Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 15:37:14 -0600 From: Sean Kelly <kelly@fsl.noaa.gov> To: brantk@gatekeeper.atlas.com Cc: hardware@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Devices compatible with tw(4) (X-10) Message-ID: <199606282136.VAA03283@gatekeeper.fsl.noaa.gov> In-Reply-To: <9606282019.AA02330@billthecat.atlas.com.> (brantk@gatekeeper.atlas.com)
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>>>>> "Brant" == Brant Katkansky <brantk@gatekeeper.atlas.com> writes:
Brant> I'm interested in doing some experimentation with X-10
Brant> support. So far from what I've been able to determine from
Brant> reading the man pages and available product literature,
Brant> I'll need a TW-523 power line interface, as well as a
Brant> device to interface the TW-523 to a serial port.
That's just one way to go.
If you just want to be able to send X10 commands, the CP-290 by X10,
Inc. may be just right for you. It connects to a computer through a
serial port and has a built-in timer to send scheduled X10 commands.
If you're using FreeBSD, you are probably keeping your computer up 24
hours a day anyway. So you probably don't want to bother with the
CP-290.
Myself, I'm using a tw523.
Brant> The second device is the unknown - can anyone who's
Brant> actually used the X-10 support make any recommendations?
FreeBSD includes a tw523 device driver. You manufacturer a special
cable. One end plugs into the tw523, the other into your computer's
parallel port. The device driver provides a /dev/tw0 through which
you can send and receive X10 commands. No special device required.
The tw device driver does some rapid polling of the parallel port---I
noticed half-second or so freeze-ups when trying to read from the
tw523, so although an inexpensive option, it's not too attractive.
And I have to warn you: parallel ports seem pretty finicky. After
trying the above with mine, it broke the parallel port *and* the
tw523. Yours may work ... might not ... and might brak things.
So, I'm using a (new) tw523 hooked up to a Merrick Products LynX-10.
This little box has to jacks: one plugs into the tw523, the other
plugs into a serial port. The LynX-10 takes care of all the timing
considerations of detecting/sending X10 signals. It even does
collision detection with auto-resend and buffering. I highly
recommend it.
I got mine in kit form from
http://www.techmall.com/smarthome/1150.html
That's Home Automation Systems. They sell a preassembled version of
the kit, if you're not into soldering. They also have a
tw523-to-serial cable with all the circuitry in-the-hood. I haven't
tried it, though.
I also recommend the link:
http://www.freebsd.org/~faulkner/multimedia/HomeAuto/HomeAuto.html
--
Sean Kelly
NOAA Forecast Systems Laboratory kelly@fsl.noaa.gov
Boulder Colorado USA http://www-sdd.fsl.noaa.gov/~kelly/
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