X10 Community Forum

🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Topic started by: dbemowsk on July 09, 2011, 10:02:30 PM

Title: X10 thermostats
Post by: dbemowsk on July 09, 2011, 10:02:30 PM
Does anyone know of any thermostats that are controlled using the X10 protocol?  I am not looking for solutions that others have done with powerflash modules, or using the thermostat setback controller, but an X10 thermostat that could be queried for temperature readings with extended commands and such.  I am aware of the RCS TXB-16 and have looked at some of the documentation for that one, but are there others?  My reason for asking is that I want to look at how they use extended codes to read back temperature.  I would like to write an interface for my RCS TR-40 RS-485 thermostat and need some info on the protocol.
Title: Re: X10 thermostats
Post by: dhouston on July 09, 2011, 10:36:49 PM
Are you talking about the powerline protocol or RF protocol?

The former is documented, including temperature and many other parameters in...
but I'm unaware of any implementation.

For RF, there is a European X-10 RF thermostat but I do not recall seeing a published protocol. I captured the codes and reverse engineered it but all of my notes and data were on a network drive that failed a year or two back.

EDIT: I missed the RCS part - sorry about that.
Title: Re: X10 thermostats
Post by: HA Dave on July 09, 2011, 10:48:27 PM
I don't know anything about it. But...... you could check out this:  http://www.smarthome.com/3045B/X10-Bi-Directional-HVAC-System-RCS-TXB-16/p.aspx
Title: Re: X10 thermostats
Post by: Brian H on July 10, 2011, 08:54:15 AM
There is a link to a PDF file for the RS232/RS485 serial protocol here.
The TR-40 is in the file
http://www.resconsys.com/products/stats/serial.htm
Title: Re: X10 thermostats
Post by: dbemowsk on July 10, 2011, 10:05:02 AM
Quote from: Brian H on July 10, 2011, 08:54:15 AM
There is a link to a PDF file for the RS232/RS485 serial protocol here.
The TR-40 is in the file
http://www.resconsys.com/products/stats/serial.htm


I already have the information for the TR-40.  What I am looking to do is in a sense write a driver for my HA PC that will receive x10 signals that will control my TR-40.  The thing is I could see mimicking an X10 thermostat that is already out there.  I would only need a few functions for now such as the mode (heat, cool, off), hot and cold temp set points and reading the current temperature as these are the most commonly used.
Title: Re: X10 thermostats
Post by: dhouston on July 10, 2011, 11:50:49 AM
I doubt this is what you're after but it might be of interest. (There might be a way to use it in the future.)
Of course it's 433.92MHz so will not work with US hardware. I added a 310MHz transmitter to one so I could incorporate it into my system.

I don't know why X-10 hasn't offered something like this in N. America. 
Title: Re: X10 thermostats
Post by: dbemowsk on July 10, 2011, 12:46:19 PM
Quote from: dhouston on July 10, 2011, 11:50:49 AM
I don't know why X-10 hasn't offered something like this in N. America. 

X10 offering ANY thermostat support through AHP would be nice.  Things like reading and setting temperature, or reading other types of sensors such as humidity sensors is what TRUE home automation is about.  As an example, I would love to be able to set my bathroom exhaust fan up to turn on based on a set humidity level in the room, sure there are ways to get around this with say a humidistat and a powerflash, but at times it would be nice to be able to actually read what the humidity is at and do different things when it is at different levels.  Like turning on the AC if the humidity in the house gets high, but maybe I'd want to have the AC come on at different humidity levels based on weather I am home or not.  These are some of the TYPES of things that I am hoping for eventually in my HA system, and being able to retrieve these types of information are critical in being able to do those kinds of things. 

The xtdcode.pdf file shows extended code 1 for data/control and extended code 2 for meter read & DSM (Digital Signal Monitoring ? ? ?), and it seems like they are planning or at some point planned for things like this, but never implemented them fully.
Title: Re: X10 thermostats
Post by: Brian H on July 10, 2011, 02:17:49 PM
Yes it seem that X10 does not support things like the RCS TXB16 that has X10 bidirectional support signaling. In AHP.
While both Home Controll Assistant and Homeseer do support the TXB16 and I believe also the older TXB15.
http://oldsite.rcstechnology.com/docs/thermostats/x10/TXB16%20X10%20PROTOCOL%20MANUAL%20150-00200-40.pdf