Gerneral and touchscreen questions

[Chrisssss]

Hello.

I'm from Germany and I'm currently building my automated home base on the X10 technology.
But there stll are some questions I would be glad of to be answered.

1. I want 5 Touchscreens in diferent rooms. Do I need a PC for all of them? I would prefere having them directly connected to a home-server.
2. Is this the right way of connecting?: The Lights wich are supposed to be in one Channel, all get wired to a X-10 dimming circuit.
3. Where are the switches connected to?
4. What are the best, affortable touchscreens to use?
5. Are there stand-alone Touchscreen wich will work even if the server is turned off?

Thhank you in advance for answering.

Best wishes,
Christoph

 

[ano]

Hello.

I'm from Germany and I'm currently building my automated home base on the X10 technology.
But there stll are some questions I would be glad of to be answered.

1. I want 5 Touchscreens in diferent rooms. Do I need a PC for all of them? I would prefere having them directly connected to a home-server.
2. Is this the right way of connecting?: The Lights wich are supposed to be in one Channel, all get wired to a X-10 dimming circuit.
3. Where are the switches connected to?
4. What are the best, affortable touchscreens to use?
5. Are there stand-alone Touchscreen wich will work even if the server is turned off?

Thhank you in advance for answering.

Best wishes,
Christoph

Much depends on the system you use to control everything, but my first comment would be, why are you using X-10? This is an old standard and every company that makes X-10 components is leaving the business. You should consider UPB.

For touchscreens, you can buy embedded PC touchscreens that install in your walls. They have PCs built into them and they are generally under $1000 and cheaper on e-Bay. These could be connected via Ethernet to a central PC "controller."

Will they work if the server is turned off? Usually no. But each touchscreen could be a "server" if you didn't want any automation control. Are you just planning to switch lights on and off with the touchscreens?

So to answer you, you ask pretty open questions. Decide what platform/software you will use for a server first, then the touchscreens will come into play after.

 

[Chrisssss]

Much depends on the system you use to control everything, but my first comment would be, why are you using X-10? This is an old standard and every company that makes X-10 components is leaving the business. You should consider UPB.

For touchscreens, you can buy embedded PC touchscreens that install in your walls. They have PCs built into them and they are generally under $1000 and cheaper on e-Bay. These could be connected via Ethernet to a central PC "controller."

Will they work if the server is turned off? Usually no. But each touchscreen could be a "server" if you didn't want any automation control. Are you just planning to switch lights on and off with the touchscreens?

So to answer you, you ask pretty open questions. Decide what platform/software you will use for a server first, then the touchscreens will come into play after.

Unfortunately there is no UPB-System that uses 220V. I could only find 110VAC ones. Is there another affortable alternative to X10 supporting 220V?

What would be a recomended platform/solution?

 

[TonyNo]

Automated Outlet has, at least, these 220V UPB devices.

 

[Chrisssss]

I can't find any UPD 220V modules like the "X10 LD11" (http://www.reallycleverhomes.co.uk/acatalog/Marmitek_LD11_X10_DIN_lamp_module.html).
There is a very very low anmount of 220V UPD Devices.

Are there huge disadvantages in using X10?
Is there another technonogy to use (I don't like Z-Wave, because i dont want the devices comunicating threw the air)

 

[MikeMelga]

Hi.

Living in Europe.....the best technology you can have is KNX-EIB. It is really a world of it's own.
Search for it.....every major european brand supports it.

Regards,
Mike

 

[Chrisssss]

Living in Europe.....the best technology you can have is KNX-EIB. It is really a world of it's own.
Search for it.....every major european brand supports it.

Thank you, KNX-EIB looks really god!! but unfortunately the KNX-EIB is much more expensite than x10.

What would be major disadvantages of x10?

 

[ano]

Living in Europe.....the best technology you can have is KNX-EIB. It is really a world of it's own.
Search for it.....every major european brand supports it.

