Net Work
Alan Winstanley
This month’s column brings news of the latest smart device protocol that promises ‘Plug and
Play’ simplicity. We rediscover the British radio astronomer Frank Hyde and commemorate the
end of the ‘Queen of the Skies’.
E
ver since the Internet became
the essential ‘fourth utility’,
increasing numbers of households
now use their Internet connection for
managing various Internet of Things
(IoT) gadgets around the home. You can
control any number of IoT electrical
sockets, switches, bulbs, security
cameras, LED lighting strips, sensors
or even a robot vacuum cleaner, pressure
washer or lawnmower, all with a tap
on a smartphone screen. Then of course
there’s turning on your electric vehicle
charger remotely or downloading route
maps onto the car’s satnav. Plus, there
are now myriad options for casting TV,
music and video over the web onto your
devices, which usually involves signing
up to a monthly subscription or two.
Simple ‘If This Then That’ (IFTTT)
applets enable certain basic Internet-related actions to be triggered by
all kinds of events, such as notifying
you when your robot lawnmower has
finished, or alerting when the weather is turning for the worse, or when a
certain term is ‘tweeted’. More details
for experimenters, together with both
free and subscription-based plans are
available at: www.ifttt.com
As regular readers know, I’ve been
trying out some TP-Link ‘Tapo’ smart
devices using a budget-priced Mercusys (also made by TP-Link) whole
home mesh system. I found that they
mostly work well enough, most of the
time, but the system is not entirely
trouble-free. When things go wrong
(eg, a smart bulb doesn’t respond),
troubleshooting can be frustrating
and time-consuming. Is the problem caused by the Wi-Fi home mesh
hubs, the smart bulb itself, the app,
The new Matter protocol for smart devices promises simple, touch-free ‘plug & play’
simplicity. Amazon’s Alexa range has already signed up.
the broadband connection, or (say)
Amazon’s cloud?
Now, as I write, one Tapo bulb
(lifespan 15,000 hours) has failed
after 750 hours. I’ve probably been
unlucky, but the usual rigmarole followed: soft-resetting, hard-resetting,
re-installing, re-booting, checking the
firmware, trying it in another light fixture and so on – complications that a
non-technical user might struggle to
do. TP-Link’s boilerplate support was
polite and responsive, and a free replacement was offered, provided I post
the faulty item back at my expense.
It really Matters
The Internet of Things has grown
over the years in quite a piecemeal
way, with manufacturers adopting
their own protocols to suit their smart
Fans of IoT home, garden and office control of smart devices, gadgets and gizmos
should keep an eye open for the Matter logo.
12
products. Some smart device standards include Zigbee and Z-Wave, but
they use different frequencies and are
not inter-operable.
The Zigbee protocol is a wireless
device control standard that was developed at a time when Wi-Fi and the
likes of Bluetooth were first taking
shape. It’s getting on for 20 years old
and is used by Bosch and Philips,
for example, but Apple (HomeKit),
Samsung (ARTIK), LG (AllJoyn) and
others have scrambled to jump onto
the home network bandwagon, each
having their proprietary protocols.
In an effort to simplify the way in
which smart devices are designed, sold,
set up and (at last!) work together, the
Connectivity Standards Alliance (the
name behind Zigbee) has now finalised
a new, IP-based open standard protocol
that readers will gradually start to hear
about when they shop for IoT gadgetry.
The new ‘Matter’ protocol will become
the touch-free ‘Plug-and-Play’ standard for the smart device world, and it’s
intended to unify the installation and
operation of Matter-compatible smart
devices. It’s also designed to enable
manufacturers to turn around new
Matter products more quickly.
It’s claimed that Matter will unite
IoT interoperability in the future and
Practical Electronics | April | 2023
Matter-compatible smart devices will
become a breeze to set up and manage.
An added benefit is that Matter devices can communicate locally between
themselves, instead of having to reach
out to the cloud before phoning home
with a response (as would, say a Tapo
smart bulb controlled by an Alexa skill
– which might account for some smart
bulb problems that I experienced).
Apart from assuring us of future compatibility, we are told there is no need
to throw away old devices as ‘Matter
will play nicely with them’. Nice
words, but time will tell.
Readers might watch out for the new
Matter logo that will gradually appear
on new generation IoT product spec
sheets. Google, Samsung and others are
very slowly rolling out updates and a
handy status list of Matter compatibility is at: https://bit.ly/pe-apr23-mtr1
(noting that mostly we see ‘announcements’ confirmed rather than ‘ready’
at the present time).
