X-10 Powerline Carrier functionality ?
- Thread starter tomapowa
- Start date
BeanieBots
Moderator
It's really a question of target audience. Industry is more likely to use a PIC than a PICAXE. A young inexperienced student using a PICAXE is more likely to just turn LEDs on and off to simulate which lights would actually be controlled. This would in no way negate the comlexity of the control software or any creative thinking, it would simply put everything in a much safer environment. The fact that the real lights would be controlled by X10 would be irrelevant to such a project.
You are right about the two audiences having different requirements. Between School Students and Industrial/Professional users are the advanced students, serious hobbyists, and often semi-professional users who are unfortunately rarely catered for generally; the education market doesn't need it so doesn't have what's needed and the cost of using industrial kit is often too high or it is difficult to obtain.
Targeting the whole spectrum, including that middle ground, is IMHO what made Parallax and their Basic Stamps such a success in the USA, and the PICAXE has that potential in the UK and elsewhere.
While primarily targeting the education sector, Rev-Ed have I believe done a good job of catering for those more advanced users, although there will always be some things some users want which aren't there. The introduction of SMD PICAXE's does indicate to me that Rev-Ed are aware that there are users of PICAXE's outside the education sector, so I don't think it is fair to say all but that sector don't count or aren't listened to.
In defence of not adding X-10; it is something which has never caught on in the UK and therefore probably not something which a UK user would see as necessary. On the other hand, adding X-10 support ( and selling X-10 interfaces ) may be just what is needed to give X-10 the push it needs in the UK to become a more established technology.
Targeting the whole spectrum, including that middle ground, is IMHO what made Parallax and their Basic Stamps such a success in the USA, and the PICAXE has that potential in the UK and elsewhere.
While primarily targeting the education sector, Rev-Ed have I believe done a good job of catering for those more advanced users, although there will always be some things some users want which aren't there. The introduction of SMD PICAXE's does indicate to me that Rev-Ed are aware that there are users of PICAXE's outside the education sector, so I don't think it is fair to say all but that sector don't count or aren't listened to.
In defence of not adding X-10; it is something which has never caught on in the UK and therefore probably not something which a UK user would see as necessary. On the other hand, adding X-10 support ( and selling X-10 interfaces ) may be just what is needed to give X-10 the push it needs in the UK to become a more established technology.