FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions This
section discusses very general questions.
For more specific information see: Who
is ACT? Our
major products include ICC (Interface Control Components) products, PCC
(Powerline Control Components) plus custom OEM (original equipment
manufacturing) engineering projects utilizing LonWorks and CEBus
protocols and direct control systems. Although
it is a common misconception, ACT is not owned by neither X-10 nor
Leviton.
ACT
can provide custom products, specialty devices, design and
manufacturing services. While
ACT warrants its products for 2 years, that warranty is for
workmanship and materials of the products themselves.
We cannot warrant the installer’s experience in PCC
or X-10,
their knowledge of the products nor their design and troubleshooting
skills. Please be advised
that although most PCC
systems work flawlessly and without incident, there are many
conditions beyond ACT’s control that can greatly influence the
overall performance of any system that communicates over existing
electrical distribution lines.
If you do require
support, please read through this Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
for specific areas before seeking assistance. If the products
were purchased through a dealer, local representative or
distributor, please call their technical support line for
assistance. ACT offers technical
support only for those companies who purchase direct. If
appropriate, email ACT for assistance (act_custserv@act-solutions.com).
ACT charges a 25% restocking fee on all returns. All items must
be returned to ACT in original condition and be accompanied by an
RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) number.
ACT's policies are
posted on our website at:
http://www.act-solutions.com/AboutACT.htm#Contact
You can download our
terms and conditions from our website at:
http://www.act-solutions.com/pdfs/general/terms.pdf http://www.act-solutions.com/pdfs/general/warranty.pdf This
section discusses questions on who we are.
See also:
Q:
Why are there no code wheels on ACT transmitters?
How do I set the address? Q:
What sort of PCC transmitters exist? Q:
How many different addresses does the standard X-10 protocol provide? Q:
Are any of ACT's A10 products capable of more than 256 addresses? Q:
Why do none of the ACT PCC transmitters list a current rating? Q:
If there is no neutral wire in the wall box, can I use the ground
wire? Q:
Does ACT offer 3-way capable A10 receivers? Q:
Does ACT offer any receivers capable of more than 256 addresses? This
section discusses questions on transmitters.
See also: FAQ
- Receivers Q:
Why are there no code wheels on ACT receivers?
How do I set the address? Q. What sort of ACT PCC receivers exist? A: While most residential distributors of X-10 compatible receivers sell mostly plug-in receivers, ACT sells mostly hard-wired 120v, 208v, 240v, 277v and 480v receivers. Our new A10 units (see our A10 overview document for information) have true 2-way communications, enhanced features, improved reliability and user selectable options. Q:
Why is it that a 240v receiver will not work on 208v? Q:
Why do most X-10 receivers have 2 wires while ACT receivers have 3
wires? Q: Why are 3-way switch arrangements so hard to do? For more information on 3-way and 4-way switch circuits, see article(s) from the Which One Should I Use series: WOSIU #6 WOSIU #7 WOSIU #8 Q: Does ACT offer 3-way capable A10 receivers? A: Yes but not in the same way as the older X-10 devices work. In the past, an auxiliary switch (often called a "slave" switch) had no LED to display the state of the controlled load. This was unacceptable in the opinion of ACT. In order to achieve a higher degree of reliability, flexibility and more user options, ACT decided to always use a wall mounted receiver matched to an accompanying wall mount transmitter. In this way, a user near either unit will be able to see the state of load since both have status LED's. Q: Does ACT offer any receivers capable of more than 256 addresses? A: Yes. Many of ACT's A10 receivers are capable of being addresses for either standard code with 256 addresses, or for "Extended Addressing" with 4,096 addresses. This
section discusses questions on receivers. See
also: FAQ
- Passive Couplers -
Back
to Top Q:
What are the most common PCC problems? Q:
Does ACT make a "bridge"? Q:
How does the CP000 work? Q:
Can it be installed inside the panel? A:
While some electrical inspectors may allow it, this is not universally
accepted. ACT recommends
that it be installed into a standard 2x4 box adjacent to the
electrical panel. Q:
Will the CP000 fix all coupling problems? Q:
Other than coupling, what is another common problem? Q:
How can I tell if noise is my problem and what can I do about it? More
information on both passive and active coupling can be found in the
Which One Should I Use series: This
sections discusses passive couplers and filters. See also:
Q:
If the CP000 will not fix a coupling problem, what are the
alternatives? Q:
How does an installer know which Coupler/Repeater is right for the
job? Q:
How does a Coupler/Repeater work? Q:
Will all ACT Coupler/Repeaters work with "Extended
Addressing"? Q:
Do the ACT "CR’s" operate the same as another company’s
"amplifier"? Q:
How does the CA000 amplifier work? More
information on both passive and active coupling can be found in the
Which One Should I Use series: This
sections discusses active couplers.
