smart home PowerLinc USB User manual

PowerLinc USBTM
Control your home automation devices quickly
and simply through the power of USB!
#1132U PowerLinc USB
Patent Pending
About PowerLinc USB’s Certification
PowerLinc USB has been thoroughly tested by ITS ETL
SEMKO, a nationally recognized independent third-party
testing laboratory. Products bearing North American ETL
Listed mark signifies that the product has been tested to
and has met the requirements of a widely recognized
consensus of U.S and Canadian product safety standards,
that the manufacturing site has been audited, and that the
manufacturer has agreed to a program of quarterly factory
follow-up inspections to verify continued conformance.
Smarthome Limited Warranty
Smarthome warrants to the original consumer purchaser of this product that, for a period of two years
from the date of purchase, this product will be free from defects in material and workmanship and will
perform in substantial conformity to the description of the product in this Owner's Manual. This warranty
shall not apply to defects or errors caused by misuse or neglect.
If the product is found to be defective in material or workmanship or if the product does not perform as
warranted above during the warranty period, Smarthome will either repair it, replace it or refund the
purchase price, at its option, upon receipt of the product at the address below, postage prepaid, with
proof of the date of purchase and an explanation of the defect or error. The repair, replacement, or
refund that is provided for above shall be the full extent of Smarthome's liability with respect to this
product.
For repair or replacement during the warranty period, call Smarthome customer service to receive an
RA# (return authorization number), properly package the product (with the RA# clearly printed on the
outside of the package) and send the product, along with all other required materials, to:
Smarthome
ATTN: Receiving Dept.
16542 Millikan Ave
Irvine, CA 92606-5027
Limitations:
THE ABOVE WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF AND SMARTHOME DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER WARRANTIES,
WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY, INCLUDING
ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WHICH MAY NOT BE
DISCLAIMED OR SUPPLANTED AS PROVIDED ABOVE SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE ONE YEAR PERIOD OF
THE EXPRESS WARRANTY ABOVE. NO OTHER REPRESENTATION OR CLAIM OF ANY NATURE BY ANY
PERSON SHALL BE BINDING UPON SMARTHOME OR MODIFY THE TERMS OF THE ABOVE WARRANTY
AND DISCLAIMER.
IN NO EVENT SHALL SMARTHOME BE LIABLE FOR SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER
DAMAGES RESULTING FROM THE POSSESSION OR USE OF THIS PRODUCT, INCLUDING WITHOUT
LIMITATION DAMAGE TO PROPERTY AND, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, PERSONAL INJURY, EVEN
IF SMARTHOME KNEW OR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts and/or the exclusion or
limitation of damages, in which case the above limitations and/or exclusions may not apply to you. You
may also have other legal rights, which may vary from state to state.
ControLinc, TesterLinc, SignaLinc, LampLinc, ToggleLinc, BoosterLinc, ApplianceLinc, KeypadLinc, FilterLinc,
ProbeLinc, SwitchLinc, TempLinc, IR Linc & SmarthomeLive are trademarked by Smarthome, Inc.
© Copyright 2003 Smarthome, 16542 Millikan Ave., Irvine, CA 92606-5027
800.SMART.HOME - 949.221.9200 - www.smarthome.com
rev 103103

Home Control Assistant for PowerLinc Limited
This version only supports the PowerLinc USB interface. It restricts users to four
programs and one schedule with four entries. It supports Smarthome's SwitchLinc,
KeypadLinc, and other ‘Linc modules plus all standard PLC compatible receivers.
Once you experience HCA, you may want to move up to HCA for SmartHome
PowerLinc, or HCA Plus. Both are available through SmartHome.
Home Control Assistant Plus (30-Day Limited)
This version supports all the popular home automation products on the market.
There are no limits on schedules. Once you install the evaluation copy on your
computer, you can use it for 30 days before it will stop working. Subsequent
installations of the evaluation version on the same computer will not work. To
compare the features between versions of Home Control Assistant, please visit this
web page: http://www.hcatech.com/hcaflavors.htm.
Installing & Using Home Control Assistant for
Smarthome PowerLinc
The trial versions of Home Control
Assistant (HCA) are included on the CD-
ROM that was included with your
PowerLinc USB. HCA needs to run full
time on the computer and only
communicate with Smarthome
PowerLinc Interfaces (both serial and
USB versions). Follow these steps to
start automating your home:
1. Place the CD ROM into the
computer's CD drive.
2. A selection screen will be displayed.
3. Choose one of the HCA programs or another selection.
Tips for Using PowerLinc USB
•PowerLinc USB gets all of its power to operate from the computer. Some USB
hubs will not be able to supply sufficient power.
•The cable cannot be any longer than 10' (6' or less is
recommended).
•Do not plug PowerLinc USB into a filter or a power strip.
•Use only one PowerLinc USB per computer.
•Some computers and their accessories can absorb Power
Line Carrier (PLC) signals off the power lines. Since
PowerLinc will be so close to the computer, the power strip
should be filtered. Use our FilterLinc #1626 to keep the
PowerLinc signals from getting absorbed by the computer.
•Don't plug other PLC transmitters into the same outlet as
PowerLinc USB. Every PLC transmitter will absorb other
transmitter's PLC signals when they are not transmitting.
In some cases, up to half the signal can be lost to the nearby transmitter. 3
Congratulations and Introduction
PowerLinc USB is the world's first Universal Serial Bus (USB)
based transmitter and receiver for X10/PLC (Powerline
Carrier) control. Unlike previous solutions that used the
slower-speed RS-232 Com Port and required the use of a
dedicated interrupt control line (IRQ), PowerLinc USB uses
the newer and more flexible USB channel now found on nearly all computers. USB
ports support higher speeds and multiple devices can be attached to the computer
at the same time.
PowerLinc USB works with all USB-aware versions of Microsoft®Windows®starting
with Microsoft®Windows®98se and above. To keep things simple, PowerLinc USB
uses the Microsoft®Windows Human Interface Drivers®that are already in use and
installed on all versions of Microsoft®Windows®98se and above. This means there
are no hardware drivers to install or conflict with other hardware or software.
Key Features
•Uses reliable and fast USB communications
•Includes two versions of Home Control Assistant
•Connects to any USB port or a powered USB hub
•Feed-through outlets for other AC powered products
•Use the HID (human interface device) drivers already installed with Windows®
How to Install
1. Turn on and boot up your computer (if already on,
turn off all running programs).
2. Plug in the PowerLinc USB into an AC outlet and
connect the USB cable into the outlet on the PowerLinc
USB.
3. Once the computer is fully booted up, plug in the USB
cable into a USB port on the computer.
4. In a few seconds, the computer
displays this message:
5. Moments later, the computer will
display a message indicating that it is
using drivers already built into Windows.
The computer is now ready to use the
PowerLinc USB interface. You can confirm
that Windows has recognized the PowerLinc
USB by looking up the Device Manager.
Note: PowerLinc USB does not have any built-in intelligence; you must use a
program running on the computer to make the home automation decisions.
Use PowerLinc Controller for applications that require computer-free operations. It
contains internal memory. Please visit a retailer or distributor for the complete line
of automation products from Smarthome Design. Check out our web site at:
http://www.smarthome.com/smarthomedesignstore.html
2
#1626 FilterLinc
Plug-In Filter