Specifications

BASIC Stamp II Application Notes
Parallax, Inc. • BASIC Stamp Programming Manual 1.8 • Page 347
2
color codes can vary in phone cables, so be sure to follow the numbers
imprinted next to the modular jack on the PL-513 or TW-523 unit.
The program listing shows how to send X-10 commands through this
hookup. The listing is self-explanatory, and the procedures are simple,
as long as you keep some ground rules in mind:
• House codes A through P are represented as values from 0 to 15 in
the Xout command.
• Unit codes 1 through 16 are represented as values from 0 to 15 in
the Xout command.
• Every X-10 transmission must include a house code.
• Except for Dim and Bright, all codes are sent for a default of two
cycles. You don’t have to specify the number of cycles for com-
mands other than Dim and Bright, unless you are sending mul-
tiple codes in a single instruction. See the listing for examples.
• It takes 19 cycles for a lamp to go from fully bright to fully dim and
vice versa. There’s also a peculiar logic to the operation of the Dim
and Bright commands (see the table). To set a specific level of
brightness, you should first reset the dimmer module by turning
it off, then back on.
• In some homes, X-10 signals may not be able to reach all outlets
without a little help. A device called an ACT CP000 Phase Coupler
(about $40 retail from the source below) installed on the electrical
breaker box helps X-10 signals propagate across the phases of the
AC line. For larger installations, there are also amplifiers, repeat-
ers, etc.
Sources. X-10 compatible modules are available from many home
centers, electrical suppliers, and electronics retailers, including Radio
Lamp is... And you send...
OFF ON DIM BRIGHT
OFF/FULL no effect turns ON/FULL turns ON/FULL turns ON/FULL
ON/FULL turns OFF/FULL no effect dims no effect
OFF/DIM turns OFF/FULL no effect no effect brightens
ON/DIM turns OFF/FULL no effect dims brightens
Operation of the Dim and Bright Commands
1: X-10 Control