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    Basic RS232

    I have a device with an RS232 communication port. I would like to program the device to control X-10 components. Is the LynX10-PLC the right product for me to accomplish this?

    -Eric

    #2
    I think you have several options that provide a powerline interface via RS232. Some are dumb and require software on the host side of the RS232. Others are smart where the control logic can exists either in the interface or on the host.

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      #3
      Since my device is rather simple, I will need a "smart" RS232 powerline interface. I would just like to send it simple commands over the RS232 such as turn on address A2. Can the LynX10-PLC be used for this? Or is there a better product for this?

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        #4
        The LynX10-PLC has a pretty straight-forward protocol and some very good documentation to go along with it. I've written drivers for the CM11A, the TI103, and the LynX10-PLC. The Lynx was by far the easiest to implement. Don't expect much from their tech support. You may have to wait several weeks before you get replies.

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          #5
          It may have a straight forward protocol but there are some subtle things about it that must cause driver writers nightmares. Witness the fact that after more than a year we've still got a couple of low occurance bugs that haven't been fixed because the circumstances that cause them don't leave much in the way of clues.

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            #6
            Brian, I've read you're posts regaring Lynx issues and it sounds like they're more of a HomeSeer plug-in problem than with the actual Lynx hardware. In my tests with several differnt X10 interfaces running on a different software platform, the LynX10PLC has performed flawlessly.

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              #7
              They are certainly related to the plug-in, but I don't think you can say one way or another just what the root cause is. Is there some subtle firmware bug in the Lynx? Is there some error recovery sequence that isn't fully/correctly documented in the protocol to talk to it? Is there a bug in the plug-in?

              Given that it appears to be a problem that only occurs under heavy command load or under noisy serial line conditions, you might not have come across it in your testing yet. While the Lynx is certainly better than the old CM11A, a bit of caution is still advised.

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