X10 Community Forum
🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Troubleshooting Automation Problems => Topic started by: Leayer on January 13, 2017, 09:12:48 AM
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Hi,
Want to know engineering specs on signal strength and transmission patterns and recommend where the mini controller should be located. Thanks.
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You may find some of the information here maybe of some help.
https://www.laser.com/dhouston/x10-sig.html
Where to install the Mini Controller will depend on your exact wiring and location of some devices known to cause power line problems. As power line coupling, signal suckers and noise makers can change things.
Jeff has a great set of tutorials on such things as Phase Coupling, Noise makers and Signal suckers.
http://jvde.us/x10_troubleshooting.htm
Many serious users here. Have the XTB-IIR coupler repeater. As it blasts an X10 signal back on both phases of the homes power lines.
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You may find some of the information here maybe of some help.
https://www.laser.com/dhouston/x10-sig.html
While I've never tested the Mini Controller, I suspect it will be similar to other transmitters beginning with the CM11A and carrying through to all those released since (at least those I've tested) outputting ~5Vpp.
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Authinx did state they planned to improve output voltages on all devices as new stock was created.
I know the new mini timer reads over 10vpp with my XTBM-Pro Signal Analyzer (http://jvde.us/xtbm-pro.htm)
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Authinx did state they planned to improve output voltages on all devices as new stock was created.
I know the new mini timer reads over 10vpp with my XTBM-Pro Signal Analyzer (http://jvde.us/xtbm-pro.htm)
Interesting. The new TM751 that I tested went the other way dropping from 10Vpp to 5Vpp. I never quite understood why they reduced PLC levels starting with the CM11A. AFAIK, there are no FCC (or other) regulations for 120kHz (I've never checked Canadian regs).
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I don't see the word "New" beside the TM751 listed on the X10 sales page so I assume their inventory hasn't required a new build.
The PAT03 with the word "New" beside it on the sales page, which I have also shows over 10vpp too.
I doubt my signal analyzer is defective so maybe I'm just lucky. ::) :'
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They replaced the superregenerative receiver in the TM751 with a superheterodyne receiver. The ones with the superheterodyne receiver have only half the PLC output of the older ones. Here, the older ones had FCC IDs while the newer, weaker PLC ones have a label saying "Tested To Comply With FCC Standards". My memory may be
failing defective but I believe I only bought the latter one to test it after seeing it advertised as New.
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So you're saying they replaced the RF chip with a better quality one but reduced the output quality of the PLC components. Sounds like something X10 would do. B:(
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So you're saying they replaced the RF chip with a better quality one but reduced the output quality of the PLC components. Sounds like something X10 would do. B:(
Better quality, perhaps, but a poor match for their poorly tuned LC controlled transmitters. So, exactly like something X10 would do.
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I would like to know what happens when 2 or 3 controllers are in service. I have had intermittent issues with using 2 RF modules whereby the signals collide and the command did not work.
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I would like to know what happens when 2 or 3 controllers are in service. I have had intermittent issues with using 2 RF modules whereby the signals collide and the command did not work.
If the transceivers you are using are a X10 TM751 or X10Pro PAT02. They are not polite and will sometimes step on each other.
As they have no power line receivers in them and don't know if there is a signal on the power lines.
The more costly X10 RR501 or X10Pro PAT01 Have a power line receiver in them and are polite. Waiting for the signal on the power lines to end before sending and are much less likely to garbage power line signals.
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It's complicated. The exact mix of transceivers matters as Brian has explained. I have seen cases where multiple polite modules can lead to weird results. As a rule, it's better to improve RF reception in order to eliminate the need for multiple transceivers. There are instructions on my web page on improving the various transceivers but it does require DIY skills.
Exactly which transceivers are you using?