Comment slow response time (Score 1) 139
People not familiar with X-10 should be aware that it uses a very slow bitrate; it takes almost a second for devices to respond to a given command.
The slow bitrate is what lets them get away with having the Firecracker computer interface toggle serial port lines in real time to send each bit (instead of using a UART).
On the handheld remote that comes with the Firecracker kit, there is an LED that blinks out the bit pattern as it's being transmitted to the receiver. It is so slow that you can see the individual bits being sent.
