Re: X.10 for lighting - still limited???

[Keith Doxey <keith.doxey@xxxxxxx>]

Tell me more about the Midi solution.
I though about using NJD's Midi Packs when I went to PLASA 97 at
Earls Court but never took the idea any further as NJD didnt send me the
technical spec I asked for and I forgot about it due to too many other
projects
on the go.

It occurred to me at the time that everyone who was using a PC as the
basis of a Home Automation system would already have the Midi interface
on their soundcards. What I needed to know from NJD was how much
control you have over the 8 channels.

I disagree with your comments regarding X-10 being available "Off the
Shelf"
so far the only readily available kit for the UK are Lamp/Appliance modules
and the CM12U plus a couple of mini controllers. The most wanted and needed
items, namely the Wall Switches are STILL not available  :-((

The NJD midi packs on the other hand are readily available, made in the UK
and most likely more cost effective per channel controlled, and at 1000
watts
per channel easily beat any X-10 dimmer for power handling.

Any further info you have on your software and design would be very
interesting.

Regards

Keith

Keith Doxey
http://www.btinternet.com/~krazy.keith
Krazy Keith's World of DIY Home Automation


Any X.10 gurus out there???

The last time I looked at X.10 for lighting it was fairly limited in terms
of its dimming capabilities. In particular, you couldn't go from zero to an
arbitrary setting (say 70%). Instead, you had to go all the way on, and
then
dim back to the required state.

This proved to be unnaceptable for a current client (who is himself a
lighting-designer), because he needed to be able to go straight to set dim
levels at night.

We went for a whole set of NJD MIDI lighting controllers, which not only
can
be given fancy fade effects through a cheap PC/soundcard combo, but will
also take the kind of high-impedance loads that in-line halogen dimmers
present. It actually worked surprisingly well, considering that we thought
we might have to end up using DMX kit which is rather more expensive. Of
course, there was a significant amount of programming work involved in
interfacing the (MIDI) lighting control back to the HA software.

Clearly, doing everything through X.10 would cut down tremendously on the
workload, and allow us to use a lot more off-the-shelf components...

Does anyone have experience/views on this? HA Consultancy isn't my
full-time
job (yet).

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