In this release … Vera installed an upgrade to the OpenWRT software.
In doing this … they ZAPPED a lot of files that various plugins use.
Many can be fixed by upgrading the Plugin …
http://YourVeraIP:3480/data_request?id=update_plugin&Plugin=XXX
You can get the XXX from the Plugin parameter in the Advanced Tab of the device.
For my plugins
VeraAlerts 3008
Program Logic 3086
Day or Night 3166
For things like DataYours the recovery is more complicated … see the particular plugin board.
EXCELLENT! Thanks Richard, I raised this issue in the wrong thread yesterday (probably caused me bad karma) but glad you have found it and come up with a workaround.
One question though, for some reason day or night just uses DayTime.png for both day and night, DayTime_0.png is not being used.
Thanks Richard… that fixes all my icons after the upgrade.
I must consult with you on moving to Vera Edge.
It is the second time my Vera3 unit crashes without the ability of vera support to remotely access the unit and fix it! My system has about 40 devices many of them are double switches + 6 remotec Zxt 120 extenders + 10 magnet sensors + 8 multisensors. In addition also installed: 6 Iphone locator Plugins, 20 Virtual Switches, 10 Combination switches, 9 Ping detectors, , 5 Day/Night plugins (set with different times to represent Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Night), 3 weather underground plugins, 5 Plegs with total of about 300 lines of conditions… this all was working on Vera3 UI5.
The first Vera3 went dead last April after many issues of instability. Vera was kind enough to send a new unit on May. It worked rather well and I was generally satisfied. I always try to improve my conditions (what a shame!) and last night I made some changes. I think Vera turned off the lights after midnight but in the morning it did not start watering my garden and did not turn off outside lights before sunrise. I spent 3 hours with vera support in vain - completely dead!!
Now I’m considering what to do - either request a new Vera3 that enables both UI5 and UI7 or go for Vera Edge that supposedly has stronger CPU and maybe more stable - but ONLY UI7. Frankly I don’t need the better GUI - I try the house to run by itself and a bit concern with UI7 but maybe the stronger Vera Edge will compensate? How ready is UI7 for my system in your opinion? What would you recommend?
Bob,
A Vera Edge has the same memory as Vera3 … it does have a little more memory for saving plugin files (Memory that looks like a disk).
This is not where Vera has it’s limits. The Edge does have the new Z-Wave+ chip … This will allow connecting many new devices. But Vera has not worked out the bugs programming this new chip. It’s getting bettter. It has had some problems with legacy devices.
I have a VeraLite, VeraEdge, and Vera3. The first two I use for testing. The Vera3 is what I use for my home system … and it’s running UI5.
I am not sure you can find a Vera3 any more … a VeraLite will not run your configuration … so your only option may be Vera Edge.
You can improve some of your reliability by replacing the Combination switches with PLEG, a single Combination switch can be replaced by a single condition in PLEG … If you have a count of 3 to trigger a combination switch … with 5 inputs … you would code this as:
Combo1Condition Trigger1 + Trigger2 + Trigger3 + Trigger4 + Trigger5 > 2
This will save you memory. I would also collapse the number of Virtual Switches by using the MultiSwitch.
I personally think UI7 is ready now and generally stable. Their upgrading process isn’t the best though as that doesn’t always go smoothly. It’s better than no updates that UI5 is getting though.
I don’t think the Vera Edge will help much though. With your plugins, I’m guessing its more of a memory issue and the Edge has no advantage there over the 3. Everyone is waiting for the supposed Vera Plus for help there.
Just my 2 cents.
Thanks for your input! If I read between the lines from what RTS wrote I guess that if I can get a new Vera3 that’s where I should go? This will enable to maintain current setting on UI5 and optional UI7 in the future (without adding Gen5 devices though…) - I understand the presumed stronger hardware of the Edge would not be noticeable for current system and its better waiting to a much stronger unit (Plus…). If so what do you think is the reason for two Vera3 to perish???
If only option is Edge then from the brief description of my system do you see a major issues restoring my UI5 backup on the Ui7 on Vera Edge - any other suggestions how to manage this upgrade?
Thanks again.
There is a life limit on the number of writes … to the memory used to hold/acts as a disk file.
But Vera does it’s best to minimize this. The key file that is being written often is the saved state. It get’s written every five minutes.
The log files are in tmpfs … so they use a different memory (actually they use the same memory as a running application). That does
not have the same life limit. If you use a memory stick for logging … it will use that instead.
Could be a heat problem.
When you upload files or change very often the startup script, do you burden the life of the box ?
If you do a lot of writes … it should be to the /tmp area.
Writing regularly else where (unless you have mounted some other USB file system) will lower the lifespan of Vera.
The problem with /tmp is that ALL of the files can disappear on a power cycle … so this is not a good long term persistent storage.
That’s why Vera write’s it’s persistent configuration in the /etc/cmh area.
But this Vera3 unit was an RMA supposedly new (looked new to me) that worked well for only 3 months before going out of order… Could it be high CPU usage that could cause this?
Do you believe Vera Plus will be significantly stronger? Generally they try to save on the hardware but I spent hundreds of working hours on this worth 50 times this unit! I wouldn’t mind paying twice the price for a unit that is reliable and not spend maybe 6-7 hours altogether with their (relatively good help desk) - they will save money too!
Another problem can be heating … The device is probably designed to operate at room temperature.
If you put it in a closed compartment … temperatures can build quickly.
Heat is deadly to electronics …