Control X10 devices in your home using your Crystalfontz display
I thought it would be fun to be able to control devices in my house using an LCD module. Since the Crystalfontz CFA-631 and CFA-635 have keypads, they were a perfect choice for displays to use. The idea was to be able to scroll through a list of devices I have in my home and allow me to turn them on and off using the buttons on the keypad.
This software will allow you to do just that! With it, you can configure up to 32 devices, scroll through and control them using the buttons on your display. Combined with some X10 hardware, a Crystalfontz CFA-631 or 635 module and this software, you can create a nice little LCD keypad for controlling appliances in your home. Use it with an embedded Windows PC to create a small footprint device that can be mounted anywhere in your home. The possibilities are endless!
What you need
- CFA-631 or CFA-635 X10 Control software (coming soon)
- Crystalfontz CFA-631 or CFA-635 display module (and USB driver for Windows)
- X10 Firecracker device
- X10 control module(s) and transceiver(s) (for the devices you want to control)
- PC running Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP (with .NET framework installed)
- Available 9-pin serial port (for Firecracker device)
- Available USB or serial port (for LCD module)
Instructions
- Plug your devices (lamps, appliances, etc.) into X10 modules, making sure to set the house code and device number for each one (please refer to the instructions that come with your modules for more details)
- Plug the X10 Firecracker device into an available serial port
- Plug your LCD into an available USB or serial port (make sure the Crystalfontz USB driver is installed first)
- Download the software, run it and configure your ports and device names
Program usage
Once you run the application, you will see a screen representation of your display (see screenshots on this page). Right-clicking on the application will give you a menu with options to configure, minimize the application to the system tray or exit.
On the configuration screen, select the serial ports your Firecracker device and LCD are connected to and enter the group and individual device names that correspond to your X10 modules. The four group names refer to the different house code letters located on your X10 modules (A, B, C and D). Give these a unique name (i.e. 'Main Floor' or 'Basement'), depending on how you have your modules configured.
Within each group, up to eight device names can be entered. These numbers correspond to the device numbers also located on your X10 modules. Give these a unique name (i.e. 'Bar lights' or 'Table lamp') to identify your devices.
When scrolling through devices on your LCD, the group name will appear on the first line of your display and device names will appear on the second line. See the layouts below.
CFA-631 version
- Use the upper-left button (labeled 'Group') to scroll through your groups of devices
- Use the upper-right button (labeled 'Device') to scroll through your devices within the currently selected group
- Use the lower-left button (labeled 'ON') to turn on a device
- Use the lower-right button (labeled 'OFF') to turn off a device
CFA-635 version
- Use the up button to scroll forward through your groups of devices
- Use the down button to scroll backward through your groups of devices
- Use the right button to scroll forward through your devices within the currently selected group
- Use the left button to scroll backward through your devices within the currently selected group
- Use the enter button (checkmark) to turn on a device
- Use the cancel button (marked X) to turn off a device