Re: What's the cheapest X10 generating device with PC interface?

[Ant Skelton <ant@xxxxxxx>]

Nikola Kasic wrote:

> In a context of great Home Automator software, I would like to know
> what's the cheapest device that can generate X10 commands and have an
> interface to PC.
> 
> Is it CM12U?


The cheapest PC<->X10 interface is the XM10U, aka the TW7223, which
you 
can get for about 30 sovs.



http://www.letsautomate.com/10215.cfm?CFID=44338&CFTOKEN=29264220

c.f. 50 quid for the CM12U.

The XM10U is an X10 interface and nothing more, it won't remember any 
macros or do any of that groovy jazz. Also, you're pretty much on your 
own for software for it, although if you're treading the path of linux 
enlightenment I can mail you the driver I wrote for it, and you can 
cruft up your own control stuff in perl, mister house, whatever.



> Also, if I want to develop such a device, will I have to pay any 
> licencing fees for using X10 protocol if it's patented?


Yes. What a lot of manufacturers do in their x10 capable devices is 
provide an interface to an XM10U, which you then generally buy 
separately, neatly sidestepping the whole issue. This is what the XM10U
is really intended for. However, you can hook it up to a PC's parallel 
port and drive it from there without much bother.

ant
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