SPC4320 X-10 interface

DublinDilbert

hi All,

Has anyone setup the X-10 with the SPC panels? I can find very little information out there on this. I see there's a port marked X10 on the PCB, do I need to fit an additional module?

Anyone recommend some X-10 sockets which can be used for testing?

Thanks

DublinDilbert

Ummm think i just found the answers I was looking for here... http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056970913

fred funk }{

X10 isn't a reliable protocol in this country. It will break your heart.

DublinDilbert

fred funk }{ wrote: »

X10 isn't a reliable protocol in this country. It will break your heart.

Yea I'm thinking I'll use the x10 serial rs232 stream pop into an arduino with a 433mhz transmitter to the energinie plugs I already have around the house...

KoolKid

DublinDilbert wrote: »

hi All,

Has anyone setup the X-10 with the SPC panels? I can find very little information out there on this. I see there's a port marked X10 on the PCB, do I need to fit an additional module?

Anyone recommend some X-10 sockets which can be used for testing?

Thanks

I use UK Automation as a source. I have 6 devices set up at home which work perfectly. Reliability does depend on how good and clean the electrical works in the property are.
The SPC panels give you good control though.

sbkenn

KoolKid wrote: »

I use UK Automation as a source. I have 6 devices set up at home which work perfectly. Reliability does depend on how good and clean the electrical works in the property are.
The SPC panels give you good control though.

If you suspect mains noise, buy a better PSU. Their immunity varies hugely, and many CE marked stuff, esp Chinesium stuff, shouldn't have a CE mark in the first place.

fred funk }{

KoolKid wrote: »

I use UK Automation as a source. I have 6 devices set up at home which work perfectly. Reliability does depend on how good and clean the electrical works in the property are.
The SPC panels give you good control though.

Certain devices will interfere with x10. I have it setup in my own house and it won't work in certain locations around the house while other devices are plugged in beside it. Where it does work it works well and it great but it's certainly not something I try sell when quoting.

KoolKid

Heavy interference used to come from the older plasma screens. I haven't had anything else as definitive.
I wouldn't be pushing it as a product either.

fred funk }{

KoolKid wrote: »

Heavy interference used to come from the older plasma screens. I haven't had anything else as definitive.
I wouldn't be pushing it as a product either.

Any word on Siemens/Vanderbilt own version of these or has it been shelved.

KoolKid

Not something that I have even asked about to be honest.
I'll chase up next week. It was to be a 2 way system which would be nice.

DublinDilbert

Hi All,

Just doing a little bit of looking at a potential alternative to X10 with the SPC4320 tonight.

I've setup the X10 outputs, and the serial port setting has changed from Terminal/Printer to X10. Is there anything else I need to enable X10 on the panel?

I'm not seeing any data coming out of the panel when I actuate the outputs. I've also tried simulating the CM12U polling from a PC, but again the panel doesn't respond.

Also the other thing, in the SPC connect app the outputs box is still grayed out, what has to happen for this box to become active?

Thanks

KoolKid

You have to set up triggers for the outputs (mapping gates )

Also goto configuration>Outputs> X10 > Settings & Enable X10
You could also enable log here to see if the commands are being sent.
Also goto configuration>Outputs> X10 >Select House & Unit number and check the active box. You can also add triggers , keypad short cuts and test from here.

DublinDilbert

KoolKid wrote: »

You have to set up triggers for the outputs (mapping gates )

Also goto configuration>Outputs> X10 > Settings & Enable X10
You could also enable log here to see if the commands are being sent.
Also goto configuration>Outputs> X10 >Select House & Unit number and check the active box. You can also add triggers , keypad short cuts and test from here.

Thanks I didn't realise I had to set up mapping gates for it to work. Will look at how to set up mapping gates now..

Even without setting up mapping gates it is showing it in the log:-
26/08/2015 21:26:42 X-10: A-3 Lamp2 On
26/08/2015 21:26:42 X-10: A-3 Lamp2 On
26/08/2015 21:46:10 X-10: A-1 Lamp1 On
26/08/2015 21:46:11 X-10: A-3 Lamp2 On
26/08/2015 21:46:12 X-10: A-3 Lamp2 Off

KoolKid

It doesn't have to be mapping gates, but you will have to assign on & off triggers.
What X10 units are you using?
Also are you sure you have the correct TX /RX connections from the RJ45 connection at the panel?

DublinDilbert

Yep definitely have the tx / Rx pins, I'm seeing -8v on the tx pin at idle as I would expect.

I didn't manage to get my hands on a cm12u, so I'm using my desktop PC to emulate the cm12u.

Once I can see the data I'm planning on using an arduino/beagle bone to drive an rf transmitter.

Stoner

DublinDilbert wrote:

Once I can see the data I'm planning on using an arduino/beagle bone to drive an rf transmitter.

Will that be able to send x10 signals too or just listen

Stoner

DublinDilbert wrote:

I'm not seeing any data coming out of the panel when I actuate the outputs. I've also tried simulating the CM12U polling from a PC, but again the panel doesn't respond.

You can get the developers kit for that software too if you wanted.

They also have an app now for your phone if you dont want to flute around with it.

DublinDilbert

Stoner wrote: »

You can get the developers kit for that software too if you wanted.

They also have an app now for your phone if you dont want to flute around with it.

Which software is there a developer kit for?

I really just want to take in the x10 on/off signals and be able to relay them onto what ever device I need.

The likes of the energinie 433mhz plugs are very cheap, I've about 8 of them around here and I can control from an arduino.

Stoner

DublinDilbert wrote:

Which software is there a developer kit for?

The sw that's packaged with the
cm12u. I've a couple of them here somewhere.