You can learn more about Matter at
the CSA YouTube video at: https://bit.
ly/pe-apr23-mtr2 – commendably, it’s
a very smooth six-minute explanatory video that (remarkably) was filmed
in a single take and without any cuts.
The CSA website also has more at:
https://bit.ly/pe-apr23-mtr3
The era of an altogether smarter
home is hopefully arriving, thanks to
the new Matter protocol which should
finally put paid to all those compatibility, setup and installation frustrations.
Watch this Space
Periodically, I find myself sifting
through my old electronics magazines
in search of facts or some historical information. Sometimes my hours-long
searches are fruitless, but nevertheless
I come away having been reminded of
how things were, many decades ago. I
never cease to be amazed at the foresight that some of our readers (and
writers) showed when they predicted
what the future would likely bring:
in the January 1975 issue of Practical
Electronics, for example, the advent of
‘working from home’ and the worldwide web, as well as the use of smart
meters and RFID tags, were correctly
forecast, if slightly ahead of their time!
As some long-time readers of early
Practical Electronics magazines may
know, PE originally had a dedicated
column called Spacewatch which
brought the latest news of space exploration, radio astronomy, the moonshot
and the ambitions of various space satellite programmes. Recall how Russia
managed in 1957 to beat the US into
space by launching Sputnik, an ‘alarming’ event that hastened the creation
Practical Electronics | April | 2023
In 1975, PE reader SJ Baxendale eerily
foresaw working from home, video
conferencing, the world-wide web and
on-demand TV, while AJ Williams forecast
the use of smart meters and RFID tags!
of the Advanced Research Projects
Agency (ARPA) – see https://bit.ly/
pe-apr23-darpa – and accelerated the
need to build a ‘self-healing’ robust
packet network that would form the
basis of the Internet itself.
Net Work’s interest in space programmes is mainly focussed on the
idea of Internet connectivity beaming
down from a growing constellation
of satellites stationed in LEO (lowearth orbit). The main contender is
of course SpaceX, whose Starlink service now hosts some 3,300 satellites,
inter-communicating using lasers. My
computer/IT colleague has been impressed with the ease of setting up
Starlink terminals for UK customers, but the running costs will deter
mainstream users. You can sign up for
satellite-based Internet connectivity
at: starlink.com
A glance through our 1960s archives
revealed plenty for Spacewatch columnist Frank Wilsenham Hyde to write
about in his occasional column that
first appeared in 1967. That was at a
time when NASA and Russia were
living through their share of triumphs
and tragedies while competing to develop space exploration programmes
and technologies, and when the attraction of putting man on the Moon
beckoned brightly.
I was not yet a teenager when Spacewatch went monthly in Practical
Electronics from the April 1969 issue,
following the remarkably successful
Apollo 8 manned lunar orbit mission,
see: https://bit.ly/pe-apr23-nasa1
NASA astronauts sent a Christmas
message from the Moon, immortalised at https://bit.ly/pe-apr23-nasa2
and that month Frank Hyde described
NASA’s launch of their largest space
observatory satellite, the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory which was an
early ‘Hubble’ space telescope. The
2-tonne platform bristled with 11 telescopes that would plot the stars, and
it had an expected lifespan of just six
months. Less widely known in the
1960s was the US Air Force plan to
launch a secret manned spy platform
called MOL, which was eventually
cancelled due to budget restraints,
see: https://bit.ly/pe-apr23-mol
Weather satellites were already being
launched into sun-stationary orbits
50 years ago in 1973, and Pioneer satellites were heading towards Venus
by 1978.
13
NASA’s modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the Space Shuttle Endeavour on top lifts off to begin its ferry flight back to
the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (Image: NASA Photo)
Frank Hyde was an extraordinary
British radio astronomer who has
been recognised for constructing the
largest amateur radio observatory in
1960s Britain. He would work with
the Jodrell Bank observatory and it’s
said his work influenced some of the
experiments on board NASA’s Pioneer
missions. He also knew the popular,
if slightly eccentric, British astronomer Patrick Moore, who became well
known for the BBC TV Sky at Night
series, with Frank Hyde also appearing
occasionally on the same programme.
Patrick Moore believed he was possibly the only person to have met the
first aviator, Orville Wright, the first
man in space, Yuri Gagarin, and the
first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong.
