X10 Community Forum

🔌General Home Automation => Other Automation Systems => Powerline Control Reliability => Topic started by: JeffVolp on June 14, 2007, 08:24:53 PM

Title: Welcome to the New Board!
Post by: JeffVolp on June 14, 2007, 08:24:53 PM
Hello All,

This board will address the issues encountered when using X10 Powerline Control.  We have used X10 since the brown BSR modules were sold by Sears almost 30 years ago.  Over the years I’ve learned a few things that keeps our automation system working perfectly.  I wrote a few tutorials to share that knowledge with others:

JV Digital Engineering's X10 Troubleshooting Tutorials Series (http://jvde.us/x10_troubleshooting.htm)

If your questions aren't answered there, I will try to check in here every evening to address specific issues.

Jeff

Title: Re: Welcome to the new board
Post by: -Bill- (of wgjohns.com) on June 14, 2007, 09:36:17 PM
;D  Congrats Jeff!   ;D

With the wonderful information you have posted so far, I can't wait to see what you do with your own board!   8)
Title: Re: Welcome to the new board
Post by: HA Dave on June 14, 2007, 09:52:32 PM
Quote from: JeffVolp on June 14, 2007, 08:24:53 PM

http://jvde.us/x10_troubleshooting.htm


Pretty darn cool!
Title: Re: Welcome to the new board
Post by: JeffVolp on June 14, 2007, 11:40:37 PM
Thank you for your comments.  X10 control has been with us a long time, and I'll do what I can to keep it viable long into the future.

TTA should be especially thanked.  Without his prodding, I would not have taken the time to write the tutorials.  He proofread them, and provided some valuable feedback.  And he was instrumental in my starting this board.

Something I would appreciate is some of you fellows taking a look at the XTB-II Enhanced Repeater Development document that is linked at the bottom of the XTB page.  Since I'm working on that code now, are there any other features I should consider?

The biggies are collision avoidance, the diagnostic mode, and trying to deal elegantly with concatenated dims.

I'm thinking about also including an option that allows the user to REDUCE the XTB-II output.  One user actually had too strong a signal, and we had to add a signal clamp to limit the signal level on one circuit.

Jeff
Title: Re: Welcome to the new board
Post by: -Bill- (of wgjohns.com) on June 15, 2007, 12:17:17 AM
WOW!   :o

I had no idea you had created this!   :-[  (this "embarrassed smily" could use work, it looks to much like "angry" to me!)

I really can't think of any improvements to offer.  Allowing the end user to tweak the output signal level to best match their power line conditions is brilliant (IMHO), as are the other "options" that can be enabled and disabled by the end user!

Again, WOW!   ;D
Title: Re: Welcome to the new board
Post by: KDR on June 15, 2007, 05:04:57 AM
Very nice Jeff

Looking forward to reading the new board and watching for things you haven't invented yet ;D


(http://www.bdshost.com/X10/lpup.gif)---(http://www.bdshost.com/X10/lpup.gif)---(http://www.bdshost.com/X10/lpup.gif)---(http://www.bdshost.com/X10/lpup.gif)---(http://www.bdshost.com/X10/lpup.gif)----KDR


Title: Re: Welcome to the new board
Post by: Brian H on June 15, 2007, 06:21:39 AM
Thanks Jeff; I have used your information on more than one occasion.
Title: Re: Welcome to the new board
Post by: Tuicemen on June 15, 2007, 07:45:10 AM
Nice work Jeff,
Always enjoy reading your stuff!
I'll dig a little deeper as time permits! ;)
Title: Re: Welcome to the new board
Post by: JeffVolp on June 15, 2007, 12:32:07 PM
Quote
I had no idea you had created this!

Yep, I've been designing microcontroller systems since the Motorola MC6800 came out back in the 70's.  We "retired" to the Southwest a few years ago, but I just couldn't stay away from electronics.  So, when I'm not out hiking in the back country, I'm busy on one of these projects.

Jeff
Title: Re: Welcome to the new board
Post by: -Bill- (of wgjohns.com) on June 16, 2007, 01:37:44 AM
Quote from: JeffVolp on June 15, 2007, 12:32:07 PM
Quote
I had no idea you had created this!

Yep, I've been designing microcontroller systems since the Motorola MC6800 came out back in the 70's.  We "retired" to the Southwest a few years ago, but I just couldn't stay away from electronics.  So, when I'm not out hiking in the back country, I'm busy on one of these projects.

Jeff

Yeah, the creativity bug is hard to shake off.   :)

Most of my electronics projects have been for my own convenience.  While some of my circuits would be really useful, I have never braved the "UL approved" or "FCC approved" road-blocks myself.   :-[

So, instead, I have only released software so far.

Glad to see someone is still brave enough to sell "home brew" electronics to the consumer!  Were it not for that kind of pioneering attitude, X10 (not to mention everything else "tech" that we love) wouldn't exist!   :o

Very cool stuff!   8)
Title: Re: Welcome to the new board
Post by: JeffVolp on June 16, 2007, 09:37:21 AM
Quote
I have never braved the "UL approved" or "FCC approved" road-blocks myself.

Actually, I did pursue UL approval for the XTB-II.  Trace separations in the high voltage section exceed their requirements.  Both legs are fused, and it uses UL approved components.  However, the $6,000 to $14,000 estimated cost was clearly beyond my means.  And then to maintain UL approval, there has to be a quarterly inspection of the "production facility".  With the meager margin on these units, I doubt that I could even afford that.

Jeff
Title: Re: Welcome to the new board
Post by: HA Dave on June 16, 2007, 12:58:07 PM
There is NO requirement for UL approval (http://www.ul.com/faq/facts.html).

Although UL has been a well marketed product.....it always has been and remains an independent, not-for-profit product safety certification organization. It is NOT a government agency, in anyway.
Title: Re: Welcome to the New Board!
Post by: -Bill- (of wgjohns.com) on June 17, 2007, 12:33:06 AM
Yes, UL has quite the "scam" going...

1. "We set the standard."
2. "You must pay us to get a copy of the standard."
3. "You must pay us to test that you met the standard (sometimes repeatedly)."
4. "If we change the standard, begin again at #2."   ;D

Although they are not a government agency, so many government agencies are too lazy to create their own standard, so they buy into UL.
Title: Re: Welcome to the New Board!
Post by: nklght on June 18, 2007, 01:16:20 AM
I looked through the site and the information looks great.

About UL, it has been so engraved in many minds, that if an item does not contain an UL seal of approval, not to purchase it.  I know I have personally made some modifications which are within building code, that would violate the UL.  I also remember several items that have been approved by the UL, being recalled.  They usually involve christmas lights.
Title: Re: Welcome to the New Board!
Post by: JimC on June 18, 2007, 06:15:43 AM
Quote from:
1. "We set the standard."
2. "You must pay us to get a copy of the standard."
3. "You must pay us to test that you met the standard (sometimes repeatedly)."
4. "If we change the standard, begin again at #2."   


#5 And of course, if you are a manufacturer, building UL approved product, you must pay UL to come in periodically to do inspections.  >:(


Nice site JeffVolp   :) :) :)