Re: new to home automation!

[ian.bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

> Control two mains sockets.
Usually this is simplest with simple plug in appliance modules. Be careful
as they have a local control ability which may be triggered by something
like a transformer. Essentially it would turn back on a moment or two after
being turned off by you.

> IR to X10
I think you are talking about an IR7234 which takes an IR signal and
convert it to X10 which travels over the powerline to the appliance module
which then turns on or off accordingly. It does have to be line of sight as
you say. I have only ever used these with a Pronto and the codes are loaded
manually or by loading a sample file which used to be available from
Laser.com. I don't know how you would get these codes into a learning
remote unless you fired them at your remote from a Pronto or similar.

> RF to X10
I use this but you will need something like an 8 in 1 RF/IR remote. Mine
are learning for all those IR bits and uses RF for the X10. The RF is
converted into X10 powerline signals by a plug in all house code module
(available from laser.com - a tranceiver module but I cannot remember the
code now). I find this works very well and does not have to be line of
sight for the X10 bit.

None of it is very pretty but it does work well for me. Do some more
trawling round peoples and commercial sites and you will soon get an idea
of how it all fits together.

I don't know anything about the remotes you have so cannot help there -
sorry

Ian




"chipstix24"
<chris_drye@lycos        To:       ukha_d@xxxxxxx
.co.uk>                  cc:       (bcc: Ian Bird/CV/Novartis)
Subject:  [ukha_d] new to home automation!
06/10/2004 10:00
Please respond to
ukha_d










Hi,

Can you clear up for me some queries about X10 equipment. I'd like to
be able to control, at present, 2 mains sockets (powering low voltage
halogen lights via an adaptor in each case) remotely. I'd
particularly like to do this without having an additional remote, but
would prefer to use an existing InfraRed remote. For this task, I
found a bit of kit on a web site that takes an IR signal (which
presumably must have line of sight with the controller - so would
need to sit on top of the DVD player, say) and then I used to think
that it converted it to RF to control the 'plug-in' mains receivers
(confusion arising because I have seen some RF based 1-contoller/4
plug-in adaptors on eBay), but now have a sketchy understanding that
these recevievers are somehow controlled through the mains circuit?
Can someone clear this up for me?

my next question is over the programming of the remote with the
correct IR codes to control the IR receiving component. Currently, I
have a learning remote that came with my Pioneer Home Cinema (VSX-
D812) receiver. Will this work - if I had to 'teach it' the controls,
how would I do this?

At some point in the near future I intend to upgrade the remote to a
One-For-All Kameleon 8. What is the compatibility for the X10 IR
signals like with this controller - I am aware that the Kameleon 8
can be updated online - but are the necessary codes available for
this remote?

Finally, could someone point me to the model of the simplest and
subtlest equipment to meet my requirements.

Thanks!