No more CM15A's

[dhouston]

I saw another one used for $15 but cant find it anymore.

One of the larger online Home Automation stores sold these for $6 about 10 years back when IBM dropped them. Some folks stocked up. 

[uh60james]

Bottom line - a good USB/RS232 adapter will allow you to use the CM11A on a newer computer that has no serial ports.

And I'll add that I've tested CM11As and the IBM clone using a $9 USB-Serial adapter...

• http://www.byterunner.com/byterunner/product_name=Y-105/user-id=/password=/exchange=/exact_match=exact

with no apparent problems. One caveat - I don't use X-10 software but I doubt there would be a problem. There are Virtual Com Port drivers for Windows/Linux/OSX and it will appear as a serial port on those systems.

Thanks for sharing that link, just ordered one.

[Knightrider]

{RANT MODE}

I have several powerflashes hooked to various things like thermostats and telephones in this house that send a PLC code to my CM15A's to trigger MACROS.  How the heck is a CM15K a suitable replacement?  These macros would be useless with this system as I fail to see how the AHP/CM15K combination would see the triggers.

My dream would be to see a Computer Module  that had all the functions of the CM15A plus some digital and analog collectors for interfacing with other things and ethernet communications for remote location.  In this world, we should move forward, not backward; upward, not forward.

{/rant mode}

[JeffVolp]

My dream would be to see a Computer Module  that had all the functions of the CM15A plus some digital and analog collectors for interfacing with other things and ethernet communications for remote location.

That's why I switched from the beta CM14A to the Ocelot almost a decade ago.  Those analog and digital inputs allow me to monitor temperature at several locations and other conditions useful in controlling devices.  Stargate (now discontinued), HomeVision, and Elk also make high-end controllers with real-world I/O.  You do have to add a RF transceiver such as the WGL for X10 wireless control.

Jeff

[HA Dave]

So... are we assuming that the CM15A is gone... forever? I wouldn't say that is incorrect... it could be we never see that module again.

I am with Knightrider... the "K" isn't a satisfactory replacement. Maybe an ELK - WGL combo might be a suitable for both RF and PLC... but still no coordinated macros. [rant] This really sucks! [end of rant]

[dave w]

That's why I switched from the beta CM14A to the Ocelot almost a decade ago.  Those analog and digital inputs allow me to monitor temperature at several locations and other conditions useful in controlling devices.  Stargate (now discontinued), HomeVision, and Elk also make high-end controllers with real-world I/O.  You do have to add a RF transceiver such as the WGL for X10 wireless control.

To Knight,

FWIW The Homeseer software can interface to any of the systems Jeff has listed, in addition it tolerates a CM15A.  So you could move on to Homeseer first then upgrade the system to an interface that has external inputs later.

(and you can name your flags and attach notes to every device, flag, etc)

[Knightrider]

I'm a guy, and I can change. (if I have to) sigh

[dave w]

Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati

[dhouston]

You do have to add a RF transceiver such as the WGL for X10 wireless control.

I have a simple DIY design that captures RF, then sends a noise-free, inverted copy of the data envelope as 38kHz IR. If used with a wideband RF receiver (e.g. RM1SG from RFRemotech) it can capture RF from X10 and non-X10 devices (fans, garage door indicators, etc.) in the 305-325MHz range. If there's any interest I can update it for one of the latest PICs for which there is a bootloader (even for 8-pin PICs) although I already have more on my plate than I'm likely to ever digest.

• http://stores.ebay.com/e-MadeinCHN/_i.html?_fsub=3

It needs a serial connection to a PC for learning some codes and then sending them to the Ocelot for training as some things (security devices) send two codes in quick succession and the Ocelot misses the second.

[HA Dave]

Had no idea where to put this. I didn't think it was worth a whole new thread. But this was posted on facebook about 3 hours ago. I think it's intersting.

[dave w]

Had no idea where to put this. I didn't think it was worth a whole new thread. But this was posted on facebook about 3 hours ago. I think it's intersting.

WOHOO! Perhaps the Phoenix is rising. The question is: will it be something X10 manufactures, or just another 3rd party (non intercom) gizmo to resell.

[HA Dave]

...The question is: will it be something X10 manufactures, or just another 3rd party (non intercom) gizmo to resell.

I think the era of vertical manufacturing might be nearing it's end. Why actually hire and house an engineer... when so many would gladly work from home. Why own a foreign factory... when those 12 year olds are so hard to manage anyway. If you can find vendors to manufacture by spec and batch, then warehouse in nations friendly to that activity... and so on.

Even Americas Air Force fighter jets... contract with Chinese contractors for parts (no joke). 

I hope it is a new (maybe AirPad friendly) CM15A.

[HA Dave]

But the more I think about it.... I wonder if it's a play on words. Is there such a thing as an outercom?

[Noam]

But the more I think about it.... I wonder if it's a play on words. Is there such a thing as an outercom?

No, it is because after mentioning for nearly two weeks that they were releasing something new, they posted a link for their wireless intercoms. A few people commented, asking if the intercom was the new product. That's why the X10 rep posted the hint that it WASN'T an intercom.

[orcusomega]

[ RANT ]

I have not been as frequent a poster as I have been in the past because, well, I got my system working pretty much as I needed it to.  Now, the entire backbone, the CM15A, is unavailable, after I spent how much putting this thing together?

In my opinion, the CM15K = CR@P.  NOT EVEN CLOSE to the CM15A.  The CM15A is no jewel, but it works (for the most part).  Home automation is not something that just anyone can do if you need the CM15K. 

Bait and switch, in my opinion.  I think that this is cause to look for X10 replacement\upgrades.  Not sure what, yet, but I will need to start looking around.  I have so many macros and so many automated things in my AHP that I would need 10 CM15K's to compensate.

OK, so what's the next logical step in terms of vendors, who I can look at upgrading to?

[/RANT]