Modifying the Mini Controller

Modifying 110v to 220v

Credits: based on a description from Hans Attersjo. Source no longer available on web

 

  1. Remove the four screws in the bottom and take out the printed circuit board. Be careful not to lose the little switch used to change between 1-4 and 5-8. Hold the pcb so that the incoming cable is on the right side.
  2. Change the little, usually blue capacitor mounted just underneath the little transformer in the top right corner to a 0.1uf/400V, polyester or polycarb. The original capacitor should normally be marked "2E224".
  3. Change the big, usually blue, capacitor just underneath the previous one to 1uF/400V, polyester or polycarb. The original capacitor should normally be marked "2E225".
  4. (Optional): to improve reliability, put a MOV (Metal Oxide Varistor) in parallel with the incoming power. For 220V, use a 250V RMS type and for 230-240V, a 275V RMS. This MOV can be mounted in the two empty holes on the right side of the transformer in the top right corner.
  5. Reassemble and change the plug.

Modifying the mini-controller to control more units

Credits: Roger Eastman. Email: sxi@indirect.com

Image of modification schematic

Mini controller with 8925 IC (can jumper a "1" from pin 3)

PIN 8 9 10 11
M 0 0 0 0
O 0 0 0 1
E 0 0 1 0
G 0 0 1 1
C 0 1 0 0
A 0 1 0 1
K 0 1 1 0
I 0 1 1 1
N 1 0 0 0
P 1 0 0 1
F 1 0 1 0
H 1 0 1 1
D 1 1 0 0
B 1 1 0 1
L 1 1 1 0
J 1 1 1 1

The X10 mini controller is capable of addressing four of the sixteen X10 unit codes. A slide switch on the controller allows the user to select the "band" of units 1-4 or 5-8. A simple modification allows the selection of two additional bands, 9-12 and 13-16. This covers the entire spectrum of X10 units accessible from a single house-code.

Procedure:

  1. Unplug the unit and open the case by removing the four phillips-head screws. Put both halves of the case in a safe place. When handling the printed circuit board, observe the usual precautions for static-sensitive devices.
  2. Locate the place where the existing "band" switch is located. This is nothing more than a plastic handle on a metal slider that runs in a trough molded into the top part of the case. The slider makes contact with three large pads on the printed circuit board.
  3. The hardest part of the modification is finding a new switch to use for the four-position band selector! It is possible to use a two-pole four-throw rotary switch. I'll let you figure out how to do the encoding if you decide on that. I found a suitable switch in my junk-box and mounted it in a position that replaces the old band switch. This entailed some amount of cutting and gluing on the plastic case. I will assume that you are doing the same. Find a small slide switch that has four positions. It should have two rows of five contacts. As the switch is moved, it should short two adjacent contacts at a time. Looking into the pins in the back of the switch, one should see the following connection pattern for each switch position:

    Physically, the switch should fit in pleasingly with the rest of the panel. This usually means that it should be rather small. This is a good time to decide exactly where to put it. The most logical place is directly in place of the existing band switch. This may require hacking away part of the printed circuit board.
  4. Orient the printed circuit board in front of you, such that the foil side is down, and the power cord attaches to the board on your left. The big chip should be slightly right of center, and most of the components will be near your belly. Make sure that the chip has 24 pins, and is marked 78567. To your right of the chip is a small metal-can transformer. Further right and up, should be an electrolytic capacitor, around 1000 mFd at 25 V. The capacitor's negative lead is well marked. Locate the positive lead.
  5. If the new switch does not physically replace the old one, disable the old switch by removing the slider from it.
  6. Looking into the back of the switch, wire pin A to 4 to IC pin 11. Wire switch pin B to 3 to D to the + lead of the capacitor. Wire switch pin C to IC pin 12. The result should look something like this:

    The intent of this circuit is to impress one of four binary codes on the IC's pins 11 and 12. This tells the controller chip which band of X10 units to address. The logic levels to be presented to the chip are provided by dead air and the + lead of the electrolytic capacitor. The truth table is:
    unit band switch position switch shorting pin 11 sees pin 12 sees
    1-4 1 1&2, A&B cap air
    5-8 2 2&3, B&C air cap
    9-12 3 3&4, C&D cap cap
    13-15 4 4&5, D&E air air
  7. Rotary switch option. This version is untested, but should work. It is for rotary switch lovers out there. Get a 2-pole 4-throw rotary switch and wire it as follows:

    You probably want to avoid binary or BCD-encoded thumbwheel switches because the base station coding scheme is offset slightly from normal binary coding (and the switch output). You would have to relabel the switch positions, not to mention blocking off the unused positions.
  8. Put the box back together. Screw it shut again before applying power. Try it out.

