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[han]

Hi,
For those who are interested in building their own X10 (or zigbee) hardware: see www.zigbeedomotica.nl

[dhouston]

15-20 years ago several chip companies offered powerline modem chips but there must have been insufficient demand as all but one, the TDA5051, have disappeared. It was originally made by Philips but is now from NXP.

There is an excellent application note...

• http://www.rennes.supelec.fr/ren/fi/elec/ftp/docs/courants_porteurs/tda5051/5051_app.pdf

which shows several methods for coupling to the powerline. The safest one calls for a Toko transformer, the T1002. While it is hard to find, an equivalent is the Murata 78250MC which is fairly easy to find.

EDIT: With smart metering, PLC has again become attractive and there are now numerous PLM chips but none are ASK so they won't handle X10.

[dhouston]

Given the long delay in the Authinx X10 control, I've started working on a TDA5051A-based, crystal controlled 120kHz ASK Power Line Modem (PLM) that will send/receive X10 PLC, receive 310MHz RF, receive IR (for use with the Ray Super Remote), communicate with 1-Wire devices, and fill-in-the-blank.

I plan 8KB FRAM for storing timers/macros, battery-backed RTC (10 yr battery), PLC and RF signal strength measurements, microSD card, and...

Ports: USB, 2 serial (one can be configured for IR), 1-Wire, 120VAC (universal plug type), 50-ohm BNC for RF antenna (optional power over coax to antenna preamp), PLC AMP - low voltage link to remotely located PLC Amplifier (at distribution panel, with options for 1, 2 or 3 phase systems).

The PLC AMP design is based on Gus Datillo's design. http://davehouston.org/plc-amp.htm

The electronics are galvanically isolated from the powerline, being powered by USB - the power connector is only for coupling PLC.

Firmware will be upgradable via USB. The communications protocol will be published. If my health allows, there will be Windows, Linux and OSX software as well as Windows 10, Android and iOS apps.

I anticipate 3 versions - one as above, one that adds a LAN port, and one that adds WiFi or Zigbee or Bluetooth or XRF (mutually exclusive). Each will need its own (user installable via USB) firmware version.

Receiving RF & IR may prove mutually exclusive given the MCU I want to use. If so, I'll incorporate a method to toggle this input between RF & IR, allowing the user to switch modes at will.

[HA Dave]

Given the long delay in the Authinx X10 control, I've started working on a TDA5051A-based, crystal controlled 120kHz ASK Power Line Modem (PLM) ......

YEA!!

[dhouston]

Because of health issues I've not been keeping up with things in the PIC & Atmel microcontroller play-space. It turns out there is a new, inexpensive WiFi module (intended for the IoT market). The modules are even available on Amazon for less than $10. It may take me some time to get up to speed on it but, if I can use it, it changes my outlook considerably.

If I am able to make use of it with either a PIC or Atmel MCU, I'll drop my plans for USB-only and LAN versions and design a single model with PLC in/out, WiFi, USB , one serial port, 310MHz RF in and IR in (I figured out how to handle both RF & IR in). I've dropped the microSD card as it requires too much MCU memory. The WiFi module is very high power so I'll likely need an external power supply rather than rely on power via USB. It might be possible to offer WiFi or Bluetooth as there is a Bluetooth module with the same form factor as the WiFi module.

At this point, my WAG is that it could sell for $75-$100.

[dhouston]

I think I have a final design concept. See...
http://davehouston.org/ultimate-X10.htm

[HA Dave]

I think I have a final design concept. See...
http://davehouston.org/ultimate-X10.htm

(Of course) technically over my head..... but exciting.

[dhouston]

Given that outside of North America there are options for X10 controllers (e.g. Haibrain) I decided there's no immediate need for the universal plug type so the non-amplified Power Line Interfaces (PLI?) will be two pole wall plugs like...
http://www.polycase.com/pm2314?file=pdf#
and the controller should fit...
http://www.polycase.com/id-3315f

[dhouston]

I am about ready to order enclosures and (preliminary) PCBs. I would appreciate questions, comments, feedback, etc. The web page provides an overview and I think the design addresses all the usual X10 issues - phase coupling, PLC signal strength, RF range, user upgradable, lack of clouds, etc.
http://davehouston.org/ultimate-X10.htm

BTW, methinks another acronym is needed for Power Line Interface, given what the following web page says about PLI.  
http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/Pli

[Tuicemen]

I'm following this with great expectations!
I've started playing with B4j which is a multi platform development tool.
This may make it easier to develop software for this device which will run on any OS.

