GEM stopped data posts, irregular communications

[nbsvirginia]

My GEM (ordered January 2014) started having a few problems posting data to Home Assistant. This worked very nicely for several months. It has happened a few weeks ago and after swapping the battery and a few restarts it started working again.

Now it stopped again. The system LED does not blink red and is solid green so there's no indication of data being sent at all. Sometimes I can get GEM to send a few times when entering and exiting the setup or restarting but even that is becoming more and more irregular. There are no errors in HA. When it is sending, I can see the led flashing red. It has never made it past 3 packets.

Here is what I have tried:

• Change configuration between different packet types
  tried different send intervals
  Tried different package size settings (found this in another thread)
  Pulled battery / power and waited for a minute before re-inserting
  Factory reset
  Cleared all counters

And all these multiple times.

Unfortunately, GEM does not have any logs I can look at.

Here are screenshots. Does anyone have an idea what else to try?

GEM NWU Ethernet.png (48.81 KiB) Viewed 16439 times

GEM Status.png (20.58 KiB) Viewed 16439 times

GEM Advanced.png (80.41 KiB) Viewed 16439 times

GEM Packet Send.png (26.34 KiB) Viewed 16439 times

GEM Data Post.png (34.06 KiB) Viewed 16439 times

[nbsvirginia]

Thanks for your reply:

Power Supply:
My usual one showed a solid 5V. I have replaced it with a new one and today with a 5V 2.4V PoE splitter to eliminate any oddness in power and to make sure it is UPS powered. Not a power supply issue.

LED's:
System LED is green blinks red a few times, then stays solid green. The red blinking is when I do get data sent to Home Assistant. As soon as the blinking stops, the data sending stops too.
The other LED is solid green.

No Btmon. Home Assistant does not get any data according to packet trace.

Yes, it is the standard Ethernet module. I doubt that this is the issue since it works intermittently and I can always connect via browser or Network utility. Live data works there just fine.

I can try the serial connection and see if that changes anything. I should have an RS232 adapter somewhere...

It is a model built in 2013, purchased Jan 2014 and I am just wondering if the hardware may be aging to a point where it does not work reliably anymore.

[nbsvirginia]

Thanks again Jerry.

Wiznet is on 5.13 for a while. I wonder if the new Wifi/Ethernet Combo V2 would be any better? Maybe I can order one of those - if a field upgrade is possible.

HA would not surprise me, they had a bunch of issues in the last few versions. What is odd is that it works for days and then it suddenly stops for a while and after many reboots, it picks up again.

Here is the HA config:

# Greeneye
port: 4789
monitors:
- serial_number: "*****"
channels:
- number: 1
name: gem_total_power
- number: 2
name: gem_subpanel
- number: 4
name: gem_server_room
- number: 12
name: gem_pool_panel
- number: 30
name: gem_ac
- number: 5
name: grem_05_lights
- number: 6
name: grem_06_bedroom_upstairs
- number: 7
name: grem_07_bedroom_downstairs
- number: 8
name: grem_08_living_room
- number: 9
name: grem_09_dining_room
- number: 10
name: grem_10_bathroom_upstairs
- number: 11
name: grem_11_bathroom_downstairs
- number: 13
name: grem_13_basement
- number: 14
name: grem_14_outside
- number: 15
name: grem_15_deck_1
- number: 16
name: grem_16_deck_2
- number: 17
name: grem_17_dishwasher
- number: 18
name: grem_18_range
- number: 19
name: grem_19_oven
- number: 20
name: grem_20_fridge_downstairs
- number: 21
name: grem_21_fridge_upstairs
- number: 22
name: grem_22_baking_room
- number: 23
name: grem_23_ch23_tbd
- number: 24
name: grem_24_ch24_tbd
- number: 25
name: grem_25_ch25_tbd
- number: 26
name: grem_26_sumppump1
- number: 27
name: grem_27_sumppump2
- number: 28
name: grem_28_outside_lights_carport
- number: 29
name: grem_29_heating
- number: 31
name: grem_31_dryer
- number: 32
name: grem_32_washer
temperature_sensors:
temperature_unit: "C"
sensors:
- number: 1
name: gem_basement_temp
- number: 2
name: gem_server_room_temp
- number: 3
name: gem_outside_temp
voltage:
- number: 1
name: gem_house_volts

[nbsvirginia]

Wait... Ethernet module says 4.31.... let me see if I can get it to 5.13. This seems to be different from the Brultech Com software.

[nbsvirginia]

OK, Wiznet is now on 5.1.3 - no change.

Works a few times, then stops working entirely.

[ben]

Your Adv settings are a bit messed up. Check the power supply versus the notice here: https://www.brultech.com/contact. Usually corrupted config is due to that old power supply.

- Max out the packet chunk (2047).
- Set Idle Time to 8.
- Remove the COM1/2 Auto-Reset and No Response values.

[nbsvirginia]

Thanks jerryt and ben!

jerryt: changing the server type to "Client" did fix the problem and GEM has been reporting solidly for the last few hours. Now I just need to remember to change it when I want to access to browser.

Thanks so much again for guiding me through this issue.

ben: Thanks for the hints. I will change the settings. I had tried 3 power supplies based on the note before and now I am using a 5V 2.4A PoE splitter.

Thanks again!

[nbsvirginia]

I am still having issues with GEM stopping to report data.

I also have a few channels which are reporting power usage without even a CT connected.

I'll contact Ben and see if I can get a new Wiznet card or if I should start considering a new GEM.

Thanks for all the help.

[depasseg]

Your Adv settings are a bit messed up. Check the power supply versus the notice here: https://www.brultech.com/contact. Usually corrupted config is due to that old power supply.

- Max out the packet chunk (2047).
- Set Idle Time to 8.
- Remove the COM1/2 Auto-Reset and No Response values.

How do you recover from a corrupted config? I have no idea what's wrong with my GEM, but it works for hours or days, then stops. I'm about to give up. I realize it is old, so maybe that's a contributing factor. I'm just trying to get my channel data to Home Assistant and it's so difficult and unreliable.

[ben]

Your Adv settings are a bit messed up. Check the power supply versus the notice here: https://www.brultech.com/contact. Usually corrupted config is due to that old power supply.

- Max out the packet chunk (2047).
- Set Idle Time to 8.
- Remove the COM1/2 Auto-Reset and No Response values.

How do you recover from a corrupted config? I have no idea what's wrong with my GEM, but it works for hours or days, then stops. I'm about to give up. I realize it is old, so maybe that's a contributing factor. I'm just trying to get my channel data to Home Assistant and it's so difficult and unreliable.

Can you email me or post here your Status and Adv pages? I'll check to see if corrupted.

It sounds like COM1 or COM2 Flow Control may be enabled. Flow Control isn't used so having it enabled will cause the GEM to lock up when those pins are put in an unknown state.