(dennisg@filenet.com)

Modifying the mini-controller to control only units 9-12 or 13-16

Procedure:

  1. Open mini-controller and pull back the circuit board. Be careful not to let all the switch tops fall out.
  2. Locate the three pads underneath the slide switch. Notice that the unmodified mini selects 1-4 or 5-8 depending on whether the center position makes connection with one side or the other
  3. To modify the mini to control only units 9-12, solder a jumper such that all three pads connect together.
  4. To modify the mini to control units 13-16, simply remove the slide switch.

Untried variation #1: If you solder the jumper as to not interfere with the slide switch, then you could jumper just one side and then use the slide to select 1-4 or 9-12 or .. jumpering the other side, 5-8 or 9-12.

Untried variation #2: If you mangle the slide switch so that it only has the contacts on one side or the other, you could use the slide switch to select 1-4 or 13-16, or .. removing the other side 5-8 or 13-16. A possible problem here is that the half-mangled slide switch may not "sit right".

Modify the mini-controller for momentary operation

source: newsgroup post by Dr. Ed Cheung

Description:

When a Mini-Controller is modified as below, your key presses are undone as soon as you release the key. Thus pressing 'on' and then releasing, sends an 'ON' and then a 'OFF' command. This is also true for 'All Unit' commands. This mod only works on model 'MC460' Mini-Controllers, and not the 'MC260' (If anyone knows how to identify the two, please post).

Procedure:

Inside the mini controller, connect pin 3 and 14 of the black IC marked 78567. You may want to make the connection with a little switch to return the controller to normal mode.

Turning the mini controller into a dry contact receiver

The X10 powerflash acts as a dry contact sensor that sends x10 commands in response to contact being closed or open. This plug-in module can also handle low voltages, has a test feature, can send all Unit but, costs $15-20(the cheapest I've seen).

There's a product that combines 4 X10 powerflash units into one, and costs around $80

Well, with the following modification, you can use an $8 mini-controller as an up to 10 dry contacts receiver module! This means you can contact up to 10 wire pairs to it and have it send a unique X10 command/action when a pair makes a contact. The modification is as follows:

  1. Turn the minicontroller on its back and release the four screws holding the case together. That will reveal the PCB, component side.
  2. Carefully pull out the PCB from the other half of the case, making sure you don't loose the small selector switch and the dial. turn the PCB around to the green side. You will notice 2 rows of contacts, 6 contacts per row. Each of these contacts are covered by a springy metal clip that push back the controller button when one releases its finger from it. They are all covered by a transparent tape.
  3. Peel off the tape (it will take the metal springly contacts with it) and examine the way the contacts are made. Each contact is made of four dots: one in the middle, and three surrounding it and electrically shorted to each other. So electrically, there are two lines going to each contact: one to the middle and one to the periphery. To make this clear lets arbitrarily call the center dot D1 and any of the three surrounding dots D2. And lets call two contacts belonging to the same unit BROTHERS (one contact sends ON, its BROTHER sends OFF)
  4. Now solder wire pairs to each contact, starting at the left: solder one wire to D1 and the other to D2. Twist the pair together so you'll know that the two are a pair. I used a twisted pair wires from some scrap alarm system cable. Any wire that can be easily soldered in the space there is fine.
  5. Repeat this for the two rows, with the exeption of the contacts that belong to the DIM/BRIGHT switch. You will not be able to use these. A short on these contacts floods the net with a DIM or BRIGHT. A short on any other contact just sends the command. When you're done, you'll have 10 wire pairs sticking from the PCB. You may want to put a some hot glue on the soldered dots to make sure they stay there.
  6. Now remove the button switch covers from the other side of the case. You can leave the dim/bright switch cover if you think its pretty. Make sure you don't loose the small selector switch. Carefully 'thread' the wire pairs out the holes in the case, push the PCB back into place. The PCB has two guiding holes: one in the center of the round HouseCode dial, and another at the bottom. Make sure the PCB is back in place correctly, than place the AC line back in the notch and put the cover back into place. Tighten the four screws and turn the unit 'face' up.
  7. Looking at the controller now, (can't recognize it - what a face lift!) you can now connect  PIR or any momentary dry contact to the pairs WITH THE FOLLOWING LIMITATIONS:

To decode a MAKE of a certain pair, you will need to check both the unit AND action. For example, suppose your controller is set to housecode A, and the selector switch on the controller is set to 1-4. Than, A1 ON means that the bottom-row, left pair MADE a contact. You will not get a break contact event from that pair.