See also: What
Is PCC? -
Back
to Top As
in many industries, Advanced Control Technologies uses acronyms
to abbreviate its product lines.
"PCC" is merely an abbreviation for Powerline
Control Components. Often, we even
abbreviate "Advanced Control Technologies" as just
"ACT". Most of
ACT’s "PCC" products operate using the X-10
protocol. The most common
method for sending command signals over existing electrical wiring is
the X-10
protocol. Although widely
used and essentially unchanged for many years, recent improvements
have begun to impact the industry.
Many of our more recently designed products, take advantage of
newer technology to improve the reliability and capability of the
original X-10
idea. While most PCC
products are made to conform to the standard 256 addresses and command
sequence common in many X-10
compatible devices, they also have features available in no other
products of comparable price. Other
PCC devices go beyond the basic 256 address structure and are capable
of far more addresses. Called
"Extended
Addressing",
devices with this feature allow an installation to have up to 4,096
unique addresses, but this is usually reserved for industrial and
commercial installations. All
PCC equipment uses the building’s own electrical distribution system
to communicate and so an unpolluted electrical environment is
essential. Specific
knowledge and training are required to properly design and install PCC
systems. As such, it must
be acknowledged that a significant amount of importance is placed on
the system designer’s training and experience.
The ultimate responsibility for the system’s success lies
with those on site.
The user acknowledges that the application of any ACT PCC
equipment to any electrical systems is unique and therefore should be
performed by trained installers, adhering to all appropriate
electrical codes. Nothing
contained in this FAQ is intended to create any liability or
engineering responsibility on behalf of Advanced Control
Technologies, Inc. See
also:
What
is A10? -
Back
to Top Nearly
all of the changes in PCC products have come
about because of the introduction of our "A10" module.
Since "A10" is a new term for most people, it is
appropriate that we offer this short synopsis of ACT and A10: Advanced
Control Technologies
started on September 1, 1987 and began manufacturing Interface Control
Components (or "ICC" for short) selling them to the biggest
HVAC and Controls companies in the country. On
November 1, 1989, ACT began selling products made for us by X-10 Ltd.
Those products used the X-10
protocol to transmit command signals over existing electrical wiring.
This product line is called "Powerline Control
Components" (or "PCC"
for short). In
1989, nearly every PCC
product was made for ACT by X-10 but from the start, ACT engineers
began designing new products to fill in the gaps.
The TI100 was one example.
It was designed and manufactured here in Indiana.
It was not made by X-10 Ltd. In
1998, ACT began a project to make a completely new line of PCC
products that would be X-10
compatible, but with more features, better operation and higher
reliability. We called it
A10 for "Advanced X-10".
The products feature improvements on these five main points:
- "X-10 Compatible" means that they use the
same protocol. They will
work in older X-10
(Leviton, X-10 Pro, ACT PCC) installations.
That does not mean that they will always "look" the
same, are the same size nor fit in the same box.
- "More Features" means that they are more
user-configurable. The
user can choose which features to use, and which not to use.
They are no longer limited to the "hard-set"
functions in X-10
units. They also offer
true 2-way communications. You
can now ask them their status and they will answer! - "Better Operation" means that they operate in higher noise levels and lower signal levels. Where other X-10 devices will not work, these will.
- "Higher Reliability" is easy.
They work! And
they continue to work. They
can extract signal out of noisy environments and they transmit more
signal power. And they
last.
- "More Addresses" means that many of ACT's
A10 products are also capable of more than 256 addresses.
Called "Extended
Addressing",
these devices allow an installation to have up to 4,096 unique
addresses. The
basis of all our A10 products is the A10 module.
(See our A10
overview document
for more information.) The
A10 module is the "engine", around which most of our new
products are be based. It
contains all the common components and programming.
The A10 module is a small, patented, circuit board (about the
size of two postage stamps) which acts as the brain for each new
product. The A10 module
is not, in itself, a complete product.
By itself it can do nothing.
Although it is not a "usable" product, ACT does sell
them to other manufactures who are designing their products around our
A10 engine. See
also: What
is X-10? -
Back
to Top A
detailed explanation of the protocol and its history can be found here. The
X-10 protocol is a popular method of transmitting digital command data
over existing electrical wiring.
