Re: X-10 Broadcast Storm Detector

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

My bad.  I figured it out when trying to figure out which lead was plus and
which was minus!  Neither, of course.  Looking closely at the transformer
label would have clued me in, too.  Oh well, AC only is going to make
finding replacements a little harder so the search begins again.  Good thing
I posted before I finalized the order.  I guess my subconcious was trying to
look out for me even if my concious mind is a little dopey!  Thanks.

I have a number of AC 12V wall warts, so I can still do some testing to see
how the ESM1 responds to different types of AC power supplies.  I'm assuming
using a 9V power supply isn't going to hurt anything.  I'd like to test one
to see the results.  On the plus side, the AC power source shouldn't cause
the voltage drop problems that a DC power supply might.  That's a concern of
mine since I want the branch monitoring transformers that feed the cradle's
rotary input switch locating at the very ends of each different circuit
branch since that's where bad signal problems are most likely to manifest
themselves.

Also, thanks for the link to the schematic although it's probably not going
to be of much use.  One of the whole points of this exercise is NOT making
any mods to the ESM1 so that it can easily snapped out of the cradle for
standalone use throughout the house.  The cradle should also help with
replacement if switching power supplies somehow causes all the magic smoke
to escape!

--
Bobby G.

"Dave Houston" <nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:46dc9a96.947132500@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> That's NOT a transformer based supply - no power supply whether switch
mode
> or linear is likely to pass the X-10 signal. It's merely a 120V:12V AC
> transformer. There are internal diodes and capacitors that convert it to
> ±18V DC for the dual-supply opamp and to +5V DC for the other chips used
by
> the ESM1. John Galvin published a schematic of the ESM1 - search this
group
> on his name and ESM1. Or you can see it on my web page at
> http://davehouston.net/ESM1-TEST.htm
>
>
> "Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> >I've started my project and the first thing I decided to do was to cut
the
> >cord between the power supply and the meter head of the ESM1 and to
install
> >a jack on the meter head power leads so that I could examine the
performance
> >of various 12VDC 500MA adapters that I have around the house.  I wanted
to
> >see whether I really need to acquire multiple units of exactly the same
> >power supply to get equivalent readings from each of the branch circuits.
> >It seems that transformer-based power supplies are getting harder to
find!
> >I assume that a switched power supply wouldn't pass the X-10 signal along
> >the way a transformer-based supply would.  This will also enable me to
test
> >various lengths and gauges of wire to see how cable length affects the
X-10
> >signal.
> >
> >I've also decided to monitor the LED bargraph as well as the X-10 and PWR
> >LEDS on the unit.  My reasoning was simple.  As long as I was monitoring
the
> >existence of X-10 traffic, I might as well add a few more photodetectors
and
> >monitor the bargraph at three points to give me readouts of high, low and
> >medium signals.  Since the cradle's interface panel will prevent me from
> >aiming a camera at the meter and sending the signal to a remote monitor,
> >optically coupling the cradle to the LED bargraph should accomplish much
the
> >same thing and give me an output I can read remotely via something like
the
> >Ocelot.
> >
> >I've been reading up on the 555 chip and they're incredibly powerful
little
> >devices with lots of capabilities.  I'm putting together an order for
> >phototransistors, some GP circuit boards for IC devices and a few
different
> >versions of the 555 chip and hopefully will have time to design the basic
> >circuitry in a few weeks.  Ironically, in putting together the basic 555
> >circuit it's a little easier to see where ladder logic came from and how
it
> >works!  (-:
>