Hello,
I wasn't sure where to post this, but I thought that "General" seems rather can't miss (mods, feel free to move if I'm off base here). I just wanted to say "hi" and introduce myself as a new member. I've looked around a bit, read the etiquette and FAQ, and perused some posts. I had never heard of X10 up until about 5 or 6 months ago, and I have to say that it is a God-send, for the simple reason that I had previously planned to have to build all of the hardware myself. Now, I'm not really a hardware guy beyond a couple of computer architecture courses, so not having to break out the soldering iron and breadboard (yet) made me very happy. I'm also very pleased at the low cost and availability of X10 products and am wondering how I was never previously aware of this. Oh well, c'est la vie. I am now.
Basically, what I'm looking to do is acquire the hardware that I need in order to automate various functionality around my house. What I'm probably not looking to do is to bother with any of the controller/remote modules or any existing software, such as "ActiveHome" (I believe is the name). I'm in the process of designing a server from the ground up to do exactly what I want it to (as I said, I'm not a hardware guy - I'm a software guy). So far, I have 3 appliance modules and the module that plugs into the serial port of my computer (I forget the name). The box is Linux, and I've downloaded and installed "heyu" for the time being to prove the concept. This is working fine, for now, though I'm nearing completion of a browser interface that will allow me to configure the appliance timing. At that point, I'm going to write the serial communications myself, specifically tailored to interface with the web server I'm making.
Anyhoo...
Just thought I'd introduce myself and start off with a basic question.... I've found a glut of information when it comes to looking up products and specifications on various sites. It's a little too much. What I'd like is basically the ability to poll my X10 devices from the server and get status updates periodically (thus creating a database log of when all of my lights, appliances, etc are on). From what I've been able to tell, what I want is a "two way lamp module", as opposed to the regular lamp module (assuming that I want a lamp module). However, when I poke around on sites or on ebay, these often seem to be discontinued or not offered, or else I'm directed at something pricier called "Insteon", I believe. So, first question - can someone give me some information on getting the hardware to do what I want - two way communication?
Thanks!