It is important to know that in most cases, this FAQ file will
use the term "X-10" whenever referring to the protocol and
not necessarily, the company. X-10
Ltd. is the company whose heritage goes back to the company which
originated the concept. The name "X-10" originally referred to the project number, "Experiment #10". It described a method of using high frequency 120kHz pulses to transmit binary data over existing electrical wiring. It is a communications protocol for remote control of electrical devices. It is designed for communications between X-10 compatible transmitters and receivers which communicate on standard electrical wiring. Transmitters
and receivers may be the type that simply plug into standard
electrical outlets although most industrial / commercial units are
meant to be hardwired into electrical boxes. Transmitters send
commands such as "on", "off" preceded by the
identification (or address) of the receiver to be controlled. This
broadcast goes out over the electrical wiring in a building. Although
most X-10 compatible devices, regardless of the name on them, are
manufactured by the X-10 Ltd. company, ACT is an exception.
Most of ACT’s products are designed and manufactured by ACT
in its own facility. ACT
is engaged in the design and manufacture
of specialty X-10 compatible devices for the remote control and
automation marketplace. (See
also: WOSIU
#13, from
the Which One Should I Use series,
which is a detailed explanation of the protocol and
its history and "PCC"
in this FAQ.) See
also: What
is "Extended Addressing"?
-
Back
to Top In
mid-2001, ACT began releasing new versions of existing products with
new "Extended Addressing" capability.
Most PCC
users already understand that there are 256 available addresses in the
X-10 protocol. That is 2
to the 8th power, which is a round number, binaurally speaking.
Many users also know that "Extended Code 1" does not
specifically provide for any more than 256 addresses.
However, it doesn't "exclude" them either.
Engineers at ACT have taken an unused portion of the X-10
Extended Code protocol to create more addresses. This
FAQ section will help explain "extended addressing": Q:
What are the available standard code addresses? Q:
How many addresses are available in the "extended
address" format? Q:
Is this the same as the "ACT Code" that became
available a few years ago and is used in proprietary systems? Q:
Is this new "extended addressing" different than
X-10's "Extended Code"? Q:
How does the new extended addressing fit within the X-10
"Extended Code 1" protocol? Q:
Will this mean that I will need special repeaters? Q:
How will we configure a new device for an extended address? Q:
Will all "extended address" devices configure the
same way? Q:
Will ACT "extended address" devices work with any
other company's
transmitters? For
more information on the TI103-RS232 and TI103-RS485, see:
Q:
Will ACT "extended address" devices work with
standard commands? Q:
Will ACT "extended address" devices work with global
commands? Q:
Are ACT "extended address" devices 2-way? See
also: How to Order? - Back to Top
Advanced Control Technologies (ACT) designs and manufactures a
great variety of products. Our PCC (Powerline Control
Components, X-10 compatible) and our HPW (HomePro Wireless,
Z-Wave, RF) product lines are sold separately from our ICC
(Interface Control Components) line of products. The
information below pertains only to the PCC and
the HPW product lines.
ESC: An "ESC" (Engineered Systems Centers) is
a company who has the training and experience in ACT products
which qualifies them to represent ACT in their respective
territories. When possible, ACT will refer all customers to the
ESC in their area. If you do not know who sells ACT products in
your area, please email us at
act_custserv@act-solutions.com.
Pricing: ACT does not publish our prices on
our website, but will provide a price list when appropriate. To
initiate contact, please send an email to us at
act_custserv@act-solutions.com.
Ordering ACT products: ACT maintains a network
of representatives called "ESC's" (Engineered Systems Centers).
These representatives not only sell our products, but understand
how they work, and know how to design systems using our
products. Obviously, we want the end-user to be able to get
support from the company in their area. If at all possible, all
new customers will be referred to existing ESC's. However, if
no ESC exists in your area, you may be able to order direct from
ACT.
Placing an order direct: ACT prefers orders in
writing (fax or email). When ordering direct from ACT (either
as an existing ESC, or as a new customer in an area not
currently served by an existing ESC) then your purchase orders
must have all the required information. ACT will accept
computer generated purchase orders, however if you would rather
simply send us your orders by email, please refer to Powerline
Order Information.
See
also: What
is a PDF File? -
Back
to Top Before 1993, anyone wanting to exchange documents needed to have the same application and fonts used to create the documents to see them exactly the way they were designed. Now, that is not necessary. The ACT marketing department can create product specification and instruction sheets using a word processing program that is too expensive for most people to buy for their own use. Converting them to "PDF" files means that anyone will be able to see, read and print the documents using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software and it retains all the pictures, the look and the design intended by ACT. To download a free "PDF" reader, go to: See
also:
Back
to Top
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