We have a Visual Basic program for Windows that processes quite a bit of meteorological data. I have a client working in a large facility and may not be near his computer at all times. His request is straight forward -- when condition X is met, I would like to have the computer turn on an attached light or siren. There should also be the ability to turn it off.
It looks like I've come to the right place, but I'm lost in the millions of pages of information on this site. My basic questions are:
Where can I purchase such a light or siren? Do these decives require external power sources or are battery powered ones available?
Do they connect via serial port or USB? Where do I acquire code to tell the device to turn on or off?
I've done a lot of reading about X10 and understand just how powerful and diverse it can be. I'm just hoping that I posed in the right forum and that someone can help me understand the bare necessities to get such an interface functional. I'm sure this has been done thousands of times over, so excuse my ignorance.
Thanks in advance,
Evan
I gather you understand the general idea behind X10 signals sent over the AC powerline.
The potential problem in a "large facility" is that the powerline may not be clean enough for reliable transmission of X10 signals due to noise or signal loss due to other equipment. Or there may be numerous branches of the powerline which meet only at a distribution transformer, with little opportunity for an X10 signal to bridge the gap between branches. X10 signals can be transmitted via RF, but the range is somewhat limited - I wouldn't count on more than 20 feet.
If the potentially limited RF range doesn't faze you, and assuming that you can execute a command line from your Visual Basic program at the appropriate time, here something you can try at minimal expense where you can test both powerline and RF transmissions:
1. Purchase the CK18A 4 piece "Firecracker" kit ($46 from X-10 or $26-$30 from eBay X10 dealers, shipping included).
I've dealt with this eBay dealer several times and had very good service, including once when I needed a replacement under warranty:
http://stores.ebay.com/The-Home-Automation-Store2. Download a copy of this (free) software:
http://stafney.com/~tstafney/opensource/cm17a/win32/cm17a.zipHere's more of a description of the Firecracker kit:
http://www.x10.com/firecracker/fc_sitting2_br1ab.htmAction plan for testing:
Plug the CM17A Firecracker RF transmitter from the kit into serial port COM1
Plug the TM751 Transceiver from the kit into a nearby AC receptacle and plug an incandescent lamp into the TM751. Leave the TM751 houscode dial set on 'A'.
Execute the command \path-to\cm17a.exe com1 on A 1
The lamp should turn On.
Use the HR12A "PalmPad" RF remote from the kit (needs 4 AAA batteries) to turn the lamp Off.
Plug the LM465 Lamp Module from the kit into a more remote AC receptacle and plug the lamp into it. (Hopefully this receptacle will be on the same branch of the AC circuit as the TM751 Transceiver.) Leave the dials on the LM465 set on housecode A, Unit 1.
Again execute the above command.
If the X10 powerline signal from the Transceiver is reaching the Lamp Module, the lamp should again turn On.
In short, what we're doing above is using the CM17A Firecracker to send an RF signal to the TM751 Transceiver (which has a built-in appliance module on Unit code 1), and then the TM751 is sending a powerline signal to the Lamp Module.
If the Lamp Module works and your client also wants sound, I recommend adding an X10 UM506 Universal Module configured for momentary chime operation - it's generally loud enough to be heard but not ear-shattering like an X10 siren (which would probably have everyone in the place scrambling for the exits.)