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:
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Tomi Engdahl says:
iFixit:
Google Home teardown: standard connectors and screws, mostly modular components, minimal moving parts, similar internals to Chromecast, and easy to repair
Google Home Teardown
https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Google+Home+Teardown/72684
Google is looking to bring the robot assistants of the future to the world today. Equipped with Google Assistant, the Google Home is raring to work with smart home devices, support Google services, and answer your everyday questions. Does it have what it takes to fulfill your futuristic fantasies and smart home dreams? Time to tear down the Home!
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT Goes Nuclear:
Creating a ZigBee Chain Reaction
http://iotworm.eyalro.net/iotworm.pdf
Within the next few years, billions of IoT devices will
densely populate our cities. In this paper we describe a new
type of threat in which adjacent IoT devices will infect each
other with a worm that will spread explosively over large areas
in a kind of nuclear chain reaction, provided that the density
of compatible IoT devices exceeds a certain critical mass.
Tomi Engdahl says:
What a circuit designer needs for a robust, wearable health sensor system design
http://www.edn.com/design/analog/4442954/What-a-circuit-designer-needs-for-a-robust–wearable-health-sensor-system-design?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20161107&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20161107&elqTrackId=f0e24350fe024995a2e2b31b60f4ef07&elq=e3dc084af42241759ece891add285015&elqaid=34678&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=30267
Global wearable technology is a market worth $30B this year according to IDTechEx and is projected to grow by 9% over the next 3 years, but from 2019 that growth rate will jump almost exponentially to $100B by 2023.
Circuit design engineers need to get product to market quickly but with tight time-constraints and a need to educate themselves regarding a myriad of new IC solutions emerging almost daily, it is a daunting task as best. There are so many IC solutions out there that need to be professionally designed into a working architecture that will serve customers who want to properly monitor their progress either in sports and fitness or their progress improving their health.
This so-called “hSensor” Platform will enable such things as measuring motion, precise skin temperature, and a multitude of biopotential measurements as well like electrocardiography (ECG), electromyography (EMG), and electroencephalography (EEG).
Another critical area of measurements that this system enables is reflective photo plethysmography measurements1 including pulse oximetry and heart-rate (HR) detection at three wavelengths, 880nm (infrared, IR), 660nm (red) and 537nm (green). Green light at 537 nm can be an excellent heart rate (HR) monitoring method during a normal everyday life activity because of its really good freedom from artifacts.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Industry Application: Connected Factory, Industry 4.0 & the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
http://www.redlion.net/industry-application-connected-factory-industry-40-industrial-internet-things-iiot?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTURNME1UUm1NREV4TjJKbSIsInQiOiJ2TWRLZGJJWDNWK2NybDkyb09meHVMVkhzclJnVWpIS1wvVnhoXC9Ma3V2UkZtcUhRYnF3V1JVUHJHTVpNQmVvbnNQWEdQTGNCTTlIbHRScVZiSlo2NVQ3RnE1UDF3SlBVdlNKMHY1YVhpRFNjPSJ9
Extend equipment lifespan, improve process visibility and push control to the edge.
Many technological advances have been made over the past two decades. Of these, industrial networking and mobile computing continue to impact manufacturing and industrial environments. These are the technologies that are helping to make the vision of concepts like the “Connected Factory”, “Industry 4.0” and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) a reality for manufacturers and organizations around the world. But how do these concepts differ?
What is the Connected Factory?
The Connected Factory is the vision of a manufacturing environment where every machine is able to communicate with all other machines and devices across the plant floor and other remote locations. The purpose of the Connected Factory is to connect, monitor and control virtually anything, anywhere to drive operational productivity and profitability.
What is Industry 4.0?
According to Wikipedia, Industry 4.0 is a “collective term for technologies and concepts of value chain organization.” This term originated from a German-government initiative that refers to the fourth industrial revolution, based upon the dynamic optimization of production resources within and between highly-connected factories.
What is the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)?
Similar to the Connected Factory and Industry 4.0, IIoT will mean that organizations will be able to connect many different devices, including older equipment, and get them to “talk” with each other in a way that they could not before. By gathering data from both new and legacy devices, organizations can use that data to improve efficiency and gain a competitive advantage.
To begin this process, organizations should consider three things:
1. Enable communication between devices
2. Rethink operational efficiencies so more devices can talk to each other
3. Provide a secure, seamless platform for device communication
Drives, sensors, PLCs, panel meters and other automation equipment are built to last years – even decades. Trouble is they often communicate via proprietary protocols that commonly use RS-232/422/485 serial cables. While these serial protocols are efficient and were often written for a specific application, many of these applications never included 24/7 monitoring across TCP/IP networks. In order to bring these devices into the Connected Factory, Industry 4.0 and/or IIoT paradigm, an organization’s engineers must first ensure that the devices can communicate with the other equipment on the factory floor
Secure Platform
Security has traditionally meant physical isolation of automation equipment and enterprise networks. If nothing is connected to automation equipment, the threat of security breaches is fairly low. Connection-free facilities are few and far between as more organizations continue to expand their enterprise networks into factory settings. As organizations embrace this new reality, security should be addressed through careful network planning and use of IP address best practices. Routers can be deployed within a network to limit network traffic to specific types of traffic or to specific users, minimizing the risk of a cyber-attack. Another tactic is the implementation of NAT (Network Address Translation). NAT is a technique that obscures devices on a network from inbound access, but doesn’t affect traffic on a network. Finally, VPN appliances also make factory-to-factory, supply chain-to-factory, or factory-to-distributor communication secure by creating virtual “tunnels” to transmit sensitive data through.
The Future: Connect. Monitor. Control.
The efficiency of the Connected Factory, Industry 4.0 and/or IIoT model isn’t derived from the sheer volume of connections, but from more valuable connections, and the competitive edge gained by harmonious dialogue between devices and humans.
Tomi Engdahl says:
ABI: Voice Control the New Smart Home Star
http://www.btreport.net/articles/2016/11/abi-voice-control-the-new-smart-home-star.html?cmpid=enlmobile1182016&eid=289644432&bid=1580850
According to ABI Research, voice control will account for close to a third of smart home device revenues by 2021.
Voice control became a standout new category for smart home devices over the past 18 months, ABI says. But its future is even brighter due to its solid marketing efforts, as well as its ability to leverage digital assistant adoption on smartphones and deliver genuine consumer value. Voice control smart home devices, typified by the Amazon Echo, are expected to represent almost 30% of smart home device spending by 2021, despite being a device category that barely existed two years ago.
“Voice control will not only draw in new consumers to smart home functionality, but it will help transform a wide variety of new and emerging smart home services and devices into more attractive investments,” said Jonathan Collins, ABI research director. “The stage is set for voice control to become the heart of any smart home system.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Cisco PoE LED lighting partner signs US distributor
http://www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/2016/11/a-cisco-poe-led-lighting-partner-signs-us-distributor.html?cmpid=EnlLEDsNovember92016&eid=289644432&bid=1583577
In another inroad for Internet-connected and controlled lighting, US computer and communications systems integrator CEC said it is now offering LED-based Power over Ethernet (PoE) lighting.
PoE lighting makes uses of Ethernet cables to furnish LED luminaires with electricity as well as with data, which is Ethernet’s mainstay use. The cables can handle the low voltages required by LEDs — which are low energy — and thus, say PoE supporters, can eliminate the need for certified electrical work in new buildings.
The same cables route data to the lights and thus enhance their control, allowing different levels of brightness, color temperature, and in some instances, color, via remote Internet control.
Digital SSL’s mega disruptor will be Power over Ethernet (MAGAZINE)
http://www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/print/volume-12/issue-11/features/networks-power/digital-ssl-s-mega-disruptor-will-be-power-over-ethernet-magazine.html
Power over Ethernet distributes DC power over inexpensive data cables instead of costly conventional lines, threatening utilities, electricians, and contracting firms, explains MARK HALPER. Meanwhile, the technology turns LED luminaires into data nodes, allowing IT companies to muscle into the lighting sector.
Are you ready for a rumble? The advent of Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology is setting up a heavyweight title fight between Big Lighting and Big Networking for control of future indoor commercial lighting products and infrastructure. Indeed, PoE can replace the AC electrical grid in buildings, deliver energy efficiency beyond what inherently efficient LEDs already offer, and enable networking for further savings and adaptive controls. It’s really no surprise that the evolution of smart solid-state lighting (SSL) has garnered the attention of companies such as networking and Ethernet stalwart Cisco. But even companies known traditionally for their lighting have begun to realize the potential of PoE — for example, Philips, with its involvement in a large PoE-based commercial project in Amsterdam
Consider that when teachers go for their information technology training at Miami-Dade County Public Schools, a big lesson immediately stares them in the face even if they don’t realize it: The ceiling lights that illuminate the classroom draw electricity from modern Ethernet data switches and cables instead of from a conventional 120V electrical grid.
What’s more, the same Ethernet doubles as an information conduit carrying instructions straight to the lights, turning them on and off, and making them shine at desired brightness levels, correlated color temperature (CCT), and color. It’s all linked into the same network that does all the other things a school IT system does — carrying emails, announcements, presentations, administrative instructions, coursework, and the like
The moral of the story: Miami-Dade is on the cusp of PoE LED lighting, a technology in its infancy, and one that many people believe will become the standard method of lighting buildings as it replaces expensive, electrician-reliant, century-old ways. “It’s the future,” said Debbie Karcher, Miami-Dade’s chief information officer. “I don’t know why it wouldn’t be.”
PoE takes advantage of two LED lighting attributes: low power requirements and affinity for digital connectivity and control. The world’s 120V and 240V AC electrical wires and all the cost, regulations, and infrastructure that go with them greatly exceed what LED lights need. LED luminaires contain electronics that knock those levels down, typically to 12V DC. Ethernet cable, which is already present in offices, safely carries lower DC voltages — which in turn do not require electricians and all their trappings.
The idea of using Ethernet as an electrical pathway is not new. A lot of data-connected office equipment such as phones and printers already use it, tapping into the same twin benefits of power and data that are set to take hold in lighting. For more than a decade, PoE has worked hand-in-glove with voice over IP (VoIP)
But while PoE may well be, as Karcher noted, lighting’s future, it is not yet its present. PoE lighting installations today are characterized either by a few vendor-driven showcase installations
For the concept to truly take off, more products and services must hit the market.
