Re: x10 Help

[nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Dave Houston)]

"Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>The transformer that came with my GPS has a detachable plate on the wall
>plug side.  It looks like they can mount any sort of plug type on that
>adapter plate.  I've noticed that a number of new X-10 items come with wall
>warts (the cameras and the new LED mini-timer, among others) so maybe
>they'll get around to designing a similar system for their 220-240VAC
>modules.   I believe that the Sanyo GPS supply is a switching-type and X-10
>can't use switching supplies because they would not pass the 120KHz X-10
>signal to the device they power.  Do you think it's possible to design a
>switching supply that's capable of passing the X-10 signal?

Some of the European modules mount on DIN rails which are independent of
plug styles.

The 120kHz does not go through the power supply section. It takes a separate
path so there's no reason why one couldn't design an internal SMPS and still
sense the 120kHz but, if you mean an external SMPS the answer is no
(although there are some who think SMPS supplies are capable of
spontaneously generating random X-10 signals but in the middle of the
night).

>What might the possible effects be of the differ power frequencies?  My
>"impression" (and it's only that because I don't usually pay a lot of
>attention to 220VAC X-10 gear questions) is that the meter obtains the
>frequency from the powerline to start with, so it should at least indicate
>the presence of a signal, i.e. the bars will light.   My question is whether
>the 'X-10 Good' LED will light, too.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say. The 120kHz is the same whether it's
120V/60Hz or 230V/50Hz. The ESM1 will neither know nor care that it's on
50Hz power since it's converted to DC internally. The question is whether a
replacement 230VAC:12VAC wall transformer will pass the 120kHz in the same
way as the 120VAC:12VAC transformer. The ESM1 has an internal potentiometer
that sets the gain and I'm reasonably sure it has more than adequate range
to compensate for differences in transformer transfer ratio.

The "X-10 Good" LED lights whenever 1110 is followed by 9 ones and 9 zeros
(I'm not sure it checks for Manchester integrity).

>It's up to Frank now.  With the dollar so weak, there probably will never be
>a better time for him to buy an ESM1.  If he's serious enough about HA to
>own a centralized controller like HomeVision, he's *got* to get a meter
>sooner or later.  Sooner will probably save a lot of plugging and unplugging
>of suspicious signal suckers and noise sources.  Hopefully he'll survive the
>transformer experiment and report his results.

The dollar will get much, much weaker.

>I thought Jeff had an ESM1, too.  He should have the appropriate sized
>220VAC transformer and the electro-smarts not to electrocute himself.  It's
>big of me to volunteer his ESM1 (and his time) for a possibly lethal
>experiment <grin> but he's probably bored now that the he's finishing up the
>XTB-IIR.

Surely, you'll want him to wait until after he's tested the spontaneous
generation theory. ;-)