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CHAPTER 1 ■ APPLIANCE CONTROL Handheld Transmitter Modules These modules work wirelessly and therefore require an RF-to-X10 gateway within range. Otherwise, they perform the same task as the tabletop transmitter modules, except they need batteries to power them. Handheld RF Remote (HR10U) These are comparatively cheap devices, capable of controlling all 16 devices in any given house code. They support brightness control but not “all lights on”/“all units off,” and they have arranged the buttons in an on/off order, rather than the more geek-logical off/on. One useful trait of this device is that it has a strip of card on the left side onto which you can write the names of the appliances that each button controls. Other than that, it’s a fairly straightforward device that “does what it says on the tin.” There is an even smaller version containing just three device buttons called a Stick-a-Switch (SS13E, shown in Figure 1-10), which is also wireless and can therefore be placed on any wall. This allows you to control devices from the bathroom where mains-powered controllers would be illegal. Figure 1-10. The SS13 Stick-a-Switch Keyfob Remote (KR22E) This, almost novelty, device allows you to control four successively numbered devices from your key ring using the “on,” “off,” “bright,” and “dim” messages. It doesn’t have a great range, and the batteries don’t last very long. 18 CHAPTER 1 ■ APPLIANCE CONTROL EasyTouch Panel10 RF This Marmitek device is one of the closest to being a cheap touch display. It is a battery-driven RF-toX10 transmitter (just like the HR10U) but is operated by touching a screen. The screen, however, is merely an image behind a glass panel. That is why it’s cheaper than the other solutions. Although this does prevent you from receiving any visual feedback from the devices, you can customize the image (by making one with GIMP and your printer) and control where on the touch panel the buttons appear; therefore, you can make this appear like a more expensive unit. Unlike the HR10U, which has a fixed set of 16 buttons, this can operate up to 30, providing enough space to control all your lights and other devices through Cosmic, part of the Minerva system (Chapter 7), which lets you set timers, listen to news, and play your MP3 collection using only the basic set of X10 messages. EasyTouch35 Universal Remote Control This device’s appearance is that of a traditional “all-in-one” infrared remote control, with separate menus for eight AV devices and the ability to learn the codes from other remotes. However, in addition to its infrared capabilities, it includes an RF transmitter to control X10 devices via an RF-to-X10 gateway such as the TM13. As a standard IR remote, it works well enough, although the screen when backlit hums slightly. The touchscreen works well, and you can design the menu yourself using predefined icons for each function. I’ll cover universal remote controls in more detail later in this chapter. For the standard X10 wireless controllers, refer to Table 1-3. Table 1-3. Wireless Controllers for X10 Wireless Controller Name EasyTouch35 Universal Remote Control KR22E Keyfob Remote HR10U Handheld RF Remote SS13E Stick-a-Switch In-Wall Transmitter Modules These appear like the wall switches I covered earlier insomuch as they hide inside existing wall outlets. However, these do not control any appliance directly. Instead, they solely send an X10 message to a specific device, such as a lamp or appliance module, relying on it to control the hardware attached to it. Therefore, to use these as automatic light switches, you need two devices, the in-wall transmitter and an appliance receiver. One type of in-wall module is the MicroModule Transmitter Dimmer (TMD4, shown in Figure 1-11), which can command up to four different X10 units from the four switches wired into it. These messages include dimming control if you want to control lights or a simple on/off for appliances. People with large living rooms and those that enjoy mood lighting and multiple light sources may have four lights in a single room, and this is one of the few devices that lets you control all of them from a simple panel. Note, 19 CHAPTER 1 ■ APPLIANCE CONTROL however, that each light still needs its own lamp module. Of course, it is not necessary for each switch to command an X10 device; it can simply place the message on the power lines and let the PC controller do something with it, such as change the volume on the stereo. Figure 1-11. The TMD4 Motion Sensors Most sensors on the market are passive infrared sensors (PIRs) and exist in both indoor and outdoor varieties, with the latter being commonly used as security lights that are mounted in the same area as the sensor. PIRs, like the EagleEye Motion Sensor (MS14), send an “on” message to specific but userselectable X10 modules whenever motion is detected. Most models can also be configured to send “on” and “off” messages at dusk and dawn, respectively. Although some devices can send the message to more than one device (the PR511 and PSH01 spring to mind, both of which contain built-in floodlights), most only communicate to a single device, requiring a computer in your X10 setup to relay this message to other devices if required. You’ll discover how later! Gateways and Other Exotic Devices A gateway is any device that allows communication data to flow through it, despite each side of the conversation having different protocols. In most technologies, a gateway performs a two-way function, converting the protocols in either direction. In an X10 gateway, there is generally only one direction, that is, into X10. The primary device in this category is the TM13U, the RF-to-X10 gateway that I’ve touched upon already. One of these devices, shown in Figure 1-12, allows a wireless RF remote control to place messages onto the power lines for an X10 device to process. It never does the reverse. This device will listen for all RF messages coming from the same house code as is set on its front dial and retransmit them (using the same house code) to the mains line (provided that the socket is switched on). If the dial is set to P, however, it will respond to RF signals for all house codes but retransmit them on the original house code. This device generally has a hardwired address of 1. 20 CHAPTER 1 ■ APPLIANCE CONTROL Figure 1-12. The TM13U, 122 ×52 ×33mm, or 224 ×52 ×22mm with aerial extended To transmit over two or more phases, you will need a coupler. This will listen for X10 signals on one phase of the mains and replicate it on another. This can either occur in single unit (like the TF678) or require a separate device for each phase that needs to be coupled (an FD10, shown in Figure 1-13). Both of these coupler devices are, in fact, known as filter/couplers, meaning that instead of duplicating the X10 messages, they can filter them out entirely, thereby preventing the messages from leaking into your neighbors’ houses. And by extension, they can prevent your neighbors’ X10 devices from controlling yours. 21 CHAPTER 1 ■ APPLIANCE CONTROL Figure 1-13. The FD10, an interesting filter/coupler module, looking very uninteresting A bridge is a device that functions as a go-between for two different protocols. In this context, the protocols invariably exist to bridge home automation systems such as from X10 to C-Bus or from X10 to UPB PulseWorx. Such devices are useful for upgrading systems piecemeal or for controlling very specific devices that don’t exist on your system and/or for which no suitable software drivers exist. However, the cost involved in both the bridging device and the original module would have to be very special to make it worth the money in most cases. This, and many other exotic devices, are covered in Table 1-4. Table 1-4. Miscellaneous X10 Controllers 22 Miscellaneous Device Name FD10 DIN Filter and coupler MS14 PIR-EagleEye Motion Sensor PR511 PIR with flood light PSH01 Power horn siren TF678 Whole House filter TM13UAH RF-X10 Gateway