They include luminaires
Emerging products also include the Ethernet switches such as those that Cisco is refining with greater PoE capabilities and power capacity (Fig. 4). For Cisco, PoE lighting is vital to its overarching “Internet of Everything” strategy. Also part of the mix is software that helps tie it all together, provided by companies such as UK-based Philips spinoff amBX.
And while that all plays out, a good old “co-opetition” scenario is unfolding as conventional lighting companies like Philips go after a market that also keenly interests info tech giants such as Cisco and Google. The two sides will have to figure out how and when to collaborate or compete.
So far, Big Networking and Big Lighting seem to have a checkered relationship. Cisco is nowhere to be seen in Philips’ project at The Edge (as shown in Fig. 1), the largest publicly known PoE installation, where Philips provided not only the lighting but also supplied the Ethernet switches through either a third party or, according to one source, by custom building them. Likewise, Philips is not supplying the luminaires at the Cisco C-suite in San Jose. Those come from NuLEDs.
For instance, Philips has installed a PoE system across five floors at Cisco’s Canadian corporate headquarters at an office tower in Toronto, Canada.
Here’s what will really make LED office lighting take off
http://luxreview.com/article/2015/07/here-s-what-will-really-make-led-office-lighting-take-off
Tim Sluiter is one of the few lighting users in the world who can testify to the virtues of connecting both electricity and data to his building’s thousands of LED luminaires via information network cables. That’s because he’s one of the planet’s few such practitioners of ‘power over Ethernet’. Maybe even the only one.
Sluiter is the property manager for Deloitte at the consulting giant’s modern European headquarters
Not happy to simply reap the considerable energy-saving and maintenance benefits of low power, long-lasting LED lamps, Deloitte also designed power over Ethernet (PoE) for the 6,000 LED luminaires across the building’s 14 floors, eight of which Deloitte occupies.
While data collection is a huge driver in LED PoE systems, half the reason for implementing the technology is even more basic: LEDs run on low voltage and thus do not require conventional electrical mains cables that feed other equipment or even incandescent lighting.
The benefits can start with cost: by doubling up on the use of Ethernet cables, users can save a bundle in electrical wiring costs by eliminating more costly conventional mains wiring and installation. Jaques Letzelter, Philips office lighting segment leader, estimates that PoE slashes installation time by 50 per cent, and cuts overall installation costs by about 25 per cent.
There are tradeoffs, though. PoE lighting comes with its own upfront costs. LEDs, for instance, are still more expensive than conventional light sources. And wiring them to Ethernet is not free.
‘Of course you have to spend some extra money to do a really new thing and a new system,’ says Sluiter, who declines to say how much Deloitte spent on its PoE LED system at The Edge
Deloitte has established its LED luminaires as vital nodes in a building-wide information technology system that will monitor and react to conditions inside. The ‘computer with a roof’ cuts its own costs as it improves efficiencies on a variety of operations such as lighting, heating and cooling, office cleaning, and even room usage, which can be a challenge in a flexible ‘hot-desk’ environment
Realm of the senses
Each luminaire includes four sensors: one each for detecting light levels, temperature and occupancy (a motion sensor), plus an infrared sensor that serves as emergency control in the event of a power failure.
Those sensors provide the foundation for detecting things like exactly how much and when to crank up the heating or air conditioning, or when to turn the lights on or off or brighten or dim them. That, in turn, can lead to considerable savings as the lights switch off or the heating turns down in an unoccupied room or floor.
Deloitte also expects to save about 10 per cent on cleaning bills, because information that travels back through the Ethernet will tell facilities managers that a room remained unoccupied during the day and thus does not require attention.
But the sensors and the Ethernet are just part of the basket of goodies that puts Deloitte and The Edge on the vanguard of digital LED lighting technology. Employees can control the lights and the heating levels in their area using apps on their smartphones or tablet computers.
The system knows which lights to adjust because the phones are in constant contact with the LEDs via a fledgling technology known both as ‘visible light communication’ (VLC) and ‘indoor positioning’. VLC emits varying wavelengths of light picked up by a smartphone’s camera. Each luminaire emits its own specific wavelength. When a user commands a light, the system knows which lights are nearby, and thus which ones to adjust.
From Ethernet to VLC and back again
Sounds a little complicated, yet simple enough.
But it all gets a bit more complex because the phones do not connect directly back to the LEDs. Rather, when a user’s command leaves the smartphone, it travels via Wi-Fi to a nearby hub, which then routes the command to the building’s lighting or heating controls via the wired networked system. In the case of lighting, the command travels back to the nearby ceiling luminaires over Ethernet, thus completing the VLC-originated circle with a final PoE connection.
LED, VLC and PoE all wrapped up in one slick, ultra-digital, seamless to the user modern lighting system.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Power over Ethernet lighting picture gets bigger
http://www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/2016/06/the-power-over-ethernet-lighting-picture-gets-bigger.html?cmpid=EnlLEDsNovember92016&eid=289644432&bid=1583577
A few weeks ago, LEDs Magazine reported that a Long Island data center is deploying Power over Ethernet (PoE) lighting, with hopes of cutting energy consumption 70% beyond what conventional energy-efficient LED illumination offers.
As we noted, the mindSHIFT Technologies data center has installed 452 new PoE luminaires plus PoE controls and software from Cree Inc., in a $160,000 project,
The moral of the story: The fledgling PoE lighting movement is busy enough to accommodate multiple vendors at one site.
As a quick refresher, PoE is one of several technologies that is ushering in the smart lighting movement, turning LED lamps and luminaires into nodes on information networks and connecting them to the Internet. Such intelligent networks give users far greater control of lighting levels, colors, and color temperatures. They also open the possibility of using lights to collect data on climate, occupancy, noise, air quality, and many other things, and to leverage that data for other purposes such as controlling heating and cooling, rearranging building layouts, or engaging customers.
PoE comes with the added benefit of cutting electrical cabling costs on new buildings, because the same Ethernet wires that carry data to the lights also carry the light’s electricity.
One of the leading proponents of PoE lighting is Cisco Systems, the networking equipment — and Ethernet — giant. It partnered with Cree at mindSHIFT in an early example of Cisco’s new “digital ceiling” initiative, which Cisco launched in February with 15 partners, a number that now stands at 23 including Cree, Philips, and other lighting vendors as well as companies from related automation and buildings industries, such as Johnson Controls.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Osram acquires large minority stake in outdoor smart lighting specialist Tvilight
http://www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/2016/11/osram-acquires-large-minority-stake-in-outdoor-smart-lighting-specialist-tvilight.html?cmpid=EnlLEDsNovember92016&eid=289644432&bid=1583577
German lighting giant Osram has reached into the backyard of Dutch rival Philips to strengthen its smart cities capabilities, acquiring a large minority stake in Holland’s Tvilight, a specialist in intelligent street light controls.
Munich-based Osram said it is picking up 47.5% of Amsterdam-based Tvilight, with a particular interest in Tvilight’s sensor technology and smart light management software.
“To extend our portfolio of lighting solutions for cities and to provide superior value to our customers, Osram equips its outdoor luminaires with additional intelligence,” said Eladia Pulido, head of Osram Lighting Solutions. “Tvilight’s software solutions are the optimum extension for our luminaires.”
Osram declined to say how much it is paying for the stake, which should help strengthen its push “beyond illumination” and into the Internet of Things (IoT), in which street lamps and many other sensor-equipped or digitized objects link up to information networks.
“Together with Osram, we will continue to deliver IoT-ready, connected intelligent lighting solutions on a global scale, transforming urban infrastructure, enabling smart city applications and improving lives of the citizens,”
The company has smart lighting installations at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport and with Dutch Railways, as well as in about 30 Dutch towns and cities including Rotterdam and The Hague. Outside of the Netherlands it also has smart lighting deployments in Seoul, and in the German cities of Berlin, Düren, Köln, and Münster, among other locations.
Less than a month ago, Tvilight teamed with LED street lighting vendor Trilux in Berlin to provide CitySense sensors (pictured) and CityManager software at the Bundesplatz train station.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Connected Offices through VLC
http://www.usa.lighting.philips.com/systems/connected-lighting-for-offices
Connected lighting is part of the Internet of Things (IoT) trend. By building on the digital nature of LED technology, connected lighting brings illumination and IT together. With the help of PoE technology not only power and data can be delivered for the luminaire over a standard Ethernet cable but it also allows the lighting system to be merged with the IT system. Moreover, Philips PoE (power over ethernet) enabled luminaires also incorporate Visible Light Communication (VLC) technology wherein the PoE luminaires continuously transmit their IP address at higher frequency which in turn can be detected by a smartphone app allowing app based controllability and personalization of lights.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Internet of Things is Too Thingy
http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1386&doc_id=282039&page_number=1&cid=nl.x.dn14.edt.aud.dn.20161109.tst004c
The thing about the Internet of Things, says Cees Links, is that “it’s very thingy.”
It’s not that Links, a pioneer of the wireless data industry, doesn’t see the connection between the Internet of Things and the things themselves, but all the focus on the actual devices, he says, is missing the point and making everyone confused about what the business opportunity and actual potential for the industry is.
The focus on things, posits Links, takes away from the real value IoT provides, which he believes lies in the realm of services.
Take the FitBit, for example. Marketed as a fitness band, it’s true value could be as part of a broader lifestyle service, one that should make the wearer holistically healthier in the long run.
Companies like FitBit, and others in the IoT space, don’t seem to have grasped the difference between what they potentially have and what they are selling, said Links, noting that data is still not being used in an optimized way, nor is it being made particularly actionable. This, Links says, is also where the term “smart” fails, because as advanced as some of these gadgets are, they still aren’t particularly clever in terms of piecing together relevant bits of data and carrying out the next logical step.
The lack of sophistication on a service level means that a “smart” water meter, for example, can be perfectly good at digitally notifying you of your water usage, but can’t yet turn off a faucet that has accidentally been left on, prevent a flood, or even necessarily notify you of one. Likewise, a “smart” thermostat can keep upping the heating of your house if it senses the temperature dropping below a certain level, but it can’t simply close the accidentally left-open window that’s letting the cold air in (and heat out) or tell its user the source of the problem. Just like people, things, it turns out, would be much better if they just pulled together and collaborated.
