X10 is a way of automating and controlling electrical appliances around your home using the existing electrical wiring to transmit the control signals. The system is based on a range of X10 transmitters and receivers that are connected to the wiring in the home, either by being permanently wired-in (a job for an electician) or using simple plug-in modules (which are suitable for DIY use). In basic terms, the system works by an X10 transmitter sending a control signal (such as "turn on", "turn off", "dim lights up" or "dim lights down" over the mains wiring to one or more X10 receivers, which then carry out that command for the circuit (or electrical appliance) that they control.
X10 receivers
X10 receivers are the part of the X10 system that actually control an appliance, or even an entire electrical circuit. There are two main types of X10 receiver:
- X10 appliance modules are used for controlling electrical appliances such as kettles, fans, heaters or televisions. They can also be used for controlling lighting, but only have the ability to turn appliances (or lights) on or off.
- X10 lamp modules are used for controlling lighting and so have the ability to execute "on", "off" and "dim" commands.
Each X10 receiver has an address which consists of a letter from A to P (called a house code) and a number from 1 to 16 (called a unit code) so that commands can be directed to just one X10 receiver (or to groups of X10 receivers which are set to the same code).
X10 receivers come in three different styles:
- Plug-in X10 receivers are simple adapters which plug into a standard mains socket and then control any device that is plugged into them when they receive an appropriate instruction from an X10 transmitter. As such they are a great way of getting started with X10 as they do not require any modification to the mains wiring.
- DIN rail X10 receivers are wired into the main consumer unit and control entire circuits throughout the house.
- Micromodule X10 receivers are small receivers which are designed to fit behind existing electrical switches and sockets, making your X10 installation invisible.
X10 transmitters
X10 transmitters are the part of the X10 system that are used to send signals to X10 receivers. There are two main types of X10 transmitter:
- Direct X10 transmitters are connected directly to the mains. The most common of these are X10 computer interfaces which you program with your computer and which can then control your electrical devices without further user intervention.
- X10 RF transmitters send a radio frequency (RF) signal to an X10 transceiver which is connected to the mains. The advantages of X10 RF transmitters are that they are freely placeable as they do not have to be connected directly to the mains (and many can be carried around the house with you).
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