Forum FAQs
Spire_Jeff
Posts: 1,917
I figured it was about time to start a list of frequently discussed topics on the forums. If we get enough helpful questions with answers, maybe we can get this thread to be sticky. Here are a few that I have noticed:
[highlight]Q. I cannot get RS232 serial communication with a device through the NetLinx master, but it works fine on my computer. I have already verified all of the comm port settings, what should I check? [/highlight]
A. Make sure that you are NOT using a premade cable. Because the AMX processor supports RS232, RS422, and RS485 on the same port, some of the pins have signals designed for RS422 and RS485 communications. When using a premade cable that has all pins connected, these extra signals can cause a problems with some devices. Most RS232 serial communication is done using only 3 wires (Pins 2,3 and 5). Here is an example of a simple adapter that will let you easily make serial cables that only use the necessary pins quickly: http://www.pccables.com/01910.htm .
[highlight]Q. I know it's not the cable I am using, it works fine on my computer and it works fine on (insert other controller here). What else can I check before I send my processor back?[/highlight]
A. See the answer above. Believe me, it can cause the problem. I know how you feel, as I was in your shoes at one point in time, but it really can be the cable causing the problems.
[highlight]Q. My processor keeps dropping off the network, what is the first thing to check?[/highlight]
A. Make sure that the processors IP address does NOT appear within its own URL List. If you have multiple processors, make sure that you do not have two processors that have each other in their URL Lists. Only the IP addresses of other AMX Processors should appear within the URL list. This list is only used for establishing Master-to-Master communications.
[highlight]Q. I have this job where I need to write a whole bunch of code to do a lot of things, can someone post their code so I have a place to start? (Or simply, Can someone give me a complete set of code for free?)[/highlight]
A. This forum is a place for programmers to discuss ideas and help each other out. It is not a free code mill designed to distribute code to the masses. Most programmers in this forum are more than willing to help out with specific questions regarding code, but understand that most of the people in this forum write the code to EARN a living. They have all spent days, weeks, months or even years perfecting the code base they use, and asking them to give you this for free so that you can either resell the code, or avoid paying someone to write it, is disrespectful and insulting. If you have gotten into a situation where you are over your head, there are independent programmers that visit the forums and they would be more than happy to discuss a business arrangement that will help you out. This is not an attempt to exclude new programmers from participating in the forums, just keep these facts in mind and ask for help, not hand outs.
An example would be to ask for a recommendation on how to approach a job with multiple rooms and multiple touch panels. Expect answers along the lines of: I would use a structure to store the information specific to each room and I would use a touch panel array in conjunction with an integer array to store which room is currently being controlled on each touch panel. All button pushes would then perform actions based on the current room being controlled.
[highlight]Q. I am having problems with a section of my code not working properly. What should I include in my post so that people can help me? [/highlight]
A. Obviously, you need to include the section of code that is not doing what you want. It is best if you use the [noparse]
You should also include a detailed explanation of what you want the code to do and if applicable, what you are trying to accomplish in the end with this code. The reason to include the big picture as well as the actual code problem is that sometimes, a different perspective on the problem results in a different, and often times, easier solution. You could have a function that is not returning the correct character, but the underlying problem is not the character causing the problem, but the function is unnecessary for the end result you want. Remember, there are many ways to solve a problem, and the easiest ones usually present themselves 5 minutes after you complete one of the more difficult ways
[highlight]Q. Why is someone bashing my code, acting condescending, or talking down to me?[/highlight]
A. In most cases, we are all trying to help you and the intentions are not bad. As I have experienced first hand, often times what is written in one way is interpreted in a completely different way. This is amplified slightly in this forum as there are members from all over the world and English is not always a first (or even second) language which can lead to misinterpretations. The programmers that are trying to help you are approaching the problem just like they are coding it themselves, and that means that they sometimes assume that you are doing something in code that is automatic for them. When they ask you why you are doing something in the way you are doing it, it is not to be mean, it is simply them trying to understand your approach. Just try to remember that these people are trying to help you. I often find the answer to my original question as I am trying to explain the situation or reason to those trying to help me.(Sometimes I even have to ask myself: Why AM I doing this??? )
[highlight]Q. Is AMX better than (insert other control product here)?[/highlight]
A. Of course it is! Does the other control company have a forum as awesome as this one? I didn't think so! On a serious note, it has been my experience that a product is only as good as the person/company installing it. Obviously, each control system has its strengths and its weaknesses, so you have to use the requirements of the job in question to decide which control system best fits. With that in mind, AMX is one of the most flexible, customizable and powerful solutions on the market today, provided you have qualified personnel to design, program, and install the solution.
