X10 Community Forum

💬General Category => General Discussion => X10 Product Wish List => Topic started by: chester1525 on April 20, 2015, 12:01:24 PM

Title: X10 Appliance Module timer
Post by: chester1525 on April 20, 2015, 12:01:24 PM
I was wondering if this is even possible with the X10 products at disposal, though I looked around the web for a bit to no avail.

What I like to see is an X10 Appliance Module capable of having a timer to be set on it so that it can automatically go off on its own. preferably such as a 5, 30, 60 min markers.

The need I personally have for it is because the home I live at has a tank-less water heater, and a pump next to it so that the water in the house can cycle through the heater, and bam instant hot water at the fosset when turned on instead of waiting for the cold water to be flushed out for the heated water. For now we have a X10 AM486 Appliance Module attached to the pump controlled by the palm-pad remote. this works well, until someone forgets to turn the X10 Appliance Module off, thus leading to wasted propane.

and  a question: Would the phone app for X10 products have a feature to set a count down timer for a particular module?

thanks for reading!
Title: Re: X10 Appliance Module timer
Post by: dave w on April 20, 2015, 12:41:40 PM
This is a "the glass is half empty" comment.
I doubt X10/Authinx will budget development costs for such a product. The product cost to the consumer probably will not be much less than the cost of a CM15A controller and AHP software, which is available right now.  Plus the purchase of the CM15A and AHP would spur consumer purchase of more X10 modules and switches, where a X10 "auto shut off appliance module" likely would not.
Title: Re: X10 Appliance Module timer
Post by: Tuicemen on April 20, 2015, 03:16:19 PM
If you have a small PC that you can leave running 24/7 and the products Dave mentioned you can create a timer to auto turn off any module.

Once X10/Authinx has their Wi-Fi module in full production this should be capable of doing what you want.
I'm hoping to get a status update on this module later this week. ;)
Title: Re: X10 Appliance Module timer
Post by: dave w on April 20, 2015, 05:32:57 PM
I'm hoping to get a status update on this module later this week.
If you listen carefully, you will hear the sound of sucking in breath and holding it. I am really excited about the WiFi module. If X10 has a waiting list like the Apple watch, please add my name to the list. ;)
Title: Re: X10 Appliance Module timer
Post by: Tuicemen on April 20, 2015, 05:43:47 PM
 rofl I'm sure many are looking forward to this.
Title: Re: X10 Appliance Module timer
Post by: toasterking on April 22, 2015, 12:24:39 PM
ACT makes heavy-duty A10/X10 appliance modules that can be programmed to turn off after a 1 to 16 hour delay.  They wire into and clip onto a wall box rather than plugging into an outlet.

120V version:  http://www.smarthome-products.com/p-1054-act-pcc-rb104-a10-120208vac-30a-spdt-relay-receiver.aspx (http://www.smarthome-products.com/p-1054-act-pcc-rb104-a10-120208vac-30a-spdt-relay-receiver.aspx)
240V version:  http://www.smarthome-products.com/p-1055-act-pcc-rb204-a10-240-vac-5060-hz-30a-box-mount-receiver.aspx (http://www.smarthome-products.com/p-1055-act-pcc-rb204-a10-240-vac-5060-hz-30a-box-mount-receiver.aspx)
Title: Re: X10 Appliance Module timer
Post by: Brian H on April 22, 2015, 01:14:58 PM
I just went to the ACT web site and they indicted they are reorganizing.
From what I saw. By the end of the year ACT will cease to exist under its present name. They are listing stock they still have available.
My thoughts it maybe the last of their automation products.
http://www.act-solutions.com/
Title: Re: X10 Appliance Module timer
Post by: toasterking on April 22, 2015, 02:17:04 PM
Well then, get 'em while they're hot!  :)

That is unfortunate news. ACT made some nice innovations in extending the X10 protocol and made some really high-quality products.

By the way, I have the 240V version of the appliance module linked above and I think it cost almost twice that much when I bought it. I did not find the wall box it clips onto at Lowe's, but Home Depot had it.
Title: Re: X10 Appliance Module timer
Post by: JeffVolp on April 22, 2015, 07:33:34 PM
That is unfortunate news. ACT made some nice innovations in extending the X10 protocol and made some really high-quality products.

I believe Uncle Phil was the driving force behind their X10 products, and there was no new development after he left the company.

Speaking of driving forces, I just completed a major upgrade to our website: http://jvde.us

All schematics are now on line.

