The Internet of Things revolution started in 2015 and will continue to be strong in 2016. 2015 was the year everyone talked about the Internet of Things. (So was 2014. And 2013.) But unlike before, it was the year everyone started making plans, laying groundwork, and building the infrastructure. Internet of Things is coming. It’s not a matter of if or whether, but when and how. The premise of IoT is that a connected world will offer gains through efficiency.
The Internet of Things (IoT) has been called the next Industrial Revolution — it will change the way all businesses, governments, and consumers interact with the physical world. The Internet of Things (IoT) is an environment in which objects, animals or people are provided with unique identifiers and the ability to transfer the data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. IoT has evolved from the convergence of wireless technologies, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)
and the Internet. IoT is also called the Internet of Everything. A critical component for the IoT system to be a success will be secure bi-directional communication, mobility and localization services.
In the future, everything will be connected. It won’t just be our phones that access the Internet; it will be our light bulbs, our front doors, our microwaves, our comforters, our blenders. You can call it the Internet of Things, The Internet of Everything, Universal Object Interaction, or your pick of buzzwords that begin with Smart. They all hold as inevitable that everything, everything will be connected, to each other and to the Internet. And this is promised to change the world. Remember that the objects themselves do not benefit us, but what services and functions they make it possible to obtain. We will enjoy the outcome, hopefully even better quality products, informative and reliable services, and even new applications.
There will be lots of money spend on IoT in 2016, the exact sum is hard to define, but it is estimated that nearly $6 trillion will be spent on IoT solutions over the next five years. IoT is now a very large global business dominated by giants (IBM, Intel, Cisco, Gemalto, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Bosch, GE, AT&T, T-Mobile, Telefonica and many others). I see that because it is still a young and quickly developing market, there will be lots of potential in it for startups in 2016.
There will be a very large number of new IoT devices connected to Internet in the end of 2016. According to Business Insider The Internet of Things Report there was 10 billion devices connected to the internet in 2015 and there will be will be 34 billion devices connected to the internet by 2020. IoT devices will account for 24 billion, while traditional computing devicesw ill comprise 10 billion (e.g. smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, etc.). Juniper research predicted that by 2020, there will be 38.5 billion connected devices. IDC says it’ll be 20.9 billion. Gartner’s guess? Twenty-five billion. The numbers don’t matter, except that they’re huge. They all agree that most of those gadgets will be industrial Internet of Things. The market for connecting the devices you use all day, every day, is about to be huge.
Businesses will be the top adopter of IoT solutions because they see ways the IoT can improve their bottom line: lowering operating costs, increasing productivity, expand to new markets and develop new product offerings. Sensors, data analytics, automation and wireless communication technologies allow the study of the “self-conscious” machines, which are able to observe their environment and communicate with each other. From predictive maintenance that reduces equipment downtime to workers using mobile devices on the factory floor, manufacturing is undergoing dramatic change. The Internet of Things (IoT) is enabling increased automation on the factory floor and throughout the supply chain, 3D printing is changing how we think about making components, and the cloud and big data are enabling new applications that provide an end-to-end view from the factory floor to the retail store.
Governments are focused on increasing productivity, decreasing costs, and improving their citizens’ quality of life. The IoT devices market will connect to climate agreements as in many applicatons IoT can be seen as one tool to help to solve those problems. A deal to attempt to limit the rise in global temperatures to less than 2C was agreed at the climate change summit in Paris in December 2015. Sitra fresh market analysis indicates that there is up to an amount of EUR 6 000 billion market potential for smart green solutions by 2050. Smart waste and water systems, materials and packaging, as well as production systems together to form an annual of over EUR 670 billion market. Smart in those contests typically involves use of IoT technologies.
Consumers will lag behind businesses and governments in IoT adoption – still they will purchase a massive number of devices. There will be potential for marketing IoT devices for consumers: Nine out of ten consumers never heard the words IoT or Internet of Things, October 2015! It seems that the newest IoT technology extends homes in 2016 – to those homes where owner has heard of those things. Wi-Fi has become so ubiquitous in homes in so many parts of the world that you can now really start tapping into that by having additional devices. The smart phones and the Internet connection can make home appliances, locks and sensors make homes and leisure homes in more practical, safer and more economical. Home adjusts itself for optimal energy consumption and heating, while saving money. During the next few years prices will fall to fit for large sets of users. In some cases only suitable for software is needed, as the necessary sensors and data connections can be found in mobile phones. Our homes are going to get smarter, but it’s going to happen slowly. Right now people mostly buy single products for a single purpose. Our smart homes and connected worlds are going to happen one device, one bulb at a time. The LED industry’s products will become more efficient, reliable, and, one can hope, interoperable in the near future. Companies know they have to get you into their platform with that first device, or risk losing you forever to someone else’s closed ecosystem.
The definitions what would be considered IoT device and what is a traditional computing devices is not entirely clear, and I fear that we will not get a clear definition for that in 2016 that all could agree. It’s important to remember that the IoT is not a monolithic industry, but rather a loosely defined technology architecture that transcends vertical markets to make up an “Internet of everything.”
Too many people – industry leaders, media, analysts, and end users – have confused the concept of
“smart” with “connected”. Most devices – labeled “IoT” or “smart” – are simply connected devices. Just connecting a device to the internet so that it can be monitored and controlled by someone over the web using a smart phone is not smart. Yes, it may be convenient and time saving, but it is not “smart”. Smart means intelligence.
IoT New or Not? YES and NO. There are many cases where whole IoT thing is hyped way out of proportion. For the most part, it’s just the integration of existing technologies. Marketing has driven an amount of mania around IoT, on the positive side getting it on the desks of decision makers, and on the negative generating ever-loftier predictions. Are IoT and M2M same or different? Yes and no depending on case. For sure for very many years to come IoT and M2M will coexist.
Nearly a dozen contenders are trying to fill a need for long distance networks that cut the cost and power consumption of today’s cellular machine-to-machine networks. Whose technology protocols should these manufacturers incorporate into their gear? Should they adopt ZigBee, Apple’s HomeKit, Allseen Alliance/AllJoyn, or Intel’s Open Interconnect Consortium? Other 802.15.4 technologies? There are too many competing choices.
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, two pioneers of the Internet of Things are expanding their platforms and partnerships. Crowdfunding sites and hardware accelerators are kicking out startups at a regular clip, typically companies building IoT devices that ride Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Bluetooth Special Interest group is expected to release in2016 support for mesh networks and higher data rates.
Although ZWave and Zigbee helped pioneer the smart home and building space more than a decade ago, but efforts based on Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 6LoWPAN are poised to surpass them. Those pioneering systems are actively used and developed. Zigbee Alliance starts certification for its unified version 3.0 specification in few months (includes profiles for home and building automation, LED lighting, healthcare, retail and smart energy). EnOcean Alliance will bring its library of about 200 application profiles for 900 MHz energy harvesting devices to Zigbee networks. Zigbee will roll out a new spec for smart cities. The Z-Wave Security 2 framework will start a beta test in February and Z-Wave aims to strike a collaboration withleading IoT application framework platforms. Zigbee alredy has support Thread.
The race to define, design and deploy new low power wide area networks for the Internet of Things won’t cross a finish line in 2016. But by the end of the year it should start to be clear which LPWA nets are likely to have long legs and the opportunities for brand new entrants will dim significantly. So at the moment it is hard to make design choices. To protect against future technology changes, maybe the device makers should design in wireless connectivity chips and software that will work with a variety of protocols? That’s complicated and expensive. But if I pick only one technology I can easily pick up wrong horse, and it is also an expensive choice.
Within those who want to protect against future technology changes, there could be market for FPGAs in IoT devices. The Internet of Things (IoT) is broken and needs ARM-based field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology to fix it, an expert told engineers at UBM’s Designers of Things conference in San Jose. You end up with a piece of hardware that can be fundamentally changed in the field.
There seems to be huge set of potential radio techniques also for Internet of Things even for long distance and low power consumpion. Zigbee will roll out a new spec for smart cities in February based on the 802.15.4g standard for metro networks. It will compete with an already crowded field of 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz networks from Sigfox, the LoRa Alliance, Ingenu and others. Weightless-P is an open standard announced by Weightless SIG, which operates at frequencies below one gigahertz. Weightless-P nodes and development cards will be expected to be in the market already during the first quarter of 2016, at the moment Weightless IoT Hardware Virtually Unavailable.
I expect LoRa Technology is expected to be hot in 2016. The LoRaWAN standard enables low-data-rate Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine-to-Machine (M2M) wireless communication with a range of up to 10 miles, a battery life of 10 years, and the ability to connect millions of wireless sensor nodes to LoRaWAN gateways. LoRa® technology works using a digital spread spectrum modulation and proprietary protocol in the Sub-GHz RF band (433/868/915 MHz). I see LoRa technology interesting because lots of activity around in Finland in several companies (especially Espotel) and I have seen a convincing hands-in demo of the LoRa system in use.
It seems that 3GPP Lost its Way in IoT and there is fragmentation ahead in cellular standards. In theory 3GPP should be the default provider of IoT connectivity, but it seems that it has now failed in providing one universal technology. At the moment, there are three major paths being supported by 3GPP for IoT: the machine-type version of LTE (known as LTE-M) and two technologies coming from the Cellular-IoT initiative — NB-IoT and EC-GSM. So here we are with three full standardization efforts in 3GPP for IoT connectivity. It is too much. There will like be a base standard in 2016 for LTE-M.
The promise of billions of connected devices leads everyone to assume that there will be plenty of room for multiple technologies, but this betrays the premise of IoT, that a connected world will offer gains through efficiency. Too many standard will cause challenges for everybody. Customers will not embrace IoT if they have to choose between LTE-M and Sigfox-enabled products that may or may not work in all cases. OEM manufacturers will again bear the cost, managing devices at a regional or possibly national level. Again, we lose efficiency and scale. The cost of wireless connectivity will remain a barrier to entry to IoT.
Today’s Internet of Things product or service ultimately consists of multiple parts, quite propably supplied by different companies. An Internet of Things product or service ultimately consists of multiple parts. One is the end device that gathers data and/or executes control functions on the basis of its communications over the Internet. Another is the gateway or network interface device. Once on the Internet, the IoT system needs a cloud service to interact with. Then, there is the human-machine interface (HMI) that allows users to interact with the system. So far, most of the vendors selling into the IoT development network are offering only one or two of these parts directly. Alternatives to this disjointed design are arising, however. Recently many companies are getting into the end-to-end IoT design support business, although to different degrees.
Voice is becoming more often used the user interface of choice for IoT solutions. Smartphones let you control a lot using only your voice as Apple, Google, Microsoft and Samsung have their solutions for this. For example Amazon, SoundHound and Nuance have created systems that allow to add language commands to own hardware or apps. Voice-activated interface becomes pervasive and persistent for IoT solutions in 2016. Right now, most smart home devices are controlled through smartphones, and it seems like that’s unlikely to change. The newest wearable technology, smart watches and other smart devices corresponding to the voice commands and interpret the data we produce – it learns from its users, and generate as responses in real time appropriate, “micro-moments” tied to experience.
