🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <2289@bnrmtv.UUCP> perkins@bnrmtv.UUCP (Henry Perkins) writes:
#In article <200@et.UUCP> mike@et.UUCP (Mike Graham) wrote:
#> >  I am looking for a box that connects to a serial port, and has
#> >  an alarm (buzzer, bell, not ^G) and a lamp.
#> >  By sending a sequence to the
#> >  box the light comes on (or alarm or both), send another and
#> >  they goes off. (pretty simple stuff eh !)
#
#In article <1320@genrad.UUCP>, rep@genrad.UUCP (Pete Peterson) responded:
#> Well, it's not exactly "a box" but DAK (Drew A. Kaplan), the consumer
#> electronic stuff place, sells an RS-232 BSR X-10 controller for $19.95 
#> + $4.00 shipping (note that it's not in their latest catalog, but they
#> do still sell them).  With this and a BSR X-10 appliance module for about
#> $15, you can control the light/noisemaker(s) of your choice (up to 15 amps
#> worth) from an RS232 serial port.
#
#The BSR X-10 controller doesn't fit the requirements.

    Perhaps you're right but why not?

#While the BSR controller accepts its input from an RS-232 port,
#it broadcasts the control signals to the individual modules over
#110V electrical wiring.  The controller and module(s) must share
#a transformer circuit.

    All very true, but is this relevant to anything?  There's nothing
    saying that the original requestor's "box" can't be implemented by
    plugging the controller and an appliance module in next to each
    other in  a convenient outlet at the computer.

#There's no RS-232 connection at the individual modules; in fact,
#there's no input from any appliance module at all: they're
#output-only devices.

    Huh?  Did somebody say there was an RS232 connection to the modules?
    You have an RS232 connection to the controller, the controller controls
    the module which turns the light/noisemaker on and off.  The "inputs"
    to the module are control signal and 115V. power, both of which arrive
    over the power line; the output is switched 115V. to the controlled
    device.


    pete peterson
    {decvax,linus,wjh12,mit-eddie,masscomp}!genrad!rep