“In reality, the smart home would be a [digital] butler who helps you to live your life more comfortably and energy efficiently while making sure everything is more safe and secure,”
Until companies stop marketing “things” over services, the industry is simply not getting the point, says Links.
“If things are not marketed right, people don’t understand the value, and if people don’t understand the value they just use a FitBit for a few weeks and then they throw it aside. That’s what we are seeing a lot right now.”
Indeed, FitBit shares recently took a plunge on news that the company was seeing a drop in sales and cutting its full-year earnings.
“The underlined theme of the Internet of Things is being able to make better decisions faster,” said Links, noting that being able to make better decisions faster would also be a source of job creation.
“The whole industry is capable of analyzing data and making sense out of it, extracting knowledge out of data, or at least extracting information out of data,” he added.
This, said Links, would require a new class of engineers that would build things that are generally safer and more secure, while activating mathematicians to do data mining and data analysis to contribute to overall system design.
“I think the hardware engineers have done their job, at least at this stage, now it’s very much up to the software engineers being able to build out the systems, and the engineers who do data analytics.”
Links said the most frequent questions and concerns he hears revolve around the privacy and security of the various “things” collecting data and saving it to the cloud. People often ask him how to make the systems safer, more friendly, and easier to install.
“People have very many concerns about standards, and many concerns about security,” he acknowledged, but added that privacy and security were not specific to the IoT, but to the Internet in general, and also to the physical world. One could theoretically just as easily lose the physical keys to one’s house as to have one’s digital lock hacked.
“I have only one main pitch and that is for companies to understand how they can make money and with what type of service, and then to start implementing that service.” It’s inevitable, said Links, that technical challenges would crop up along the way, “but those are the things that you then need to resolve. Don’t start with things like ‘what communication standard do I need to use?’ or with some hardware design. It is very much ‘how can I make money and with what type of service’ and then tracking back from there.”
Links said there are four simple tenets to overall system design, “you need sensors, you need data analytics, you need an application, and you need a billing and support system.” Everything else, he said, is simply “a lot of distraction” over “nice sensors” which Links believes are just a “small part of the whole game.”
Ultimately, Links is still an idealist. “I believe that a connected world is a better world, and I think we can do a lot with the technology to make our lives better, to make the world better, by creating connectivity. Connecting the world is the greatest thing to live by as an engineer.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Blog Review: Nov. 9
http://semiengineering.com/blog-review-nov-9/
Mentor’s Andrew Patterson highlights two of the main debates around IoT: how to connect and how much security is enough.
https://www.mentor.com/embedded-software/blog/post/there-was-no-disconnect-at-iot-planet-c8c51c0e-17cc-4d2e-aa7b-c0403579d2b5?cmpid=10168
Cadence’s Paul McLellan checks out one company’s design for a dataflow processing unit to speed up deep learning networks.
https://www.mentor.com/embedded-software/blog/post/there-was-no-disconnect-at-iot-planet-c8c51c0e-17cc-4d2e-aa7b-c0403579d2b5?cmpid=10168
Prepare for USB to be everywhere in the autonomous car, says Synopsys’ Eric Huang.
https://blogs.synopsys.com/tousbornottousb/2016/11/04/19433/
Rambus’ Aharon Etengoff argues that the end of Dennard Scaling and Moore’s Law means the industry must focus on rethinking system architectures to gain improvements.
http://www.rambusblog.com/2016/11/03/looking-beyond-dennard-scaling/
As sensor proliferate, Synopsys’ Shwetank Lal stresses the need for MIPI I3C as a unified interface.
https://blogs.synopsys.com/vip-central/2016/11/03/mipi-i3c-a-unified-sensor-interface/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sunrise Alarm Clock with Organic Twist
http://hackaday.com/2016/11/09/sunrise-alarm-clock-with-organic-twist/
The problem that a lot of us run across, though, is wiring up enough LEDs with enough diffusion to make the effect work properly and actually get us out of bed without an annoying buzzer.
Luckily for all of us, [jarek319] came up with an elegant and simple solution that should revolutionize all future sunrise alarm clock builds. He found a cheap OLED display and drove it with an LM317 voltage regulator. By driving the ADJ pin on the regulator, he was able to effectively drive the OLED with a makeshift PWM signal. This allows the OLED’s brightness to be controlled. [jarek319] threw some NTP code up on an ESP12E and did a little bit of programming for the alarm, and the problem is solved.
SunRise
Wake up to the soothing glow of Organic LEDs
https://hackaday.io/project/16951-sunrise
Tomi Engdahl says:
Electronica2016: New IoT circuits and data security
Started yesterday Electronica in Munich offers an abundance of new products and solutions. New products are the texts of the increasingly smaller, faster and IoT solutions more suitable. Alongside introductions security IoT announce
Can a device on the Internet to implement security throughout the trip, and if it needs to take iron or programmatically? The final solution will require a comprehensive solution that is not to solve the single technology or product.
On the first day of the event discussed the ST’s Carlo Bozotti, NXP’s Rick Clemer, Infineon Reinhard Ploss and cell phone-SIM and other security provider Gieseche + Devirentin Stefan Auerbach and Deutsche Telecom Frank HP Fitzek.
The same thing went on NXP presenting IoT Gateway solution, which can be used to isolate the IoT solutions in a new way: The module is easily extensible, and supports Wi-Fi use in addition to a ZigBee and Thread-techniques and the Amazon AWS cloud IoT services.
Another clear trend Electronica trade fair was a broad IoT automotive and electronics in addition to the IC and material solutions and wearable healthcare solutions.
Wearable devices are expected to revolutionize medical care in the next few years. Doctors can monitor the patient statistics or even to diagnose diseases from far and wide. The technique is also a great potential in terms of prevention, because diseases can be recognized earlier and more accurately.
Source: http://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2016/11/09/electronica2016-uusia-iot-piireja-tietoturvaa/
Tomi Engdahl says:
There was no disconnect at IoT Planet
https://www.mentor.com/embedded-software/blog/post/there-was-no-disconnect-at-iot-planet-c8c51c0e-17cc-4d2e-aa7b-c0403579d2b5?cmpid=10168
This week in Grenoble at the IoT Planet® event there were two main conversations going on: Connectivity and Security. Both are proving to be key technologies
Depending on which prediction you believe, the rate of new IoT connections is growing at 30% per annum, and, according to Gartner, we will have 21 billion internet-connected devices by 2020.
The panel at IoT Planet agreed that security should be holistic, covering every stage of the IoT data path from the Edge Node, with appropriate security capabilities included in the silicon such as encryption and signed-communication, through to the data collection gateway, which itself should have a secure embedded architecture, and then to secure storage in the cloud. For sensitive applications, Public/Private key exchange is desirable at each stage in data transfer. There was some debate on the cost of security and in each use case the value of the data or process is different. If the application is health-monitoring, what is the value of the data on which a life may depend? For an industrial application, a hacker could take a critical production process off-line. Each case needs to be analyzed and the appropriate level of security applied – it will have a financial cost.
At the physical level, multiple communication options have emerged and the best choice will depend on the device and range required.
Once IoT Edge Node data has been communicated to a secure Gateway, it needs to be managed and processed, and Gateway architectures have emerged that can host “secure world” operations alongside “normal world” operations on the same device. This type of architecture has become important for ensuring both safety and security in real-time operations.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Regulation of the Internet of Things
https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2016/11/regulation_of_t.html
Late last month, popular websites like Twitter, Pinterest, Reddit and PayPal went down for most of a day. The distributed denial-of-service attack that caused the outages, and the vulnerabilities that made the attack possible, was as much a failure of market and policy as it was of technology. If we want to secure our increasingly computerized and connected world, we need more government involvement in the security of the “Internet of Things” and increased regulation of what are now critical and life-threatening technologies. It’s no longer a question of if, it’s a question of when.
First, the facts. Those websites went down because their domain name provider — a company named Dyn — was forced offline. We don’t know who perpetrated that attack, but it could have easily been a lone hacker.
Your security on the Internet depends on the security of millions of Internet-enabled devices, designed and sold by companies you’ve never heard of to consumers who don’t care about your security.
The technical reason these devices are insecure is complicated, but there is a market failure at work. The Internet of Things is bringing computerization and connectivity to many tens of millions of devices worldwide. These devices will affect every aspect of our lives, because they’re things like cars, home appliances, thermostats, lightbulbs, fitness trackers, medical devices, smart streetlights and sidewalk squares. Many of these devices are low-cost, designed and built offshore, then rebranded and resold. The teams building these devices don’t have the security expertise we’ve come to expect from the major computer and smartphone manufacturers, simply because the market won’t stand for the additional costs that would require. These devices don’t get security updates like our more expensive computers, and many don’t even have a way to be patched. And, unlike our computers and phones, they stay around for years and decades.
And, like pollution, the only solution is to regulate. The government could impose minimum security standards on IoT manufacturers, forcing them to make their devices secure even though their customers don’t care. They could impose liabilities on manufacturers, allowing companies like Dyn to sue them if their devices are used in DDoS attacks. The details would need to be carefully scoped, but either of these options would raise the cost of insecurity and give companies incentives to spend money making their devices secure.
It’s true that this is a domestic solution to an international problem and that there’s no U.S. regulation that will affect, say, an Asian-made product sold in South America, even though that product could still be used to take down U.S. websites. But the main costs in making software come from development. If the United States and perhaps a few other major markets implement strong Internet-security regulations on IoT devices, manufacturers will be forced to upgrade their security if they want to sell to those markets. And any improvements they make in their software will be available in their products wherever they are sold, simply because it makes no sense to maintain two different versions of the software. This is truly an area where the actions of a few countries can drive worldwide change.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Time Dimension Of Power
http://semiengineering.com/the-time-dimension-of-power/
Power is a complex multi-dimensional, multi-disciplinary problem. Does your flow address all of the issues?
Power is the flow of energy over time. While both aspects of that equation are important, they are important to different people in different ways.
Energy that moves too quickly can cause significant damage. Too much energy moving over time can mean a non-competitive product, from battery-powered devices to a wide array of locations such as the datacenter. When the industry talks about power analysis it can cover the entire spectrum. In addition, what you may do to reduce or mitigate consumption is very different between reducing total energy consumed and what you might do to protect your device against electrostatic discharge.