Monitoring your health is no longer only a small group oriented digital consumer area. Consumers will soon take advantage of the health technology extensively to measure well-being. Intel Funds Doctor in Your Pocket and Samsung’s new processor is meant for building much better fitness trackers. Also, insurance companies have realized the benefits of health technologies and develop new kinds of insurance services based on data from IoT devices.
Samsung’s betting big on the internet of things and wants the TV to sit at the heart of this strategy. Samsung believes that people will want to activate their lights, heating and garage doors all from the comfort of their couch. If smart TVs get a reputation for being easy to hack, then Samsung’s models are hardly likely to be big sellers. After a year in which the weakness of smart TVs were exploited, Samsung goes on the offensive in 2016. Samsung’s new Tizen-based TVs will have GAIA security with pin lock for credit card and other personal info, data encryption, built-in anti-malware system, more.
This year’s CES will focus on how connectivity is proliferating everything from cars to homes, realigning diverse markets – processors and networking continue to enhance drones, wearables and more. Auto makers will demonstrate various connected cars. There will be probably more health-related wearables at CES 2016, most of which will be woven into clothing, mainly focused on fitness. Whether or not the 2016 International CES holds any big surprises remains to be seen. The technology is there. Connected light bulbs, connected tea kettles, connected fridges and fans and coffeemakers and cars—it’s all possible. It’s not perfect, but the parts are only going to continue to get better, smaller, and cheaper.
Connectivity of IoT devices will still have challeges in 2016. While IoT standards organizations like the Open Interconnect Consortium and the AllSeen Alliance are expected to demonstrate their capabilities at CES, the industry is still a ways away from making connectivity simple. In 2016 it will still pretty darn tedious to get all these things connected, and there’s all these standards battles coming on. So there will be many standards in use at the same time. The next unsolved challenge: How the hell are all these things going to work together? Supporting open APIs that connect with various services is good.
Like UPnP and DLNA, AllJoyn could become the best-kept secret in the connected home in 2016 — everyone has it, no one knows about it. AllJoyn is an open-source initiative to connect devices in the Internet of Things. Microsoft added support for AllJoyn to Windows in 2014.
Analysis will become important in 2016 on IoT discussions. There’s too much information out there that’s available free, or very cheaply. We need systems to manage the information so we can make decisions. Welcome to the systems age.
The rise of the Internet of Things and Web services is driving new design principles. The new goal is to delight customers with experiences that evolve in flexible ways that show you understand their needs. “People are expecting rich experiences, fun and social interactions… this generation gets bored easily so you need to understand all the dimensions of how to delight them”
With huge number of devices security issues will become more and more important. In 2016, we’ll need to begin grappling with the security concerns these devices raise. The reality of everything being connected can have unintended consequences, not all of them useful – Welcome to the Internet of stupid (hackable) things.
Security: It was a hot topic for 2015 and if anything it will get hotter in 2016. The reason is clear. By adding connectivity embedded systems not only increase their utility, they vastly increase their vulnerability to subversion with significant consequences. Embedded systems that add connectivity face many challenges, of which the need for security is both vital and misunderstood. But vendors and developers have been getting the message and solutions are appearing in greater numbers, from software libraries to MCUs with a secure root of trust.
Bruce Schneier is predicting that the IoT will be abused in conjunction with DMCA to make our lives worse instead of better. In theory, connected sensors will anticipate your needs, saving you time, money, and energy. Except when the companies that make these connected objects act in a way that runs counter to the consumer’s best interests. The story of a company using copy-protection technology to lock out competitors—isn’t a new one. Plenty of companies set up proprietary standards to ensure that their customers don’t use someone else’s products with theirs. Because companies can enforce anti-competitive behavior this way, there’s a litany of things that just don’t exist, even though they would make life easier for consumers.
Internet of Things is coming. It’s not a matter of if or whether, but when and how. Maybe it’ll be 2016, maybe the year after, but the train is coming. It’ll have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and probably eight other things, and you’ll definitely get a push notification when it gets here.
More interesting material links:
1,510 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Panel Meter-To-Bluetooth Hack Hijacks The Display Segments
http://hackaday.com/2016/09/21/panel-meter-to-bluetooth-hack-hijacks-the-display-segments/
He simply added a Bluetooth interface to his combined voltage and current meter module by using an ATmega328 microcontroller to capture the signals sent to the module’s display LEDs and interpret them into readings for his Bluetooth module. He details the process of reverse engineering the meter, and his build. The result is an intriguing mess of wires with a DIP ATmega hanging on their ends. But it performs the task requested of it admirably and when mounted in a project box you would not know what lurks within.
Hacking a Cheap Ammeter / Voltmeter to Provide a Bluetooth PC Interface
http://www.swharden.com/wp/2016-09-19-hacking-a-cheap-ammeter-voltmeter-to-provide-a-bluetooth-pc-interface/
I love analyzing data, so any time I see a cool device to measure something I usually want to save its output. I’ve lately come to enjoy the cheap panel-mount volt meters and current meters on eBay, and figured it would be cool to hack one to provide PC logging capability.
https://github.com/swharden/AVR-projects/tree/master/ATMega328%202016-09-15%20CVM
Tomi Engdahl says:
Schneider brings IoT technology to data center
Schneider Electric launches StruxureOn service promises to combine data center hardware company to the cloud. The solution brings IoT technology to support data center equipment maintenance and fault management. Remote management is becoming a growing trend in the future.
Schneider Electric StruxureOn to combine data center hardware company to the cloud. based data analytics to warn of potential problems in the data center and improve the ability to maintain critical equipment before the malfunction.
The mobile application provides real-time view of the performance of the system as well as maintenance needs.
“StruxureOn service with Schneider Electric harness the power of the Internet of Things resources to offer data center managers the information and tools they need to anticipate, prevent disruption and downtime,” says Schneider Electric Finland Sales Director Sami Lakio.
Source: http://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2016/09/22/schneider-iot-tekniikan-datakeskuksiin/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Home> Community > Blogs > Sensor-EE Perception
Sensors Expo emphasizes embedded and IoT 2.0 sensor integration
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/sensor-ee-perception/4442236/Sensors-Expo-emphasizes-embedded-and-IoT-2-0-sensor-integration
An exciting fifth symposium, “IoT 2.0 – Sensor Innovation Moves From Smart to Intelligent,” is led by Willard Tu, vice president of business development at DSP Concepts, Inc. The title refers to how sensors have evolved from delivering the basic signals of changing parameters to being highly intelligent enabling elements of the IoT 2.0.
With that in mind, who better to kick off the IoT 2.0 symposia than Steve Malkos, Google’s technical program manager. With a background in GPS, Malkos will talk about Google’s vision as well as his own Android Location and Context Group’s vision around sensors and location. He will support his discussion with examples of where he and Google are taking sensors in the not-to-distant future.
In his keynote, “Are Your Sensors a Feature or a Discriminator?,” Gabriel will show how to use sensors to differentiate your products, and not just be a feature.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Where Are the IoT Security Startups?
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1330501&
You’d think that the dissonance between excitement over IoT opportunities on one hand and concern about IoT security on the other would yield a rich breeding ground for companies targeting IoT security.
Security is a broad concept even within a specific arena such as embedded systems. Basic security principles are applicable whether the asset to be protected is physical or virtual, so one can understandably question the appropriateness of confining a discussion about security to a particular market such as the Internet of Things (IoT).
The IoT is unique, however, in the way its assets stretch out broadly across both physical and virtual domains — encompassing individual devices and open communications channels at known sites as well as geographically dispersed data sets and application running on virtual servers. Rather than some nicely compartmentalized system, an IoT application is pretty much a security nightmare from end to end. Even so, you’d think that the dissonance between excitement over IoT opportunities on one hand and concern about IoT security on the other would yield a rich breeding ground for companies targeting IoT security. Yet, in its latest look at 60 noteworthy startups, EE Times identified only one security-related startup, which begs the question: Where are the IoT security startups?
From a security point of view, the IoT is different from nearly any other application segment. Few applications expose as many threat surfaces simultaneously. Industrial network applications probably most closely resemble IoT applications but have the distinct advantage of physical protection and isolation. Even so, closed industrial networks have been famously compromised. In contrast, a typical IoT application is open and easily accessible.
Where are the IoT security startups?
http://www.embedded.com/design/safety-and-security/4442732/Where-are-the-IoT-security-startups-
Not suprisingly, researchers have exposed security flaws in connected products including automobiles, closed-circuit cameras, and even light bulbs. Concerns understandably remain over zero-day vulnerabilities across the connected world.
That challenge, in a nutshell, is the easy answer to the dearth of IoT security startups: It’s really really hard. Yet, that very kind of challenge has always attracted some of the best minds in math, science and engineering. The true answers might have less to do with technology than with business factors. In its recent report, Cybersecurity Venture Investment in Pervasive Computing and the IoT, Lux Research looked at 77 IoT-related startups and found a remarkable shortfall in venture funding. According to Lux Research, the 77 startups it studied “…raised just $808.6 million in venture funding over the last 16 years — and 42 of them had little or no venture backing at all.”
It’s interesting to note that in both the EE Times list and in the Lux Research report, some of the companies have been around long enough to stretch the definition of “startup.” In terms of market presence, however, these companies are in a long-running battle for recognition. IoT security-solutions vendors face a cost-sensitive market and security is a cost that does not translate into a new, exciting feature for the user. Cybersecurity vendors often say that their products are like insurance — something nobody wants to pay for until it’s too late.
Along with the difficulty in proving commercial viability, third-party security-solution providers face a significant legal challenge. As Lux Research points out, the anti-circumvention rules in Section 1201 of the Digital Milennium Copyright Act prohibits developers from bypassing a device’s own code without permission from the rights owner of the device code.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Human Limb Tracking
https://hackaday.io/project/10766-human-limb-tracking
A system that tracks limb movement of people who have movement disorders to assist in diagnosis and therapy
The current system uses MPU9250 IMU sensors, each combined with an ATSAMR21 microcontroller for each sensor node. Each node processes its own orientation data. These nodes now communicate using wireless (6lowPAN) to an edge router. The edge router (currently also using an ATSAMR21 based board) interfaces between the 6lowPAN network of sensors and a standard TCP/IP network.
The system has a simple REST web service API hosted on a PC that communicates with the edge router and provides the ability to read data from and send control data to the IMU nodes.
Finally a browser based user interface, uses the Web Service API, to record and display the movements and allow the user to control the system.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Testbed for sending sensor data to the cloud approved
http://www.controleng.com/single-article/testbed-for-sending-sensor-data-to-the-cloud-approved/fb554f3609e26734a60bcff6b4a5da8c.html?OCVALIDATE&ocid=101781
The Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) has approved a testbed on sensor-to-the-cloud connectivity called the Smart Manufacturing Connectivity for Brownfield Sensors Testbed, which is being carried out by IIC members TE Connectivity, SAP, ifm, and the OPC foundation.
The Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) has approved an IIC testbed on sensor-to-the-cloud connectivity called the Smart Manufacturing Connectivity for Brownfield Sensors Testbed. This testbed is being carried out by IIC members TE Connectivity, SAP, ifm, and the OPC foundation. The idea for the testbed was publicly unveiled at the Hanover Fair in April of this year.
The objective of sensor-to-the-cloud connectivity is to make sensor data available to information technology (IT) systems in near real time, enabling advanced analytics. This is of particular interest to operators of existing manufacturing facilities, as it provides them with opportunities to increase efficiencies through reductions in energy consumption. Unlike new deployments, where the appropriate connectivity may be designed in from the beginning, smart solutions are required for these “brownfield” installations in order to enable easy integration at both the operational technology (OT) and the IT level to reduce downtime and save costs.
The Smart Manufacturing Connectivity for Brownfield Sensors Testbed is designed to:
Introduce a retrofit hardware solution (the “Y-Gateway”) that makes use of existing physical connectivity
Extract sensor data from the automation system without impacting operations
Deliver the sensor data to SAP’s IT platform through a secure OT/IT communication based on OPC UA (IEC 62541)
Define and implement a common device model based on an available open standard to allow for the easy integration of an IO-Link sensor with IT, enabling the remote configuration of the sensor.
“Testbeds are a major focus and activity of the IIC and its members”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mechatronic motion control sets Industrie 4.0 in motion
Mechatronic machine design will simplify and enhance operations, driving Industrie 4.0 initiatives forward.
http://www.controleng.com/single-article/mechatronic-motion-control-sets-industrie-40-in-motion/dd449f2d143cab25cf530ebc84248c64.html?OCVALIDATE&ocid=101781
Heralded by some as the next industrial revolution, Industry 4.0 (Industrie 4.0 in German)-friendly technologies expand the efficiency, performance, and accessibility of built-in machine intelligence. Mechatronic machine design and engineering provide fundamental building blocks for Industrie 4.0 initiatives.
Referred to as Industrie 4.0, the fourth industrial revolution capitalizes on digital data and automation technologies. Introducing the Internet of Things (IoT) enabled modular components and digital control communications. The IoT provided a potentially massive platform for Industrie 4.0 with opportunities to make systems faster, more reliable, agile, and scalable. What makes Industrie 4.0 so extraordinary is the ability to communicate granular-level data and analysis in near real-time nearly anywhere in the world.
Industrie 4.0 initiatives have grown exponentially as more sensors, machines, and operations connect up to the Internet and cloud platforms. Businesses will be the top adopters of IoT solutions to lower operating costs, increase productivity, and expand new markets or develop new product offerings.
According to a recent Business Insider survey, over half of executives had already adopted IoT-based systems or had plans to do so. Over 80% agree that successful adoption of IoT technologies will be critical for future success. Embedded intelligence and wireless sensors have proliferated in industrial plants and operations. Research firm MarketsandMarkets estimates the market value of IoT-enabled devices on the industrial side reaching $151 billion by 2020.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Interest in the IoT yields interest in OT security
http://www.controleng.com/single-article/interest-in-the-iot-yields-interest-in-ot-security/82536b7c24b552c30b139535aa898e6b.html?OCVALIDATE&ocid=101781
The Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming more commonplace in the workplace, which has, in turn, increased interest in operational technology (OT) security.
The more an organization wants to raise productivity, the more its individual parts need to connect-devices to systems, machines to data, people to processes-to create increased automation. Heat sensors tell the system when to cool down. Instruments detect when medical tests are complete. Viscosity sensors keep oil running through pipelines. These man-to-man, man-to-machine, and machine-to-machine (M2M) connections on the industrial Internet increase productivity and efficiencies.
The industrial Internet represents a huge opportunity for growth and efficiency. To realize the full benefits of the industrial Internet, organizations have to connect to the Internet, to local and wide area networks, to information technology (IT) and to other control systems.
Today, the industrial world runs on critical physical assets and embedded systems known as operational technology (OT). Gartner, Inc. forecasts that 6.4 billion connected Internet of Things (IoT) will be in use worldwide in 2016, up 30% from 2015, and will reach 20.8 billion by 2020. In 2016, 5.5 million new things will get connected every day.
However, this growing number of connected devices also greatly expands the attack surface. Every new connection adds to that which security professionals must protect.
Adding to the difficulty, those who attempt to hack into the industrial Internet tend to have a lower risk/higher reward dynamic than those who attack IT networks.
Compared to IT hackers who end up with data, OT hackers can cause immense havoc, such as disabling a factory or generating other debilitating disruptions.
Thus, there can be a false sense of security when protecting a network that does not have, and often has never had, an active unsecured connection. There are two major reasons why this is not possible:
1. If a system is operating in isolation, that doesn’t mean it can’t get attached. An employee simply accessing an email with a keyboard can breach the gap.
2. In today’s world, to raise productivity, a system must be connected. Somewhere along the connectivity chain, the system is going to become attached—either willfully or through a possible error. In fact, most CISO’s are more concerned over accidental activities by authorized users versus threats by external adversaries.
Raising OT cybersecurity awareness
It seems like every B2B trade publication has articles on the IoT. Although security concerns never seem to be the subject of the article, security directors are reading between the lines. And, although these articles don’t typically address the real problems inherent with protecting such systems, they are starting, at least, discuss the issues.
As the IoT continues to change the industrial control landscape, it will also change the very nature of industrial cybersecurity. Future industrial Internet security strategies will require a broader scope that includes cloud systems and remote devices, more emphasis on device-centric security and secure-by-design and a shift from security management silos to IT-OT security networks.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hackaday Prize Entry: Theia IoT light-switch
http://hackaday.com/2016/09/24/hackaday-prize-entry-theia-iot-light-switch/
There are it seems no wireless-enabled light switches available in the standard form factor of a UK light switch. At least, that was the experience of [loldavid6], when he decided he needed one. Also, none of the switches he could find were open-source, or easy to integrate with. So he set out to design his own, and the Theia IoT light switch is the result.
In adapting a standard light switch, he was anxious that his device would not depend on the position of the switch for its operation. Therefore he had to ensure that the switch became merely an input to whichever board he designed, rather than controlling the mains power. He settled upon the ESP8266 wireless-enabled microcontroller as the brains of the unit, with a relay doing the mains switching.
Theia IoT light-switch
An easy, cheap and open source way to add IoT to a light switch.
https://hackaday.io/project/12661-theia-iot-light-switch
Tomi Engdahl says:
Colorful Display Keeps Track of Your Network
http://hackaday.com/2016/09/24/colorful-display-keeps-track-of-your-network/
So you’ve built out your complete home automation setup, with little network-connected “things” scattered all around your home. You’ve got net-connected TVs, weather stations, security cameras, and whatever else. More devices means more chances for failure. How do you know that they’re all online and doing what they should?
[WTH]’s solution is pretty simple: take a Raspberry Pi Zero, ping all the things, log, and display the status on an RGB LED strip.
He uses the IFTTT service and Google Drive to save the ping logs in a spreadsheet, but we can think of about a billion other ways to handle the logging side of things.
For many of us, this is a junk-box build. We’re sure that we have some extra RGB LEDs lying around somewhere, and spare cycles on a single-board-computer aren’t hard to come by either.
Keep Tabs on the Devices Connected to Your LAN
http://www.whiskeytangohotel.com/2016/09/keep-tabs-on-devices-connected-to-your.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT used for censorship and more
http://www.epanorama.net/newepa/2016/09/25/iot-used-for-censorship-and-more/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hackaday Prize Entry: Under Cabinet LED Lighting Controller
http://hackaday.com/2016/09/27/hackaday-prize-entry-under-cabinet-led-lighting-controller/
His solution is to make a wireless controller for all his home LED strips, under the command of a web app from his Android tablet. An ESP8266 and a set of MOSFETs provide the inner workings, and the whole is presented on a very compact and well-designed purple OSH Park PCB reflow soldered on a $20 Wal-Mart hotplate and set in a plastic enclosure. The web interface is still in development, but has a fairly simple CSS front end for the ESP8266 code. All software, the schematic, and BoM can be downloaded from the Hackaday.io page
Under Cabinet LED Lighting Controller
An ESP8266 is used to control a 12VDC or 24VDC string of white or RGB LED’s.
https://hackaday.io/project/12797-under-cabinet-led-lighting-controller
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Cloud Platform Integration
https://docs.particle.io/tutorials/topics/google-cloud-platform/
Particle has teamed up with Google to create a 1st-class integration with Google Cloud Platform. Google Cloud Platform enables developers to build, test, and deploy applications on Google’s highly scalable and reliable infrastructure.
Streaming data from Particle devices into Google Cloud Platform creates countless opportunities to add intelligence and robustness to your IoT product. Here are some examples of things you could do with Particle + Google Cloud Platform:
Store data from a fleet of devices in a durable, long-term hosted database
Combine data sources from an entire fleet into unified data flows that provide product-wide business intelligence
Take action in the physical world based on results of predictive analysis on a historical data set
Google’s Cloud Platform is comprised of dozens of products & services, providing you with a variety of potential IoT applications
Google Cloud Data Storage + Particle Integration!
https://community.particle.io/t/google-cloud-data-storage-particle-integration/26126
Thank you Particle for adding Google Cloud Data services as an Integrated data storage and processing solution!
I’m currently running Azure services which work reliably, but I’m anxious to see how much easier and cheaper Particle has made this backend by partnering with Google.
I’m setting up the Google account now to begin testing pricing at different update frequencies.
Microsoft Azure cost me $1.20 to receive and database 5366 – 250-byte webhook messages over a 24 hour period. That feels expensive to me so hopefully the Google solution reduces those cost. I’ll report back on my personal testing on this.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wind River integrates VxWorks with IBM’s Watson IoT service
http://www.electronicsweekly.com/news/products/software-products/wind-river-integrates-vxworks-ibms-watson-iot-service-2016-09/
Wind River has announced a VxWorks real-time operating system (RTOS) client for the IBM Watson IoT platform.
This is part of the IBM and Wind River collaboration aimed at IoT deployments amongst industrial customers – offering what the pair call ‘edge-to-cloud recipes’ designed to simplify the development of smart connected devices.
“This integration marks the first in a series of VxWorks clients for cloud service providers to follow,” said VxWorks.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft is looking for new users to Azure in the cloud. Car manufacturer Nissan, in addition to Microsoft’s Satya Nadella told the Atlanta Ignite2016 Congress Adobe constructive service to the Azure cloud service resource. Nissan searching for co-operation network development pace car.
latest information security, as well as smartphones and cloud solutions.
