Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!decwrl!spar!faunt
From: faunt@spar.SPAR.SLB.COM (Doug Faunt)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Leviton X10 products
Message-ID: <389@spar.SPAR.SLB.COM>
Date: 21 Jan 88 19:46:23 GMT
References: <183@conexch.UUCP>
Reply-To: faunt@spar.UUCP (Doug Faunt)
Organization: SPAR - Schlumberger Palo Alto Research
Lines: 40

I am interested in home automation, although I donn't think there's
enough traffic in sci.electronics to justify a dedicated group.

There's a not-very-good magazine dedicated to the subject, called
Electronic House, PO Box 1347, Elmhurst IL 60126-1347.  It's $15.00 a
year, for six issues.  They do have some useful information, some
confusing mis-information, and some blather.  The one I have in my
hand has 32 pages.

>Although you don't explicitly state so, I assume you are controlling
>your system manually rather than with your computer system.  In this
>case the modules have no way of discerning your _valid_ commands from
>those of an intruder's.  If, however, your X10 system were completely
>computer controlled by your Unix system via a "Powerhouse" controller,
>the addition of one item (which unfortunately doesn't currently exist
>to my knowledge) could overcome an intruder's attempts to take control
>of your X10 system.
> 
>Suppose your "Powerhouse" RS232 controller had the ability to receive
>X10 commands as well as issue them.  If it would send an indication of
>all commands it detected on the power wiring to the host computer via 
>the RS232 link, they could be compared to the event schedule.  Those 
>that were in error could be overridden by issuing a counter-command to 
>assure that the current state of the X10 system remained in conformance
>with the event schedule.  Thus, if the "bright brat" commanded your
>porch lights on, the computer would immediately command them off.
>This is far from a perfect solution, but one that could probably be
>implemented easily.
>

There is a device available from Enerlogic Systems, Inc., 4 Townsend
West, Ste. 3, Nashua NH 03063, +1-603-880-4066, called the ES-1400,
for which they want $395., which includes PC software, that is a more
complete RS-232 to X10 interface in that it does receive and relay X10
signals from the line, and pass them on to the computer.

There was mention of a Unix program to control a "Powerhouse" unit.
Does anyone have a more complete pointer to that?

        ...{amdahl|decwrl|hplabs}!spar!faunt    faunt@spar.slb.com