x-10 Technology – The Low-key Protocol

by Andrew Reed

Last December we described the Superna Home Automation system in the context of its convenience and ease of operation for homeowners and apartment dwellers. Now, for those who are neither techno-geeks or -phobes, but just interested and curious potential customers, here’s a somewhat closer look at the x10 protocol that’s one of the industry standards for operating automated systems.

x10 is a communications protocol. Unlike familiar protocols like TCP/IP that are used in sophisticated computer communications, however, x10 uses only one-tenth of one percent – 1/1000 – of the bandwidth needed for a dial-up connection. The system simply piggy-backs on the 60 mHz power of standard home wiring by sending a 120 mHz signal along the same electric lines. That limitation is also a benefit: x10 commands are slow, low-power, and very simple: “turn the radio off,” for example.

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