What is X10?
X10 Cameras are becoming very popular for several reasons. But
first what is X10?
X10 is a communications language that allows compatible products
to talk to each other using the existing electrical wiring in
the home.
Most X10 compatible products are very affordable and the fact
that they talk over existing wires in your home means that no
costly rewiring is necessary.
X10 is Simple
Press a button on the transmitter and the signal is sent over
the home's wiring to a receiver.
In the past, if you wanted to be able to control certain lights
and appliances from one location, you would have to run hundreds
of feet of wire to route the power switches of each device to
one location.
Using X10 modules, you don't have to do this, since the X10
House/Unit codes and commands are transmitted over your existing
house wiring.
X10 devices can be categorized into 3 distinct groups:
1. Transmitters 2. Receivers 3. Transmitter/Receivers (2 way
devices)
X10 communicates between transmitters and receivers by sending
and receiving signals over the power line wiring. These signals
involve short RF bursts which represent digital information.
Using simple dials or buttons you assign each product with one
of up to 256 addresses.
If you want more than one device to respond to the same signal,
simply set them to the same addresses.
All X10 compatible products can be freely mixed and matched.
It is estimated that X10 compatible products can be found in
over 10 million American homes.
Advantages
Inexpensive No new wiring is required Simple to install
Hundred's of compatible products Control up to 256 lights and
appliances Time proven, this technology has been around for over
20 years.
How to avoid problems?
Most of the time, X10 products works without any problems.
However, because they talk over your home's electrical wires
they may have difficulties in two situations.
The first is when there is an appliance running that generates
"noise" onto the power lines. Appliances that may cause problems
are motors (e.g. dryer, treadmill, vacuum cleaner, etc.) and
advanced electronics (e.g. switching power supplies on some
laptops, some big screen TV's, etc.).
The good news is that all you need to do is plug the appliance
into a noise filter.
Quality X10 noise filter are sold for $20 or less.
The second situation is when your X10 transmitter is on one side
(phase) of your home's electrical wiring and the receiver is on
the other side.
Many times the signal either bridges the two phases at the
transformer at the street or via some 220V appliance in the
home. When this doesn't happen, a simple plug-in phase coupler
called SignaLinc will solve this problem.
What devices are known to interfere with X10 commands?
There are many devices in most homes, which interfere with the
X10 signal, preventing it from getting to its destination.
Some have circuits which eliminate noise (conditioners). These
circuits absorb the X10 signal, making it weaker throughout the
house. Other devices put noise on the power line making it
difficult for the signal to be heard.
The following lists of devices are likely to interfere with X10
signals:
Televisions
Computers: Clone-type computers seem to be more of a problem
than name brands.
Computer monitors: No-name brands are bigger problems than big
name brands.
Laptop computer power supplies: NEC is a known problem
Ozone/Air ionizers and filters
Game Systems: Nintendo, X-Box, PlayStation, etc.
Audio/Video components: Satellite receivers, CD players, VCRs,
DVD players, Cable boxes, Tape Decks, TIVOs, AV Receivers MIDI
musical instruments Synthesizers, Electronic pianos, Drum
machines, Mixers, Reverbs, etc.
Fax machines
Surge-protection power strips, UPS's, and Power Conditioners.
Noisemakers (Devices that actually put out electrical noise onto
the electrical line)
Transformers: Motors: Refrigerator, heating systems, pumps,
attic fans, treadmills
Microwave Ovens
Transformer-based lighting that use solid-state (electronic)
transformers
Fluorescent-based lighting and ballast transformersCell phone
chargers, Toothbrush chargers, Razors, etc.
Importance of Noise Filter
X10 technology is simple, inexpensive, and compatible with
almost everything.
But because it is using the same power source of electronic
appliances like cordless phone, computer, computer monitor,
television, satellite, dryer, electric toothbrush it is
important that you spend a few extra dollars on noise filters
for these electronic devices.
The reason to get noise filter is because X10 signal looks like
electrical noise and quality power supplies used by computer for
example, will destroy the X10 signal!