C-Bus Errors/Diagnostic Help

I have a Clipsal lighting system installed with a total of 100 units connected, and this system has operated fine for about 5 years. Recently I noticed something strange that occasionally happened when I pressed a button on one or more of my DLTs. Sometimes the DLT button would just blink quickly and the light group associated with that button might or might not come on. I might have to press the DLT button again to get the lights to go on. The same might happen when I attempted to turn off the lights by pressing a DLT button. This ?fast blink? might go on for 5 seconds, or sometimes much longer. The DLT button always stopped blinking after some time if left alone.

This matter always seemed to resolve itself within a day. When I located and got the Clipsal analysis software connected to my C-Bus network and ran it, matters seemed to come out fine in that analysis ? but by that time I was no longer noticing the ?blinking DLT button? problems. All network units tested fine, voltages were within normal range, etc., when I ran Toolkit.

However, today this problem came back in spades. Now most all DLT buttons that I press just blink ? and sometimes a house light will come on or off, and many times I have to press it several times to get the DLT button to cause any change in my house lights.

So I hooked up the ToolKit software again today and scanned my network. I only could get less than half my Clipsal units on the network to even show up in the network scans. The strange thing was that none of my DLTs would show up in the network scans, even though some DLTs would actually work on the network (with blinking buttons, of course) at this time.

So, maybe someone can offer me some insight into this C-Bus madness I?m seeing today. For example:
- What does it mean when a DLT button blinks rapidly after being depressed?
- What usually is the cause of a network that goes from operating very well one minute to the next minute with over half of the units not responding and not showing up when I run a scan in Toolkit? (The subset of units that did respond to Toolkit all had voltages in the normal range.)
- Anyone know why all my DLTs would, about the same time, stop communicating well enough so that Toolkit could find them in the scan, but the output devices scanned and responded just fine?

I?m hoping I will awake tomorrow morning and this will be resolved, but I know it will not. So maybe someone can suggest some things for me to try in order to locate and resolve my network issue/issues! Where should I start? Thanks in advance for any help offered.

 

I have limited time so I'll do my best to offer suggestions and maybe someone else can also help.

The flashing led's indicate a network error or some type. It may be a (C-Bus) clock problem, a network burden or even a cable fault. Most often, I've seen these issues with either cable faults or a unit that is playing up.

Diagnostics can be tricky. Try scanning your network again and try to establish what units are missing. If you know how the network is cabled, you may be able to work out where there may be a cable fault. Remember, cable faults can occur through water ingress, rodents or even if you have changed something in your home like putting a nail in the wall to hang a picture (the nail may pierce a cable).

Another trick I have used is to monitor the application log in Toolkit and look for weird traffic. I had a temperature sensor that went rogue on me (my fault for not sealing the enclosure and putting it in the weather, getting water in it). The unit started to send out weird commands and flooded the bus (pardon the pun).

Hopefully, these suggestions may help you get started...

 

Found the Source!

I believe I found the source of my C-Bus problems, at least for now. This morning I found one Clipsal relay unit with no lights illuminated on the front of it when I opened the panel door. In researching this relay I found that it is connected to some yard lights, and obviously most susceptible to lightning and surges.

I then took that relay off the C-Bus by cabling around it. That completely solved the C-Bus problems I was having before the recabling.

I assume the Clipsal relay unit is probably "toast"because of a surge. My plan it to now redo my electrical system so that none of the yard electrical circuits are controlled by Clipsal relays. Is that the usual plan -- no outside circuits controlled by Clipsal?

The rest of my C-Bus seems to be performing well now!

 

Similar problem - Button LED on but no lights on

Have had C-Bus in for 12 months on a new build, while waiting for the last of the electrics to be completed we did not have the C-Bus programmed and just switched the lights on and off using the push buttons.

Now we get no lights on or off, if you push a button the LED comes on but no light(s). Same for all 8 channels on dimmer. If power off dimmer and power it on again, 2 channels have the LEDs lit but no lights on - these 2 LEDs can be made to go out by pushing the button. Note: the same 2 button/LEDs are lit whenever you switch off/on.

As i say fine for 12 months and then nothing. I assume there isn't a fuse located on the power side to each of the dimmers that could have blown, I can't see anything in the documentation?