Plug-in X10 Relay Modules

X10 plug-in relay modules come in 1-way and 2-way. 1-way modules are only controllable via an X10 command - the module, if it can be manually activated, doesn't send out a status change message nor will it respond when Indigo asks for it's status. So, you may find that Indigo isn't correctly representing the state of the device - that's normally because the switch was manually activated.

2-way modules are different: they often times will broadcast their state change when manually operated and will almost always respond to a status request from Indigo. Some will not do the broadcast but will respond to the status request. When you have that type of module, it's often advantageous to create a Time/Date action that will periodically poll the device(s) for their status so that Indigo will keep in sync. Be aware, however, that polling too frequently can cause your X10 signal performance to degrade, because there will be too many signals on the powerline at the same time, and X10 doesn't have much in the way of signal error recovery.

Note: while relay modules and dimmer modules look very similar, they have a fundamental difference that you should read about. This page talks about relays - there is a corresponding page that talks about X10 plug-in dimmer modules.

You may find these how-tos useful with plug-in modules:

• How do I create a scene?
• How do I get a light to come on and go off on a schedule?
• How do I link a light to a motion sensor so that it comes on when something moves?