At one extreme of the timescale, the total energy consumed performing a function is the most important. An implanted medical device means a surgery every time the battery needs to be replaced. If U.S. datacenters were considered to be a country, it would be one of the most power-hungry countries of the world.
Energy Harvesting Gains Steam
http://semiengineering.com/energy-harvesting-gains-steam/
Shifting process nodes and new applications are driving demand, but utilizing this technology requires a different design mindset.
Energy harvesting is gaining traction with a surge in ultra-low-power IoT applications, ranging from inventory tracking, wearables and drones, to vibration sensors for motors in industrial settings.
The idea that machines could run without batteries—or that energy could be harvested either from motion or ambient sound waves or chemical reactions to augment battery power—has been in the works for some time. In fact, self-winding wristwatches date back to just after World War I. But all of this is coming to life as technology improves, and as the need to power trillions of sensors and devices becomes a requirement for growth of the IoT.
At least part of the success can be attributed to process node advances, which in this case means from one older node to the next. At older nodes, moving from one to the next still provides enough power/performance improvements to make it possible to utilize energy that is scavenged from the environment.
“If you look at 90nm, the minimum operating voltage for most of the IP was about 1.6 volts,” said Ron Lowman, strategic marketing manager for IoT at Synopsys. “As engineering teams migrate down to 40 and 55nm with microcontrollers, you’ll see more energy harvesting. For example, most remote controls have two AA batteries because they need 1.8 volts to operate the IC. As you move to 40 and 55, it’s 0.9 volts, so you can do a single AAA battery. And that’s just the end of life for an alkaline battery.”
Thinking differently
But putting energy harvesting to work requires a different way of looking at a design, as well.
“You have to build systems that are essentially normally off,” said Drew Wingard, CTO of Sonics. “It’s the absolute opposite side of the coin from people who think about putting the functions in first, then going back later and thinking about what they can afford to shut down. It’s completely the other way around. It’s more like, ‘What’s the minimum I have to have on?’ And then you do the analysis saying, ‘Is that already too much, given how much energy I can productively harvest?’”
It also requires an understanding of how much energy can be stored when it’s not being harvested, because most systems do not continuously harvest energy.
Engineering challenges
While the benefits of energy harvesting are intriguing, Ansys’ Kulkarni points to some engineering challenges. Among them:
• Power generation source. This requires an ultra-low voltage DC/DC step-up converter and operates on input voltage as low as 20mV with a 2.2V V-LDO to power an MCU.
• Energy storage, size and cost.
• Increased design complexity.
There are several techniques, such as DVFS, which can yield considerable energy savings, but designers of WSNs must understand integration of IP components, workloads, intelligent partitioning, and so on. In addition, the substrate noise injection from an aggressor MCU into the RF section must be analyzed carefully because it can cause significant interference by degrading the signal-to-noise ratio. Proper modeling of near-threshold device operation is critical in this case.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Can Low-Power Devices Be Secure?
http://semiengineering.com/can-low-power-devices-be-secure/
Demand for low-power, high-performance devices also calls for security measures.
Successfully designing a low-power, high-performance chip design is an accomplishment, but effectively implementing cybersecurity in such devices makes it much more difficult.
Safety, particularly functional safety for automotive and military/aerospace applications, also can be a prime concern in creating low-power, high-performance integrated circuits and systems. When combined with security, it significantly complicates the checklist at the outset of a design project.
But those factors are becoming mandatory for a number of IC and system-level designs. In fact, they are becoming prerequisites for some designs to even be considered by system vendors, greatly adding to the complexity of chips and the amount of work required to design and verify them. Nowhere is this more vital than with embedded vision, which is becoming a key part of driver-assisted vehicles.
Microcontroller suppliers were on a panel at ARM TechCon, addressing the topic of IoT and security, moderated by Nandan Nayampally, vice president of marketing for ARM’s CPU Group.
“For IoT right now, we’re moving to a place where we’re going to get globally connected,” said Doug Gardner, chief technologist for the Security Technology Group of Analog Devices. “We’re moving from a space where we’re IT-centric to basically content-centric, so you kind of define perimeter as you try to protect things. If you really believe in the vision of IoT, you’re going to move to ‘connectivity-centric’, which means you have no more perimeter. It’s all open. You have machine-to-machine, you have interactions. You have no choice but to put security at your endpoint. You need that security to be based in a hardware root of trust.”
Gardner noted, “You really have to start moving to a multilayer security approach. It starts, of course, with the root of trust built in the hardware.”
That includes everything from home appliances to commercial and industrial applications. “One of the biggest hurdles we have is just getting people, even though there’s been so many hacks going on, to realize they really need security,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Make it Small, Make it Fast, Make it First: Introducing the World’s Smallest Bluetooth Module
http://community.silabs.com/t5/Official-Blog-of-Silicon-Labs/Make-it-Small-Make-it-Fast-Make-it-First-Introducing-the-World-s/ba-p/182220?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=october2016newsletter&utm_medium=email&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTVRVNVpUWTVaRFJsWXpjMiIsInQiOiJJNENydTJTblJoVnFyU0huQ2VJcGFvRVBJMjlMSlRBd2ZhNkZsb2JoVE1PTlBJQUpqNHJUMloyYXd1R2l0OTlCZkp1OCsrdm83aXlZdW5sRlFsR2wrTmpvcDZodUoyWG1rNnlRZDd3ZzZGdz0ifQ%3D%3D
We know designers face a host of stressful design challenges, day in and day out, as well as the never-ending rush to get their products to market ahead of the pack. That’s why we’re always genuinely excited when we can release truly cutting-edge, industry-first innovations that can help our customers — innovations such as our new BGM12x system-in-package (SiP) module.
Ultimately the industry’s smallest Bluetooth low-energy SiP module with an integrated antenna, the BGM12x offers designers a way to finally effectively miniaturize many IoT applications in a manner that’s both cost-effective and doesn’t compromise on performance. We think the BGM12x is poised to help lead innovations in many application types, including sports and fitness wearables, smartwatches, personal medical devices, wireless sensor nodes, and other space-constrained connected devices.
With the BGM12x, engineering departments don’t have to spend any time on antenna design and certification testing.
Additionally, there is just the overall benefit that using a wireless module reduces design time and long-term costs by lowering risks. With a proven, ready-to-go system, designers can skip complex RF design and move on to adding value to their core applications – what meaningful IoT development is all about anyway. And the exceptionally small size makes it very easy to use in two-layer PCB designs where board clearance continues to remain a critical concern.
We’re also happy that like all our Blue Gecko modules, designers can begin with a module-based design but easily migrate to a Blue Gecko SoC with minimal system redesign and full software reuse because of very similar technical features and identical APIs.
Our Bluegiga BGScript tool lets designers create Bluetooth applications quickly without using an external MCU to run the application logic, ultimately reducing system cost, board cost, and time to market as well.
Designing for Bluetooth® Low Energy Applications
http://www.silabs.com/products/wireless/bluetooth/Pages/designing-for-bluetooth-low-energy-applications.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=october2016newsletter&utm_medium=email&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTVRVNVpUWTVaRFJsWXpjMiIsInQiOiJJNENydTJTblJoVnFyU0huQ2VJcGFvRVBJMjlMSlRBd2ZhNkZsb2JoVE1PTlBJQUpqNHJUMloyYXd1R2l0OTlCZkp1OCsrdm83aXlZdW5sRlFsR2wrTmpvcDZodUoyWG1rNnlRZDd3ZzZGdz0ifQ%3D%3D
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cross-system Integration of an Intelligent Factory
http://forms.intelligentsystemssource.com/Extranet/96928/forms.aspx?msgid=39353fc6-1d9e-485f-b54f-2456520de0c3&LinkID=CH00096928eR00000040AD&utm_source=eNewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=IoT&utm_campaign=IIot&caid=3467369
IoT-based Industry 4.0 has become a hot topic in the manufacturing world in the last few years and will probably continue to lead industrial trends for the foreseeable future, bringing bounteous new business opportunities for equipment builders and system integrators as they help to revamp traditional factories into Industry 4.0 manufacturing environments. The principle Industry 4.0 concept is connecting machines, work pieces, and systems to a network, allowing them to communicate with each other to become an intelligent system where individual units can influence each other automatically to maximize throughput and quality. A factory that practices Industry 4.0 is called an Factory.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Special Report: Have You Found Gold Yet?
http://intelligentsystemssource.com/special-report-have-you-found-gold-yet/?utm_source=eNewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=IoT&utm_campaign=IIot
The Gold Rush days are coming back. Except this time, it is on the Industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoT). Why is the industry buzzing about the IIoT? For some, it represents limitless potential and opportunities. This is bigger and better than the dot com era. Dan Isaacs, Director, Connected Systems and IIoT Ecosystem at Xilinx, points out that IoT will provide smart solutions to medical, energy, automotive, manufacturing and other industrial segments. It can potentially reduce unplanned down time and reduce costs of manufacturing. Dell agrees.
Welcome to Industry 4.0, the future of manufacturing. (1.0 was mechanical assistance, 2.0 was mass production, 3.0 included electron and process control and 4.0 is the beginning of M2M and IIoT). This new smart manufacturing called Industry 4.0 promises massive opportunities and it has captured the attention of the industrial world and the developing countries.
According to a 2015 European Union paper, Industry 4.0 was intended to provide rapid transformation to manufacturing to reverse the decline in industrialization to a targeted 20% growth. An ambitious goal indeed. According to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Industrial 4.0 is “the comprehensive transformation of the whole sphere of industrial production through the merging of digital technology and the internet with conventional industry”.
How Big is The Market?
According to BI Intelligence, the IoT market will experience exponential growth to reach 34 billion connected devices in 2020 up from 10 billion in 2015. Within the 34 billion devices, 70% will be directly related to new IoT devices and the rest are traditional smartphone, tablets and smart wearables. VDC predicts the IIoT and connected factory market will grow from $6 billion in 2015 to $20.7 billion in 2020, a CAGR of 28.1%.
VDC further explains that various industrial segments including automation & control, energy and utilities would provide the biggest opportunities for IoT gateway and services providers. Cellular and analytics services will reap benefits from the IIoT service segment. The market is big enough for everyone.
What is IIoT?
