X10 Community Forum

🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Topic started by: dzirkelb on December 28, 2009, 04:31:15 PM

Title: General Start Up Question
Post by: dzirkelb on December 28, 2009, 04:31:15 PM

I am starting HA and have purchased a couple UPB dimmer switches and an interface module to connect to my computer to control the lighting.  I want to incorporate x10 into my home as it is a cheaper solution.  I figure I'll use the switches with UPB throughout the house.

So, in order for me to start, I need to know if I need to purchase something for an interface module for x10 also, and, if so, I would prefer a usb one.

Do I need one or will my upb one work (I'm guessing no), and if I need one, can someone provide a link to one?

Title: Re: General Start Up Question
Post by: Brian H on December 28, 2009, 06:20:16 PM

UPB and X10 are completely incompatible with each other.

For X10 maybe the AHP Starter kit would be a way to go.
Home page of the original X10 sales site.
http://www.x10.com/homepage1.htm
Home page of the new look X10 web site.
http://www.x10.com/home2.html
Look at a few pages as deals differ between pages.
One deal for AHP and a free appliance module
http://www.x10.com/promotions/cm15a_am466_large_home.html

Title: Re: General Start Up Question
Post by: dzirkelb on December 28, 2009, 10:12:15 PM

Ya, I was 95% sure they wouldn't work together, just wanted to make sure :)

So, would this work to plug into my computer and then control my devices?

http://www.smarthome.com/1135/X10-TW523-Two-Way-Interface-Module-TW523-PSC05-/p.aspx

Title: Re: General Start Up Question
Post by: Brian H on December 29, 2009, 05:57:37 AM

Short answer No.

The TW523 is a very low level interface.
It requires the computer to do all the timing; encoding and decoding of the X10 data and software that knows how to control it.
It also needs special interfacing signals. That a computer will not have.
It is not serial; USB or parallel data signal levels.
It is a current driven device with opto isolators.
Mostly used with third party devices like the WGL V572A All House Code Tranceiver.

Title: Re: General Start Up Question
Post by: dzirkelb on December 29, 2009, 09:09:54 AM

So, i should get the cm11a or the cm15a, correct?

Title: Re: General Start Up Question
Post by: Brian H on December 29, 2009, 10:01:22 AM

Yes.
The CM11A Active Home interface is the older serial port unit and is discontinued. Though there maybe a few sources with it. It has trouble with
many computers using Windows XP and above. With the Active Home Software that ran on it.

The Latest USB Port CM15A is the presently sold interface and comes with the software AHP. Many of the X10 deals now through in all of the added plug ins.

If you are going to use different software. Like for Linux or a Mac. Then I would check the softwares requirements for support of the interfaces.

Title: Re: General Start Up Question
Post by: dzirkelb on December 29, 2009, 10:06:54 AM

excellent information, thanks for helping me get started :)

Title: Re: General Start Up Question
Post by: hawkeye on July 08, 2010, 09:11:24 PM

The CM12 module sold in Australia (aka HA125) is USB - although via a factory supplied serial to USB cable (Prolific PL2303).  After a bit of searching I've finally found the serial-USB cable drivers for the CM12 that work with Windows Vista and Windows 7, as well as Mac OSX.  Works great with X10 Commander on a Windows 7 machine, and a cheaper option compared to the CM15.  Now have my iPhone controlling X10 quite nicely!  Found the above drivers (and products) at http://www.envioustechnology.com.au/products/product-detail.php?ID=8&ref=x10FM (http://www.envioustechnology.com.au/products/product-detail.php?ID=8&ref=x10FM).