He interviewed astronaut Neil Armstrong in 1970, which can be seen at:
https://youtu.be/EIPn_iuLPA4
Sadly, the brilliant Frank Hyde hit
financial hard times, and his own
radio and TV repair business eventually folded. His latter years were not
exactly covered in glory either, and
his close relationship with the British Astronomical Association (BAA)
terminated on a sour note. He died in
March 1984 aged 75, and the founding
editor of Practical Electronics, Fred
Bennett, to whom I owe my electronics writing career, wrote an obituary
in Frank Hyde’s final column, published in the June 1984 edition. Patrick
Moore then took over the Spacewatch
column. I managed to unearth an
excellent biography of Frank Hyde,
originally published in the BAA Journal, at: https://bit.ly/pe-apr23-fh1 and
there is a little more local history at:
https://bit.ly/pe-apr23-fh2
If you’re at all interested in astronomy, it’s worth considering becoming
a member of the BAA – more details
can be found at https://britastro.org
A 50-year milestone
Thumbing through old issues I was
struck by the way the Spacewatch
column graphic changed over the
years: a timestamp reflecting the progress made in man’s desire to reach
the stars. The magazine artwork incorporated the Lunar Module, before
being updated to show a new type
of ‘space plane’ atop a Boeing 747
instead, before changing to a space
vehicle flying solo in space.
14
It’s sometimes humbling and hard
to believe that the NASA space shuttle program first took shape more than
half a century ago, when the idea
of building a re-usable space cargo
plane gained ground. The vehicles,
originally called ‘orbiters’, were extensively flight-tested as gliders and
transported around using ‘shuttle carrier aircraft’ based on two specially
adapted Boeing 747s. The Enterprise
was an engine-less prototype orbiter,
while Columbia was the first orbiter
that would be launched into space. I
was glued to the TV watching space
shuttle test flights glide back to earth.
The connection with the Boeing
747 and space shuttle Columbia is
particularly poignant this month as
the final Boeing 747 ‘Queen of the
Skies’ to be made was delivered on
1 February to the airline Atlas Air.
The plane’s flight was commemorated
when its flight path traced out ‘747’,
as shown in a BBC news report at:
https://bit.ly/pe-apr23-747
Another milestone in space exploration was passed this month – it’s
exactly 20 years ago in 2003 that the
Columbia space shuttle disintegrated
during re-entry, leaving no survivors.
This came almost exactly 17 years after
the Challenger launch disaster of 1986.
Following the Columbia disaster, space
shuttle missions were suspended for
two years before resuming, and the
increasingly elderly shuttle fleet was
grounded for good in 2011.
Readers who enjoy looking at the
nuts and bolts of legacy space hardware might like to check out some of
Practical Electronics | April | 2023
Opening for business: Spaceport Sweden is readying to enter the microsatellite launching
business with an expanded pad located at Esrange, just north of the Arctic Circle.
the Owner’s Workshop Manuals published by Haynes – famed for their
car repair manuals – which includes
the Saturn V and Space Shuttle. The
Apollo 11 Manual includes details of
the first moon landing. You can buy
it via the usual outlets or direct from:
https://bit.ly/pe-apr23-man
Other space news
Still on the subject of space launches and Boeing 747s, investigations are
continuing into finding the reason why
Virgin Orbit’s first satellite launch from
Britain failed during the ‘Start Me Up’
mission (see last month). Virgin Orbit
stated that every other satellite they
have launched had reached orbit successfully, and they are pressing on with
their next launch from California. Virgin
Orbit’s CEO is quoted as saying that the
mission failure was possibly caused by
a dislodged filter shutting off the first
stage prematurely. More flights from
Cornwall will follow later this year.
California-based ABL Space Systems (https://ablspacesystems.com)
is a low-profile startup rocket lobber
that not many people have heard of,
but they are touting for business with
the likes of Amazon’s Kuiper LEO
satellite program, and they’ve raised
over $400m in funding, according to
Crunchbase. In January, ABL attempted
to launch their first RS1 rocket from
Alaska Spaceport, but the rocket fell
back to earth 11 seconds after launching. There is no video, but the PR states
that a loss of power just after 10 seconds shut down all nine engines and
the rocket fell back down laden with
95% of its fuel, creating ‘an energetic explosion’. Various storage tanks,
ground-based equipment and hangars
were destroyed, they added.
Spaceport Sweden recently cut
the ribbon on their new launching
facility which is now open for business. The newly expanded Esrange
Space Center site on the very northernmost edge of Sweden is the first
such facility on mainland Europe
and has previously been used for
launching ‘sounding rockets’ (smaller scientific test and measurement
rockets), but now has its eyes on the
satellite business. More details are at:
https://sscspace.com/esrange/
On the rocks: SaxaVord has attracted
attention from Rocket Factory Augsburg
(RFA), with one launch pad being snapped
up by the German rocket launcher.