In simple terms, IIoT is a way to connect many devices or sensors together using Internet commonly known as the Cloud. Internet-of-Things covers everything under the sun including consumer products such as smart watches and other fitness wearables. IIoT has a similar definition of IoT except it focuses mainly on the industrial aspect such as manufacturing, connected cities, cars and health. Even though some authors may use the term IoT in this edition, its focus is on industrial segments. Typical IIoT architecture consists of four major components as shown in figure 2. Things refer to the intelligent devices or sensors. Local Networks include the network and gateway hardware connecting to Things. What we don’t see but included here are the software layers. The Internet is all the connections between Local Networks and the Back-End Services which include servers, analytic software and other devices used to access the Internet.
Why the excitements? The connected “things” can create optimal performance and increase productivity worldwide. That is why Industry heavyweights like Dell, GE, IBM, Microsoft, Intel, SAP and Cisco are full steam ahead. Some see it as the next industrial revolution. The big question is what is the ROI?
Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition defines smart manufacturing as “the integration of network-based data and information that provides real-time understanding, reasoning, planning, management and related decision making of all aspects of a manufacturing and supply chain enterprise.” Smart manufacturing can potentially shift the paradigm. About 50 years ago, industrial countries figured out the way to increase margin was outsourcing manufacturing to places with low labor costs such as China. Today, the skill level of the Chinese labor has increased and so have the costs.
IIoT can solve problems in many other industrial segments. For example, it can reduce the costs of energy of industrial buildings. Today, Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning (HVAC) systems in large commercial buildings use building management systems (BMS) made by companies such as Johnson Controls and Honeywell to optimize system performance but BMS can be an expensive investment that take years to breakeven. Mid-size and small firms cannot afford it. IIoT can potentially solve that problem. HCL Technologies uses the Intel-based gateways and sensors to monitor the building edge devices including HVAC, security, lighting, water and electrical equipment to optimize energy efficiency using the cloud. Large building control companies are rushing to invest in the IIoT.
Smart City is another segment gaining momentum. IIoT can optimize city lights, traffic and synchronize the communication of emergency vehicles. That is why many cities around the world are joining the IIoT movement. Vietnam’s capital city, Ho Chi Minh City, cities in Sweden, Norway and Denmark are among those to pioneer Smart City. An efficient city means less traffic jams, safer and costs less to run.
Future healthcare will depend more and more on wireless connection for patient monitoring. Connected hospitals will have control rooms to monitor the vital signs of patients 24 hours a day wirelessly to provide better patient experience.
What is The Formula For Success?
Companies are trying hard to develop formulas to carve out a piece of the IIoT pie.
Under the leadership of Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, the company has transformed from Windows to an internet company with Azure as its platform
IBM uses Watson as its platform to drive AI and IIoT.
GE introduced the Predix as the industrial internet platform and formed partnership with Microsoft. “Companies don’t want disparate, disjointed systems; they want technology that brings things together,”
Additionally, its Predix Transform conference has attracted strong support from Deloitte, Intel, Hewlett Packard, Accenture, Dell and more.
GE is an Operational Technology expert in the Oil and Gas industry. To succeed in providing a total IIoT solution including IT, it partners with companies such as Cisco, Dell or Hewlett Packard to do the job.
Have You Found Gold Yet?
While there are ways to generate revenue from IIoT, have you found gold yet?
The Future
It is not easy to navigate through the IIoT maze. There are still challenges ahead. (1) The much needed secured end-to-end connection is easier said than done. Increased connection will only create more opportunities for hackers. (2) The challenge of creating and using meaningful big data cannot be underestimated. With projection of multiple billion “things” to be connected by 2020, massive data will be generated. Who has ownership of these data? If not managed well, big data can potentially cause chaos. (3) Lack of international standard is another big challenge. Today there are quite a few standards being proposed. It will be interesting to see how these standards” will evolve. In summary, IIoT presents both opportunities and risks. Will it be smooth sailing or a long and winding road? Finding the path to generate meaningful ROI is the key.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sophisticated Java Solutions Marry IoT and ARM Architecture
http://intelligentsystemssource.com/sophisticated-java-solutions-marry-iot-and-arm-architecture/?utm_source=eNewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=IoT&utm_campaign=IIot
With an exploding number of devices for IoT and cloud computing, development with Java is becoming more attractive than ever. Java technologies for the ARM32 platform are a valuable piece of that puzzle.
Expanding Market Share
ARM has expanded its market share beyond the mobile and into embedded and IoT with its low power consumption and competitive price to compute ratio. It’s evident that ARM is now a mainstream embedded processor architecture. According to Linley Group, ARM has more than 77 percent of the licensed embedded processor market today and it has dominated the tablet and smartphone space. Now, it is expanding across consumer IoT markets and rapidly penetrating into the industrial IoT space where traditional x86, MIPS, and PowerPC processors have enjoyed a stable position for many years. According to ARM, it is looking to hit a compound annual growth rate of 5 percent in networking and 10 percent across all mobile, home, enterprise, and embedded segments by next year. In fact, major chipmakers are actively replacing legacy SoCs with ARM cores on their product roadmap
Java for Embedded & IoT
Java continues to be the most popular programming language. The latest TIOBE Index ranks Java as the #1 for the programming community. For the hardcore embedded community, C is still considered to be the most widely used programming language. However, interest and adoption of Java have been steadily growing since last year due to the plethora of platforms requiring portability across IoT and Cloud systems
Java has been used in embedded devices since the 90s
Today Java SE is running on healthcare devices, network and storage appliances, gateways, automatic teller machines (ATMs), kiosks, imaging, and multi-function printers. With the advent of IoT, there is a blurring line between traditional embedded and enterprises
For those that have been running Java, extending existing capabilities is less challenging. Besides, Cloud is what makes IoT possible today. IoT and Cloud are inseparable and a significant portion of the cloud computing platforms are Java-based. The third component that is critical for success is open source
Open Source Java & Zulu Embedded
A large portion of today’s technological innovations come from the open source community, Eclipse and Apache projects being good examples. For Java, OpenJDK is where open source Java has originated from.
Zulu Embedded is a certified build of OpenJDK for the embedded space. It supports both headful and headless modes. It also offers compact profiles of Java 8 for resource constrained devices in addition to Java 6 and 7. Java 8 Compact Profiles allow you to run Java in devices with a memory as low as 12mb. As far as operating systems are concerned, Zulu Embedded has been tested with most flavors of Linux, MacOS, as well as Windows 10 IoT Core. For ARM32, compared to other comparable JVMs, Zulu Embedded provides unsurpassed performance with its JIT (Just-In-Time) compiler
Recently Azul Systems released Java APIs for accessing device peripherals. APIs are available on Windows 10 IoT and Linux as part of the Zulu Device APIs. Device APIs deliver optional Java extensions to the base Zulu Embedded JRE for enabling software control over device I/Os and their peripherals. It covers following peripheral access:
General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO).
Inter-Integrated Circuit Bus (I2C).
Serial Peripheral Interface.
For IoT services and gateway use cases, Zulu Embedded has been tested to work with all major OSGi implementations, including Eclipse and ProSyst.
No Commercial License
One of the biggest advantages of Zulu Embedded is that there is no commercial license, as it is based on open source. Until now, there were very few options in finding a suitable Java SE runtime for ARM32 other than Oracle. Oracle Java is a great product, but as all embedded developers know, Oracle’s Binary Code License limits usage and distribution of Java outside of general purpose computing. Zulu Embedded is taking those licensing costs and field-of-use restrictions off the table.
https://www.azul.com/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wi-Fi modules enable embedded, 802.11 ac wireless capacities for security, building automation, M2M applications
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2016/11/laird-wifi-security.html
LSR (Cedarburg, WI), a Laird business and a specialist in certified modules and design services for wireless product development, is introducing two new solutions that help companies design and certify wirelessly-connected products quickly and successfully. Practical applications might include security and building automation, making enterprise or personal devices “wireless” to connect to the internet, medical devices, M2M applications, vehicle telematics, smart gateways, and other uses to provide wireless connectivity to a multitude of devices and equipment.
These new solutions, based on Cypress Semiconductor Corp. radios, expand LSR’s Sterling family of Wi-Fi + Bluetooth multi-standard modules, joining the popular Sterling-LWB 2.4 GHz certified module, which is ideally suited for adding wireless connectivity to products employing a microprocessor with a LINUX operating system.
– A new Sterling-LWB for WICED reference platform provides electronics developers everything needed to add both embedded Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connectivity in one device where a [microprocessor is not needed or used. This comprehensive reference platform and documentation enables engineers to use the popular Cypress WICED software development kit (SDK) for Internet of Things (IoT) development for microcontroller-based applications.
Both the Sterling-LWB and Sterling-LWB5 utilize latest-generation silicon technology that Cypress acquired from Broadcom in July 2016. The Sterling-LWB5 uses the powerful Cypress BCM43353 chipset to create one of the very first commercially available certified modules that offers IEEE 802.11ac capabilities for ultra-high data rate 5 GHz band Wi-Fi connectivity.
Tomi Engdahl says:
ESP Clock Needs More Power
http://hackaday.com/2016/11/10/esp-clock-needs-more-power/
[Victor-Chew] is tired of setting clocks. After all, here we are in the 21st century, why do we have to adjust clocks (something we just did for daylight savings time)? That’s why [Victor] came up with ESPClock.
Based on a $2 Ikea analog clock, [Victor] had a few design goals for the project:
Automatically set the time from the network
Automatically adjust for daylight savings time
Not cost much more than a regular clock
Run for a year on batteries
The last goal is the only one that remains unmet. Even with a large battery pack, [Victor’s] clock runs out of juice in a week or so.
ESPCLOCK
NTP-enbling a cheap $2 Ikea analog clock using ESP-12/NodeMCU/Arduino
https://hackaday.io/project/16742-espclock
In this project, I connected a cheap $2 Ikea analog clock to the ESP-12/NodeMCU dev module and synchronized the clock time with NTP time (localized with Google Maps Timezone API). On startup, simply connect to the device configuration AP and configure your Wi-Fi login credentials and physical clock time. The config web page will capture your current location automatically using HTML5 Geolocation and use that to automatically figure the local time and DST offset via the Google Maps Timezone API.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Launitor Saves You From Accidentally Smelly Clothes
http://hackaday.com/2016/11/10/launitor-saves-you-from-accidentally-smelly-clothes/
[domiflichi] is human and fallible. So he can’t be blamed for occasionally forgetting the laundry in one of the machines and coming back to a less than stellar result. However, while fallible, he is not powerless.
