X10 is a Communication protocol by transmission current between transmitters and receivers Domotique. This mode of transmission competes with the communication protocols entirely by Onde radio or telegraphic by bus

History

X10 is an international protocol open standard of reference developed in 1975 by the Scottish company Pico Electronics. It makes it possible transmitters to transmit orders Domotique S to receivers by high frequencies sent in a traditional electrical installation 230 V alternate of a building or a residence of private individual. This protocol is one of the first protocols international standards of house automation defined, put in the point and exploited by many manufacturers, all compatible between them and marketed in large distribution and on Internet with popular tariffs in a preoccupation with a compatibility of various marks.

Features

The signal Numérique sent in the running alternative sector 230 V is coded and transmitted to a frequency of 120 Khz with each passage to zero of alternative course 60 Hz of the sector.

The screen is structured with a part addresses and a part orders sent to all the receivers at the same time. Only the correctly addressed receivers carry out the orders given. The various orders sent can be:

• of the orders of the type goes or stop;
• of the orders of increasing or decreasing the variation type of variator of current;
• of the values of temperatures resulting from sensors;
• Of the increase of sensors of the detecting type of infra-red presence.

The X10 protocol consists of packages of 4 bits “house” (code “house” of has to P) follow-ups of 4 bits “links” (code “unit” from 1 to 16) followed by 4 bits orders. What offers 256 different possibilities of addressing for each domotized module.

Each signal is sent several times to mitigate possible failures of transmission.

Radio operator protocol

The modules of the X10 range can be coupled with radio remote controls which give orders to modules controlled by transmission currents via a converter radio frequency (433 MHz) in carrier frequency.

Control room X10 house automation

There exists a a whole range of control room house automation, simpler with more advanced models managed by micro-computing since software under Windows, Linux or Mac OS… Certaines power stations of alarm makes it possible to send orders in X10 (simulation of presence, closing of the shutters in the event of alarm, etc). These same power stations accessible by telephone make it possible to control the apparatuses connected to X10 (lights, shutters, heatings, etc) via the keys of the telephone.

The X10 modules

There exist modules controllers and other receivers.

The modules controllers make it possible to send orders in X10 on the telegraphic network bound for the receivers: power station house automation, radio operator receiver converting the radio operator orders into X10, data-processing interface (PC in USB or series), time programmer, universal module (dry contact for sensor), module of exchange for the systems not X10, etc

The receiving modules receive the X10 orders and actuate the connected element (light, shutter, heating or any apparatus on a X10 catch such as coffee machine, washing machine…). These modules can take to the shape of a standard surprise taken against the lightning (for the apparatuses and the lights), of a casing, a mural switch (light, shutter), of a module encastrable behind an existing switch, and even of module rail DIN to be installed in the electric control panel (telecontactor, televariator).

The receiving modules are addressable: the address consists of a code “house” (has with P) and of a code “unit” (1 to 16). Several receiver can have the same address in order to actuate them at the same time. One can have to 256 different addresses.

There also exists of other modules specialized for certain functions on the X10 orders: filters, couplers of phase, repeaters…

The module interfaces data-processing also makes it possible to make time programmings and to record “macro” orders in nonvolatile memory (simple continuation of order, for example to close shutter 1 then shutter 2). This module functions even extinct PC.

Advantages of X10

The X10 protocol have certain advantages:

• the apparatuses are manufactured by several manufacturers, which explains many other advantages.

• the price of the apparatuses remains among low in the field of the house automation for a correct reliability: competition on the products makes it possible cause a drop in the prices. For example a televariator rail DIN X10 costs approximately 40 euros, that is to say the same price as a televariator not X10 and who will not be controllable. These low prices make it possible many private individual to be equipped, and that in a modular way by spreading out the purchases of equipment in time.
• the longevity and stability of technology: X10 has been used in many countries for more than 20 years (America and Europe mainly)
• the insurance of a continuity of its use (because the apparatuses of different marks are compatible).
• a community of users and developer credits, and many paying management software house automation, free, and even open-source in license GNU. The free direct access with the X10 protocol is possible and is described on the specialized sites.
• an opening on many systems: many power stations of alarm of different marks proposes to control modules X10 (simulation of presence, etc), piloting of the X10 orders since a PC with many different operating systems, pilotings of the X10 orders by telephone and radio wave. There exist X10 modules known as universal which allow in entry or exit to communicate with any type of system not X10 (electrical appliance such as washing machine, siren of alarm, sensors various: temperature, moisture, etc…).
• a good distribution of the products: One on sale finds the X10 products on Internet sites, but also in the large signs of the stores of do-it-yourself and in the stores specialized (electronic, etc)
• a certain portability of the products: There are two types of X10 products, those to pose (on rail DIN or with embedding, standard interruptory) and those to plug in " double prise". The latter, like a catch lightning protector, can facileement be moved of a catch with another, or be carried in the event of removal.
• All other principal advantages related to the house automation: Better energy managements and resources (to extinguish all the lights and to lower the heating before leaving or by starting the warning system for example, or managing the automatic watering of a garden according to the degrees of hygroscopy), a daily facility of the current tasks (opening, closing of the shutters according to the temperature and the luminosity, or simply on a time calendar). These functions are very practical for the elderly or handicapped. There is no limit with your imagination by using X10 because the latter can directly control any apparatus connected to the electrical communication or via a socket-outlet, and it is one of the only allowing protocol of the so various applications.

Disadvantages of X10

The X10 protocol suffers from certain disadvantages:

• an incompatibility between product ranges international in measurement or much of country have electric feeder systems very different like the France and the the United States for example with 230 V~ 50 Hz for France and 110 V~ 60 Hz for the United States with types of different catches which imply certain important modifications of each module in the event of importation. It is advised to buy its products on its continent and to check the type of catch used for the apparatus.

• of not acknowledgment of delivery of the emitted order, because, drunk in one-way mode, from where its lack of safety in industrial automatism.
• Of many modern electronic devices of the trade such as television sets, microcomputers, receivers satellite, etc can induce disturbances or filterings of the X10 screens in the current sector via them Alimentation with cutting for example which scrambles the X10 signals in a not easily detectable way, but overall X10 functions correctly on the electrical communications (carried from 60 to 100 telegraphic meter between the controller and the receiver).
• a X10 filter envisaged for this purpose is supposed to filter any form of disturbance or to insulate any elements electrically potentially disturbing.
• the X10 signal donot can pass through a transformer or a three-phase food (unless using couplers of standard phase FD10).
• the X10 signals must be filtered at the entry or exit of a residence not to circulate on the close installations and vice versa (nonobligatory but recommended).
• It is possible to send one order at the same time on the sector 230 V~ under sorrow that those are struck and cancel themselves mutually.
• the transmission of a X10 order is slow. It is necessary to count on average three-quarter of second to transmit an order: the duration depends on the telegraphic length that the X10 order must traverse.
• to install X10 receivers embedded on an existing electrical communication (interruptory mural for example), it should be checked that the neutral also manages at the level of the switch to replace because X10 with need for the neutral to circulate. The ideal being to install the X10 modules in the form of module rail DIN on the electric control panel in order to have a free choice of the mural switches among all the manufacturers of the market (in pushbutton for a televariator or telecontactor).

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