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Using WIRELESS X10 devices only? Please read this!

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    Using WIRELESS X10 devices only? Please read this!

    Over the years, X10 has become a generic term for a couple of different communication technologies, specifically PLC (Power Line Carrier) and RF (Radio Frequency). While everyone thinks of these as "X10" they are very different.

    PLC X10 is a communication system that uses the power lines in your home to send and receive commands. A hardware interface and plugin that allows HomeSeer to "talk" to the power line devices through the interface will be required.

    RF X10 uses radio frequency signals to communicate without wires and requires a hardware RF interface and plugin to allow HomeSeer to use these devices.

    If you are using power line devices such as dimmers, switches, etc., then you will need a hardware interface that HomeSeer can use to "talk" to your devices over the power line, and you'll need a plugin so HomeSeer can "talk" to the hardware interface. There are many interfaces by various manufacturers and the mfisher (formerly HomeSeer) plugins provide support for the CM11a/Ti103 and CM15a hardware.

    The CM11a/Ti103 hardware interfaces can only communicate with power line devices, and the HomeSeer CM11a/Ti103 plugin only works with interfaces that are compatible with these interfaces.

    The CM15a hardware interface can communicate with power line devices and also has the ability to send and receive X10 RF. (Note that some CM15a plugin users have reported issues with RF functionality, and a few have gone to the extreme of removing the RF module from their CM15a to alleviate this.) The CM15a plugin currently supports only powerline communications and does not support RF communications (they are disabled in the plugin).

    If you are only using RF devices, such as motion sensors or security sensors, then you do not need X10 power line hardware or a corresponding HomeSeer plugin. Instead you will require an X10 compatible RF Receiver and HomeSeer plugin for the receiver.

    The X10/CM15a plugins only handle powerline X10 communications and not anything wireless. Do not use the X10 plugin to create or manage wireless devices (such as motion sensors) that are interfaced to HS via BLRadar or any other wireless interface/plugin. The only time to use the X10 plugin for wireless motion sensors is if you have installed a TM751 wireless-to-powerline unit which retransmits the wireless X10 signal onto the powerline.
    Best regards,
    -Mark-

    If you're not out on the edge, you're taking up too much room!
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