What if his washer/dryer could email or text him about his laundry? It seemed simple enough. Add a vibration sensor to the side of the machine along with some brains. When the load is done it will bother him until he comes down to push the button or There Will Come Soft Rains.
Launitor – Laundry Monitor
http://jamienerd.blogspot.fi/2016/10/launitor-laundry-monitor.html
Requirements
As usual, there were some requirements I had:
It should be portable for if/when we get a new washer/dryer
No permanent changes/modifications should be made to the machines
Should be cheap
Should require as little user-intervention as possible
Easy to use, and have visual cues as to what’s going on with them
So how does this thing work, anyway?
This is a very simple device to use – when nothing is going on, the LEDs are off. If it detects enough vibrations in a certain amount of time (both amount of vibrations and time are easily adjustable in code), it starts blinking the corresponding LED to visually show that the washer (or dryer) is running. When it realizes that the machine is done running, it turns the LED solid, and sends you an email. If you have the option enabled in the code, it will keep sending you an alert via email every X (also adjustable in code) amount of minutes. After you remove your clothes, just push the corresponding button to reset it so that it will start watching for the next load!
Tomi Engdahl says:
Software-Defined Infrastructure Sparks Digital Transformation of Industrial Automation
http://blogs.windriver.com/wind_river_blog/2016/10/software-defined-infrastructure-sparks-digital-transformation-of-industrial-automation.html?utm_source=eNewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=IoT&utm_campaign=IIot
IoT Solutions World Congress in Barcelona this week, the leading global event for Industrial IoT (IIoT).
Industrial companies and manufacturers have historically paid steep prices for automation systems purpose-built to perform a single task and lacking the flexibility to adapt to changing market environments. These proprietary solutions are not designed for interoperability with other products, which locks the buyer into the vendor and restricts choices of components.
Working with a single industrial automation supplier may sometimes have benefits, but as technology advances and the marketplace demands and expects greater agility, the drawbacks become readily apparent. Proprietary systems are expensive to purchase (high CapEx) and expensive to maintain (high OpEx). Because they are developed in low volumes and built with highly specialized components, vendors lack the economies of scale inherent in commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions.
Despite the Open Platform Communications (OPC) standard instituted in the 1990s, which enabled communications between proprietary systems, interoperability remains an issue. And as systems become increasingly interconnected, device and data security become paramount concerns. Security cannot be an afterthought and needs to be designed in from the ground up, yet automation solution vendors often lack the experience to implement a layered security infrastructure leveraging multiple technologies.
Industrial automation developers can take a cue from the experience of the telecom sector.
Over a dozen of the world’s largest providers got together to lead the transition to interoperable solutions based on industry-standard servers – an approach called network function virtualization (NFV). After a few short years, telecom equipment vendors were able to offer software-based network functions running on COTS servers, making possible large economies of scale, wider vendor choice, and interoperability
Now, a comparable digital transformation is underway in industrial automation, sparked by software-defined infrastructure and enabled by the IIoT. The premise of software-defined infrastructure is that most operations and control functions in an automation system can be consolidated onto standard, high-volume COTS servers capable of satisfying the real-time performance requirements of industrial environments. This creates an efficient, flexible and light-footprint alternative to proprietary industrial solutions. Software-defined infrastructure utilizes open standards and open platforms, extending them to meet industrial requirements, thereby reducing OpEx and CapEx and reaping the benefits of the IT cloud.
A software-defined infrastructure approach allows users, software vendors and systems integrators to more easily develop interoperable components than proprietary solutions allow. Since software and server hardware are decoupled, software can be easily migrated and reused.
Flexible industrial automation, powered by a software-defined infrastructure, will enable companies to react more quickly and economically to an ever-evolving market landscape.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Such is the Finnish smart home
Did you miss your home with the lights on? Not to worry, the future home you can turn off their smart devices.
through the network operating management hub, which are controlled by smart devices, are becoming more common in the coming years more and more in the home.
Market their own solution for controlling home has also brought Finnish company Cozify that introduced the product DigiExpo.
Thus, at least believe Google, Huawei and Apple, which have developed their own solutions for managing your home. In the future, home alarm system, lighting and heating, for example, can thus adjust the smart phone, for example, the work by hand.
Source: http://www.iltasanomat.fi/digitoday/art-2000001949824.html?ref=rss
Tomi Engdahl says:
Healthy Mouths,
Healthy Lives
http://paidpost.nytimes.com/philips/make-life-better/healthy-mouths-healthy-lives.html?utm_source=New%20York%20Times&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=1_globalus_en_bc_nyt_narib-v5___nytppoh_nytpp_ba?module=Ribbon&version=PaidPostDriver®ion=Header&action=click&pgtype=article
How smarter toothbrushes are helping people maintain sparkling smiles and overall health
Leading a healthy life starts with developing the right habits early and maintaining them through the later years.
While smart toothbrushes are helping toddlers learn the right technique, they’re also helping older people who might be struggling with manual brushing.
“Good dental health, good dental care, regular checkups with the dentist are really important preventative measures that make a difference to your teeth and your heart.” — Michael Noack, professor of dental care and periodontology, University of Cologne
” My boys used to be reluctant to brush their teeth twice a day, and now they want to brush their teeth three times a day “
Tomi Engdahl says:
The compact module for 4G Internet of Things
Swiss u-blox introduced on Friday ended Electronica2016 electronics fair compact LARA-R3121 module. Novelty is based on the LTE network, the modem and the integrated GNSS positioning technology.
U-Bloxin LARA-R3121 is suitable for IoT solutions, such as the distribution of electricity measurement, medical patient monitoring, smart house solutions and payment machines. “The new module is designed for the industrial market,” said u-bloxin founder and leader Andreas Thiel. It is intended, in particular the Internet of Things and M2M devices.
“This is the only module which includes LTE Cat 1 modem and GNSS share with module chip and software, which is developed by the same supplier,”
Module has LTE is a Class 1 modem and GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellite location service.
The module is supplied 24 x 26 ml merino LARA LGA format, which allows for automated manufacturing. The case is pin compatible with the u-blox LARA R2-series module.
Source: http://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2016/11/14/pienikokoinen-4g-moduuli-esineiden-internetiin/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sigfox based IoT for two dollars
French-backed Sigfox intends to accelerate the entry of IoT & Low cost two dollars IoT modules.
Cheap modules driven by the emergence of IoT mass market, said at electronica Stuart Lodge attributable Sigfox -konsortiumin lead. Chip manufacturers involved are such as On Semiconductor and NXP.
The event was presented for the first Sigfox modules, with prices starting from two dollars. New IoT modules are Sigfoxin representatives of up to 20 times cheaper than the LTE cell modules and 5 times cheaper than the closest competing technologies.
InnoCommin modules based on NXP circuit. The first modules available in January, and mass production will start in March 2017.
Sigfox networks is already being used in 24 different countries. In addition to Finnish networks to be built by 2018 more than 60 countries. Also being built Sigfox sensor network in Finland.
IoT LPWA market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 90 percent. In 2021 the market size of about EUR 24.5 billion, says Beecham Research’s David Parker.
Competing technologies are Lora – and in the future 5G-low power solutions.
Source: http://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2016/11/14/esineiden-internetiin-kahdella-dollarilla/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Power Tips: How to Power the Internet of Things
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36
Our thermostats, light bulbs, switches and outlets are all becoming more intelligent. This means that these traditionally “dumb” devices now require some kind of processor. That means that something also needs to provide power to that processor. The Internet of Things (IOT) has provided an opportunity for power supply designers to be creative and to develop power solutions for a new market segment.
Although the applications can be widely varied, power requirements of devices for the IOT have some common traits. First, these tend to be low-power applications. The processors themselves typically consume minimal power, on the scale of 30 mW. Wireless connectivity adds to the power demand, but usually only for short bursts of time. Some applications may have subsystems, such as cameras and sensors, that add to the power demand. In general, power requirements tend to be in the 50 mW to 500 mW range, and most applications only require a single 3.3 V or 5 V rail.
Second, these applications must derive their power from the household AC power. Luckily, most of these “smart” devices already have power running to them. Since these devices are permanently installed into our houses, there is no need to design the power supply for a universal AC input range (85 VAC to 265 VAC).
Finally, these types of products are sealed with no consumer access to the electronics. Thus, there is no need to provide electrical isolation within the power supply. However, like all other modern devices, they do need to be physically small.
One common solution is a high-voltage buck converter
Another solution, commonly referred to as a “cap-drop”
The impedance of the capacitor at the line frequency limits the input current, essentially turning the AC voltage source into an AC current source. This current source then feeds a DC/DC converter, which can be a linear regulator, a simple buck converter, or a shunt regulator
Although often overlooked in these ultra-low power applications, a flyback can also provide an attractive solution. Even though isolation is not required, using a transformer allows a turns ratio to be chosen that is appropriate for the input-to-output conversion ratio. This can result in a very small and efficient solution. Since isolation is not needed for safety, creepage and clearance distances are minimal and result in a fairly compact transformer size. Operating with a relatively high peak current and very low frequency can push the efficiency above 60 percent
In summary, the IOT has opened an entirely new industry for power supplies. High-voltage buck converters offer a nice balance between cost and efficiency. A cap-drop solution is very low-cost, but the series capacitor can be fairly large. A flyback or SEPIC can provide a design optimized for size and efficiency, but will add cost.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IIoT Gets Plug and Play Platform
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=8&doc_id=1330809&
A plug and play sensor network and supporting cloud system may be just what the IIoT has been waiting for.
Systems integrators seeking a quick way to enter the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) market were given a new option at Electronica this week. Vicotee AS, part of the Virinco Group of Norway, released at the show a plug-and-play IoT sensor system based on the Smartmesh IP from Linear Technology. The Vicotee system includes Njord sensor modules, the Bifrost gateway, and cloud services for collecting data and managing devices, and operates out of the box collecting temperature, ambient light, humidity, and accelerometer data. The system may well help ease industry’s path to the IIoT.
The SmartMesh IP technology from Linear is based on the 6LowPAN and IEEE 802.15.4e standards, and forms a self-healing, multi-hop mesh network.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Electronica: CEO Forum Rambles on IoT Security, Safety
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1330797&
MUNICH — The traditional CEO forum at Electronica continued a theme from two years before: the Internet of Things (IoT) but this time tried to shed some light on how to ensure safety and security.
