Using X10 Home Automation
Have you ever wished you could set up a house light schedule on your personal computer? How about turn on your porch light from your car? Did you ever want to turn off all the lights in your house with one switch? Would you like to have an alarm sound if someone opens a door or window in your home? If so, all this is possible through the use of X10 home automation.
X10 is home automation technology that anyone can set up easily. X10 works by sending simple communication signals through the electrical lines of your home. You will need the receiver hardware attached to the device you want to control then you will need a transmitter control device. By assigning house (A-P) and unit (1-16) codes to the receiver devices, such as a light switch, you can control it. Because A is the default house code, it is a good idea to change it. You would not want you neighbor to be able to turn all your lights on and off because they are using the same X10 code.
Let’s say you have several light switches in one room. You want all the lights to come on or go off at the same time, rather than going to each individual light. You can replace each of the light switches with an X10 light switch module and set them all to the same unit code.
There are many different controllers or devices you can use to control the X10 hardware. In the case of lights coming on or going off, you may want to use X10 motion sensors. This is especially nice for areas like porches or basements. Your motion triggers the sensors and they in turn send the signal to your lights. Motion sensors can be either wired or wireless.
You can also use remote control devices to activate lights or appliances. You can have a wireless remote that allows you to open your web browser or check your email before you even get to the computer. There are plug-in controllers also. They can be plugged into an AC outlet then you can control any of the X10 enabled devices you have around the house. Some people like to use X10 automation to lock or unlock the doors of their house. In cases such as this, you may want to use a key ring device. This allows you to unlock the door before you get to it – just like the remote for your car. These key ring devices can also be used to turn outside lights on or off or your security system on or off.
In the case of lights, you can purchase replacement light switches as mentioned above. There are also handset remote controllers. These are like the television remote, but are used to automate the lights and appliances around the house.
Many people like to control all their X10 automation from their personal computer. You can control numerous automation devices with the proper computer software. The computer becomes your “control central” for all the automation. You will be able to control lights, security, appliances – anything you wish with this one interface.
X10 automation is a very exciting technology that puts all your electronics at the touch of your fingertips.