Re: X10 Interference from the Cellet Cellphone Charger

[Marc_F_Hult <MFHult@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, 01 Oct 2007 14:59:57 GMT, "Jeff Volp" <JeffVolp@xxxxxxx> wrote in
message  <NX7Mi.622516$p47.428228@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:

>Some interesting suggestions Marc.
>
>I don't know what is down the road.  I'm getting pretty burnt out right
>now. My ToDo list includes porting some of the "R" features back to the
>8-pin PIC  in the XTB-II.  And there are a couple of features I had wanted
>to include in the "R" firmware that were put on hold to just get the unit
>done.  One is  a possible way to repeat extended commands while avoiding
the overlap issue.
>
>The RS232 link is something I had thought about.  There is so much info
>available in the XTB-II relating to line noise, traffic, etc.  It would be
>nice to be able to access that information.  However, since the unit is
>referenced to the powerline, it would take a fair amount of additional
>circuitry for an isolated RS232 port.

One approach that might at first appear to be a kludge, but I think has
merit, is to use coupling through a custom LED-phototransistor interface.
One could use a standard M<->F DB-9 connector shell pair with an LED and
phototransistor on each side for TX and RX respectively. Capabilities built
in to the XTB-xx could be made accessible if the owner also sprung for the
custom/oddball computer-side adapter. The computer-side adapter could steal
power for its LED from the hardware handshake lines and be available as USB
or RS-232 (Easy for me to say because I'm not gonna do it ;-)

>Having looked at what is in the ESM1, and the fact that it costs as much
>as  it does, I had thought about making an alternative X10 test unit.  If
>I ever do that, features such as you describe could be included.

Seems to me that a HOW-TO on a qualitative setup to test device attenuation
and interference on X-10/INSTEON signals would be useful. I may cobble
together one with a pair of transformers connected by their secondaries for
isolation, a CM11a for signal generator and ESM1 and ACT scope for
receivers. I already have a test-stand of sorts at the entrance panel where
the X-10/INSTEON couplers , PLC modem/transmitters and ACT Scope-Test2
reside. One of the receptacles could be dedicated to test mode.

...Marc
Marc_F_Hult
www.ECOntrol.org