Jeff
Title: Re: X10 Appliance Module timer
Post by: toasterking on April 22, 2015, 08:19:16 PM
I didn't realize that Phil Kingery had left.  That must have happened fairly recently (last 2 years?).  I know that I asked a question of the same distributor linked above about an ACT product around 2 years ago and got a personal response from Phil.

The updated site is great, Jeff!  It feels very organized now.  I like having the categories across the top and the hierarchical menus (or functional approximation thereof) on the left.
Title: Re: X10 Appliance Module timer
Post by: chester1525 on April 24, 2015, 01:49:32 PM
Hello, just wanted to say thank you for all the feed back.
Title: Re: X10 Appliance Module timer
Post by: dave w on April 25, 2015, 11:06:28 AM
I didn't realize that Phil Kingery had left.  That must have happened fairly recently (last 2 years?).  I know that I asked a question of the same distributor linked above about an ACT product around 2 years ago and got a personal response from Phil.
FWIW
Late last year, Phil said he would probably retire in January 2015. He said the reorganization would put him in a new position, new company (iAIRE) which would be new responsibilities, work load, stress, etc. So he was giving retirement serious consideration. He had been managing the liquidation of the ACT product inventory at that time.
Title: Re: X10 Appliance Module timer
Post by: toasterking on April 26, 2015, 11:26:44 PM
Dave W, thanks for the info.

Chester, you are welcome. I hope it works out for you.
Title: Re: X10 Appliance Module timer
Post by: simpledude on December 10, 2016, 11:26:03 PM
I've been searching for the same solution as Chester. But I've wondered about doing the timing on the controller side of things... so that if you push a button on, it would trigger a timer to then push the off button... then any untimed module could be used in a timed mode, from that controller.

Found a schematic for the mini-controller, but it uses switches tied to Vcc or Ground.... not sure whether the chip input the switches are tied to needs true ground (as is achieved by a switch), or how much current a silicon switch would have to sink to activate the chip input to send the off signal.

Has anyone played with the idea of adding circuitry to the controller, to do this sort of thing?
Title: Re: X10 Appliance Module timer
Post by: Brian H on December 11, 2016, 07:12:49 AM
Adding any external switches to a mini-controller could be a shock hazard.
As they have a power line derived power supply. That is not isolated from the AC Line.
Depending on the design. Either Vcc or Ground would be a referenced connection to the AC Line input.

I know some users here. Are doing things with RaspberryPi, Arduino  and other single board computers and X10.
Maybe they will have some suggestions.

At one time there was an Insteon wall switch. That was discontinued. Looked like a six button keypad and each button had a different timeout.
I believe it also was before X10 support was dropped in the Insteon line and did accept an X10 Primary Address.
Title: Re: X10 Appliance Module timer
Post by: Brian H on December 11, 2016, 08:57:53 AM
I found a schematic for the older MC-460. I have not seen one for the newer MC-10.
The MC-460 has a 18 volt DC supply.
Vcc is the AC Neutral power in.
Ground is through a few diodes, current limiting capacitor, resistor and small coil to the AC Line power in.
I don't believe there is a great amount of current through the On and Off switches. The controller IC has a high input impedance and would not need a large amount of current to drive them.
Title: Re: X10 Appliance Module timer
Post by: bkenobi on December 12, 2016, 11:09:27 AM
Is this 8 button switch what you were thinking of?

KeypadLinc 2484D:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Insteon-8-Button-Dimmer-Keypad-White-2334-222/204388149

If it had X10 control, that would be nice for some setups.
Title: Re: X10 Appliance Module timer
Post by: Brian H on December 12, 2016, 12:44:37 PM
The link from Home Depot you posted is misleading.
It is showing the 2484D {there also was an 2484S Relay type}. That had a timer function buttons and is long gone discontinued.
The Home Depot in the last photo is showing the new part number 2334-222. That does not have any timer functions, just a main On/Off pair and four buttons that can be linked to other Insteon devices. It does not support X10 addresses on the buttons.

The 2486D was the older keypad dimmer. Where the buttons did not set time outs but could control Insteon and X10 devices.
Title: Re: X10 Appliance Module timer
Post by: bkenobi on December 13, 2016, 10:09:09 AM
So there is an Insteon only switch that can do push button timer events but none that can do X10.  The two features (X10 and timer) are/were both available, but they never overlapped.  Correct?
Title: Re: X10 Appliance Module timer
Post by: Brian H on December 13, 2016, 11:33:11 AM
So there is an Insteon only switch that can do push button timer events but none that can do X10.  The two features (X10 and timer) are/were both available, but they never overlapped.  Correct?

There are no Insteon modules that have a builtin timer feature.
They where discontinued a long time ago.