The Idea that you plan to open the source will make it more appealing then anything X10 comes out with as their manufacturing side refuses to open this up.
That is the main delay in the release of their new Wi-Fi module. They have engineers creating the software and sounds like not software developers.

[dhouston]

I've started playing with B4j which is a multi platform development tool.

I'm leery of anything using Java, given its security history. It may have improved security-wise but I'm also leery of anything even remotely connected to Larry Ellison, who I consider to be the biggest a--hole in the known universe.

Purebasic covers all the desktop PC operating systems and there are some other Android/iOS Basic compilers. FreeBasic compiles for the Pi platforms and I'm hopeful it will add W-10 when the time comes (i.e. when Win-10 ships).
http://www.glbasic.com/
https://www.nsbasic.com/
The latter covers most bases but I doubt I'll last long enough to justify the investment.  

ZBasic: http://www.zbasic.net/
PicBasicPro: http://melabs.com/
At the chip level, I also use the above Basic compilers. Hopefully, that will make it easier for others (non-engineers) to maintain things once I can no longer maintain.

That is the main delay in the release of their new Wi-Fi module. They have engineers creating the software and sounds like not software developers.

I had designed an add-in board for the RR501 (RR5x5) that did much the same as I'm planning now. Then, the RR501 disappeared so there was no reason to go forward with my project. Any way, I think this design covers a few issues I couldn't address with the RR501 platform. I haven't done much with 1-Wire networks but think it's a natural addition for HA.

And, I think it will prove very cost-effective, especially if I can figure out how to talk to the ESP8266 WiFi module. If it can commune with others of its ilk, one can imagine lots of WiFi-enabled thingys reporting things to the controller.
For example...http://www.instructables.com/id/ESP8266-WiFi-temperature-and-humidity-logger/

[Tuicemen]

I'm not a big fan of Java either and only mentioned B4J as it was FREE.
I prefer programing with Visual Basic .Net but that's what I first started programing in.

I'll look into the other multi OS compilers you linked to .
 

[dhouston]

The MCU I want to use has limited program space so having a universal IR Receiver is not a possibility. It needs to have a small, targeted code base. I asked the Ray Super Remote people if they planned on it being able to import Pronto CCF files (sort of a lingua franca for IR) but they said there were no plans to do that.

The X10 IR protocol is very limited (unit/function but no house code) while the IR543AH protocol (of non-X10 origin) was extensive but neither seem to be in the Super Remote database.

At this time, my inclination is to have it ignore all but NEC IR protocols and to let the user assign meaning to individual codes (i.e. see this code, take this action) rather than look-up a code's inherent meaning. (e.g. change the channel on my Vizio TV)

Earlier, I touched on Java's security woes which makes me wonder about ESP8266 security. I think I'll leave it aside until there's better documentation and a clear picture of its security features. I first learned of it from a post to a PicBasicPro forum from a guy in India with whom I've communicated about things X-10 for several years. (To avoid sky-high prices he built his own X-10 devices so this project will likely interest him.) I'll ask him to keep me in the loop for ESP8266 developments as he seems to be following (more accurately, pursuing) that closely.

[Tuicemen]

At this time, my inclination is to have it ignore all but NEC IR protocols and to let the user assign meaning to individual codes (i.e. see this code, take this action) rather than look-up a code's inherent meaning. (e.g. change the channel on my Vizio TV)

I like the idea of the user assigned codes better anyways.
 

[dhouston]

I prefer programing with Visual Basic .Net but that's what I first started programing in.

I started with Fortran but it doesn't seem to have many adherents these days.
I switched to VB (pre .Net) when Windows 3.1 came along.

I should have mentioned that I worked with the creator of ZBasic to add X-10 control as a low-level background operation similar to a serial port. It includes collision avoidance and other needed tweaks. It makes dealing with an X-10 application like this extremely easy. And there are other, similar features that simplify the developer's tasks. And, while I haven't used them, he has also made it easy to incorporate Arduino code (and vice versa - export ZBasic code to Arduino).