X10 Community Forum

🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Topic started by: ltkenbo on January 27, 2010, 07:53:34 PM

Title: Having X10 wall switches trigger other events or modules
Post by: ltkenbo on January 27, 2010, 07:53:34 PM

Hi, I am planning on setting up an X10 system probably using misterhouse on linux. Anyways, I was wondering if it was possible to have a switch like this: http://www.smarthome.com/2031W/X10-In-Wall-Light-Switch-White-WS467-W-PLW01-W-/p.aspx
trigger another event or appliance/light. You know, like when I turn on the living room lights sense that and this could be picked up by my computer which could trigger other events. If not is there any way to do this using something else?

Title: Re: Having X10 wall switches trigger other events or modules
Post by: dave w on January 27, 2010, 08:47:07 PM

You need a switch with 2-way communication to send it's status back to AHP when turned on or off locally. The X10 switch (WS467, WS 12, etc) will not do that. The Smarthome "Switchlinc" will.

Title: Re: Having X10 wall switches trigger other events or modules
Post by: Brian H on January 28, 2010, 06:19:31 AM

The WS467 does not have a power line transmitter in it. So it can not send any X10 signals to control other modules.
As dave w said, the Smarthome Insteon and lower cost Icon switch modules are two way devices and do send an signal back on the power line. Both are primarily Insteon protocol, but can have an X10 Primary Address added to them. I know my Switchlinc Relay sends an X10 on and off when locally toggled.

Few points with the SwitchLincs and Icons.
They all need a real neutral power wire along with the line and load.
The dimming versions do not send the stream of dim commands that X10 controllers send when dimming. They dim to where you release the paddle. Then send an X10 %of Dim command that X10 modules don't understand. So dimming from a SwitchLinc Dimmer to an X10 module may not work as expected.

There are also X10 transmitter modules that can be used to send X10 power line signals to control things. That mount in wall boxes.
The X10Pro XPT base with a button top. XPT1 one button face kit; XPT4 four button face kit and XPT2D two button dimming. Are a few of them.

Title: Re: Having X10 wall switches trigger other events or modules
Post by: JeffVolp on January 28, 2010, 09:55:00 AM

Leviton also makes a line of Decora true rocker switches that contain transmitters.  Our Leviton switches have been very reliable, with not one failure in over 6 years.

Jeff