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From: rickb@tekig4.UUCP (Rick Bensene)
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: BSR X-10 Problems
Message-ID: <900@tekig4.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 26-Aug-86 14:04:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: tekig4.900
Posted: Tue Aug 26 14:04:46 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 27-Aug-86 21:38:31 EDT
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR
Lines: 47

Greetings,

I've read with interest recent postings in net.micro (is this where
these discussions should be held?) regarding the BSR home control
system.  I have one of the 'new' Radio Shack CoCo Home Controller
modules, two BSR command consoles, and a bunch of light switch modules,
appliance modules, etc.  I have the CoCo Controller set up to handle
routine scheduled events like turning on the flood lights at dusk,
etc.  The command consoles are used to control lighting in various
rooms of the house.  The whole system worked wonderfully until one
day...when I got my new computer (A Tektronix 6130 Unix Workstation)
and set it up.  Once I got the new system connected up and running,
the BSR modules started behaving VERY strangely...they would randomly
turn themselves on and off.  It was rather surprizing to have the bedroomm
light come on at 3:00 AM.  The only thing that I can figure is that
the 6130 is somehow broadcasting 'noise' on the power line which fools
the remote switches into thinking they are receiving valid commands
to do things.  The 6130 system is connected to the power grid through a
power strip with built-in noise/surge suppression, and the power
strip is plugged into another box which is also a surge protector and
line conditioner.  I know these surge/noise suppressors supress noise
going INTO the equipment to which they are connected, but do they
help keep noise from the connected equipment from leaking back into
the power line?   No, there are no neighbors near by who have
'broken in' to my system and are playing games...there are two
houses served by the transformer, ours and a trusted neighbor, so I
have to believe that the problem is due to some kind of electrical
noise on the lines.  The random action of the modules is fairly
rare, however, the interference also seems to reduce the ability
of the whole system to operate reliably...only modules which are
very close to a command console seem to work reliably.  I have
heard rumor that it is possible to install capacitors or somesuch
in the house wiring that helps to filter out interference which
prevents the remote switches from operating properly, but do not
know the particulars.  Does anyone out there have any clues as to
how I might be able to solve this problem?  I would really like to
get the system working again...without having to shut my Unix system
down.  The correlation of the problem with the installation of the
Unix system may be coincidental...I've never had my system down
long enough to tell if the problem abates while the computer is
shut down.

Eagerly awaiting any suggestions, comments, or whatever.

Rick Bensene
..tektronix!tekig4!rickb (work)
..tektronix!reed!{omen,percival}!bucket!rickb (home)