Support for PCS UPB?

loo_hoo_ser · Post by **loo_hoo_ser** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 2:20 pm

Is there any planned support for PCSLighting's UPB products? Smarthome.com is now carrying some of these products.

Here is a representative link:

http://www.pulseworx.com/interface.html

If all the hype is to be believed, then UPB promises to be a very promising home automation technology. Supposedly, it has superior transmission capabilies and reliablity compared to X10 technology. The nice thing about this is that it supports the same setup as X10 so you could, in theory, replace all the X10 gear with the UPB gear. There is new stuff coming out - wall dimmers, plug in dimmers, etc. There is even a discrete input/output module for custom interface applications.

There are a lot of features that this technology supports that X10 does not provide, such as toggling lights on and off from their current states (eg. a lit light would turn off and then back on without remaining off and vice versa).

Since the UPB interface module is RS232 based, is it possible that Housebot will be supporting this module as a plugin? I can see Housebot being a bridge for the X10 and UPB devices - they can co-exist together and would provide an upgrade path (e.g. keep some X10 devices until UPB replacements are found, etc).

The big promise that UPB technology would be better signal transmission without having to worry about X-10 "black-holes" such as capacitive loads (e.g. power strips and TV's), phase changes, and diminishing signal strengths (e.g. no booster needed).

Thoughts?

Technical Janitor · Post by **Technical Janitor** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 2:25 pm

We ordered 2 light switches and the computer interface for testing. The switches are great and WAY more reliable that X10.

I'd love to see UPB incorporation into Housebot.

loo_hoo_ser · Post by **loo_hoo_ser** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 2:36 pm

Seems to me that the Housebot RS232 interface plugin could be used as a kludge until a formal plugin could be written?

I take it that you've already tried X10? I've had my fair share of X10 problems - the usual disappearing X10 commands, unexplained behavior, and worst of all - questionable reliability.

I know there are hardwired solutions (e.g. Lutron, Crestron) but they strike me as overkill for modest homes and requires extensive rewiring. Also, they are not flexible once the hardwired switches are in place. I love the flexibility of the X10 system - mix and match, but despise its flakiness. Every time I add a module, I'm afraid it will upset my carefully planned X10 scheme - something else may stop "working".

So, to me, the UPB would be big step up - near reliability of a truly hardwired system, and the flexiblity of the current X10 product line.

pavlov70 · Post by **pavlov70** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 2:45 pm

I too am interested in UPB. I used X10 in my last house and it wasn't very reliable. UPB and Housebot would be an incredible duo.

spike5884 · Post by **spike5884** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 10:07 pm

Very interesting interface. Looks to be very reliable when compared to x10. That reliability comes at a high price though when compared to x10 prices. Hopefully the price of the modules and such will come done when they become more mainstream.

loo_hoo_ser · Post by **loo_hoo_ser** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 11:49 am

Assuming the UPB is reliable as they make it out to be - without needing additional powerline filters and signal boosters, then there is already an inherent advantage over an X10 setup (assuming both are modestly sized at 10 nodes). UPB devices are all 2-way - as far as I know, it is required in the specification.

X10 devices are either 1 way or 2 way with the 2 way devices being considerably pricier than their 1 way counterparts. The basic X10 powerhouse modules are that, basic. They have no frills - basic on, off, bright, dim, and maybe all-on/all off commands. In comparision, Smarthome's X10 modules add more features such as fade rates, last on settings, and turn on to a preset level (instead of 100% on). These are all features I definitely appreciate, but they do cost more than the basic X10 Powerhouse module.

Comparing apples and apples, here is a price breakdown. Let's assume that we want 5 wall switches and 5 lamp modules. Using Smarthome.com as a pricing reference, here is how it looks. By the way, in order for this to be truly apples-to-apples, all the X10 modules MUST be 2 way to be considered similar to a UPB configuration.

X10 Setup

5 x Switchlinc 2-way @ $59.99 ea = $299.95

5 x Lamplinc 2-way @ $19.99 ea = $99.95

3 x Filterlinc, 5 amp @ $21.99 ea = $65.97

2 x Boosterlinc @ $99.99 ea = $199.98

1 x Powerlinc USB @ $29.99 ea = $29.99

Total = $695.84

UPB Setup

5 x UPB Wall Switch Dimmer @ $79.99 ea = $399.95

5 x UPB Lamp Module @ $74.99 ea = $374.95

1 x UPB PC Interface Module @ $94.99 ea

Total = $869.89

There you have it, a difference of about $174 between the two comparable setups. I would rather pay a bit more for dramatically increased reliability (UPB's touted 99% vs X-10's 70-80%).

In my house, I ended up having to buy more X10 filter modules and a X10 signal booster module and I'm still not happy with my X10 setup. I'd be willing to pay a bit more for increased reliablity (if it indeed does pan out for UPB). But, I'd need to see more software integration (eg. Housebot) for me to accept UPB. I do not want to be locked into a single proprietary software package that will have me holding the bag in a few years from now. I believe Homeseer currently integrates UPB in their package (but they're not as cool as Housebot with the SW remotes).