Secondly, you cannot use a reed switch or any constant ON or constant OFF. That would be equivalent to pressing a controller button and not letting go.

So, if the only event you need to detect is a MAKE of a contact, such as a PIR that sends rapid make/break upon sensing, than you can use all 10 pairs.

Finally, remember this is a dry contact sensor. I haven't tried, but don't recommend you connect any voltage input to these pairs.

In any case, you will get a controller that does 95% of the functionality of at least 5 powerflashes, at around 10% the cost. This has been by far the most effective modifications I've done!

Comments from Noam Parness:

1. I only count 8 sets of contacts (two per switch, 4 switches), not 10.

2. I soldered into the connections where the chip is attached to the board instead of to the switch contacts - that way the switches can still function like normal, which is good for testing the system.

3. I ran the wires out a hole in the side, and attached them to a "barrier strip" one for the common "on", one for the common "off", and one for each of the four switches. That gives me 6 screw terminals that can be used for 8 sets of contacts (each of the four unit codes to either "on" or "off"). That made for much less soldering (six wires instead of 16) and a neater appearance

After reading this, Carol - HAF discussion board moderator wrote me (I've slightly edited for formating):

"I was involved with modifiying the mini controller as per the instructions here on your EXCELLENT site and found that the mini conroller CAN in fact be connected to SPDT reed relays and work just like power flash units in the relay mode.

I have had the mod as described in the initial phase of the modification, meaning SPDT reed relays connected to the switch pads of the mini controller, since I posted my findings on the Home Automation Fourm discussion board without a hitch, and thought I would pass this information along to you. "

Thread to modification
Safey concerns as with any mods 

Fixing the Mini Controller

source: article in HTI by Doug Smith

Most failures are due to two burnt diodes. The procedure below replaces them.

1. Turn the controller so the back side is up then remove the four screws. Remove the back cover being careful not to spill the parts inside. Mini Controller back
2. In all of my controllers, a diode and zener diode were both blown. They were easy to find because there was a slight dark brown burn area around them. The parts needed are an 18V zener diode and a 1N4002 diode. Mini Controller circuit board front
3. Remove the circuit board from the case. Be careful not to spill the buttons and switches resting in the front of the case. It's not a big deal to put them back if they fall out, but it's easier to not have it happen. Mini Controller inside buttons
4. Before unsoldering the parts make a note of the direction they are installed. There is a stripe near one end of each diode to show the orientation. Install the new parts, reassemble everything in the reverse order, and test it out. Mini controller circuit board back

 

Increasing Range and Reliability
Credits: )) Sonic ((
http://siber-sonic.com/X10/X10world.html

Start by reading the general alignment procedure

Frequency Adjustment

  1. Unplug minicontroller and remove the 4 screws holding the bottom cover in place.
  2. Position the two halves of the unit in a fashion which allows easy adjustment of the two transformers.
  3. Connect frequency counter to circuit common (easily found by inspecting PCB) and pin 15 of IC U1.
  4. Connect minicontroller, via isolation transformer if needed, to A.C. line. Allow time for counter to stabilize.
  5. Adjust transformer T2 for 240kHz. This oscillator gets divided by 2 to generate the 120kHz PLC.
  6. Unplug the minicontroller and disconnect the frequency counter.

PLC Output Amplitude Adjustment

  1. Move the minicontroller to the location where it will be used. Bring along oscilloscope and powerline signal sensor; connect these to a separate circuit, or at least an electrically distant outlet on the same circuit.
  2. Set up oscilloscope and powerline signal sensor to monitor the A.C. line.
  3. Connect minicontroller directly to the A.C. line.
  4. Press and hold Bright or Dim button to generate continuous PLC.
  5. Adjust transformer T1 for maximum 120kHz signal amplitude. This is likely to be a broad, “low-Q” peak.
  6. Unplug/disconnect all. Reassemble minicontroller.