prindle@nadc.arpa (10/10/86)
Everything Steve Vance said about the DAK offer for the BSR X-10 computer controller is true beyond all expectations. For $19.90+$4.00(P&H) you get: BSR X-10 controller model CP290 Cable for your computer (MAC, C64, C128, Apple, IBM-PC type - your choice) Software for your computer Three (3!) manuals, all written in English! The three manuals, together, present the 3 methods of programming the controller - 1)High level programming via supplied "icon" manipulating program; 2)BASIC level programming via supplied BASIC extended tokens (e.g. SETTIME DAY, HOUR,MINUTE) via which you can write your own high level software if you don't like theirs; and 3)Port level programming using the supplied descriptions of the RS-232 8-bit+start+stop byte streams which command/upload/download the controller. The thought that went into this design is truly remarkable: The two pins used for transmitted data and received data between the computer's RS-232 port and the controller are *not* the TD and RD RS-232 lines - instead, they chose to toggle bits (I think Data-Set-Ready and Clear-To-Send) which aren't generally used with today's modems; thus, with a simple "Y" connector, you can hook up both a modem and the BSR controller to the same port (i.e. no playing with connectors or switches to go back and forth between modem and X-10 applications. This applies to the Commodore version - I suspect they probably did the same thing on the other computer versions for which they supply software. If you want to use it on another computer, you can hook up the normal TD/RD pins and use a normal communications driver (600 baud!). As far as using the controller as a battery backed clock for your micro, this is not too useful because the clock only knows the time and the day of the week; it does not keep the day/month/year. In a perfectly timed manuever, Radio Shack has put all the modules on sale for the month of October at $9.99. This includes any of the older "brown" modules as well as the newer "tan" modules. I suspect the case change is just to get a zippy Radio Shack logo onto the front of the package. For instance, they didn't change the wall switch module, since you can't see it once installed! Sincerely, Frank Prindle Prindle@NADC.arpa