[highlight]Q. I just got my first devices from AMX and nothing works! How can AMX sell crap like this? [/highlight]
A. First things first, BREATH! In with the good air, out with the bad. Now that you are calm, take a look in the mirror and most of the time you will see the cause of the problem. This is not to say that all of the problems are caused by the programmer, but I know that in my case, most of the problems I have are caused by me. Most often it is because the processor is doing what I asked it to do, and not what I desired it to do. There is no doubt that you are having problems, the question becomes how are you going to handle it? You can bash the products or the company, and that will most likely have a bunch of people ignore your post or proceed to tell you how many products they have successfully installed. Neither of which will help you solve your problem. A couple of other options include: Posting some details about your problem and the results you were expecting, or if you are dealing with a time crisis, you can always call AMX Tech support (They are excellent at doing their job and have always helped me get the answers I need).
Those are the ones I have come up with so far. I look forward to seeing the other questions people have seen repeatedly, and please feel free to suggest revisions to any of my answers (I promise not to be offended). Maybe if we get a good list going, Suzanne can add a section to the FAQs portion of the forum that will make it easier to navigate the questions.
Jeff
[highlight]Q. I cannot get RS232 serial communication with a device through the NetLinx master, but it works fine on my computer. I have already verified all of the comm port settings, what should I check? [/highlight]
A. Make sure that you are NOT using a premade cable. Because the AMX processor supports RS232, RS422, and RS485 on the same port, some of the pins have signals designed for RS422 and RS485 communications. When using a premade cable that has all pins connected, these extra signals can cause a problems with some devices. Most RS232 serial communication is done using only 3 wires (Pins 2,3 and 5). Here is an example of a simple adapter that will let you easily make serial cables that only use the necessary pins quickly: http://www.pccables.com/01910.htm .
[highlight]Q. I know it's not the cable I am using, it works fine on my computer and it works fine on (insert other controller here). What else can I check before I send my processor back?[/highlight]
A. See the answer above. Believe me, it can cause the problem. I know how you feel, as I was in your shoes at one point in time, but it really can be the cable causing the problems.
[highlight]Q. My processor keeps dropping off the network, what is the first thing to check?[/highlight]
A. Make sure that the processors IP address does NOT appear within its own URL List. If you have multiple processors, make sure that you do not have two processors that have each other in their URL Lists. Only the IP addresses of other AMX Processors should appear within the URL list. This list is only used for establishing Master-to-Master communications.
[highlight]Q. I have this job where I need to write a whole bunch of code to do a lot of things, can someone post their code so I have a place to start? (Or simply, Can someone give me a complete set of code for free?)[/highlight]
A. This forum is a place for programmers to discuss ideas and help each other out. It is not a free code mill designed to distribute code to the masses. Most programmers in this forum are more than willing to help out with specific questions regarding code, but understand that most of the people in this forum write the code to EARN a living. They have all spent days, weeks, months or even years perfecting the code base they use, and asking them to give you this for free so that you can either resell the code, or avoid paying someone to write it, is disrespectful and insulting. If you have gotten into a situation where you are over your head, there are independent programmers that visit the forums and they would be more than happy to discuss a business arrangement that will help you out. This is not an attempt to exclude new programmers from participating in the forums, just keep these facts in mind and ask for help, not hand outs.