The moderator Kilian Reichert, started by pointing that a global distributed denial of service attack (DDOS) had taken place only a couple of weeks ago that had paralyzed such Internet dependents as Paypal and Facebook. His opening position was that IoT being a crucial part of automotive but that the idea of vehicles being connected to infrastructure and each other danger lurked around the corner. “The more I am connected the more I am at risk?”
Stefan Auerbach, responsible for mobile security at Giesecke and Devrient, a company focused on printing, bank note and smart card security, stressed the importance of “end-to-end security” and his faith in hardware and software working in tandem and the need for scalable solutions. However, this is clearly something easier said than done.
Professor Frank Fitzek, Deutsche Telekom Chair of communications networks at Technical University Dresden, a non-CEO on the panel made the point that 5G will bring with it functions such as software defined networks (SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV) that will help to speedily identified risks and nullify them. “Communications have to become a mesh, not a centralized cellular system but it will also be an opportunity,” he said.
“Who are the enemies?” asked the moderator.
Professor Fitzek: “It started with school kids, but now it is all sorts of people, including governments, but remember also the technology can err. Airbus has I think five computers all doing the same calculations on different platforms to catch errors. It’s about investing in global network security; a bit like the police.”
STMicroelectronics CEO Carlo Bozotti’s contribution was state that security has to address all layers of abstraction: silicon, board, device, network. Auerback said that in the sim card industry produces 5 billion sim cards per year and because they adhere to standards they are very secure.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT: What NXP Has, What Qualcomm Lacks
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1330791&
NXP Semiconductors is rolling out a Modular IoT Gateway solution this week at Electronica in Munich, one of the largest trade fairs for the electronics industry.
The launch of NXP’s new IoT Gateway product comes 11 days after Qualcomm officially announced plans to acquire NXP.
The consensus among industry observers is the Qualcomm/NXP marriage will give birth to a genuine IoT powerhouse. Qualcomm brings cellular connectivity, while NXP brings high data security. The combined companies will address two IoT fundamentals – “connectivity and security” – in unparalleled depth and breadth.
That’s the high-level view.
But on a product-by-product level, there are overlaps and conflicts that company brings to the IoT market.
A broad-brush analysis shows that NXP’s newly unveiled Modular IoT Gateway product, for example, demonstrates the Dutch semiconductor company’s strong presence in the “industrial” IoT market, its unmatched expertise in IoT security and the company’s broad MCU portfolio — areas in which Qualcomm seems to trail NXP.
NXP’s Modular IoT Gateway
On the Modular IoT Gateway, Denis Cabrol, NXP’s executive director of MCUs and application processors, told EE Times, “This isn’t a home router that can drive 20 nodes. This is a gateway designed for industrial IoT applications, driving hundreds of nodes or more.”
Built on an open source Linux platform running on NXP’s latest i.MX processors, the Modular IoT Gateway is set up to connect Thread and ZigBee-based end node devices securely with the cloud through Wi-Fi or Ethernet, NXP explained.
Cabrol told us, “Bear in mind that many of these IoT end nodes – deployed in such industrial fields as oil rigs — are battery operated and they aren’t always on. They are installed in hard-to-reach places outside.”
More specifically, NXP’s Modular IoT Gateway — featuring buffer — can help battery-operated end-node devices communicate to the cloud, even without power, Cabrol explained. The gateway solution can commission, control and monitor thousands of end nodes, and “upgrade the code for such devices without crashing the network,” he added.
The biggest claim for NXP’s Modular IoT Gateway product, however, is in the security it provides to the gateway, which Cabrol described as “the most sensitive portion that’s vulnerable to external attacks.”
He referred to a series of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks caused widespread disruption of legitimate internet activity in the United States on Oct. 21.
Because IoT gateways can deal with billing, money transfer and other fiduciary activities, it’s vital for operators to know when a gateway has been compromised. Through a combination of high assurance boot, secure key storage, external tamper detection for passive and active events or internal tamper detection for voltage, glitch and differential power analysis protection — all integrated in NXP’s i.MX processors, “We have a way to detect” any such fraud, Cabrol explained.
NXP vs. Qualcomm on IoT
Asked to compare NXP with Qualcomm in the IoT space, Mike Demler, senior analyst at The Linley Group, said: “There is really no overlap for IoT, but lots of complementary opportunities.”
Consider IoT connectivity. “Qualcomm has strengths in Wi-Fi, as well as the emerging cellular NB-IoT, which NXP lacks,” Demler said. “NXP has 802.15.4 for Thread and ZigBee, as well as NFC, which Qualcomm lacks.”
Meanwhile, Qualcomm has application processors, and NXP has MCUs.
Looking at each company’s tech portfolio, where’s the “synergy” in IoT?
Demler said, “It depends on what you count as IoT.” In his opinion, since Qualcomm derives more than 90% of its revenue from mobile, “It’s hard to say Qualcomm is the leader in any IoT applications.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
PLC and Linear Actuators Automate Double-Hung Windows
http://hackaday.com/2016/11/13/plc-and-linear-actuators-automate-double-hung-windows/
Very few residential architectural elements lend themselves to automation, with doors and windows being particularly thorny problems. You can buy powered doors and windows, true, but you’ll pay a pretty penny and have to go through an expensive remodeling project to install them. Solving this problem is why this double-hung window automation project caught our eye.
Another reason we took an interest in this project is that [deeewhite] chose to use a PLC to control his windows.
[deeewhite] chose 12V linear actuators.
[deeewhite] also provides the ladder logic for his PLC and discusses how he interfaces his system with Alexa, a WeMo and IFTT.
Voice Controlled (Alexa) Double Hung Home Windows
http://imgur.com/gallery/cWJ6e
I installed actuators on 4 windows on the main floor of my home. Dining room, living room, family room and kitchen. I chose windows that were out of the way, in corners for example, so they would be less noticeable. I “hid” the actuators behind blinds. I can open the windows with my Amazon Echo by saying “Alexa, turn the windows on”. I can also use the WEMO APP to open and close them with my phone, set rules like Open at 2:00PM and Close at 6:00PM, or even use IFTTT to open and close them based on the temperature at our local airport. I suspect I could use IFTTT to close them when it rains, I just haven’t tried because it never rains in South Carolina anymore.
Another related project:
Compact Controllers Automate Window Blinds
http://hackaday.com/2016/05/24/compact-controllers-automate-window-blinds-on-the-cheap/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Week In Review: IoT
http://semiengineering.com/the-week-in-review-iot-26/
Last month’s distributed denial-of-service cyberattacks have put the spotlight on poorly secured or insecure Internet of Things devices. “The harsh reality is that cybersecurity is not even on the radar of many manufacturers,” said Trent Telford, CEO of Covata, an Internet security firm. “Security will eventually become more of a priority, but it may well be too late for this generation of IoT users.”
The Internet of Things is helping to reduce or eliminate corporate paperwork, while automating many functions, this analysis notes. “The advent of the Internet of Things is a catalyzing factor in the adoption of cybersecurity products,”
Greenfield development of IoT devices means starting from scratch – a process that many IoT developers embrace. More challenging, yet potentially more rewarding, is brownfield development of IoT devices, this analysis asserts. “To achieve success in brownfield development, IoT companies will need to provide an easy, reliable solution that doesn’t intrude upon the design of the product,”
Cybersecurity experts want government regulators to address security issues with IoT devices, a subject that may not gain as much traction with the incoming administration. “The problems are not problems that markets can solve,” says Bruce Schneier, a security specialist affiliated with Harvard University. He likens DDoS attacks to air pollution – an issue that manufacturers were unwilling to tackle until government regulation forced their hand.
NXP Semiconductors this week introduced its Modular IoT Gateway Solution for large node networks, supporting multiple wireless communications protocols, such as Thread, Wi-Fi, and ZigBee. The gateway is based on an open-source Linux platform operating on NXP’s i.MX processors. The Modular IoT Gateway implements a number of security measures, according to the chipmaker.
Cypress Semiconductor brought out the Wireless Internet Connectivity for Embedded Devices (WICED) Studio 4 platform, building on a product it acquired earlier this year from Broadcom. “Many IoT applications are trending toward combo solutions that enable Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and alternative connectivity protocols, and every IoT developer is looking for a simple migration path to connectivity upgrades,”
Monument, Colo.-based yphi has introduced the fortiphi mobile and network management application to safeguard Internet of Things networks in homes and small businesses. The software runs on Android and iOS mobile devices, and also operates on routers with open-source firmware. “With all the recent hacks of consumer and corporate networks through IoT devices (i.e. thermostats, cameras, and other popular Wi-Fi enabled products), the market is pleading for a simple, affordable and effective way to connect, control, and protect the IoT world,” yphi CEO Chris Lundwall said in a statement. “The growth of IoT devices promised simplicity, but it’s delivered confusion and huge risk.”
The LARA-R3121 module was introduced by u-blox. It incorporates a single-mode LTE Category 1 modem and a Global Navigation Satellite System positioning engine for Internet of Things and machine-to-machine devices
Sigfox worked with ecosystem partners to offer IoT communication modules priced between $2 and $3, soon to be available around the world. Wisol is sampling modules built around an ON Semiconductor system-on-a-chip device, while InnoCom will be making modules with NXP transceivers, with sampling set for January.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Internet of Things Report
http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/research-store?IR=T&utm_source=businessinsider&utm_medium=content_marketing&utm_term=content_marketing_store_text_link_heres-what-a-trump-presidency-means-for-the-internet-of-things-2016-11&utm_content=report_store_content_marketing_text_link&utm_campaign=content_marketing_store_link&vertical=iot#!/The-Internet-of-Things-Report/p/46301489/category=11987294
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.
For more than two years, BI Intelligence has closely tracked the growth of the IoT.
Here are some key points from the report:
In total, we project there will be 34 billion devices connected to the internet by 2020, up from 10 billion in 2015. IoT devices will account for 24 billion, while traditional computing devices (e.g. smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, etc.) will comprise 10 billion.
Nearly $6 trillion will be spent on IoT solutions over the next five years.
Businesses will be the top adopter of IoT solutions. They see three ways the IoT can improve their bottom line by 1) lowering operating costs; 2) increasing productivity; and 3) expanding to new markets or developing new product offerings.