These three areas form According to Microsoft, the digital infrastructure, which offer endless opportunities for new innovations.
Cars are the next expansion areas of the traditional IT area. Renault-Nissan and Microsoft also announced it has entered into a worldwide, multi-year agreement, according to which the companies will cooperate in developing the next generation of cars in the latest web technologies.
Coming Nissan’s automotive intelligent services based on Microsoft’s Azure technology. The consumer will benefit from the new services according to Nissan’s sophisticated navigation, vehicle essential services, the vehicle features remote manageability, external mobile experience and within easy updates in the form.
“Cars are more and more connected to data networks, smarter and more personal,”
“Although the experience of the data network constantly in connection with the car is still in its infancy, we believe that there is a huge potential to change the entire automotive industry.” Says Jean-Philippe Courtois at Microsoft sales executive.
Source: http://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2016/09/27/autonvalmistaja-lahti-microsoftin-matkaan/
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT access to all sensor networks
German Congatec a new card product can be used to implement the Internet of Things (IoT) Gateway Gateway. It can be connected to eight antennas, and a huge variety of access modules. There is a tailor-made models of various sensor networks.
Congatec tailored IoT platform is quite scalable. The card supports 3GPP LTE modems, two Wi-Fi, as well as two LAN PoE and Profinet-featured, low-current Bluetooth (BTLE) and 6LoWPAN
The client version of the grant aid is available also to other low power sensor networks such as Lora, 3GPP LTE MTC, Sigfox or UNB. Standard card has six internal USB ports, and three miniPCIe slots.
The system also supports Qseven modules, which are offered on NXP’s single-core processor i.MX6 always Intel’s quad-core Pentium CPU. The gateway will also support future Intel Atom processors (Intel code-named “Apollo Lake”) deployment.
Cogatec new gateway card also supports Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system to the IoT.
Source: http://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2016/09/26/iot-yhteys-kaikkiin-anturiverkkoihin/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smart Trash Collection Project
http://electronicsofthings.com/iot-projects/make-build-iot/smart-trash-collection-project/
The developer of the project introduces us to a rather unique innovation using Internet of things which is to monitor the usage trash in a smart trash can. The project has module equipped with an ultrasonic sensor interfaced with Arduino Mega 2560 for sensing the proximity of objects to the brim of trash can; while the trash can fills up. The communication mediums are Bluetooth and Wi-fi. The Developer uses XAMPP which is an easy to install Apache distribution containing MariaDB, PHP, and Perl. Using SQL database, data is stored onto the Laptop which now acts like a web server. Data analytics is being done using a simple graph chart that charts out the trash drop-in pattern and notifies the end user.
In real world use-case for a smart-city, a command center could monitor the amount of trash in and around an area or city. The respective Municipal departments can optimise garbage pickup timings and personnel required to send vehicles to pick up trash to designated places while cutting down on expenses of fuel and vehicle emission.
Commercial company doing similar things:
enevo
http://www.enevo.com/
Optimising Waste Collection
By collecting and analyzing data from refuse containers across the world, Enevo ® is able to create efficiencies and provide valuable insights.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IC Insights Trims IoT Chip Market Forecast
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1330422&
IC Insights reduced the IoT semiconductor market’s projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) — between 2014 and 2019 — from an original projection of 21.1 percent to 19.9 percent.
Hence, semiconductor sales for IoT system functions in 2019 are now expected to reach $29.6 billion in 2019, instead of $31.1 billion, according to IC Insights.
The market research firm’s slimmed IoT market forecast was triggered by lower sales projections for connected cities applications, said IC Insights. The connected cities segment, as IC Insights defines it, include smart electric meters and infrastructure.
The new outlook shows that semiconductor revenues for connected cities applications are projected to grow by a CAGR of 12.9% between 2014 and 2019, down from 15.5% in the original forecast.
IC Insights breaks down the IoT market in five segments: connected cities, connected vehicles, wearable systems, connected homes and industrial Internet.
“We count everything in a system that’s essential to connectivity to Internet.”
IC Insights sometimes include sensors [in the IoT semiconductor mix] if sensors are served by cloud computing. “We count them in IoT semiconductors because if a system isn’t connected to the Internet, those sensors wouldn’t be there.”
Lineback, however, noted, “We do not consider smartphones as IoT devices.” Nor, in his book, is Smart TV.
Wearable semiconductor sales are projected to rise by a CAGR of 62.2% between 2014 and 2019. Lineback attributed the big increase to the Apple Watch launch in the second quarter of 2015. Between 2015 and 2019, the CAGR is 16.6%, reaching $3.9 billion in wearable semiconductor sales, he noted.
Connected-home IoT semiconductor sales are forecast to grow by a CAGR of 24.2% between 2014 and 2019 to $1.0 billion in the final year of the forecast.
Tomi Engdahl says:
GE Plugs into Industrial Internet
A look under the hood of a hybrid system
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1330530&
Plugging utilities and factories into Web services and third-party apps is no easy feat. Just ask Rich Carpenter, the executive behind the Industrial Internet Control System that GE claims is the first to make such connections.
The portfolio of new systems represent a milestone of blending PC and industrial-control technologies in a secure product, said Carpenter, general manager of control platforms in GE’s automation and controls group. He gave EE Times a virtual look under the hood of the designs geared for an industrial Internet of Things.
The controllers are “no longer limited to looking down to the physical sensors,” said Carpenter. “They are now able to ‘look up’ in a secure and authenticated way to information beyond the reach of typical control systems” to access to Web data and apps other control systems lack, he said.
The “looking up” involves capturing Web data on anything from weather forecasts to stock market swings. The systems can suggest changes to factory controls based on the data and predictions from homegrown and third-party apps such as GE’s Predix software which runs in the systems on Linux or Windows.
The connected control systems can save time and money by raising productivity and lowering maintenance, GE claims. Under the hood, they use virtualization to create separate OS and network images. Some virtual machines are dedicated to running traditional factory control processes, others handle Web searches and guest apps.
“One of the hardest things was getting a reliable mix of criticality with half the system deterministic — it always looks the same way — and another half running a guest OS,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
RF front-end module outputs +20 dBm
http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/other/4442722/RF-front-end-module-outputs–20-dBm?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_productsandtools_20160926&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_productsandtools_20160926&elqTrackId=18e0053b535d429cb7d620c93918c2fd&elq=9534f765b0674bdf97094bb2007384f3&elqaid=34026&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=29750
Teamed with a Texas Instruments CC1310 wireless MCU, the SKY66115-11 front-end-module from Skyworks offers long-range communications from 470 MHz to 510 MHz and increased output power for smart metering, RFID, industrial, and IoT applications. TI and Skyworks worked together to create a complete reference design to specifically address the Chinese market. Skywork’s multichip front-end module delivers RF transmit output power of +20 dBm with transmit current consumption of 67 mA.
SKY66115-11
Texas Instruments’ SimpleLink sub-1-GHz CC1310 MCU is a low-power, long-range wireless MCU for operation in the 315-MHz, 433-MHz, 470-MHz, 500-MHz, 868-MHz, 915-MHz, and 920-MHz ISM bands. It offers up to 20 years of battery life, an ARM Cortex-M3 core, sensor controller, low-power modes, and a sleep current of just 0.6 µA. The CC1310 also features a software-configurable radio
Tomi Engdahl says:
Demand seen for filling IoT connectivity, security gaps
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2016/09/demand-seen-for-filling-iot-connectivity-security-gaps.html?cmpid=Enl_CIM_CablingNews_September262016&eid=289644432&bid=1538204
Internet of Things (IoT) devices are a critical component of the new digital economy, collecting and sharing information across myriad data nodes – from smart appliances, irrigation systems and shipping containers, to wireless energy meters and mobile healthcare devices.
“Of course, IOT introduces a number of critical challenges as well, not the least of which are, ‘how do we connect and manage so many devices?’ and ‘how do we secure so many devices and so much traffic?’”
He points out that it’s because most IOT devices are mobile, that they tend to connect to the network via wireless access points. “Since IOT wasn’t on the horizon when most wireless solutions were deployed, the growing volume of IOT and user devices is now overwhelming these access points,” continues Hutton. “In addition, because most IOT devices do not have security installed, the need to apply security inspection and monitoring is creating a bottleneck.”
1. Unlock IOT access and performance demands
IT teams face severe challenges scaling their wireless edge to meet rising access demands.
2. Protect IOT with Fortinet Security Fabric
“Since most IOT devices can’t run a security client, or even be patched, security needs to be applied at the point of access,” highlights Hutton.
3. Simplify management
“However, to make this all happen efficiently, we need to automate security and access operations,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Week In Review: IoT
http://semiengineering.com/the-week-in-review-iot-19/
The Industrial Internet Consortium releases a security framework; IoT deals made by Cisco and Salesforce, Bosch and SAP; privacy is lacking in connected devices.
Security
The Industrial Internet Consortium this week unveiled the Industrial Internet Security Framework, a set of specifications for connected health-care devices and hospitals, intelligent transportation, smart electrical grids, smart factories, and other cyber-physical systems in the Internet of Things. AT&T, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Infineon Technologies, Intel, Microsoft, and Symantec are among the companies contributing to the security framework.
INDUSTRIAL INTERNET SECURITY FRAMEWORK TECHNICAL REPORT
http://www.iiconsortium.org/IISF.htm
Tomi Engdahl says:
Where are the IoT security startups?
http://www.embedded.com/design/safety-and-security/4442732/2/Where-are-the-IoT-security-startups-
Despite the limitations and difficulties facing them, startups continue to emerge with technologies that address IoT security either directly or indirectly through fundamental mechanisms. For example, Intrinsic ID, the sole security-focused company named in the EE Times list of 60 noteworthy startups, offers technology for physically unclonable functions (PUF). As with any fundamentalliy sound security mechanism, PUF technology is application-agnostic and can harden security in any connected embedded systems design by hardening crypto key security — a vital security mechanism and perhaps even the most important according to Kerckhoffs’s Principle. Similarly, several startups are looking to replace the traditional security workstation with automated mechanisms for threat detection, identification and mitigation at the enterprise level. IoT applications can benefit from many security features geared to the enterprise, but generally encompass a different set of requirements (and are not included in the list of startups below).
With the caveat that the next security leader might well be creating the next great solution in stealth mode, here’s a quick list of 10 companies (arranged alphabetically) that have emerged relatively recently with solutions that could benefit IoT applications developers:
Argus Cyber Security targets security for connected vehicles with a multilayered approach
Bastille focuses on RF vulnerability and provides proprietary software and sensors to scan the customer environment to identify RF threats and RF-based data leakage
Bbotx offers a secure managed software platform for managing connected devices and data from those devices
Device Authority is targeting IoT security with a platform designed for secure registration, provisioning, and updating of devices
DoJo Labs targets smart connected home security with a home-based device that monitors the home network for threats
Power Fingerprinting (PFP) Cybersecurity analyzes power usage on devices to detect potential threats
Runsafe Security targets automotive security with hardware and software designed to block physical or virtual attacks in real time
Securithings focuses on analytics for threat detection, offering software agents designed to simplify integration with common IoT platforms.