Thank you, KNX-EIB looks really god!! but unfortunately the KNX-EIB is much more expensite than x10.

What would be major disadvantages of x10?

Its unreliable, bothered by noise, and the switches are quite low quality.

 

[Rupp]

Living in Europe.....the best technology you can have is KNX-EIB. It is really a world of it's own.
Search for it.....every major european brand supports it.

Thank you, KNX-EIB looks really god!! but unfortunately the KNX-EIB is much more expensite than x10.

What would be major disadvantages of x10?

X10 works well for many still. It's just not a modern protocol. HomeSeer has many European users and there's even a European forum on the HomeSeer message board if you want to talk to your neighbors that are using this protocol. http://board.homeseer.com/forumdisplay.php?f=634

While your there you can check out HSTouch as well. It's the new Touch Screen software package that is as easy to use as any I've ever tested

 

[jumbodogs]

I have been using X10 in my house to control some outside landscape lights and to turn on light inside so its not dark when I come home. The lights are always on when I come home and off when I wake up.

I really think people are to fast to say simply that X10 doesn't work .... it depends on the type of X10 products that you use. The really cheap switches and stuff don't work all that great but I have some really nice Lightolier Compose PLC switches and they are great.

Getting a good 2-Way Powerline Interface is really important to getting X10 to work. I use this http://www.asihome.com/ASIshop/product_inf...products_id=652 ... not sure about a European version.

 

[eautoman]

Much depends on the system you use to control everything, but my first comment would be, why are you using X-10? This is an old standard and every company that makes X-10 components is leaving the business. You should consider UPB.

For touchscreens, you can buy embedded PC touchscreens that install in your walls. They have PCs built into them and they are generally under $1000 and cheaper on e-Bay. These could be connected via Ethernet to a central PC "controller."

Will they work if the server is turned off? Usually no. But each touchscreen could be a "server" if you didn't want any automation control. Are you just planning to switch lights on and off with the touchscreens?

So to answer you, you ask pretty open questions. Decide what platform/software you will use for a server first, then the touchscreens will come into play after.

Unfortunately there is no UPB-System that uses 220V. I could only find 110VAC ones. Is there another affortable alternative to X10 supporting 220V?

What would be a recomended platform/solution?

 

[pete_c]

I've been using X10 powerline technology since the 1970's and it has served me well. I have added a bridge in my fuse panel and an X10 amplifier and can cover 100% of my home. A few years back converted all of the switches to Insteon but still use primarily X10 to communicate in addition to Insteon. It is a relatively inexpensive methodology but now very antiquated with newer and more efficient methods of powerline transmission.

I am currently looking at upgrading my X10 to UPB but as I get older I get a bit slower in adapting to new technologies.

Relating to touch screens today I power my touchscreens (maybe antiquated now) with individual mini-pcs (6 inches X 6 inches).

I prefer smaller 7-8-9 " touch screens to the larger 10"-14" touch screens. That is my preference and it has to do with WAF (wife acceptance factors).

IE: I put a multiple interface 15" LCD TV in the kitchen. This is one of two (15" & 19") in the kitchen area. While testing both of them noticed that the preference was to utilize a laptop (now netbook) roaming in the kitchen versus a fixed area(s) to do web searches or purchases. On the other hand both of the sets are integrated into the Tivo system and there is interaction related to use of said TiVo boxes.

I am even "playing" with a wireless digital photo frame which provides "stills" of HA information and has no real user interaction other than the setup.

Today its probably easier to utilize a small footprint touch screen with an integrated PC as they have come down in price some versus a few years ago.

Ideally like a POE setup with only one cable going to the touch screen providing both network and power.

Are you eventually looking to automate more than just lights? IE: home environmental temperatures (HVAC), sprinkler system, integration into security, etc.

 

[86turbodsl]

Look into multi-head video servers such as X, and multi-head video cards. Matrox G450 is one. Having a PC grinding away in each touchscreen spot gets EXPENSIVE.