CM11a kit

[Brandt]

I know there are users in the HEYU mail list that are concerned that CM11a's are becoming harder and harder to find, and when their CM11a dies, they don't know what their going to do.

Has anyone considered putting together a CM11a in kit form? Or knows where one could find the schematics, or parts list? Would this be legal to make a CM11a clone kit?

[Dan Lawrence]

1.  Everything X10 makes and sells is proprietary, so forget about a kit,or knows where one could find the schematics, or parts.

2. Smarthome ( http://www.smarthome.com/ ) still sells the CM11A.

[Brian H]

You may want to do a search for the CM11A Interface, CK11A Home Automation kit or the RCA version HC60RX.
Smarthome is now showing the CM11A as Discontinued
http://www.automatedoutlet.com/Home/Computer-Interfaces/CM11A-RCA.

As for schematics and parts lists. I have not seen any and even if you found them. The firmware in the microcontroller is X10s and not published.
There has also been information showing there where more than one version of CM11A hardware. One version had a quirk where it overheated if some line noise was present at just the right time to lock the transmitter on.

[Brandt]

Well there seems to be custom f/w available:   http://idobartana.com/hakb/cm11apic.htm

[Brian H]

Well it is a start, but that will not get you too far, without the rest of the hardware.
There is a schematic of the power supply board there, but nothing else.
Now I believe there are ones for the older CP290.

I have no idea how accurate the schematic is, but there is a file called CM11A.PDF in this thread that claims to be a CM11A schematic.
http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=87448

There would still the the special hardware parts. Like all five of the transformers in the schematic. They look like parts made to X10s specifications and not off the shelf parts.

HEYU being CM11A specific has an advantage of being tuned for best performance with it and the disadvantage of being tied to a single interface that is now discontinued.

[Dan Lawrence]

Automated Outlet is showing the CM11a RCA version as available for $24.99 and they apparently still have it in stock as I went all the way in ordering up to the pay point.

[Brandt]

it says: "    RCA version of the CM11A - limited supply.  Includes extra long cable. "

so that is not a long term solution.

[Brian H]

The long term solution maybe rewrite the software to support a presently made interface.

[Brandt]

yes rewriting the software to support the cm15a is the solution, but I think the current author said he is not in the position to do that.

[Brian H]

I can understand that and hope a solution can be found.
If I see anything more I will keep this thread in mind.