Twistlock is not IoT-specific but is included here because it addresses container security.
Virta Labs offers managed services designed for the healthcare industry.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Amazon Echo & How It Resonates
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1330500
Whatever you call them — smart microphones, virtual digital assistant, personal home robots, The Control Voice or R2D2 — Amazon Echo-like products are on the rise.
The second generation Echo Dot, whose price has been just dropped from $89.99 to $49.99 compared with its first generation version, will be on sale in the U.S. market next month.
Amazon’s Echo (and subsequent Dot) has opened a new market enabling device vendors to compete on better audio quality in voice capture, higher mic audio resolution, more sophisticated background noise filtering, better far field detection, and unflappable connectivity.
“[The] Internet of things are a bit of a movable feast right now. But to control these [IoT] devices, voice is the most natural user interface.”
The battle among hardware devices, however, is only half the story that makes up the smart microphone/speaker market. “The real competitive variables come from the cloud side of the equation,”
the race over competence in cloud services is accelerating. Google is expected to enter the market with Google Home and Google Assistant (successor to Google Now) late this year, Erickson explained. “And there are plenty of rumors that Apple will likely enter the market too in 2017, using Siri.”
One more reason why Amazon Echo, an IoT device, is hot is its potential to achieve one of the most important IoT virtues: Future-proofing.
“ensuring that a device can continue to add more features as time goes on.” The Alexa voice service for the Echo was first launched with 70 skills, but it now has over 1700, said Ashton.
“The Echo is updated every 2 weeks in the cloud,” said Ashton. “Amazon sends a Friday e-mail to Echo users announcing new capabilities – ‘Here is what is new with Alexa this week!’” Ashton concluded that Echo users “have generally been delighted” as its uses have grown.
Local intelligence
a smart microphone/smart speaker application is “extremely valuable to processor vendors.”
Such devices are not only crucial to providing “local intelligence.” The voice interface is proliferating everywhere — across a broad market spectrum. Not only is the digital assistant market emerging as a consumer electronics device version of a smartphone app, said Hackenberg, “the speaker is not the only form factor.”
He explained, “There will likely be home automation hubs and digital assistance built into TVs, Set-top boxes, HVAC/environmental control hubs and more. It is also a significant application in automotive infotainment systems, especially because of its hands free benefits.”
When asked to peel down Echo and Echo Dot for comparison, Hackenberg said, “I found no distinct differences in the processing components from the Echo to the Dot except for the memory vendors.”
According to iFixit, it was originally:
Samsung K4X2G323PD-8GD8 256 MB LPDDR1 RAM (Volatile memory)
SanDisk SDIN7DP2-4G 4 GB iNAND Ultra Flash (Non-volatile storage)
Changed in the Dot to:
Micron MT46H64M32LFBQ 256 MB (16 Meg x 32 x 4 Banks) LPDDR SDRAM (Volatile memory)
Samsung KLM4G1FEPD 4GB High Performance eMMC NAND Flash (Non-volatile storage)
The processors remain the same. At the center of both Echo and the Dot are “Texas Instruments DM3725 (Media Processor).” He added that Qualcomm Atheros QCA6234 Application Specific Standard Processor is used as “connectivity.”
All “local” intelligence is handled by TI’s DM3725, confirmed Hackenberg. “It’s a system-on-chip designed for many multimedia uses from set-top boxes, TVs, displays, video game systems, and more.”
The key to this SoC is the integrated DSP and potentially even the GPU, according to Hackenberg.
“In a typical design, [there are] multiple incoming sensors (primarily microphones). The whole audio input is first going to be highly filtered by the DSP so that the system quickly understands the difference between the user’s voice and ambient noise,” he said.
Microphone array
One claim to fame for Amazon Echo and the Dot is their use of a 7-microphone array. With multiple microphones and beam forming technology, Amazon claims that Echo and the Dot “can hear you from across the room—even while music is playing.”
Growing competition
In terms of suppliers, a number of connectivity suppliers with microcontrollers and connectivity ASSPs could compete for this space. Hackenberg listed a few: Apple (only for Apple), Broadcom, Cypress Semiconductor, Microchip, NXP, Renesas, STMicroelectronics, Silicon Labs. He said, “Combination 802.11n and BT 4.0 are less common, but some designs will probably use only the BT for less robust but cheaper solutions.”
“I would look to Apple’s Ax, Broadcom’s BCM7xxxx, Hisilicon’s Hi3xxx, NXP’s i.MX, Mediatek’s MT8xxx, STMicroelectronics’ STiHxxx, Qualcomm Snapdragon, and others. Of these, TI probably has the best legacy of DSP support (crucial for voice recognition) for the cost, though these other vendors have been closing the gap,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
GE Plugs into Industrial Internet
A look under the hood of a hybrid system
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1330514&
Plugging utilities and factories into Web services and third-party apps is no easy feat. Just ask Rich Carpenter, the executive behind the Industrial Internet Control System that GE claims is the first to make such connections.
The portfolio of new systems represent a milestone of blending PC and industrial-control technologies in a secure product, said Carpenter, general manager of control platforms in GE’s automation and controls group. He gave EE Times a virtual look under the hood of the designs geared for an industrial Internet of Things.
The controllers are “no longer limited to looking down to the physical sensors,” said Carpenter. “They are now able to ‘look up’ in a secure and authenticated way to information beyond the reach of typical control systems” to access to Web data and apps other control systems lack, he said.
The “looking up” involves capturing Web data on anything from weather forecasts to stock market swings. The systems can suggest changes to factory controls based on the data and predictions from homegrown and third-party apps such as GE’s Predix software which runs in the systems on Linux or Windows.
“Where it may have been 5-7 years between processor changes in the past, we can now release a new controller with new processor every 18-24 months” using ComExpress boards, he said.
The systems are also GE’s first to use time-synchronized networks, using the IEEE 1588v2 protocol implemented in an FPGA. The approach lets the systems create and run separate virtual network connections.
Prior control systems simply walled control systems off from any outside connections. GE had to rethink security given the new systems’ links to the Internet and third-party apps. The new systems use a hardware root of trust to enable a secure boot and authentication of all connections, techniques well established in general-purpose computing.
Industrial Internet Control System (IICS)
http://www.geautomation.com/industrial-internet-control-system-iics
GE’s Industrial Internet Control System enables users to improve operational efficiency through optimizing assets, process performance and productivity, unlocking new revenue opportunities and transforming equipment lifecycles through connected controls, transforming a company’s operations.
GE’s IICS was built on its world-class RX3i and Mark Vie industrial control systems, to create an innovative, next generation platform for the age of the Industrial Internet.
Use IICS to:
Optimize Asset & Process Performance
Maximize Productivity
Generate New Revenue Opportunities
Transform the Equipment Lifecycle
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sad reality: Look, no one’s going to patch their insecure IoT gear
‘Consumers are ready to roll the dice with their privacy every time they buy a gadget’
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/29/internet_of_things_security_patching/
If you think ordinary people are going to look out for and apply firmware fixes to patch vulnerabilities in the Internet of Things, you’re crazy.
It’s going to be down to manufacturers to secure IoT devices, Intel Security’s chief technical strategist says, because consumers will cheerfully give away their security and privacy in the name of convenience.
Scott Montgomery said time and time again non-geeks have shown little interest in the security of their IoT gizmos and were willing to put up with major security failings in things like home alarm systems and door locks in exchange for ease of use.
“Internet security and privacy are already tricky and industry hasn’t done a great job of making it more accessible and easier – that’s on us,” he told the Structure Security conference in San Francisco on Wednesday. “But consumers are very, very ready to roll the dice with their privacy every time they buy a gadget.”
A lot of manufacturers aren’t getting the message either, he noted, citing two particularly worrying cases.
Medical equipment was also singled out for his scorn. There are thousands of health-related devices that are connected to the internet, he said, but there was little reason to do so and the results meant that you can pick up their data online with very little effort.
“If you look at any dark web search engine you’ll be able to look at live MRIs going on right now,”
However, industry has got the message on IoT security very clearly, he said, citing Exxon as being a clear leader in the field. The oil giant has been conducting a massive infrastructure overhaul with the intention of adding in IoT sensors from oil wells to refineries.
As part of that, Exxon has told its suppliers to take a much firmer look at how these sensors can be locked down.
Tomi Engdahl says:
US Homeland Security launches IoT willy-waving campaign
Our policies are gonna be the best, ignore all the rest
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/22/homeland_security_launches_iot_campaign/
The US Department of Homeland Security has announced plans to make the internet-of-things just a bit more complicated – by trying to shove itself into the market with a new security framework.
On Thursday, assistant secretary for cyber policy at the DHS Robert Silvers told the Security of Things Forum in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that his department had decided to develop “a set of strategic principles” for IoT manufacturers that would ensure that security is built into future products.
While no one is going to disagree about the need for drastically improved security in this market, there are already a number of other government departments working on the issue, including the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Transportation – begging the question why the DHS should get involved at all.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Pisspoor IoT security means it’d be really easy to bump off pensioners
Oi, digi-utopians. Start putting your house in order, says CW event speaker
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/29/cambridge_wireless_iot_event_regulation_security/
Two things are fixed on everyone’s minds when it comes to the Internet of Things: security and law. How does industry overcome the threats posed by these two hurdles?
Speaking at yesterday’s Cambridge Wireless IoT event in London, Max Heinemeyer from Darktrace was all in favour of automating away the security problems.
He advocated letting machine learning take the strain of countering IoT malware – precursors to the gigantic botnet that floored infosec journalist Brian Krebs’ website earlier this week – and the emerging threat of hijacks and botnets.
“When I think about these new technology solutions,” said Heinemeyer, “I think what can save us from the IoT problem is to let machines do the heavy lifting. If you’ve ever worked in a security operations centre with signature detection systems, it’s not possible to keep them up to date manually.”
I’ve told you about a problem, now here’s the solution
A former member of the Chaos Communications Club hacker collective in Germany, Heinemeyer was – conveniently – able to put forward a machine learning solution made by his employers which just so happens to be a solution to the IoT security problem. He emphasised how, once installed, it learns how the client’s network operates over a period of two to three weeks and then act on unusual activity from there.
“Earlier we heard of the DDoS attack against Brian Krebs with an IoT network. I jumped onto a client’s network and it took me three minutes to find an IoT device trying to attack Krebs,” said Heinemeyer, who identified the culprit device as a CCTV camera.
Infamous “security tools” outfit Hacking Team was infiltrated by an IoT device modified to exploit a zero-day vulnerability, continued Heinemeyer, who gave a similar example of how one of Darktrace’s customers was attacked: “It wasn’t an attacker from the internet. Someone used chodan.io to find a fingerprint scanner. What he did then was guess the default admin password – which was [username] admin, [password] admin – got access to the administration toolkit, then used this to pivot into the main network.”
