a little help with capacitive power supply values

[Dennis]

My questions ....

Are they perhaps profane , not correctly formulated, without direction , off-the beaten track, stupid ?

I realise there is google, encyclopedias, textbooks, etc. , but nothing can replace the power of human thoughts and minds !!

Is not our very nature to question how a system works and why ? When new technology is built or invented don't we find ourselves asking how it works ? How did someone think of that ?

Don't questions and discussions prompt new thoughts and ideas ?

In this instance I am asking for advice, information and thoughts regarding how others power PIC's and their circuitry.
I have not even attempted to build any such circuit yet and I have been researching this particular topic for two weeks already, gathering info.

Did the inventors of X10 and the likes of know all the odds before they started dabbling ?

What was life like before transformers?

Are there alternatives to transformers ?

I thank you all once again for answering some or most of my questions as well as for your concern for my safety !

I apologize for my lack of knowledge BUT I have a desire to learn more and I have found this forum to be the most interesting in this field thus far! Hats off to all of you !! THANK YOU!

So I have two options .. I recede back into cyberspace and lurk around in the shadows silently OR I summon the courage to ask the questions that other may/may not have thought of or asked before !

Thank you

Kind regards
Dennis

[Pic_User]

Hi Dennis,

Please continue to ask questions on this forum.

-Adam-

[dhouston]

Did the inventors of X10 ... know all the odds before they started dabbling ?

I'm sure they did as they had designed many other products before X10. They chose a capacitive supply because it cost less and had a smaller footprint. Their devices are enclosed in plastic cases so there's no shock potential. They also chose to make neutral their hot lead because they thought there was less noise near ZC (where they do their signalling) that way.

What was life like before transformers?

DC all the way. That's how Edison started out. Tesla was the one who pushed AC.