we are trying to use phm with windows xp and cannot get the light controller to work. error com port keeps coming at us. phm has been no help with support. any ideas?
pool house manager
- Thread starter buffalo bill
- Start date
phm
the new computer we bought for the business has xp. the controller is x 10 active home. we have tried disabling and re abling(?) the com port. we are now going to try an old computer with 95. i am not computer literate, so i am getting help from others. going to try bios(?) thanks ernie
the new computer we bought for the business has xp. the controller is x 10 active home. we have tried disabling and re abling(?) the com port. we are now going to try an old computer with 95. i am not computer literate, so i am getting help from others. going to try bios(?) thanks ernie
does your light controller work off ypur phm? if so, did you have to do anything that might be helpful to me on xp.
thanks b.b.
thanks b.b.
Exactly right ....
What exactly does this light controller do?
Go into Control Panel, then select printers and other hardware, then over to the left in a list you will see 'system', double click on it, then click on the tab at the top that says 'hardware', then click on Device manager.
From there, look for yellow with a question mark in the middle of it, double click on it. These are unassigned devices. Once in it, where it indicates the light controller, just assign 'Com 1' to it.
Usually XP will indicate any unassigned (or not hooked up, meaning software and hardware device aren't in sync). You could also be missing a driver file for the device (the translator from hardware code to tell the software how to run the hardware).
fidget said:
What exactly does this light controller do?
Go into Control Panel, then select printers and other hardware, then over to the left in a list you will see 'system', double click on it, then click on the tab at the top that says 'hardware', then click on Device manager.
From there, look for yellow with a question mark in the middle of it, double click on it. These are unassigned devices. Once in it, where it indicates the light controller, just assign 'Com 1' to it.
Usually XP will indicate any unassigned (or not hooked up, meaning software and hardware device aren't in sync). You could also be missing a driver file for the device (the translator from hardware code to tell the software how to run the hardware).
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the light controller works off the pool house manager software. i tried to disable and enable com ports. appreciate all the help and could use more yet.
Answer my question
What LIGHTS does it control? The lights on the Pool table, or a light on the screen under a Pool table representation? I have to know if the final thing affected is hardware or software oriented? I am not familiar with PHM, but, for example, in Ingen software for tournaments, when a table is used for a
match, a light is turned on under a picture of that particule Pool table to show that that table is 'active', or showing which tables are in play as opposed to being available.
So tell me what 'lights'' this light controller turns off and on? I have to know if the lights are physical or logical????????????
=========================================================
OKAY - I went out and researched it myself, so I now know what you are talking about.
First, assign COM1 (enable)
You bought a DISCONTINUED light control system (x10 Active Home) that runs on radio frequencies to control turning on and off the lights to the Pool tables.
The interface is a CM11a which is a RS232A connection (9 pin) which is your Com ports on a PC. Make sure the connector (9 pin) is fitted completely in properly to your Com port female on the back of the PC.
(not being connected properly can cause all types of problems).
Basically, you are converting a digital signal from the computer (when turning on a table or turning off a table with PHM) to an analog signal (CM11A) that sends the analog signal to the proper receiver on the proper table (like using the remote, only automatically doing so).
THE PROBLEM REALLY LIES WITH WHICH COM PORT THAT PHM USES to connect to peripheral devices (this case being the x10 active home light system). IT SHOULD BE DOCUMENTED IN THE PHM SOFTWARE DOCUMENTATION, AND MENTION EITHER COM1 OR COM2.
The Serial connections (uses COM Ports on a PC) RS232A are less sofphisticated connections, and used for peripherals other than printer connections (most printers use the 390 connection called a 'Par', standing for a parallel connection, which is a 25 pin connection). OLD line type printers, the ones that go rat-a-tat-tat when printing used the RS232A
connectors. And the reason some places use line printers is because they can use preprinted continuous forms on them for printing. (example, a Tire store or a Pawn shop).
If, by chance, it mentions COM2 in the PHM documentation for active peripherals other than a printer, then enable COM2 (through the control panel procedure I described previously) in lieu of COM1.
