X10 is a home automation and communication protocol that has been around for over 40 years.
It was developed by Pico Electronics, Scotland, in 1975. It talks to devices that overpower signals in your home.
A lot of X10 hardware is on the market, although only a few companies still manufacture this equipment.
How It Works
As stated earlier, X10 communicates over your power lines or signals. So you plug it in one place in the house, and it sends signals over alternating current wires in your home.
Then, it is received by other components in your home. X10 is available to do everything in your home.
There are X10 light sockets, wall switches, power outlets, lamps, coffee pots, garage doors, mailbox sensors, ceiling fans, a sense of when somebody pulls in your driveway, timers, opening or closing blinds, lock and unlocking your door, exterior lights, and many more.
You can provide information or signals to these controllers via a computer interface or control them through various remote control devices.
Signals travel through power lines at 60 cycles per second (or 50 if you’re in Europe).
The cycle speeds are slightly different in every country in the world, so it waits for a pause to send cycles between signals.
This can sometimes result in a significant delay, depending on the size of your home.
It goes through three steps to work, and they are:
- Start with an X10 transmitter: These control devices send signals through your electrical wires to the receivers.
- Add X10 receivers: When a receiver gets a command from the transmitter, it indicates by either showing light or other indications (depending on the device).
- Expand with X10 wireless: Wireless X10 transmitters control signals to transceivers, which plug into standard wall outlets.
Depending on your goals, you can get started with X10 for a couple of hundred dollars for equipment.
Computer interfaces can be plugged in via USB cables or Serial ports (for old computers that use serial ports).
One computer interface that can be used is the Raspberry Pi.
History of X10
Pico Electronics was founded in 1970 by a group of Scottish engineers. This company designed the original single-chip calculator.
In 1974, Pico, in collaboration with Birmingham Sound Reproducers, created a programmable record deck that led to the remote control of lights and other appliances.
The company’s tenth project, X10.0, came to life in 1975. After Pico and BSR morphed into X10 Ltd, it took three years for the project to reach the markets.
The first model that was installed was basic but efficient:
- Command Console
- Appliance Module
- Lamp Module
It was soon followed by a timer and wall switch module, and X10 was completely up and running. In the 1980s, a programming interface (CP-290) was implemented.
BSR faded into oblivion at the midpoint of this decade, with X10 (USA) stepping in. X10 brands are still selling in large numbers today.
X10 Modules
X10 modules are set to a particular house code and unit number. For example, a house code can range from A to P on the lower dial, and the unit number can range from 1 to 16 and is set by the upper dial.
Then, the controller unit will send a signal on whatever channel you set it to.
All these can be done or set on the controlling device (the computer interface or remote control device).
A few of the original forms of the X10 are as follows:
- X10 UM506 Universal Module
- X10 AM466 3-Pin Plug-in Appliance Module
- X10 LM465 Powerhouse Lamp Module
- X10 SR227 SuperSocket Receptacle
- X10 MC10A Mini Controller
Open-source
On the open-source front, several projects allow you to control X10 from various automated programs.
One example is Mocha D. Another example is Hey U, where you can type commands like “Hey you! Turn on the bathroom light!” It will handle the translation to the X10 protocol.
There’s also a project called Mr. House, which provides a web-based interface for controlling the different components of your home.
There is also an extensive selection of software, Mac-based and Windows-based, that you can purchase off the shelf for home automation, scheduling, and all kinds of other things so that your home looks like it is lived in, even when you are not home (to ward off burglars).
Advantages of the X10 Home Automation
- Several compatible devices are attached to this kind of home automation system and aren’t far-fetched.
- The X10 protocol allows you to control over 256 separate devices.
- Since the X10 hardware devices are old and almost outdated, they can be obtained inexpensively from online vendors or people who want to upgrade their automation system.
- As it is wireless, there is no issue of so many wires intertwining and clogging up the place. No additional wiring is needed.
Disadvantages of the X10 Home Automation
- Because the X10 has to go over all the signal wires in your home, it can be slow and unresponsive.
- Interference can occur between the transmitter and the receiver. Existing appliances can also cause line noise, interfering with the X10 signals.
- There is a lag in time when several commands are sent to multiple devices. Limitations in Bandwidth can also cause it to be slow.
- Many X10 appliances can receive commands but do not send any signal back to the transmitter.
- It is also a relatively hackable system.
If you intend to install the X10 in your home, it is best to do more research first.