Where does government and regulation fit in with the IoT, then? The 50-strong audience heard from Derek McAuley of the University of Nottingham, who left your correspondent with a vague sense of unease about the whole shebang.
“We already live in a world where there’s a massive amount of regulation,”
“There will be regulation on IoT in certain spaces,” he said. “We actually have to look at the individual sectors and the Things within these sectors and say ‘what regulation applies’?”
Highlighting the US Federal Trade Commission’s webpage on “what to know about webcam hackers” and talking about how the FTC cracked down on firms selling shonky webcams with little or no built-in security features, McAuley said: “The regulation that was applied was nothing to do with technology, it was to do with consumer protection. Sanctions were applied and many of those companies shut down the next day.”
He continued on this theme, highlighting how real-world regulations already apply to the Internet of Things – or rather, can be made to apply to it – and warned that the biggest challenge may not be impending regulation or security challenges alone, but also user confidence.
FUD? Not so much – hyperbole masks a real problem here
Showing the audience a schematic of someone’s connected house “pulled randomly from the internet,” complete with automatic garage doors, self-ordering fridge, the whole works, McAuley said: “What could go wrong with that?” The next slide was a news story titled “Automatic garage door openers: hazards for children,” and went on to explain a nasty incident where junior had got hold of a remote control and squashed himself in the garage door.
“Unlike privacy,” he said, “you’re not going to be able to get fuzzy at the edges here. There’s one thing that’s common across the whole world: if you kill children with your technology, people are going to get angry and they’re going to come after you.”
If you really take it to extremes, McAuley pointed out, you could even leverage the IoT as a real-world attack vector.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Europe needs a digital platforms
China, India and the United States are global new kinds of digital platforms pioneer countries, but most European countries have already lagging behind. Digital platforms enable SMEs and traditional sectors would receive a trial platform for a new kind of business. Also, the industry needs to produce new digital platforms for IoT-based solutions.
Digital platforms were invested in 2010-2015 more than $ 20 billion, of which more than half in 2014-2015.
“Digital technologies are the most successful platforms with the United States, China and India. In these countries, platforms and help is built in large markets very quickly, ”
Accenture Platform Readiness Index evaluates 16 of the G20 countries’ ability to support digital platforms of success. on the basis of the index in China, India and the United States are beginning the tip of the economy countries in 2020.
Europe, the survey countries, the United Kingdom and Germany are the winners of digital platforms. the markets of other European countries and emerging, in turn, is projected to remain behind in development due to inadequate business support and socio-economic development conditions. Nordic countries were not included.
Successful digital platforms is expected to become more common, however, when small businesses and traditional industries begin to take advantage of digital platforms
Source: http://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2016/09/27/eurooppa-tarvitsee-digialustoja-myos-teollisuuteen/
Tomi Engdahl says:
A glimpse of the future of IoT sensors
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/sensor-ee-perception/4442772/A-glimpse-of-the-future-of-IoT-sensors?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_weekly_20160929&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_weekly_20160929&elqTrackId=fb9998890ca54e718f2d17ff3ee40bdf&elq=d2b9dfae19a0426bb43c35559d8afbd8&elqaid=34089&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=29800
Wireless and automotive are particularly interesting. With the evolution toward 5G networks, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently (July) allocated mm wave spectrum above 24 GHz, paving the way for high-speed (10 Gbits/s) low-latency (<1-ms) sensor networks for time-sensitive, data-driven applications. More recently, the Department of Transportation (DoT) issued its policy on the safe testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles, which is a good, albeit controversial, start down the path toward some form of mutual understanding between government and innovators on the topic.
With a trillion sensors on the cusp of being deployed across cities, industry, vehicles, agriculture, and infrastructure, low latency and agreed-upon rules for low-latency communication and autonomy are critical. So too are the innovations in sensors that will take advantage of these new networks and policies.
Tomi Engdahl says:
SAP enters 2 billion advanced IoT world
SAP will accelerate IoT solutions to the innovation and development in the near future. It plans to invest two billion euros for this growing sector over the next five years.
To position it to invest in sales and marketing of IoT solutions, expand services and support-related solutions, and to educate partners and the resulting start-up companies IoT ekosysteemiään.
“We now have a great opportunity to customize the society, the economy and the environment from billions of devices connected to each other. We knew that the SAP HANA technology platform is the factor that enables the Internet of Things in the construction, “President and CEO Bill McDermott of SAP assure the release.
offered to customers Industry 4.0 solutions packets containing IoT applications and bring them into the digital strategy for organizations.
Source: http://www.tivi.fi/Kaikki_uutiset/sap-astuu-2-miljardilla-pitkalle-iot-maailmaan-6587107
Tomi Engdahl says:
Amazon Offers $2.5M To Make Alexa Your Friend
http://hackaday.com/2016/09/30/amazon-offers-2-5m-to-make-alexa-your-friend/
Amazon has unveiled the Alexa Prize, a $2.5 Million purse for the first team to turn Alexa, the voice service that powers the Amazon Echo, into a ‘socialbot’ capable of, “conversing coherently and engagingly with humans on popular topics for 20 minutes”.
The Alexa Prize is only open to teams from colleges or universities, with the winning team taking home $500,000 USD, with $1M awarded to the team’s college or university in the form of a research grant. Of course, the Alexa Prize grants Amazon a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free license to make use of the winning socialbot.
It may be argued the Alexa Prize is a competition to have a chat bot pass a Turning Test. This is a false equivalency;
The Alexa Prize
$2.5 Million to Advance Conversational Artificial Intelligence
https://developer.amazon.com/alexaprize
Tomi Engdahl says:
Threats come in many shapes and sizes. Here
are security technologies to layer in your security
stack: Next Generation Threat Prevention, Firewall,
Application Control, Anti-Bot, Antivirus, Identity
Awareness, Anti-Spam and Email Security,
Intrusion Prevention System, and URL Filtering
Virtual patching protects against exploits of
unannounced vulnerabilities and bridges the
gap until patches for known vulnerabilities are
available and can be deployed.
Switching among consoles to manage security
for each network segment is inefficient and
promotes making configuration errors that
degrade security. Managing all security functions,
segments and environments through one console
streamlines management for stronger security
that is also easier to manage.
Implement unified controls across all networks,
systems, endpoints and environments including
traditional , cloud, virtual, mobile, IoT, and hybrids
Source: https://www.checkpoint.com/downloads/resources/2016-security-report.pdf
Tomi Engdahl says:
Janko Roettgers / Variety:
Sources: Google is telling home audio vendors they won’t be allowed to add competing smart assistants like Alexa if they want to continue to use Google Cast — At its press event in San Francisco next week, Google is expected to not only unveil new flagship phones, but also officially launch Google Home …
How Google Plans to Take Down Amazon’s Echo (EXCLUSIVE)
http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/google-home-amazon-echo-chromecast-1201874125/
At its press event in San Francisco next week, Google is expected to not only unveil new flagship phones, but also officially launch Google Home, a Wifi-connected smart speaker that can be best described as Google’s answer to Amazon’s Echo — but it’s just a first step in an ambitious plan to battle Amazon for dominance in the home.
Google has already started to talk to consumer electronics manufacturers about building other devices that will work just like Google Home, Variety has learned. Key to these efforts is another device that has been built by the same team as Google Home: Chromecast, and its music-loving sibling Chromecast Audio.
Google has already started to talk to consumer electronics manufacturers about building other devices that will work just like Google Home, Variety has learned. Key to these efforts is another device that has been built by the same team as Google Home: Chromecast, and its music-loving sibling Chromecast Audio.
How Casting Became A Trojan Horse
Google revealed key details of this plan during a closed-door meeting with industry insiders about a month after publicly unveiling Google Home. The meeting was attended by around 50 participants, and held in Google’s Mountain View offices. It brought some of the biggest names of home audio together in one room.
Tomi Engdahl says:
[Event Video] “Internet of Things – Transforming the Future” Conference
http://news.samsung.com/us/2016/06/13/internet-of-things-transforming-the-futu
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Week In Review: IoT
http://semiengineering.com/the-week-in-review-iot-20/
SAP will invest more than $2.2 billion in the Internet of Things by 2020, including acquisitions, and it has formed a new line of business called SAP IoT. The software giant this week reported its purchase of an Italian startup, PLAT.ONE, which will be integrated into SAP IoT
NXP Semiconductors this week introduced the i.MX 6ULL applications processor for Internet of Things applications, featuring an ARM Cortex-A7 core operating at up to 528 megahertz.
Qualcomm brought out its Snapdragon 600E and Snapdragon 410E embedded processors for Internet of Things applications. Both chips will be distributed by Arrow Electronics
General Electric introduced Digital Mine, an Internet of Things software suite for the mining industry. The software from GE Mining is hosted on GE’s cloud-based Predix platform.
Arduino is offering the ESLOV IoT Invention Kit for Internet of Things developers.
KPMG Cyber reports that 31% of the consumers it surveyed are limiting their use of Internet of Things/connected devices owing to security concerns, and 61% of respondents said they would use IoT/connected devices more if they had greater confidence in their cybersecurity. Two-thirds of the 750 consumers questioned said they’re worried that IoT/connected devices could be hacked. “
Tomi Engdahl says:
Jason Del Rey / Recode:
Amazon’s jobs website shows Echo and Alexa groups are currently looking to fill 400 positions
Amazon’s Alexa group is on a massive hiring spree
Alexa, we’re going to need some more recruiters.
http://www.recode.net/2016/10/1/13133406/amazon-alexa-echo-jobs-hiring-spree
When Jeff Bezos revealed in May that Amazon employed more than 1,000 people working on Echo and Alexa products, he warned: “It’s just the tip of the iceberg.”
Here’s some proof. The Echo and Alexa groups are currently looking to fill 400 positions, according to Amazon’s Alexa job page.
The open positions run the gamut from data engineers to product managers to machine learning scientists. And the job locations are as varied
The hiring push comes as Amazon has recently added new devices to its line of Echo voice-controlled speakers, whose success has been a surprise to even the most optimistic Amazon insiders. In September, Amazon introduced a cheaper $49 Amazon Echo Dot, which syncs up with traditional speakers to allow them to respond to voice commands.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Through new LED lights also home lighting control easier. One way is to move the led lights and integrated control electronics. Most recently, the remote-controlled ledivalaisimiin comes Ikea department stores.
The company has previously concentrated solely LED lamps, but the company now also a new Smart Lighting collection, which includes operating the remote control LED bulbs, light panels and light doors.
Finland will be sold in April. It is a plug and play – a solution that allows people to control the lighting by dimming the lights with remote control and changing the hue of light in three warm cold.
