🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1132@pilchuck.Data-IO.COM> del@pilchuck.Data-IO.COM (Erik Lindberg) writes:
>
>One feature I have always wanted, and none of the X10 devices I have found
>supports, is the ability for the computer interface to determine the
>status of the remote modules.  Example: my porch light, which I absolutely
>do not want turned off during certain hours, but don't mind if it is
>turned on manually during other hours.  Currently I have to program the
>unit to force the light on every half hour during 'critical' time. Not
>only is this inefficient in terms of timed events, but the porch light
>could be off for up to 29 minutes.

You are talking about closed-loop control.  Obviously this is highly
desirable.  The problem I have with computer-controlling X10 is, what
do you do about local-on/off events?  Even if you know what state
every module "should" be in at a given time of day, a local-on/off
event doesn't generate any codes to tell the controller that the state
of that module has changed, and should be remembered.  Consequently,
the controller does the wrong thing when it updates all the modules.

There is good news!  A recent article in "Circuit Cellar Ink"
indicates that the X10 control language has been extended to include a
"unit query" code and a "unit status" code.  This would allow for the
master controller to poll each module periodically to get its current
state, which still doesn't solve the local-event problem, but is
better than what exists now.  The bad news is that, as yet, very few
(possible no) modules reply to/generate these new codes.


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