Tried "FIND"
Attachments
GEM - Firmware not displaying-2.jpg
GEM - Firmware not displaying-2.jpg (203.24 KiB) Viewed 1970 times
Don

Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I will understand.
Benjamin Franklin
Teken
Posts: 2700
Joined: Wed Dec 15, 2010 4:09 pm
Location: The Bad Lands

Re: GEM Down - Installed Xbee - Com Port issues

Post by Teken » Sun Jan 21, 2018 3:18 pm

Both the GEM Setup Page and connected polling shows ZigBee found and connected. Before you move forward change the baud rate back to 115200 otherwise everything else will time out or report back odd error messages on the GEM's Network utility tool.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Teken . . .

My ongoing projects thread: http://www.brultech.com/community/viewt ... ?f=2&t=929
Buy me a cup of coffee: https://www.paypal.me/Teken https://gfinotify.com/ Discount Code: PC10
ben
Site Admin
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Joined: Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:39 am

Re: GEM Down - Installed Xbee - Com Port issues

Post by ben » Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:48 am

If you have a WiFi/Ethernet module connected to the GEM, use that to access the GEM, don't use the 8001 port on the DashBox.

Remove the Rx line from the DashBox STS cable connection on the GEM. It's OK to have the Tx/GND lines hooked up.

As it is now, the Zigbee and STS cable are fighting to control the Rx line on COM2.
Ben
Brultech Research Inc.
E: ben(at)brultech.com
Mustang65
Posts: 70
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2015 11:17 am
Location: Central Florida

Re: GEM Down - Installed Xbee - Com Port issues

Post by Mustang65 » Wed Jan 24, 2018 9:38 am

Late last night I set up the GEM Wi-Fi (mounted in a plastic weatherproof box on the rear wall of the house next to the Electrical Service panel), which also has the DashBox mounted in a plastic box next to the GEM. I have the GEM connected to the DashBox using Com 2 (via STS cable). Wi-Fi uses Com 1. The Xbee uses Com 2. As you mentioned this will not work.

So, I am going to pull the GEM Wi-Fi out, and move the STS DashBox cable from Com 2 to Com 1. This will have the DashBox on Com 1 and Xbee on Com 2. So, do you think this will be a workable solution? I then have to figure out were to make the changes for the DashBox on Com 1.

I still may have to add a Router to the Xbee as its signals may not reach the ISY994 sitting in my office, or I may move the ISY to the same box as the DashBox, but that is another Cat 5.

If I need to move the ISY out back, is there any benefit to also running a Cat 5 for the GEM's Ethernet connection?

Your thoughts,

Thanks,
Don

Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I will understand.
Benjamin Franklin
ben
Site Admin
Posts: 4254
Joined: Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:39 am

Re: GEM Down - Installed Xbee - Com Port issues

Post by ben » Wed Jan 24, 2018 10:48 am

Mustang65 wrote:Late last night I set up the GEM Wi-Fi (mounted in a plastic weatherproof box on the rear wall of the house next to the Electrical Service panel), which also has the DashBox mounted in a plastic box next to the GEM. I have the GEM connected to the DashBox using Com 2 (via STS cable). Wi-Fi uses Com 1. The Xbee uses Com 2. As you mentioned this will not work.

So, I am going to pull the GEM Wi-Fi out, and move the STS DashBox cable from Com 2 to Com 1. This will have the DashBox on Com 1 and Xbee on Com 2. So, do you think this will be a workable solution? I then have to figure out were to make the changes for the DashBox on Com 1.

I still may have to add a Router to the Xbee as its signals may not reach the ISY994 sitting in my office, or I may move the ISY to the same box as the DashBox, but that is another Cat 5.

If I need to move the ISY out back, is there any benefit to also running a Cat 5 for the GEM's Ethernet connection?

Your thoughts,

Thanks,
You shouldn't need to pull the whole thing out unless it's in a very awkward position, you just need to remove the Rx cable from the GEM COM2 header.

Both of your COM ports are tied up with modules, so the STS cable just can't have the Rx cable connected.

All you lose is the ability to access the GEM thru the DashBox. You'll have to use the WiFi module change configuration on the GEM.
Ben
Brultech Research Inc.
E: ben(at)brultech.com
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