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From: dennisg@fritz.UUCP
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re:  How does BSR stuff work?
Message-ID: <4012@fritz.felix.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 26-Mar-87 21:06:46 EST
Article-I.D.: fritz.4012
Posted: Thu Mar 26 21:06:46 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Mar-87 12:21:10 EST
References: <3271@ece-csc.UUCP> <1929@hoptoad.uucp>
Reply-To: dennisg@fritz.UUCP (Dennis Griesser)
Organization: FileNet Corp., Costa Mesa, CA
Lines: 44

In article <1929@hoptoad.uucp> gnu@hoptoad.uucp (John Gilmore) writes:
>Anybody know exactly how these BSR systems work?  I know they send a signal
>over the AC wires, but what frequency?  How is it modulated?  What
>components are used to send and receive it?

All this and more can be found in various "Circuit Cellar" articles in
Byte.  Steve seems to write about BSR X-10 stuff every couple of years
or so.  If nobody else comes up with more precise references, I'll look
it up.

>						The controlled
>switches and outlets run about $12 apiece from DAK so it can't be
>that complicated.  Any custom chips involved, or would it be possible
>to build my own circuitry to interface with it (e.g. to allow the BSR
>controllers to control a stereo remote control, for example)?

They are rather simple inside, but that's because they DO use custom
chips!  The wall cubes have a little chip (16-pin), the base stations
have a 40-pin honker.

I doubt that you could make them cheaper.  If you did, they wouldn't look
nearly as nice, and might not be as safe...

But that's not what you're asking.  You want X-10 compatible equipment that
lets you send more complex signals.  Like "send this 8-bit parallel word
to module 3, where it will be presented in parallel".

>I talked with a Leviton sales rep (they sell the stuff to electrical
>contractors, typically for 4x the DAK price, though they have a full
>line, not just 4 or 5 things)

All the Leviton stuff is made by BSR.  It's just that DAK doesn't
carry the complete X-10 line.  BSR does do business by mail.  You can
get their telephone number or address from the warrenty papers of
BSR-marked units (i.e. not "Radio-Shack" marked stuff).

>				...and he suggested that I just use a
>controlled 120V outlet and have it run a relay.  At $12 per switch,
>plus relays, that could run to quite a bill, not to mention the space
>required.  The typical remote control has about 20 switches...

Talk about overkill.  Of course, you might find that the remote control's
20 keys are arranged in a 5 x 4 matrix, so you could get by with 9.
Make that "kludge"...