I picked up the other unit that has the app too.
TIP10RF is the app

DublinDilbert

Stoner wrote: »

The sw that's packaged with the
cm12u. I've a couple of them here somewhere.

I picked up the other unit that has the app too.
TIP10RF is the app

Where did you get the cm12u? They seem hard to find these days.

Stoner

I'll check think it was ukautomation. The brand changed name too

DublinDilbert

I got a bit of time yesterday so I plugged in a scope. When I trigger an x10 command there was 2 bytes being transmitted at 4800bps. When I plug it into the serial port on my desktop it appears the Rx pin was loading the tx pin from the alarm. I found a USB to rs232 converter, used this and I was able to capture the bytes from the alarm.

I've written a serial engine on the arduino and tested from the PC, I'll need to check it with a level shifter early next week. When I get it working I'll post the code here.

It seems almost impossible to get the cm12u rs232 version anymore, so hopefully this will give people some options to take the x10 output and convert to different protocols.

Stoner

Did you look at Domoticz ?

DublinDilbert

Stoner wrote: »

Did you look at Domoticz ?

No never seen that before, looks nice.

As well as adding the 433MHz interface onto this, I was thinking of adding a KNX interface too, so it can talk to any KNX device.

DublinDilbert

The X10 RS232 port seems to have very little drive on it, doesn't even seem to be able to drive an RS232 driver. I'm wondering if I have the correct ground pin from the X10 RS232 port panel.

Does anyone have another diagram for the pinout on the RS232 port, the only one I can find is attached.

SemperFidelis

Pin 4 is normally GND on serial RJ45 adapters, give that a try

DublinDilbert

SemperFidelis wrote: »

Pin 4 is normally GND on serial RJ45 adapters, give that a try

That was it, flipped the ground from pin 5 to pin 4, working away good now. Just have a tiny bug in the arduino code, but i can command on/off the wireless energinie sockets now. So there's a typo in the manual

The code for the arduino is here if anyone is interested. All that's needed is an arduino, RS232 level shifter (use a shield if lazy) and a 433MHz transmitter.

One last question, I can now command on/off the outputs from the web-browser as an engineer, and the key pad. But the outputs tab in the SPC anywhere app is still grayed out, is there something that needs to happen to allow SPC anywhere to know there's now outputs on the panel it can use?

KoolKid

You set up mapping gates & map them to the output you want.
You can then also assign cause & effect triggers and keypad shout cuts they should then show up on the app & on SPC Connect.

DublinDilbert

A simplified sketch for the arduino code is here. I didn't realise the new Energinies can actually learn multiple remote codes. So the existing remote and the x10 bridge can work in parallel, which is kinda nice.

I now have the mapping gates working, so I can see the outputs from in the app. I can command on/off the mapping gates from the app and the mapping gate on the panel changes status.

I think i've set the triggers correctly and assigned the shortcut keys in each of the mapping gates. If anyone has time I've attached how i've setup the mapping gates/triggers below.

Thanks again for the help, almost there on this one.

KoolKid

All looks OK there. Can you post a pick of the triggers set up?

DublinDilbert

Good to hear i wasn't too far off track

Images of triggers attached...

KoolKid

You have no conditions added to that trigger.

DublinDilbert

KoolKid wrote: »

You have no conditions added to that trigger.

Thanks KoolKid, its working pretty good now. Never used triggers or mapping gates before, see what they are doing now

Stoner

SemperFidelis wrote:

Pin 4 is normally GND on serial RJ45 adapters, give that a try

Are you up and running on yours yet ?

SemperFidelis

nope, haven't had the time.

This looks interesting tho, using the arduino would let you use a variety of different devices rather than just X10. It think that's the only way the market is going to work, we just need that one ring to rule them all.

DublinDilbert

SemperFidelis wrote: »

nope, haven't had the time.

This looks interesting tho, using the arduino would let you use a variety of different devices rather than just X10. It think that's the only way the market is going to work, we just need that one ring to rule them all.

Yea that was my thinking, I wanted to use the Arduino as a cheap low cost gateway/translator, then I can output the signals to whatever devices I have to hand which in my case at the moment is the energinies. I believe the same protocol is used by lots of the remote plug sockets.

Thanks again everyone for the help, was testing yesterday evening and it worked flawlessly. Just need to tidy up some of my wiring and put it into a project box.

Stoner

SemperFidelis wrote:

This looks interesting tho, using the arduino would let you use a variety of different devices rather than just X10. It think that's the only way the market is going to work, we just need that one ring to rule them all.

Daly claims to have it running on domoticz on his RPi . About 50 Euro of additional hardware required. Has all his stats including 10 year old weather stations reporting in 100% . I gave him some x10 devices.

I've seen the remote monitoring it's very good he has an owl on it too for consumption.

However I suspect he's doing great with his inputs but not so good with outputs.

This looks better tbh

DublinDilbert

DublinDilbert wrote: »

That was it, flipped the ground from pin 5 to pin 4, working away good now. Just have a tiny bug in the arduino code, but i can command on/off the wireless energinie sockets now. So there's a typo in the manual

The code for the arduino is here if anyone is interested. All that's needed is an arduino, RS232 level shifter (use a shield if lazy) and a 433MHz transmitter.

One last question, I can now command on/off the outputs from the web-browser as an engineer, and the key pad. But the outputs tab in the SPC anywhere app is still grayed out, is there something that needs to happen to allow SPC anywhere to know there's now outputs on the panel it can use?

Just to follow up on this, the above arduino code has been running flawlessly for a number of weeks. Very impressed with the system over all have added quite a few energines around the house all working really well.

Its working that well that I cut open an energinie this evening and put it in an obo box to control the heating. I've set it so the alarm will turn it off after 60 minutes giving it a boost function.