Description
The
X-10 demonstration shows how to control and monitor devices in the home,
office, or industry with powerline technology. Using compatible modules,
you can turn on lights, appliances, and other devices by sending X-10 signals.
Best of all, no additional wiring is required. X-10 uses your existing
A/C building wiring.
X10
is an industry standard for communication among devices used for building
automation. It primarily uses power line wiring for signalling and control,
where the signals involve short radio frequency bursts representing digital
information. For more information about X-10 technology, click
here.
The
application software performs two main functions as illustrated in the
screen capture above: transmit and receive. In the transmit section,
you specify the address of the X-10 module associated with the device you
want to control. Then, specify the function you want to perform.
By using the appropriate X-10 module(s), you can control just about anything.
For instance, use a lamp module to programmatically turn on an interior
light or an appliance module to start the coffee maker.
The
receive section displays received X-10 commands initiated by other transmitters
such as a motion detectors and control units. Use the optional "Alert:"
feature to configure a .wav file to play when the specified X10 message
is detected.
In
addition, the application performs optional logging to a file. Received
command data are formatted and stored to a text file for later viewing.
To activate logging, simply click the "Log to file" check box located near
the bottom left segment of the main display. Each stored record contains
the timestamp, module address, and function of the received transaction
as shown below:
09/17/2005
07:43:32 Addr. = A3, Function = On
09/17/2005
07:44:33 Addr. = A3, Function = Off
The application
is provided free of charge. The demo consists of the following software:
Custom
host application
USB
communication library DLL (unregistered shareware)
No additional
software or drivers are needed. Also required, but not included,
is a 1132 PowerLinc USB Computer
Interface. This device allows your computer to send and receive
X-10 signals. SmartHome provides
a wide array of compatible X-10 hardware at low prices:
Controllers
Motion
detectors
Plug-in
modules
Receptacles
Relays
RF Receivers
Timers
Wall switches
Whether
in the home, office, or industry, X-10 is well-suited for a number of applications:
Automation
Process
control
Security
Research
Robotics
Education
Motion
Detection
Industrial
Control
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