X10 Installing My First Device – Part 3

This is part 3 of my X10 blog series.

In Part 2, I talked about installing ActiveHomePro and the CM15a controller. In this part, I will talk about getting my first device running over X10.

Step 1: Pick an X10 Lamp Module LM465

For your first device you could choose any of your modules, but the Lamp Module seems to be the obvious choice. Even ActiveHomePro (AHP) guides you to pick the LM465 as the first one to try.

Step 2: Find a Guinea Pig LM465 Device

The next step in testing out your X10 system is to find a good guinea pig device. It should have the following characteristics:

• Two prong power form factor
• 300W max consumption
• Visually obvious if it turns on/off
• Probably should be a lamp (see later post why!)
• If it is a lamp, must not have a CFL bulb in it (see later post)

I observed the first three, and ignored the fourth (to my detriment). For my purposes, an old radio was the easiest thing to muster and so I pressed it into service.

Step 3: Find a Suitable Test Outlet

Not only do you need a device, you also need an outlet;

• Plugged into an outlet in same room as you and CM15a
• Is powered on
  • Circuit breaker is not tripped
  • If wall switched, switch is on

Step 4: Make sure device is Switched On and outlet is Powered On

Once you have your device, make sure it is switched on by plugging it directly into the chosen outlet. This is obvious, but I can imagine someone spending time wrestling with X10 only to find that the device is switched off or the outlet is powered off.

Step 5: Plug device into Lamp Module LM465

Now, plug the LM465 into the wall, and the device into the LM465. The device is likely powered off at this moment. Also, the LM465 should be set to A1 on its dials.

Step 6: Try to Power Device On/Off via ActiveHomePro

Go back to AHP. By default, there is a room called My Room and it has a lamp named My Lamp configured as A1. You should now be able to power the lamp on and off by clicking on the switch in AHP. Did it work? It did for me.

Step 7: Enjoy Success (or not)

While I have done this task a million times with ZigBee gear, this was my first X10 device. Glad to see it actually work!

Not working for you? Follow my advice in this future post for some ideas on how to simplify your environment to get some success early.

Footnote: Switched vs. Powered

In my notes above, you will notice I used two words to talk about the state of the device.

• Switched on/off – means how the device was configured to operate using the device’s controls. For a lamp, this is the switch located on the lamp. For an outlet attached to a wall switch, it means that the wall switch is on/off.
• Powered on/off – means whether the device was receiving power. When plugged directly into an active outlet, it is always powered on. When plugged into an X10 module, it is powered on when the module has been commanded to turn the device on.