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X10 home automation has been popular in the USA for some years now, and is
slowly beginning to gain popularity in the UK and Europe, providing a very
cheap and easy way to build a Smart Home System.
X10 uses your existing mains wiring to transmit signals around your house to
turn lights and appliances on or off. It also uses radio signals from remote
control pads and sensors (such as motion detectors) to trigger events. X10
Devices are readily available and our Free Home
Automation Software 'HomeLife' allows you to make full use of your X10
devices.
The advantages of X10 are that it can be installed easily (and cheaply) with
your existing lights and appliances - there is no need for any re-wring
whatsoever. The modules plug directly into your existing outlets, the two most
popular being:
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The Lamp Module, which plugs directly into your light fitting.
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The Appliance Module, which plugs directly into your existing wall socket.
There is also the Transceiver Module, which receives signals from all radio
transmitter devices (such as motion sensors or remote control pads), and
re-transmits the signals along the mains cables.
Each Module has a configurable address consisting of a house code (A to P) and a
unit code (1 to 16), which means you can control up to 256 different devices.
You can start with a very basic system and extend it as you want, using many of
the modules that are readily available. You can also enhance the system by
adding computer control using software such as our free
HomeLife package.
HomeLife - Our Free X10 Home Automation Software
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