CP290 Director X is Mac OS X software that controls the original X10 home automation computer controlled interface, model number CP290. It completely replaces the Mac software that comes with the CP290, and has unique features not found in other Mac-based CP290 controllers.
CP290 Director X supports the standard CP290 features including:
- Turning on and off modules immediately, including turning them on dimmed;
- Defining "turn on" and "turn off" events to be stored in the CP290 and executed by the CP290 even if the Mac is shut down. Such events include:
- Turning a module on or off once at the specified time today;
- Turning a module on or off once at the specified time tomorrow;
- Turning a module on or off every week at the specified time and day(s) of the week;
- Turning a module on or off every week within an hour of the specified time and day(s) of the week; (security mode); - Displaying the events currently stored in the CP290;
- Setting the base house code of the CP290, which is the house code it uses when its 8 on/off buttons are pressed;
- Setting the clock in the CP290 to the clock in the Mac;
- Displaying the clock in the CP290, and
- Performing a self test function.
In addition to the above, the CP290 Director X supports the following additional features:
- The ability to specify that an event is to occur at sunrise or sunset (plus or minus a specified time interval);
- The ability to specify a specific date on which an event is to occur, and optionally the interval in days thereafter that the event should be repeated;
- The ability to specify that the event should occur only on even days or on odd days.
X10 systems usually work reasonably reliably, turning on or off the selected module when the CP290 commands it. However, occasionally noise or interference in your wiring can cut reliability whereby a module is not turned on or off at the requested time. The best solution to this problem, if acute, is to install noise filters, signal bridges, or amplifiers. However, you may find that CP290 Director X solves the problem for you. CP290 Director X allows you to optionally specify that each "on" event should be sent more than once to the module, and/or that each "off" event should be sent more than once. Thus, if the first command to turn off doesn't work, the second or third one might. If you specify that an event should be sent more than once, it will be sent the specified number of times (two to four) at one minute intervals.
CP290 Director X has the same basic functionality as CP290 Director (a MacOS 9/Classic program), but has been rewritten for Mac OS X. However, it is backwards-compatible with CP290 Director in that it reads and processes CP290 Director files.