Yet more competition for microsatellite launchers is arriving on the
market, as Germany’s Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) launching service
has signed up with SaxaVord Spaceport for exclusive use of one of its
three proposed launch pads, starting
by the year end. SaxaVord is based in
the Shetland Islands and is Britain’s
northernmost launching site. More
info at: https://saxavord.com/r/
Other news
My thanks go to reader Stephen Horsman who followed up on my February
column: ‘I enjoy your columns and
have just got round to reading your
Feb 23 column re. backup technology. I was an IT manager in the early
2000s and got sick of restoring the
tape catalogues from tape drives to
get one file back, and I started using
Drive Snapshot to disc image to USB
Hard drives. It was/is written in machine code and could be booted from a
floppy, or USB drive these days. Images
can be mounted, and files dragged and
dropped very easily. I still use it to this
day and it’s well worth checking out.
Terrington
Components
• Project boxes designed and manufactured in the UK.
• Many of our enclosures used on former Maplin projects.
• Unique designs and sizes, including square, long and deep
variaaons of our screwed lid enclosures.
• Sub-miniature sizes down to 23mm x 16mm, ideal for
IoT devices.
MADE IN BRITAIN
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Practical Electronics | April | 2023
15
Regards, Stephen.’ For more details,
see: http://drivesnapshot.de
Thanks for the suggestion, Stephen.
Another backup product suited to the
IT enthusiast that came recommended
is Casper by Future Systems Solutions. Various versions are available,
see: www.fssdev.com/products/casper
Users of barcode scanner apps have
been alerted to the risks of scanning
untrusted or dodgy QR codes, as they
could link through to malware or scam
sites. The problem of ‘QR Jacking’ is
increasing because ordinary users trust
QR codes implicitly, but they could
link through to a fraudster’s site that
may attempt to steal logins, IDs or
other sensitive data. In one reported
case, bogus QR codes were stuck on
local authority parking meters encouraging drivers to scan them and pay
– but the bogus website merely stole
their cash instead. Look closely at QR
codes stuck on meters, signs or even
authentic-looking forms and if you’re
unsure, treat them as dodgy-looking
file attachments and steer clear.
Virtually unusable
I’m getting increasingly annoyed by
pop-ups that appear on my smartphone
that contain a phoney ‘X’ [close] icon.
They’re a form of click-bait which,
instead of dismissing the pop-up,
actually clicks through to an advert
instead, thereby earning the advertiser some revenue. In a self-defeating
move to monetise mobile content,
increasing numbers of news portal
websites are becoming unusable when
viewed on a small screen – blizzards
of pop-ups for privacy, cookies, special offers and other opt-ins fill the
screen, sometimes locking up the
display as well. The problem has
reached saturation point. Also likely
to incur my wrath is the plethora of
over-designed websites that have an
‘X’ [close] icon sited well out of the
current field of view, perhaps greyed
out somewhere in a nearby coloured panel so you have to hunt around
for it. This ‘designer-itis’ idiocy only
ever makes the web less accessible
and harder to use for everybody, and
if anything, it turns people off.
Amid a slew of redundancies and
cutbacks, and with shoppers starting
to re-discover traditional bricksand-mortar High Street retailers,
Amazon Smile closed permanently
on 20 February. The service donated
a small portion from a buyer’s purchase to their appointed charity at
no extra cost, but the programme had
‘not grown to create the impact that
we had originally hoped’, Amazon
explained. A new ‘Amazon for Charities’ store service will allow charities
to sell wares on Amazon and collect
100% of profits, but only a handful
of big names have signed up so far.
Amazon raised £18.5m for UK charities in total, and £382m worldwide.
Long predicted in Net Work, some
British consumers were for the first time
offered an energy rebate for reducing
consumption in January in order to ease
peak period demand on the energy network. The ‘Demand Flexibility Service’
requires a smart meter and 30-minute
reporting of usage, and could result in
a rebate of a few pounds.
Australian start-up Recharge Industries appears to have rescued the
collapsed BritishVolt battery gigafactory
after the business fell into administration. The giant factory, one of the
largest in Britain, will produce batteries
for electric vehicles and the military.
That’s all for this month’s column.
Readers will find an online summary
with links on the Net Work blog of our
website at: www.electronpublishing.
com – see you next month!
The author can be reached at:
alan<at>epemag.net
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Practical Electronics | April | 2023
