Starting over

Per Pat:

Couple years back, I tried with Insteon under mControl. The reason was that some X10 modules that control outdoor floodlights were turning on for no discoverable reason and, assuming it was some sort of noise in the system, I was hoping Insteon might be less susceptible.

But I could not get to first base controlling the Insteon stuff from mControl. I'm not the brightest bulb on the tree, but I do write computer apps for a living and I put quite a bit of time into it.

Maybe it's better today. I'd certainly like to hear from somebody who says so bc I've still got some applications that I would like to implement.

I think I was the only traffic on this site in the past week, so I thought I'd chime in again. I too, have had x10 stuff since it was 1st marketed. I started using the CP290 box to control everything. I graduated to the 1132CU some time ago. The human interface isn't exactly my favorite, but it does work. I use a work-around for the daylight/standard time problem. I use the 'plus' software, which allows some if/thens, etc. When my 1132CU died last week, I looked for a replacement. I really didn't want to change out everything. I know the Insteon system can use the X10 modules, but I hesitate learning a new "language". Smarthome still had the 1132CUs on their web site, so I ordered one. An email said they were back ordered. I live communicated with them on their web site and was told they were completely discontinued ... even though they sent the email and held the money on my credit card. So, I searched further. I did find some "entrepreneurs" selling them at over $200. I finally found someone with

2 new ones at a reasonable price. I now have them and one is controlling my house. The other is the insurance policy. I might have made the quantum jump away from X10 if I still lived in my old house (western suburbs of Chicago) where it was not as reliable as here. There, I couldn't even use the X10 coupler/repeater (XPCR) as it would try to interpret noise and send out random X10 commands. Here, it works flawlessly. Maybe they've made some improvements in it, but I don't think so. So, all in all, I guess I'm sticking with 1132CU/X10 for the foreseeable future.

Sounds like a bunch of us here are pretty much in the same shoes with X-10 devices. Which also means we are probably all retired, right? :-( If I started replacing the X-10 devices I would definitely choose something that could also be controlled remotely via the Internet, just like these new IP cameras.

It is interesting to see how similar our stories are. Yes, I am retired. But that means I have more time to play! Regarding using the Internet, I created my own interface that does that using my

1132CU. (It helps to be a retired engineer/programmer).

Pat

I also used a CP290 for years and still have two of them in a drawer. Like you, I purchased two as insurance. I also bought two 1132CU's, but lost one to a lightning strike a few years ago. The other one is still working, but when it goes, I will be stuck with a lot of useless software. I currently use the "plus" software to download a schedule into the 1132CU, but have my own software that talks to it for live commands. I never did figure out the protocol for downloading schedules, but I can send it things like A1 On, A2 Dim, etc.

Pat

I have no idea whether these odes work with the 1132CU but...

X10 has discontinued the TW523/PSC05 (and probably the PL513/PSC04 but I ha= ven't seen any notice), and RR501 and have modified the TM751 (removing the= relay). They have also discontinued the CM15A but swear they'll have a rep= lacement by year's end. I suspect they are merely using up whatever invento= ry they have and then will disappear.

Smarthome has discontinued X10 support in their modules/switches so that's = just another indication that X10 is no longer relevant.=20

Insteon would be my recommendation were it not for the frequent design chan= ges they've made, obsoleting several less than 5 year old controllers, etc.

UPB is somewhat pricey although comparable to Insteon prices but does use t= he powerline and it has been stable since its introduction. It's from PCS w= ho offered upscale X10 devices for many years. They use very high amplitude= (40V) pulses with their position relative to ZC determining what bits are = set in the message. I haven't seen much about it but this group being on it= s deathbed is likely the reason for that.

IMO Z-Wave has a fundamental flaw. Because of its mesh networking design, t= he modules have limited RF range. But there is (or was when introduced) a l= imit on the number of hops a message could make before dying of old age. Th= ere were instances where you ran out of hops before running out of real est= ate. They may have addressed this - I am not current. There was also a prob= lem wen a module failed. It destroyed the mesh routing but could not be rem= oved since it was incommunicado, requiring a total reprogramming of the ent= ire network. Again, that may have been addressed. My evaluation was back sh= ortly after introduction.=20

There are some ZigBee and Bluetooth approaches but none seem to have gained= much traction.

Funny, I have the same background. I have not used 1132CU though. Instead, I switched to CM15A after CP290 after I screwed up the latter when I tried to change it's default house code from A to another one. All I achieved was that it no longer worked with any house code.

I would be interested though how you managed to get your X-10 to be controlled remotely via Internet. I still like to dabble with hobby electronics, though my background is not electronics, but power distribution. I just "married" my old Heath SD-6000 "Barking Dog" alarm's PIR sensor with a new D-link DCS-2230 IP camera's digital input trigger in order to take video clips of anyone approaching my front door. It took some IC project to get the PIR pulses trigger an X10 alarm interface which then transmitted that signal over the power line to a universal X-10 adapter near the camera to close its digital input contatcs for the clip taking. I must admit though that the major design work on that circuit was done by a helpful Dutch guy at another news group and mine was only the original idea and the execution.

So maybe I would also understand what you did with that IP interface of yours.

haven't seen any notice), and RR501 and have modified the TM751 (removing the relay). They have also discontinued the CM15A but swear they'll have a replacement by year's end. I suspect they are merely using up whatever inventory they have and then will disappear.

another indication that X10 is no longer relevant.

they've made, obsoleting several less than 5 year old controllers, etc.

powerline and it has been stable since its introduction. It's from PCS who offered upscale X10 devices for many years. They use very high amplitude (40V) pulses with their position relative to ZC determining what bits are set in the message. I haven't seen much about it but this group being on its deathbed is likely the reason for that.

modules have limited RF range. But there is (or was when introduced) a limit on the number of hops a message could make before dying of old age. There were instances where you ran out of hops before running out of real estate. They may have addressed this - I am not current. There was also a problem wen a module failed. It destroyed the mesh routing but could not be removed since it was incommunicado, requiring a total reprogramming of the entire network. Again, that may have been addressed. My evaluation was back shortly after introduction.

much traction.

I didn't see anything about 1132CU commands on the madrepoite site, but there are a lot of other interesting things there. I bookmarked it for later reference.

The pulseworx stuff looks interesting, too.

Thanks, Pat

I like "marrying" things together, too. (I never had a barking dog, but I had lots of other Heathkit stuff). My best example of marrying this together is my Internet to X-10 interface - a pure Rube Goldberg implementation.

I run a small website on my main computer. My internet provider doesn't seem to care since the traffic is very low. (They used to block port 80, but stopped a few years ago when web based cameras, thermostats, etc became popular). I then added PHP to my website so I can run PHP programs from any web browser equipped computer or cell phone. I wrote a small PHP app that displays buttons that look like an old x-10 maxi-controller. Whenever a button is pressed, the PHP program calls a small console app written in C#. The console app interfaces with the 1132CU to send the X-10 commands. Every key press causes all that stuff to run and then exit. A programming efficiency expert would cringe. I also have some IP cameras, so when I am away from home, I can turn lights on and off and watch the camera to see it happen. It isn't all that useful, but it is fun to play with. Did you happen to see the "Big Bang Theory" episode where they sent messages around the world and then turned on a lamp via x-10? I thought I would die laughing when I saw that.

Pat