Source: http://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2016/10/03/alyvalaistus-arkipaivaistyy-ikea/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ikea says to see a great potential in the smart home business, and will bring additional solutions to market in the coming years. Market research company Strategy Analytics According to the statistics in 2014 about 100 million households can currently be regarded as intelligent. By 2020 the number is expected to more than double when the new technologies are becoming more common and mundane.
Source: http://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2016/10/03/alyvalaistus-arkipaivaistyy-ikea/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Software divisions of GE, Bosch collaborate on open source Industrial IoT platform development
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2016/09/ge-bosch-industrial-iot.html?cmpid=Enl_CIM_CablingNews_October32016&eid=289644432&bid=1545001
GE (NYSE: GE) and Bosch announced that the companies are working together to shape the connected world through a collaboration between the software divisions of both organizations, GE Digital and Bosch Software Innovations. The companies have signed a memorandum of understanding where GE Digital and Bosch Software Innovations will further facilitate openness and growth of the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT).
The agreement focuses on technology interoperability and platform integration through GE’s Predix operating system and the Bosch IoT Suite.
Both companies intend to establish an open source-based technical IoT core and jointly grow a larger ecosystem around this technology stack, which IoT platforms can be built upon. Key engagement is within the Eclipse Foundation, one of the major global open source software communities, where both companies are members.
“In order to tap the full potential of the Industrial Internet, global organizations need more than ever to cooperate closer and within open standards.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wireless mesh networking module simplifies ZigBee, Thread connectivity for home/building automation, connected lighting, smart metering, security systems, other IoT platforms
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2016/09/silabs-wirless-mesh.html?cmpid=Enl_CIM_CablingNews_October32016&eid=289644432&bid=1545001
Silicon Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB) has introduced its new family of Wireless Gecko chip modules, focused on mesh networking applications with support for best-in-class ZigBee and Thread software. Silicon Labs’ new MGM111 module is the first in this comprehensive family of multiprotocol modules based on the Mighty Gecko system-on-chip (SoC) device. The company says the module’s combination of onboard stacks, antenna options and RF regulatory certifications helps developers reduce cost, complexity and time to market for an array of wireless mesh networking applications including home and building automation, connected lighting, smart metering, security systems and other IoT platforms.
The MGM111 module gives developers a rapid on-ramp to the IoT, says the company, enabling them to bring mesh networking products to market quickly and easily with minimal engineering and certification costs.
The MGM111 module complies with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard used in ZigBee and Thread stacks and will be pre-certified for compliance with the following regulatory requirements: FCC (North America), IC (Canada), CE (Europe), RCM (AU/NZ) and KC (Korea).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Home> Community > Blogs > Sensor-EE Perception
A glimpse of the future of IoT sensors
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/sensor-ee-perception/4442772/A-glimpse-of-the-future-of-IoT-sensors?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20161004&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20161004&elqTrackId=7586177d26de4a9cad5fa59efbd8fc21&elq=bf8c0885e1b74954ac210e4fc3238fb8&elqaid=34153&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=29839
t’s not an exaggeration to say that sensors are the backbone of the Internet of Things (IoT), but it might be more accurate to say they’re the central nervous system and cold hard cash is the lifeblood. That’s why it’s important for designers, team leaders, and executives alike to take a look at the upcoming MEMS & Sensors Executive Congress 2016
The mixture of biz and tech plays into the theme of invention, co-creation, and collaboration,
Wireless and automotive are particularly interesting. With the evolution toward 5G networks, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently (July) allocated mm wave spectrum above 24 GHz, paving the way for high-speed (10 Gbits/s) low-latency (<1-ms) sensor networks for time-sensitive, data-driven applications. More recently, the Department of Transportation (DoT) issued its policy on the safe testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles, which is a good, albeit controversial, start down the path toward some form of mutual understanding between government and innovators on the topic.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to Get Started with the ESP32
http://hackaday.com/2016/10/04/how-to-get-started-with-the-esp32/
ESP32 is the hottest new wireless chip out there, offering both WiFi and Bluetooth Low Energy radios rolled up with a dual-core 32-bit processor and packed with peripherals of every kind. We got some review sample dev boards, Adafruit and Seeed Studio had them in stock for a while, and AI-Thinker — the company that makes the most popular ESP8266 modules — is starting up full-scale production on October 1st. This means that some of you have the new hotness in your hands right now, and the rest of you aren’t going to have to wait more than a few more weeks.
The ESP32 module comes preloaded with a ROM image with an AT command set, just like the ESP8266 did. If you want to waste 95% of this chip’s potential by using it as a glorified serial-to-WiFi modem, you’re all set! But you all want to dig in, right? Right!
The toolchain for programming the ESP32 in C is pretty straightforward.
Your first stop is the Espressif IoT Development Framework (esp-idf) GitHub.
Getting up and running is “easy”. Clone the repository with the esp-idf libraries, download and unzip the binary toolchain, and clone the template app. There are two environment variables you have to define: one for the path to the toolchain binaries, and another for the location of the libraries.
If you’re on a Linux system, here is a setup script that does everything mentioned in this tutorial.
Note that although this sounds like a lot of work, it’s all a one-time setup cost.
Espressif IoT Development Framework. Official development framework for ESP32.
https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf
Tomi Engdahl says:
Raspberry Pi, Send Me a Letter
http://hackaday.com/2016/10/04/raspberry-pi-send-me-a-letter/
The abundance of small networked boards running Linux — like the Raspberry Pi — is a boon for developers. It is easy enough to put a small cheap computer on the network. The fact that Linux has a lot of software is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it is a good bet that anything you want to do has been done. On the other hand, some of the solutions are a bit large for a tiny embedded system.
Take, for example, e-mail. Historically, Linux hosts operate as mail transfer agents that can send and receive mail for all their users and possibly even relay mail to others. In today’s world, that’s usually overkill, but the capability is there. It is possible to install big mail transfer agents into a Raspberry Pi. The question is: should you?
The answer, of course, depends on what you want to do. If you have a dedicated board sending out text and maybe even files using an external mail server (like, say, Gmail), then the answer is no. You don’t need a piece of software listening for incoming connections, sorting through multiple users, and so on.
Luckily, there are some simple solutions if you know how to set up and configure them. The key is to avoid the big mail programs that do everything you don’t need.
By default, programs like mailx and other Linux mail commands rely on a backend (often sendmail).
Luckily, SSMTP is available which only sends mail and is relatively lightweight. You need a configuration file to point it to your mail server.
There’s only one catch. If you are using Gmail, you’ll find that Google wants you to use stronger authentication. If you are using two-factor (that is, Google Authenticator), this isn’t going to work at all. You’ll need to generate an app password.
Depending on the mail software you use, there are a few ways you can attach a file. However, the mpack program makes it very easy
What if you want to reverse the process and receive mail on the Pi? There is a program called fetchmail that can grab e-mails from an IMAP or POP3 server. It is possible to make it only read the first unread message and send it to a script or program of your choosing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Software Predicts Power Component Failure
Algorithms to monitor universal power supplies
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1330578&
Eaton Corp. (Raleigh, N.C.) claims its cloud-based software ensures that universal power supplies (UPSes) will keep your computers up and running 24/7/365.
Called PredictPulse Insight, the software monitors the UPS’s components with a rule-based algorithm that tracks the batteries’ discharge history and determines when “80-to-90 percent of the UPS’s lifetime has been used up for the battery, capacitors, fans, air filters, and, if equipped, the power module [inverter, rectifier and the insulated gate bipolar transistor],” said Art Mulligan, product line manager at Eaton Corp.
Eaton is a variety of Internet of Things (IoT) services that can predict at least 80 to 90 percent of the component failures in a variety of devices, such as vehicle transmissions before they happen.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Real-time insights needed for improving uptime, machine performance
http://www.plantengineering.com/single-article/real-time-insights-needed-for-improving-uptime-machine-performance/7599975178eb3fc4fb2b1acccd69c8ed.html?OCVALIDATE&ocid=101781
Manufacturers can improve performance and operation through real-time insights, but know what kind of information is needed to benefit the specific user or department. Pneumatics is moving into the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) as smart technologies maximize uptime with predictive intelligence and condition-based monitoring, as explained in an IMTS 2016 presentation.
Data is only part of the equation. “None of us need more data,” King said, explaining that 80% of data collected isn’t used. “What we need to do is create more insights into our systems and learn how that can improve uptime and create more efficiency for our systems.”
The type of data needed, however, depends on the user. The machine designer, machine operator, and quality manager each have different needs.
Four real-time benefits
King highlighted four areas that will especially benefit from real-time insights:
1. Predictive prognostics. Up-to-date condition information is designed to allow hardware to predict when something is projected to fail. Having this knowledge in advance prevents breakdowns and increases uptime.
2. Remote monitoring. A network of smart devices allows users to collect data and monitor machinery remotely from multiple locations. King mentioned an example where the plant manager can check s smartphone and tablet for a status update instead of having to physically visit the site to see how a machine is doing.
3. Machine efficiency. With real-time data, users can identify whether a component is achieving its desired performance specification and make adjustments as needed. King said this is useful for sequencing applications that rely on precision.
4. Maximizing production. Users running machinery 24/7 or producing large batches can alert users to underperforming components, which enables proactive responses for maximum uptime.
“Getting the right data to the right people is critical,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Is Ethernet the key to IIoT?
http://www.plantengineering.com/single-article/is-ethernet-the-key-to-iiot/fda6f17180908dfff7cf4fabc9202296.html?OCVALIDATE&ocid=101781
Applications demand a sensible migration path, a robust network.
It is expected there will be 34 billion devices connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) by 2020, with businesses and government accounting for over 55% of those connections. With the IoT’s promise for increased efficiencies (such as lower operating costs and greater productivity), embedded machine-to-machine (M2M) communications among “smart objects” are increasingly common within commercial, industrial and government entities.
Unlike consumer IoT, the requirements for data integrity, reliability, and security are far more exacting for the Industrial IoT (IIoT). The threat of disruption poses tremendous security risks for the entire digital network, yet the prospects of unprecedented transparency and efficiencies of an IIoT remain compelling.
Ethernet, which has been the technology of choice for Enterprise, data center and many service provider networks because of its advantages including standardization, versatility, high performance and low cost.
Today’s IIoT networks, however, largely use specialized network protocols and diverse installed bases of legacy equipment. This makes modernization onto an all IP Ethernet infrastructure more complex.
Three of the top challenges facing IIoT system designers are security, determinism, and network migration. Meeting these challenges requires using a combination of technologies ranging from Ethernet switching solutions, programmable devices, high-precision timing, Power over Ethernet (PoE) and application-optimized software.
Industrial network security
Security in today’s industrial networks is typically premised on isolation from a corporate network by firewall and from the Internet. Broader attempts to secure industrial networks often entail network downtime, costly network topology changes or both, jeopardizing plant productivity, revenue and sometimes safety. But assuming that a given industrial network is protected simply because we believe it isolated from the Internet is a misconception.
harder to manage and diagnose issues
Isolated networks are also difficult to scale and reconfigure
IIoT network security must take a multi-layered approach to protect the data plane, management (network and element) and control (protocol) planes. All three require protection, particularly for M2M communications. A typical approach relies on encryption of data, management and control traffic, addressing authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA), and data integrity.
