a new wireless switch

Here is an interesting product that I noticed while scanning a popular electrical catalogue last night. Its a domestic wireless switch which generates its own electricity when a user operates it (kinetic energy); no wires, no batteries. Therefore it can be used just about anywhere, and the normal safety limitations for damp environments don't apply (i.e. kitchens/bathrooms).

What has this got to do with Picaxe?

From what I've read, this is a 433MHz FSK transmitter with a large range of id codes, which produces a very short data burst of maybe just a millisecond or so. Therefore it may be possible to incorporate these switches (not necessarily the receiver) into a 433MHz Picaxe project. Food for thought!

I guess the downside of this technology is that it will increase traffic within the 433MHz band if it becomes widely adopted for domestic wiring. I can see myself using this system (i.e. for its intended use) for security lights, but I wonder how reliable the receivers are, and how much power they consume (life-time costs?).

Information: https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Technical/DataSheets/Quinetic/Kinetic Controller_Instructions Sheet_final.pdf

The automated home stuff is maybe over rated. Smart light bulbs, phone apps to control stuff when you're out etc. I can get by with a tv remote and a wireless door bell (with 20 ring tones I'll have you know). You probably catch uk tv ads. Amazon Elexa remind me to clean under the sofa. Why not just get the hoover out and do it now ?! Why do cars need expensive key fobs but no ones front door does? Doesn't peoples central heating have a timer like mine? Why would you want to turn it on from a phone?

MK do a range of self-powered switches like this. I have no experience with them but I wouldn't expect MK to put their name on it (or rather, Honeywell to put the MK name on it) if it wasn't reasonably reliable.

I fitted a few of the Home Easy/Byron switches and receivers in our new house, and also decoded the data format with a Picaxe, as I originally intended to make a Picaxe control system that would switch 12V DC LED lights (Home Easy/Byron don't make a 12V DC receiver). There's a bit here about the challenges of decoding that 32 bit format: http://www.picaxeforum.co.uk/showthread.php?23007-HomeEasy-Byron-433MHz-RF-decoding-with-a-Picaxe

What I can say is that the Home Easy/Byron system is exceptionally sensitive to any interference in the 433MHz band. They use very simple, broad band, ASK transmitters and receivers and the receiver sensitivity reduces dramatically in the presence of any signal around 433 MHz. Our kitchen light receivers struggle to work reliably over a range of around 3m, and still sometimes refuse to work unless you stand slightly to one side.

This kinetic energy powered system uses FSK, so the receiver may well be a bit more immune to blocking, but I still think I'd want confirmation that the stated range is realistic. Home Easy/Byron also quote an indoor range of 30m, which is, quite frankly, garbage. I have four receivers in the kitchen ceiling, right on the back of the plasterboard, and wall mounted switches. The kitchen is around 4m square, so no receiver is more than 3m away from a switch, yet the system is far from being 100% reliable and often needs three or four switch pushes to get the receivers to respond. I've tried swapping both receivers and transmitters and they are all consistently poor. We don't have any strong 433MHz signals inside the house, either, and I've had no problem at all getting HC-12 modules to work at very long ranges, with low power settings, when range testing them.

Interestingly, the MK Echo system works at 868MHz, a band that tends to be a bit quieter indoors, so perhaps they might give an adequate range. I'm tempted to buy a transmitter and receiver to test, as I'm not sure we can live with the frustration caused by the poor performance of the Home Easy system.

SteveDee said:

From what I've read, this is a 433MHz FSK transmitter with a large range of id codes, which produces a very short data burst of maybe just a millisecond or so.

Click to expand...

It says it sends the code three times - each comprising at least 32bits - that's 100bits in 1mS or 100 kilobits/sec. (Possibly even more - given the claim to use a 'precise algorithm', with a 'handshake') Impressive, if true

I wonder how much force is required to operate the transmitter? ... maybe the experience will be the same as using a piezo igniter?

stan74 said:

The automated home stuff is maybe over rated. Smart light bulbs, phone apps to control stuff when you're out etc. I can get by with a tv remote and a wireless door bell (with 20 ring tones I'll have you know). You probably catch uk tv ads. Amazon Elexa remind me to clean under the sofa. Why not just get the hoover out and do it now ?! Why do cars need expensive key fobs but no ones front door does? Doesn't peoples central heating have a timer like mine? Why would you want to turn it on from a phone?

Click to expand...

Hahaha, I agree 100%. Not everything needs to be smart and IoT-enabled. There are refrigerators that tweet you that you're low on tomatoes. Is that necessary? How did our parents survive?

As phones get smarter, people get dumber.

Jeremy Harris said:

...Our kitchen light receivers struggle to work reliably over a range of around 3m, and still sometimes refuse to work unless you stand slightly to one side...

Click to expand...

Thanks for the input. I like the idea of a kinetic switch, but if the system is not 100% reliable over at least (say) 5m, then its a bit of a non-starter.
I've been using an Energenie Pi-Mote for almost 3 years. The basic transmitter with the copper track "snake" aerial is OK within a 5m room, but you need to add a 135mm wire aerial for the system to work through 2 or 3 brick walls.

The size of the kinetic switch face-plate should allow a reasonable aerial to be included, but I guess the switch produces very limited power for a short duration.

They probably need to open up more bands for control devices. There seems to be a lot of stuff crammed into 433MHz, and wifi on 2.4GHz is just getting crazy. I don't know about 868MHz, and locally, 5GHz is pretty quiet here.

You have a point there Erco.
What seems to be more interesting is that everybody talks about IoT but I haven't seen any 'real' applications up to now. I dont't consider M2M (machine to machine) applications to be IoT, since they existed many years before even this term was invented. What I see, though, is companies making IoT platforms to host the IoT services.

Anyone has an example of good IoT product/service?

Sorry I dissed people but got a laugh (ta erco,you don't have to be a serious stereo-type to use electronics...but it helps?). Radio modules are cheap and worth playing with and interesting devices but..in reality? I want elexa to say get stuffed now and again and the womans voice is demeaning for women. sorry,off topic. Remember,pooters are fun

FWIW these switches are very useful when you can't easily install power wire to switch position and don't want a pull string hanging down from the ceiling... ;-0 I have one remote power switch I bought from RS about 20 years ago so I can turn on/off radio while lying in bed... or just turn off the commercials...

I got a device that when the pc shuts down it turns off all mains stuff on the same supply but it's consuming on stand by and the pc is on stand by so just flick the wall socket switch. They're rolling out smart meters across UK. How much electricity do they use in a year to run ie transmitter and receiver ? I know how much power I use and what it's costing me when the bills arrive without a meter to rub it in!

One watt 24/7 dissipates 8.776 KWHr per year [simple math] - hopefully the 'smart' meters take their power from the line side - before the meter... My local power company installed a bunch of BroadBand over power line [BPL] stuff to read the meters as well and these have substantial finned aluminum case units showing so I presume dissipate much more than a watt...