Re: Scenes and X10

["rb_ziggy" <richard.boreham@xxxxxxx>]

To some extent X10 can do what you want.  The X10 extended codes set
allow to issue a direct set of the dim level (e.g. go to 40%).  This
is ideal for scene setting as you can be precise.  However, only the
LD11 accepts these extended commands. I don't think the LM12 does
(just on/off, dim/bright).  Thus its hard to change accurately
between dim levels on the LM12 and thus scenes which change the
brightness of these units are a bit hard. (I have seen descriptions
of issuing n x 'dim' commands to set to a desired level but doubt its
to accurate / practical).

However if you want scenes with varing levels on the LD11 and the
LM12 on/off (they do remember their last setting so that helps) in
different situations that's clearly possible.

I have 4 banks of lights in our lounge (LD11) and a lamp on a LM12)
and use exactly this type of control.  There are varous computerish
ways of issuing the comands. I use Comfort to send the extended
commands interpreting a single X10 command (from a Pronto & IR
interface) on one housecode and issuing a string of X10 extended
settings on another. So each scene only uses one X10 code.  I think
you could do the same sort of thing with the PC hosted HA systems or
Homevision.  Different price points for each!

It works effectively and scenes do fade into each other pretty well.
It's not as smart/quick as Cbus but that wasn't an option at the
time.

Hope this helps.

--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, Ross McKillop <home@i...> wrote:
> Is there any way to make 'scenes' in X10 (even using some
> computer-based thing rather than just hardware) basically I will
have
> the following;
> 	one SS13 switch (currently A2,A3,A4 ON/OFF DIM/BRIGHT)
> 	two LM12 (i think, the wall lamp modules)
> 	one LD11 (the DIN lamp module, forgive me trying to do all
this from
> memory :P)
>
> Configured so that A2 is the overhead light, A3 is uplighters, A4
is
> table lamp..
>
> Someone mentioned to me (not sure how easy / possible it is) that i
> could use the SS13 to provide either 3 or 6 scenes, i.e. A2 ON/OFF
> could be used for scene 1, A3 ON/OFF could be scene 2 etc... and
the
> BRIGHT / DIM button at the bottom could be used as an ALL OFF
command
> (something somewhere interpreting A2/3/4 BRIGHT/DIM as an off
command)
>
> Could this be done, and could the system gracefully fade between
scenes
> (or do i need C-Bus for that?)
>
> What would I need to do this, and is it that easy (i'm new to X10
so
> forgive the stupid questions!) also the way I understood it even if
a
> PC somewhere was interpreting all these X10 commands and issuing
> alternatives the modules would then need different codes (e.g.
A5/6/7)
> so by trying to implement this I'd need twice as many codes as
normal?
>
> This brings me to my next question, is it possible to have an RF
X10
> Transmitter transmit ONLY to a PC which then interprets it and
issues
> X10 commands via a power-line interface thing?
>
> Sorry if this is two many newbie questions for one eMail, but X10
> really isn't my area of expertise!  -  from what i've seen i'd much
> rather use C-Bus but it's too difficult to make the floorstanding
and
> table lamps fit in - SWMBO would NOT let me start making more holes
in
> walls... we just had them fixed! :P
>
> --
> Ross McKillop
>
>
> --
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