RFXtrx stopped receiving temperature sensors?

Plugins & Plugin Development USB RFXtrx Transceiver
1

Hi!

I use a Vera Lite connected to a RFXtrx433 to control lights and log temperature in the house.

This worked great until recently when all my temperature sensors stopped updating in Vera. When I check the logs in dataMine it seems the RFXtrx stopped receiving signals at the same time (see attached screenshot).

I can still control my light switches with the RFXtrx so it seems the device still works. I have not changed the available protocols. Ihave tried to reset the sensors without success. Running beta 1, v.67. he RFXtrx is connected to the Vera Lite through a powered USB-hub, together with two USB flash drives (one for Vera logs and one for dataMine logs). Everything has worked great until now.

I have tried to restart the Vera Lite several times. I have tried to shut down the Vera Lite and then disconnect the RFXtrx, and then restart the system. I then receive the normal error message about configuring the serial port. If I then shut down the Vera Lite again and re-connect the RFXtrx it still do not work.

Anyone knows what could e the problem? I would rather not have to reinstall the RFXtrx and have to attach all my devices again.

2

I guessthere is a transmitter that disturbs all RF traffic.

This could be a defect sensor, a sensor with water inside, a pushbutton on a remote is continously pressed (a book on the remote for example), an X10 MS13 sensor with an almost empty battery…

3

Weird. I do not think here is an active device that stops traffic. I can still receive signals from another 433MHz temperature sensor from another manufacturer. It seems only one kind of sensors suddenly stopped working. I have checked the enabled protocols in the RFXtrx plugin and it seems nothing has changed. :S

4

Just an idea. Some of my temperature sensors got stuck and stopped reporting when i took the batteries out and pressed the reset button when i put them back in. Took me a while to notice as temperature stayed where it was before. And my Rfxtrx autocreate was set to 0… when i turned it to 1 temporarily, all the sensors came back, but as different devices (this is covered by another thread here). You can then link the new ones to the old defunct ones if needed.
That could be a reason

5

Found some time and replaced the batteries in all sensors. This seems to have solved the problem! One of the sensors seems to have had a discharged battery and as b_weijenberg wrote this must have disturbed all other sensors RF communication.

I do not know why a discharged or low charged battery stop RF communication, and only for one kind of 433MHz-sensors, but the are back in buisness now. The sensors changed device ID when I replaced the batteries though, so all old dataMine logs was lost.

6

If you get a new device in Vera after you change a battery in a sensor you could try to temporeraly turn of “AutoCreate” for your RFXtrx controller device. Copy the “altid” from the new device, delete the new device and paste the copied “altid” in to your “old” device. I don’t know if this works for all sensors but atleast for RFXSensor device it works so I don’t loose old dataMine logs for my devices.

@lolodomo, if you think there is any risk with doing this please comment, but it seems to work :wink:

7

Never tried, but in theory it should be ok.
I would recommend a reload just after, so that the plugin has valid data in memory

8
If you get a new device in Vera after you change a battery in a sensor you could try to temporeraly turn of "AutoCreate" for your RFXtrx controller device. Copy the "altid" from the new device, delete the new device and paste the copied "altid" in to your "old" device

Just tried it, works for me. I deleted the new devices (Oregon temperature/humidity sensors) and they still update on the old plugin (with the altid of the replacement)