An example would be to ask for a recommendation on how to approach a job with multiple rooms and multiple touch panels. Expect answers along the lines of: I would use a structure to store the information specific to each room and I would use a touch panel array in conjunction with an integer array to store which room is currently being controlled on each touch panel. All button pushes would then perform actions based on the current room being controlled.
[highlight]Q. I am having problems with a section of my code not working properly. What should I include in my post so that people can help me? [/highlight]
A. Obviously, you need to include the section of code that is not doing what you want. It is best if you use the [noparse]
and[/noparse] tags to enclose the code section you are posting. This will retain some of the formating and make it easier to read the code.
You should also include a detailed explanation of what you want the code to do and if applicable, what you are trying to accomplish in the end with this code. The reason to include the big picture as well as the actual code problem is that sometimes, a different perspective on the problem results in a different, and often times, easier solution. You could have a function that is not returning the correct character, but the underlying problem is not the character causing the problem, but the function is unnecessary for the end result you want. Remember, there are many ways to solve a problem, and the easiest ones usually present themselves 5 minutes after you complete one of the more difficult ways
[highlight]Q. Why is someone bashing my code, acting condescending, or talking down to me?[/highlight]
A. In most cases, we are all trying to help you and the intentions are not bad. As I have experienced first hand, often times what is written in one way is interpreted in a completely different way. This is amplified slightly in this forum as there are members from all over the world and English is not always a first (or even second) language which can lead to misinterpretations. The programmers that are trying to help you are approaching the problem just like they are coding it themselves, and that means that they sometimes assume that you are doing something in code that is automatic for them. When they ask you why you are doing something in the way you are doing it, it is not to be mean, it is simply them trying to understand your approach. Just try to remember that these people are trying to help you. I often find the answer to my original question as I am trying to explain the situation or reason to those trying to help me.(Sometimes I even have to ask myself: Why AM I doing this???
)[highlight]Q. Is AMX better than (insert other control product here)?[/highlight]
A. Of course it is! Does the other control company have a forum as awesome as this one? I didn't think so! On a serious note, it has been my experience that a product is only as good as the person/company installing it. Obviously, each control system has its strengths and its weaknesses, so you have to use the requirements of the job in question to decide which control system best fits. With that in mind, AMX is one of the most flexible, customizable and powerful solutions on the market today, provided you have qualified personnel to design, program, and install the solution.
[highlight]Q. I just got my first devices from AMX and nothing works! How can AMX sell crap like this? [/highlight]
A. First things first, BREATH! In with the good air, out with the bad. Now that you are calm, take a look in the mirror and most of the time you will see the cause of the problem. This is not to say that all of the problems are caused by the programmer, but I know that in my case, most of the problems I have are caused by me. Most often it is because the processor is doing what I asked it to do, and not what I desired it to do. There is no doubt that you are having problems, the question becomes how are you going to handle it? You can bash the products or the company, and that will most likely have a bunch of people ignore your post or proceed to tell you how many products they have successfully installed. Neither of which will help you solve your problem. A couple of other options include: Posting some details about your problem and the results you were expecting, or if you are dealing with a time crisis, you can always call AMX Tech support (They are excellent at doing their job and have always helped me get the answers I need).
Those are the ones I have come up with so far. I look forward to seeing the other questions people have seen repeatedly, and please feel free to suggest revisions to any of my answers (I promise not to be offended). Maybe if we get a good list going, Suzanne can add a section to the FAQs portion of the forum that will make it easier to navigate the questions.
Jeff
0
Comments
Question 1 should be Rule #1
Rule #2 should be don't have any IP addresses in the URL list apart from any other AMX Masters!!
Jeff
not in the least, it made me smile, nice work....
brian
Jeff
A: First, try recalibrating the touchpanel. To get to the recalibration screen, hold down the button / combination of buttons you'd use to get to your setup screen and continue holding it / them after the setup screen has come up. Eventually the calibration screen will also pop up (it should take 5 seconds). Some crosses will appear, push them. Your touchpanel is now calibrated, try hitting some buttons.
If that doesn't work, take off your gloves and go back to step A.
brian
thanx for these informations.