jdg@ncrmud.Columbia.NCR.COM (Jim Griggers) (02/08/91)
I must say that I was confused by Michael Benders articles on X-10. I have been using the X-10 (formerly BSR) system for about 10 years. During this time I have seen dealers come and go that handled the system. Originally, there was ONE controller box that addressed all 16 units. It was available with or without an ultrasonic receiver. There was a little remote control with 22 buttons on it that were exact equivalents to the buttons on the control console. It worked OK, except you had to be in line of sight of the controller and point the remote directly at the box. Sears carried the BSR line under "Sears Home Control System". Later Radio Shack picked up the line with their "Plug N Power" line. They had a controller box that was the same as the BSR except it had a button on it that when pressed, would flash all lights on and off. (sort of an early "I've fallen and I can't get up" type of thing) They latter dropped that feature when X-10 (and RS) introduced a different styled 16 unit controller. >>From: bender@oobleck.Eng.Sun.COM (Michael Bender) >It seems to be an OK system, at least it's still fun to play with, >but RS really low-balled the mini controller in that they only >provide control for unit numbers 1-4 OR 5-8, depending on how you >set a switch (i.e. unit numbers 9-16 can't be controlled by >this controller!)...... The mini controller was brought out by X-10 (not RS) to be a supplement to their other controller. It was a cheaper controller that was to be used where you did not need to control all 16 units. Radio Shack picked up this mini-controller to go along with their 16 unit controller. >I took apart one of the mini-controllers that R.S. sells for $12 >to see if I could get it to send codes for unit numbers 9-16. It >really annoyed me that this controller, while a pretty good deal >at $12, only supported the first eight unit numbers (1-8), with no >provision to access unit numbers 9-16, ..... This is what had me confused. Why would someone try so hard to modify a mini-controller when they could just buy the 16 unit controller? Answer: RADIO SHACK NO LONGER CARRIES THE 16 UNIT CONTROLLER. This really suprised me, but the 16 unit controller is not in their 1991 catalog. Crutchfield does carry the X-10 Maxi Controller for $19, which in my opinion is better than modifying the mini controller because you do not have to flip any switches to get control of all 16 units. >What I'd like to do is to get a data sheet on the X-10 line of chips >and perhaps some app notes and build an X-10 controller with a serial >port (rather than paying Crutchfield $60 for one!), and to modify >some of my RS controllers, because I believe that the X-10 chip that >they use can actually address all 16 units, but it was a product >positioning decision that made RS not supply access to units 9-16 >on their mini controller. The X-10 computer interface is $49 from Crutchfield, which is a good deal, but not as good as the $19 closeout that DAK was selling them for a few years ago. Yes, the chips made by General Instruments are used in all the X-10 controllers and can address all 256 modules (16 house codes x 16 unit codes). >I also noticed that the house code selector switch (1 of 16 house >codes) was just a mechanical 4-bit switch, so I'm hopefull that >even if it takes a while to get the X-10 chip specs, I can easily >modify one of the mini controllers to send commands for all 16 >channels and all 16 house codes with the simple addition of some >opto-isolators to operate the buttons-that-were via something >like an 8051; that would give me serial control from my computer. I don't know of any spec sheets available, since the GI chips were custom manufactured for X-10. However, there have been numerous articles about the X-10 system and how to build computer interfaces to it. A good article describing the system is in the September 1980 Radio Electronics. Also look at back issues of Byte magazine. >I think it's basically a sound system, the major weakness in the whole >scheme is the way that the manufacturers seemed to have low-balled the >controllers; a little more programmability would do wonders to make the >system easier to live with. I think the major weakness in the system in no feedback from the controlled module. There is no way of knowing if a controlled device is on or off, since local control can override any commands sent remotely. There was rumor that X-10 was going to introduce another carrier current remote control system in the near future. I have not heard anything about it recently, however. Jim Griggers * * * * * i can live without a finger jdg@ncrmud.Columbia.NCR.COM * * i can live without a toe 408 Timber Ridge Dr. * * but a head is necessary.... West Columbia, SC * * * -the nits 29169 * *