Networkwide encryption is another layer that guarantees security of all network traffic. In Ethernet networks, MACsec (IEEE 802.1AE) and Keysec (now part of IEEE 802.1X) are the L2 encryption and key management protocols to secure Ethernet physical ports and VLANs. Further enhancing confidentiality, IEEE 802.1AEbn includes strong 256-bit encryption now required by certain government agencies.
While encryption alone is insufficient to secure a network, using a strong 256-bit encryption like MACsec in networking equipment and end points can provide a means for authentication, data integrity and user confidentiality needed in Ethernet-based IIoT networks.
Determinism
When considering deterministic performance and network reliability in Ethernet networks, the expectation is that specific functions occur within a precise timeframe. This is possible when each network element is time-aware and can recognize whether it delivered Ethernet packets “on time.”
But this is only one part of the solution. A mechanism to synchronize and to distribute precise “time” in Ethernet exists today using IEEE 1588v2; however, the latest Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) standards bring system developers a very time-oriented style of traffic scheduling.
TSN (AVB Gen2) is a suite of standards providing the following features:
Timing and synchronization for time-sensitive applications (IEEE 802.1ASbt)
Enhancements for scheduled traffic (IEEE 802.1Qbv)
Frame preemption (IEEE 802.1Qbu)
Path control and reservation for redundant networks (IEEE 802.1Qca)
Stream reservation protocol (SRP) enhancements to support Qbu/Qbv/Qca/CB (IEEE 802.1Qcc)
Seamless redundancy (IEEE 802.1CB).
IEEE 802.1ASbt adds one-step time stamp support
The new TSN features will give Ethernet networks the real-time determinism and low latency needed for communications in IIoT applications. This should remove the last barrier that might prevent an IIoT network using Ethernet as its main backbone, driving convergence of critical and noncritical control and data traffic onto a single network.
FPGAs/SoCs that have the capability to translate between Ethernet, IEEE 1588, TSN and specialized industrial protocols while keeping deterministic behavior will be critical.
Determinism is one of the key advantages of using FPGAs versus MCUs.
Network migration
The eventual migration of IIoT networks to IP/Ethernet is a given, but it’s important to recognize two major factors unique to this transition:
Ethernet standards, components and systems designed for Local Area Networks (LANs) are not a natural fit for IIoT networks.
IIoT network migration requires a balancing act to support existing “nonstandard” protocols and prepare the network to leverage early stage innovations.
So, when faced with the typical industrial network-comprised of a heterogeneous installed base of legacy equipment that uses multiple specialized network protocols-there are several key elements that system designers should look for to simplify their network migration to Ethernet:
Multi-protocol support of Ethernet and fieldbus interfaces to ensure interoperability and scalability in large scale heterogeneous networks
Optimized Ethernet switch software stacks for easy deployment and management
Unified hardware and software to reliably deliver the real-time determinism and low latency required for industrial communications
Flexibility of port configuration and synchronization options while meeting IIoT’s environmental and operational requirements
Power over Ethernet (PoE) options up to 95 W to safely power remote devices, simplifying deployments
It is important to note that there will be no “one-size-fits-all” approach for IIoT systems
Tomi Engdahl says:
IIoT success requires a change of mindset
http://www.plantengineering.com/single-article/iiot-success-requires-a-change-of-mindset/2bf2ab7f046951186101257795edd8cf.html?OCVALIDATE&ocid=101781
Changing the mindset in manufacturing is the first step toward transforming industry into a connected, data-driven and highly productive enterprise. That was one of the most common conclusions voiced by speakers at the 2016 Global Automation and Manufacturing Summit (GAMS), part of the Industrial Automation North America (IANA) pavilion at the 2016 IMTS Show in Chicago in September.
“I think what we all need to do is step back and look at what you’ve been doing and look to change things,” said Jack Nehlig, president of Phoenix Contact USA and the keynote speaker at the 2016 GAMS event. “Have some young people criticize what you’re doing and think about what you could do. Institutional memory is a problem. I don’t think we know what we don’t know. Once we get that mindset fixed, then things will get a lot easier.”
With the image of a human and robotic hand on the screen, Nehlig said the image portrays two of the keys to IIoT’s successful adoption. “One is intimacy. There’s been a wall from automation, and you’re going to have to get involved in that world,” he said. “Two is trust. That’s what a handshake is. Sooner or later you’re going to have to trust these machines.”
“Plant managers should be in the driver’s seat because they know what is needed,” said Lin. “Pick some of those simple problems and apply the idea to the IIoT. Start early with some concrete project that will help optimize plant production. Coordinate your plant operation and increase the intelligence in the operation. This will take years, but everyone’s going to need to start sooner or later.”
“There’s new applications and low-cost sensing. We think it’s actually going to be a collapsing of the levels and a flattening across the board.”
“There’s a cross-pollination from residential to industrial,” Rivera said. “You’re going to have robots that will be interfacing with humans in a much deeper way. That will help manufacturing on the plan floor.”
“The power of analytics and Big Data is that you can analyze trends and patterns,” said Sal Spada, a member of the discrete automation team at ARC Advisory Group. Spada shared some of the research data from ARC, including a slide that said current machine utilization in the machine tool industry was less than 45%.
“If you look at many companies, maintenance is not the key,”
“IIoT gives you more information about what you should already know,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Harvesting, storing, and accessing industrial data
http://www.plantengineering.com/single-article/harvesting-storing-and-accessing-industrial-data/5f478879062b00fdf605493f4f41e797.html?OCVALIDATE&ocid=101781
Human-machine interfaces (HMIs) can act as data concentrators and work in concert with the cloud to provide a powerful, scalable, and low-cost solution for collecting and distributing industrial facility data.
Big Data analysis is among the enabling tools of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Industrie 4.0. The data starts on the plant floor or other industrial facility as a discrete point, analog value, smart device status, a barcode scanned lot number, etc. This information must then be collected from these edge devices as a first step to Big Data storage and analysis.
Human-machine interface (HMI) data concentrators, which are connected to controllers, are designed to bring this information together for local use by operators. HMI data concentrators are designed to work with controllers to collect all the edge data for immediate use and process improvements. However, some of this information often needs to be stored for later use. The most common reason is to analyze the data to improve operations.
The cloud provides long-term information storage by working in concert to the data concentrators. Pushing the data or even the HMI application to the cloud provides the means to keep machines and processes efficient and available through data analysis.
only send to the cloud the information needed for data analysis
Data from sensors, controllers, and smart devices can be securely collected at high speed for local use. The HMI data concentrator also can buffer and manipulate the data before sending it to the cloud
Depending on the application, there could be hundreds or even thousands of devices to collect data from every second. The local HMI data concentrator can do it, but cloud-based systems may not be suitable for it. This is usually due to bandwidth limits and commercial implications. Using the cloud to collect and store all data also would require both an outbound and incoming connection from the cloud to the local network, creating security concerns.
It makes more sense to have an HMI collect and concentrate the data and then to connect the HMI to the cloud, improving security and bandwidth. The HMI data concentrator can contain a superset of the data for local use, trending, and instant analysis. For the cloud connection from the HMI, the data exchange rate can be slowed down because not all information is sent there, only a subset.
isn’t necessary to maintain extensive local servers to store all data. If no connection is available, the data is stored locally in the HMI. When a connection is available, all the data, or a subset of it, is forwarded to the database in the cloud.
The cloud provides cost benefits starting with infrastructure and scalability
There is no need to invest in Big Data infrastructure.
Cloud connections also are highly flexible.
With some historian software it’s not even necessary to install the software; it’s available as a service.
Once the service is purchased, consuming SaaS is not much different than connecting to Google’s Gmail
In most applications, the HMI data concentrator captures all relevant machine and process data and makes this information available locally as required. The cloud then can be used for long-term data storage and analytics. Viewing plant or process Big Data in this manner can reveal many bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and areas producing cost savings.
Using analytics, data mining techniques, and various statistical tools with IIoT connectivity down to the smallest edge devices increases the resolution of the information.
As the cost for computers and other embedded controllers continues to go down, the use of embedded HMIs connected to the cloud will continue to increase
This hybrid system, with local embedded HMIs connected to the cloud, will provide the lowest cost solution in many cases.
An embedded HMI can be used as a data concentrator in hybrid systems and collect the data before moving it to the cloud. In some applications, the embedded HMI can be a blind, headless device without a local display. In this case, all the operator interface functions can be performed locally by connecting smart devices such as smartphones or tablets to the cloud
Tomi Engdahl says:
Startup Takes Wireless Patch to Hospital
ST co-designs triple-band SoC
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1330566&
Startup HMicro Inc. comes out of stealth mode today with a plan to create a high volume market for disposable wireless patches. Its HC1100 SoC, co-developed with STMicroelectronics, uses Wi-Fi and other techniques to link sensors to patient monitors in hospitals.
Hospitals buy as many as six billion wired electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors every year, 4.5 billion of them from two big medical OEMs — 3M and Covidien. The sensors are sold in small volumes for less than $20 when paired with increasingly popular disposable lead wires.
Aiming to deliver ease-of-use and patient mobility, HMicro’s wireless patch will sell for a small premium over the costs of the wired sensors and wires. “The idea is like how Wi-Fi took hold replacing wired Ethernet, but so far no one developed a targeted platform for this medical application,”
Researchers and startups have been exploring wireless patches for several years.
SoC integrates three radios in one
The HC1100 is the first in a planned family of SoCs from HMicro. It includes ECG and blood oxygen sensors, a dual-core ARM Cortex-M0 processor and radios for 802.11b Wi-Fi, a 2.36-2.4GHz medical band and 3.1-10 GHz 802.15.6 ultrawideband.
“Wi-Fi alone does not solve the problem [of, for example] having 50 people in an emergency room trying to get a wired-rate link,” said Magar.
The ultrawideband and medical-band links act as backups for carrying Wi-Fi protocols when congestion is heavy. The radios are limited to the specific use case and share resources as much as possible to keep the design simple.
The unique approach means users must also buy and plug into their patient monitors a dongle with to support all three networks. The dongle includes both an HC1100 and a second ultrawideband receiver chip.
The startup’s implementation of Wi-Fi also is unique, limited to the 150 milliAmp maximum sustained power draw possible from the standard zinc-air coin-cell battery on the patch. Typically Wi-Fi draws about 200 milliAmps
HMicro rejected Bluetooth for two reasons. It was less energy efficient in nanojoules/bit at the applications target data rates of a few hundred Kbits/second. In addition, the Bluetooth pairing process “would be a serious problem,”
ST makes the SoCs in a 90nm CMOS RF process.
HMicro
http://brandzoodev.com/hmicro/