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 TECHLINE
by Jim Youngquist
[JUNE
27, 2000] There’s
a certain special kind of boredom that ultimately comes with owning a
computer system. Perhaps you have experienced it. When you get your new
system, you are excited, can’t wait to learn more, spend evenings,
weekends, every moment you are awake learning about every program, every
button. And then the newness wears off; you have mastered almost every
program. The boredom creeps up on you, and when it finally overtakes
you, the result is that you leave your computer system off and spend
your time doing something else. After a week or so, you return to the
computer again, this time with less excitement, hoping to be enticed by
something undiscovered. But you own every program on Wal-Mart’s rack,
and nothing looks good enough at Staples.
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How
about something new to rekindle your computer interest? Something
to do while you are inside this summer avoiding the heat? Wouldn’t
it be great if you could actually control something with your
computer? How about the ability to control all the lights, the
temperature in your house, the pump on your pool, the TV-antennae
rotator, your security system, your entire entertainment system
and even the bathroom ventilation fan. All these things are
possible, and you can start at affordable prices.
I
began dreaming of being able to control lights and other devices
back in 1977 when I got my first computer. I worked hard to
utilize the digital-to-analog circuit in my Commodore Pet to build
an interface that would allow me to switch lights and motors on
and off, but my first attempts back then were impractical and
flawed. After I got my first PC system in 1981, my desire to
control my universe was greater than ever, but the elements to
take control were still un-invented and beyond my ability to
design. Today the system to take control exists, and you can buy
elements of it locally or over the internet.
The
system is called X-10. It involves a communication device that you
attach to your computer, a controller that you attach to whatever
you want to control, and a software program that interfaces you to
this remarkable system. Based on your choice of communication
devices, you either send a radio signal through the air to the
device being controlled, or a radio signal through the wiring in
your house, allowing you to control it completely.
I
started with a kit that I ordered from a catalog. In this kit I
received a controller that I plugged into my computer and into an
outlet in my house, several controllers that I placed on various
lighting circuits throughout the house, and a software program
that not only allowed me to turn lights on and off, but allowed me
to dim them as well. The software program was aware of the current
status of the device it was controlling, so that I could look at
the screen and tell whether the lights on the other side of house
had been left on, and I could turn them off (saving electricity)
without leaving my chair.
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column)
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There
are device modules for controlling lights, light appliances, heavy
appliances, and even light and heavy electrical motors. The lighting
modules allow you to turn lights off and on, and dim them on command.
The software allows you to write macros to control the devices, based
on time of day or other conditions.
Ceiling
fans can be turned on and off based on the temperature of the room.
X-10 devices are even available to control your thermostat, and with
the free software that comes with that device, can program your home
to be more energy efficient by changing the temperature during the day
to reflect times when people are there and when the home is
uninhabited.
Home
security has never been as efficient as when you leave your computer
in charge. Security devices to monitor and react to intrusion can be
completely controlled by X-10, and coupling security with the ability
to control every lighting circuit in your house could make for some
interesting and entertaining security effects. Remote radio cameras,
microphones and phone controls will allow your system to sense what is
happening at your home even when you aren’t there. The result can be
a customized system which entertains the burglar and alerts you and
the police to their presence.
X-10
has products in several price ranges, and is a system that can grow
with your desires and your budget. Hand-held control devices
supplement your system by allowing you control over your environment
as you walk. You can even integrate voice control into your X-10
system with the voice-control modules that can be added at any time. I
recommend starting slow and planning ahead. X-10 can be very
practical, very entertaining and allow you to start being in complete
control of the universe (hopefully they will soon come out with a
control module for the kids, the wife and the neighbor’s dog).
You
can obtain X-10 devices locally at your Radio Shack store, and on the
web at http://www.x10.com/products/products.htm
and http://www.smarthome.com/.
Search for the keyword x-10 to find other x-10 related sites.
[Jim
Youngquist]
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