PowerLinc Controller and X-10 switches

According to the table at:

the LampLinc Essential 2000SC is dimmable but doesn't receive the X10 Preset Dim. So if supported by your software it ought to emulate the X10 dimmer modules.

However Smarthome also sells X10 dimmers, albeit under their own part numbers, and I'm surprised they wouldn't have software support for them. Try looking for wall switch 2032.

Regards, Charles Sullivan

There are some anomalies in the documentation. The 2000SC manual says it has

32 dim levels although it also includes the comparison chart you cited showing that it does not respond to preset dims. The manual's troubleshooting guide refers to disabling local control but the page referenced has nothing on that. I suspect SmartHome just needs to do a better job of proof reading.

The troubleshooting guide does acknowledge the lock-up problem I documented when the 2000STW first shipped. If they would just fix that the 2000SC would be a bargain at $10 for a lamp module with resume dim.

I just did a quick check to make sure my memory was accurate. The 2000STW appears to have 16 dim levels. >According to the table at:

Thanks, Charles and Dave,

Flavio

"Flavio Silva" escreveu na mensagem news: snipped-for-privacy@doris.uk.clara.net...

According to the table at:

the LampLinc Essential 2000SC is dimmable but doesn't receive the X10 Preset Dim. So if supported by your software it ought to emulate the X10 dimmer modules.

However Smarthome also sells X10 dimmers, albeit under their own part numbers, and I'm surprised they wouldn't have software support for them. Try looking for wall switch 2032.

Regards, Charles Sullivan

Dave, Here's some data I took to characterize a 2000STW purchased about 2 years ago . It has two stickers: "0786" and "2403". (The latter looks about right for a date code but this is the only Smarthome lamp module I own so I can't be sure.)

The Preset Dim commands provide 32 distinct steps (verified with a voltmeter).

It takes only about 150 ordinary dims/brights to cover the range from fully Off to fully On, as opposed to the 210 or so required for a standard X10 dimmer. Sending ordinary dim/bright level 1 or 2 from a CM11A changes the Preset Dim step by 1. Sending single ordinary dim/bright level 1 through 14 commands from a CM11A to a 2000STW initially fully On or fully Off provides about 13 distinct steps in the 2000STW.

Regards, Charles Sullivan

Dave Houst> There are some anomalies in the documentation. The 2000SC manual says it has

I have three 2000STWs all of which date to about the time they were first released. I ordered one before they were shipping. When I had problems they replaced it and gave me two more. Two have no stickers (possibly the freebies) and the third has 0179 & 4802 so I'm not sure the stickers are meaningful.

All three work OK on one "phase" here. None work on the other "phase" although one seems to work OK (in limited testing) when a Dell printer is unplugged or filtered. I can see nothing beyond a 20mVpp ripple at about

650kHz on the phase that gives them difficulty. The LEDs flash randomly and they do not respond to commands on the problem "phase". LM14As work fine in the circuits where the LampLincs fail.

I've recently installed a ToggleLinc PLC (non-dimming, one-way) to control a bathroom fluorescent fixture. So far, so good.

I'm confused by your data.

I've never found an X-10 module that took more than ~150 microsteps from full bright to full dim (LM14A excepted as it never dims to 0%). My 2000STW goes from full bright to full dim with 32 microsteps.

My 2000STW goes from full bright to full dim >Dave,

Hi, Dave and Charles,

I don't intend to be rude, but your talking is greek to me.. :)

My question remains: I have tons of dimmable X10 switches which aren't listed on Smarthome software. Which one should I specify?

Thanks again and sorry if I sound rude.

Flavio

"Dave Houston" escreveu na mensagem news: snipped-for-privacy@nntp.fuse.net...

Dave, Regarding my data: I don't have an o'scope so have to rely on the CM11A's report of the PLC dims/brights. I use one CM11A to transmit and a second CM11A as a receiver. I distinguish between the dim_level (1-22) which is the programmed value for the sending CM11A and the dims reported by the receiving CM11A which range from 2 to 210.

If I program the sending CM11A to send dim_level 1, the receiving CM11A reports either 2 or 3 dims. In general, the receiving CM11A reports according the the formula: Received dims = 11 * ( dim_level - 1 ) + X X is usually 2 or 3, rarely 4. The variability is apparently determined by the sending CM11A or by some power line condition. The receiving CM11A reports a maximum of 210 for dim_level 19 or greater.

The 2000STW goes from PresetDim level 32 to 2 (or vice-versa) when dim_level (or brighten) is 14, corresponding to received dims/brights of 145 or 146. For a standard X10 dimmer, it takes a dim_level of at least 19 to go from fully on to fully dimmed.

I recall watching a voltmeter as I repeatedly sent dim_level 1 in a slow loop to a standard X10 lamp module, but can't find my notes on that exercise. (This is where a recording voltmeter would come in handy).

How are you measuring the PLC dims?

Regards, Charles Sullivan

Charles,

For the number of microsteps that the receivers respond to (which differs from the 210 steps reported by the CM11A) I used a small clamp on lamp and sent n microdims, looking at the filament at the end of the series of microdims. I reset to max and increased n until I found the number that would take it just to the point where I could see not even the dimmest glow from the filament. For the LM465 this was around 150. It was different for the LM14A but here I had to use the Kill-A-Watt since it doesn't dim below about 5%.

I shut down my web page as I d>Dave,

Dave, Are you sending the microdims as just dim_level 1 with a CM11A? I can reproduce that with Heyu software under Linux running in a loop.

I have only barebones Windows 98SE and XP Pro installations with no development tools. If your demo app will work on either of these, I'd appreciate seeing it. My email address is good but as a public address it collects an enormous amount of spam. Substitute cwsulliv01 for cwsulliv and your email will go into an alternate 10 MB mailbox.

Regards, Charles Sullivan

Charles,

I do just send dim_level 1 which results in a single PLC dim. I also send the address again with each step to avoid mix-ups should another command occur during the sequence.

The demo app should run >Dave,

Charles,

If you like to experiment, the SmartHome 1132b, in RS232 mode, will let you send _any_ arbitrary bitstream to the powerline using ASCII commands. See p5 of its Programming Manual.

Dave,

Dave, Good idea. I've got one of these which I haven't played with very much.

Regards, Charles Sullivan