You have 2 ways for PHM to relay information to the CM11A (to convert to an analog signal). PHM says they are sending the signal out through the COM port. By going into the control panel, you tell the system, by making COM1 or COM2 active, which one (flipping a switch) to take the information from and send out to an external device outside of the PC.
Suggestion >>>> Call the Geek Squad, or another computer professional to come out and fix the problem. Trying to fix computer problems over the internet, or telephone, is like trying to give Pool lessons over the net or phone, and you get what you pay for. Plus, the pro could fine tune the new system for you, with system settings and software just the way that you need it to.
I used to make my living in computers, mainframes more so than PC's.
buffalo bill said:
What LIGHTS does it control? The lights on the Pool table, or a light on the screen under a Pool table representation? I have to know if the final thing affected is hardware or software oriented? I am not familiar with PHM, but, for example, in Ingen software for tournaments, when a table is used for a
match, a light is turned on under a picture of that particule Pool table to show that that table is 'active', or showing which tables are in play as opposed to being available.
So tell me what 'lights'' this light controller turns off and on? I have to know if the lights are physical or logical????????????
=========================================================
OKAY - I went out and researched it myself, so I now know what you are talking about.
First, assign COM1 (enable)
You bought a DISCONTINUED light control system (x10 Active Home) that runs on radio frequencies to control turning on and off the lights to the Pool tables.
The interface is a CM11a which is a RS232A connection (9 pin) which is your Com ports on a PC. Make sure the connector (9 pin) is fitted completely in properly to your Com port female on the back of the PC.
(not being connected properly can cause all types of problems).
Basically, you are converting a digital signal from the computer (when turning on a table or turning off a table with PHM) to an analog signal (CM11A) that sends the analog signal to the proper receiver on the proper table (like using the remote, only automatically doing so).
THE PROBLEM REALLY LIES WITH WHICH COM PORT THAT PHM USES to connect to peripheral devices (this case being the x10 active home light system). IT SHOULD BE DOCUMENTED IN THE PHM SOFTWARE DOCUMENTATION, AND MENTION EITHER COM1 OR COM2.
The Serial connections (uses COM Ports on a PC) RS232A are less sofphisticated connections, and used for peripherals other than printer connections (most printers use the 390 connection called a 'Par', standing for a parallel connection, which is a 25 pin connection). OLD line type printers, the ones that go rat-a-tat-tat when printing used the RS232A
connectors. And the reason some places use line printers is because they can use preprinted continuous forms on them for printing. (example, a Tire store or a Pawn shop).
If, by chance, it mentions COM2 in the PHM documentation for active peripherals other than a printer, then enable COM2 (through the control panel procedure I described previously) in lieu of COM1.
You have 2 ways for PHM to relay information to the CM11A (to convert to an analog signal). PHM says they are sending the signal out through the COM port. By going into the control panel, you tell the system, by making COM1 or COM2 active, which one (flipping a switch) to take the information from and send out to an external device outside of the PC.
Suggestion >>>> Call the Geek Squad, or another computer professional to come out and fix the problem. Trying to fix computer problems over the internet, or telephone, is like trying to give Pool lessons over the net or phone, and you get what you pay for. Plus, the pro could fine tune the new system for you, with system settings and software just the way that you need it to.
I used to make my living in computers, mainframes more so than PC's.
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Pete Campbell
Registered
You should check out the com port speed setting on your computer too.
Baud rate : 600.
Data bits : 8.
Parity : None.
Stop bits : 1
I bet that it will be a lot slower setting than the default computer setting. I have used x10 for some of the rooms that use my software.
Pete Campbell
Baud rate : 600.
Data bits : 8.
Parity : None.
Stop bits : 1
I bet that it will be a lot slower setting than the default computer setting. I have used x10 for some of the rooms that use my software.
Pete Campbell
hi again, i borrowed an old computer and had a buddy load 98. i changed the time on phm to oct 06 and loaded the demo to it. (98*) i then loaded the upgrade to it and viola, lights. basically, on phm , when you turn a table on time, the lights come on. that way, your help cannot let their friiends play free because the timer records all the table time. bottom line, xp did not work. thanks for all the help guys, ernie plain, sarnia ontario