Governments are focused on increasing productivity, decreasing costs, and improving their citizens’ quality of life. We believe they will be the second-largest adopters of IoT ecosystems.
Consumers will lag behind businesses and governments in IoT adoption. Still, they will purchase a massive number of devices and invest a significant amount of money in IoT ecosystems.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Week In Review: Design
http://semiengineering.com/the-week-in-review-design-61/
Synopsys added to its software integrity and security business with the acquisition of services company Cigital and its 2015 spinout focused on tools, Codiscope. Cigital specializes in professional and managed services for identifying, remediating and preventing vulnerabilities in software applications. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
IoT
The Thread Group released its initial hardware reference test bed and test harness and opened its test lab to members. Test bed participants ARM, NXP and Silicon Labs released the first conforming stacks that have successfully passed testing based on the Thread 1.1 technical specification.
Thread Group Opens Testing to Members as ARM, NXP and Silicon Labs Bring First Conforming Stacks to Market
https://www.threadgroup.org/news-events/press-releases/ID/135/Thread-Group-Opens-Testing-to-Members-as-ARM-NXP-and-Silicon-Labs-Bring-First-Conforming-Stacks-to-Market
Availability of Reference Test Bed, Harness and Lab Marks Final Milestone Towards Thread Product Certification for Thread 1.1 Technical Specification
SAN RAMON, Calif. – Nov. 9, 2016 – In its effort to drive adoption of the Thread networking protocol in the connected home and beyond, the Thread Group today announced the release of its initial hardware reference test bed and test harness, as well as the opening of its test lab to members. Further, the Thread Group also announced that the test bed participants ARM, NXP and Silicon Labs have released the first conforming stacks that have successfully passed testing based on the Thread 1.1 technical specification. This announcement opens the door for member companies to utilize the Thread test resources – test bed, test harness and UL’s lab – to test products for conformance based on the 1.1 specification.
“The arrival of this milestone generates a new wave of momentum for Thread. We’re very excited to see the first Thread 1.1-conforming stacks come to market, and for our member companies to move their Thread-enabled products towards commercial availability,” said Grant Erickson, president of the Thread Group.
The Thread Group has a number of leading silicon providers in its membership, and with the addition of the test resources, the group expects to see additional conforming stacks come to market in the coming months. The Thread Group is now working with UL Labs to perform interoperability testing with the conformant stacks from ARM, NXP, and Silicon Labs. Upon the successful completion of interoperability tests, Thread will designate these stacks as “Thread certified.” The Thread Group expects to meet this milestone in late 2016.
About Thread
Designed for devices and things in the places where people live and work, Thread is an IPv6 networking protocol built on open standards for low-power 802.15.4 mesh networks that can easily and securely connect hundreds of devices to each other and directly to the cloud. The non-profit Thread Group is focused on making Thread the foundation for the Internet of Things in the home and beyond, educating product developers, builders and consumers on the unique features and benefits of Thread and ensuring a positive experience through rigorous, meaningful product certification. Thread is backed by industry-leading companies including ARM, Big Ass Solutions, Nest Labs, NXP, OSRAM, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, Schneider Electric, Silicon Labs, Somfy, Tyco and Yale Security.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Better Tornado Warnings with Polygons and Pi
http://hackaday.com/2016/11/11/better-tornado-warnings-with-polygons-and-pi/
Everyone pays close attention to the weather, but for those who live where tornadoes are prevalent, watching the sky can be a matter of life and death. When the difference between making it to a shelter or getting caught in the open can be a matter of seconds, it might make sense to build an internet enabled Raspberry Pi weather alert system.
[Jim]’s build seeks to improve SAME by integrating National Weather Service polygon warnings, which define an area likely to see a severe weather event as a collection of geographic vertices rather than a political unit. He’s using a Raspberry Pi NOAA weather radio receiver with SAME decoding, and while details are sparse and the project is ongoing, the idea seems to be to use the Pi to scrape the NWS site for polygon data once a county-level warning is issued.
Build your own Raspberry Pi tornado warning system
Learn how to make a weather radio with a Raspberry Pi.
https://opensource.com/life/16/10/build-your-own-raspberry-pi-tornado-warning-system
Tomi Engdahl says:
Groups collaborate on sensor-to-cloud interoperability
http://www.plantengineering.com/single-article/groups-collaborate-on-sensor-to-cloud-interoperability/c7831aaf6c218cac564ad70bf78cb573.html
Cover Story: The FDT Group and OPC Foundation have collaborated on off-the-shelf interoperability designed to help plants, factories, and other industrial facilities gain access to enterprise-wide, sensor-to-cloud interoperability and enhanced lifecycle management throughout the industrial sector. See what standards apply, and how they’re helping.
Since 2011, the FDT Group and OPC Foundation have collaborated on an off-the-shelf interoperability designed to help plants, factories, and other industrial facilities gain a higher return on their use of open standards. The collaborative effort is trying to open the door to enterprisewide, sensor-to-cloud interoperability and enhanced lifecycle management throughout the industrial sector
The FDT standard was introduced in 1998 and incorporated in the IEC 62453, ISA103, and China GB/T 29618 standards. It is designed to provide an open, vendor-neutral communication and configuration interface between field devices and host systems.
The standard consists of two main software components: a frame application (FDT/Frame), which renders a graphical user interface (GUI), and a device type manager (DTM) that functions as a device driver to give manufacturers control of the attributes displayed for a given device. The frame application can be embedded in a programmable logic controller (PLC) programming tool, a distributed control system (DCS), an asset management system, or as a standalone configuration tool. FDT 2.0, the latest update, is designed to support modern operating environments and uses the Microsoft .NET technology platform.
The OPC standard, introduced in 1996, is designed to allow secure and reliable data exchanges across manufacturing and other enterprises. The OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) is a platform-independent, service-oriented architecture that integrates the original OPC specification functionalities into one framework.
The FDT standard is designed to be the hub of critical information, while the OPC UA standard provides the infrastructure to make this information available to other applications and platforms. Together, the standards allow sensor, network, and topology information to permeate enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, the cloud, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and Industrie 4.0.
The FDT standard incorporates a plant hierarchy based on physical network topology coupled with a logical topology. The network protocols in the industry allow a frame application system to talk with any device. This includes the ability to transparently tunnel through disparate network to access the end device. The frame application also receives operational lifecycle access to commissioning, diagnostic, prognostic, and other high-level data. To make these data sources available to the OPC UA architecture, the data has been mapped to the OPC UA data model, and the FDT/Frame-enabled system is configured as an OPC UA server
Any off-the-shelf OPC UA client with the right security privileges can access the server embedded in the frame application.
A maintenance technician with a mobile app deployed on an Android- or iOS-based device can take that mobile device onto the plant floor and gain access to critical device information to keep the application running or quickly bring it back online.
The annex provides sensor-to-cloud, enterprisewide data communication for industrial end users looking to take advantage of the IIoT and Industrie 4.0. FDT is looking to go a step further and establish an IIoT solution that supports mobility, on-the-wire security, and interoperability while being platform-independent and deployable in standalone client/server or cloud architectures.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Implementing cloud connectivity for IoT and Industrie 4.0
http://www.plantengineering.com/single-article/implementing-cloud-connectivity-for-iot-and-industrie-40/3237ef1117216d38128abd8d7e6ea22b.html
As information technology and automation technology continue to converge, cloud-based communication and data services are increasingly used in industrial automation projects. Compatible I/O components compatible with Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) enable easy-to-configure and seamless integration into public and private cloud applications.
When implementing IoT projects, it is critical to examine the corporate business objectives first and establish the benefits that will be gained from these projects.
In the manufacturing sector in particular, there is an interest in reducing in-house production costs, through efficient and reliable production control and also by reducing the number of rejects that are produced.
Specifically, predictive maintenance and fault diagnostics offer the machine manufacturer a solid basis to establish services that can be offered to end customers as an additional revenue stream.
Collecting and analyzing process data
The process data that is used during production provides a foundation for creating added value and for achieving business objectives. This includes the machine values that are recorded by a sensor and transmitted via a fieldbus to the PLC. This data can be analyzed directly on the controller for monitoring the status of a system using condition monitoring libraries integrated into leading automation software platforms
he collected data from multiple or even all controllers in a production system or a specific machine type is often needed to perform sufficient data analysis to properly analyze the overall system. A corresponding information technology (IT) infrastructure is required for this purpose.
Cloud-based communications
Cloud-based communication and data services now avoid prior issues by providing the user with an abstract view of the underlying hardware and software systems.
Public cloud service providers provide users with a range of services from their own data centers. This starts with virtual machines, where the actual user has control of the operating system and the applications installed on it, and stretches to abstracted communication and data services, which can be integrated by the user in an application. These can include access to machine learning algorithms, which can make predictions and perform classifications regarding specific data on the basis of certain machine and production information. The algorithms obtain the necessary contents with the aid of the communication services.
Such communication services are usually based on communication protocols, which in turn are based on the publish/subscribe principle. This offers advantages from the resulting decoupling of all applications that communicate with one another. On one hand, any time-consuming disclosure of address information is reduced. All applications communicate through the central cloud service. On the other hand, data communication with a cloud service, via the message broker involves an outgoing communication connection from the perspective of the terminal device—regardless of whether data is sent (publish) or received (subscribe). The advantages for configuring the IT infrastructure are that no incoming communication connections have to be configured, for example in firewalls or other network terminals.
This significantly reduces IT infrastructure set-up time and maintenance costs. Transport protocols used for data communication are lean and standardized, such as message queuing telemetry transport (MQTT) and advanced message queuing protocol (AMQP).
In addition, various security mechanisms also can be anchored here; for example, encryption of data communication and authentication with respect to the message broker. The standardized communication protocol, OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA), has likewise recognized the added value of a publish/subscribe-based communication scenario and taken the steps to integrate this communication principle in the specification. This means that an additional standard besides MQTT and AMQP is consequently available as a transport mechanism to the cloud.
Publish/subscribe mechanisms can also be used in a private cloud for companies or machine networks. For MQTT and AMQP, the infrastructure that is required can be installed and made available easily on any PC in the form of a message broker.
Many public cloud providers offer various analytics and machine learning services that can be used for further examination of process data. These platforms provide relevant mechanisms for data analysis and the ability to record all machine processes.
Depending on requirements, this data can either be stored for evaluation locally on the machine processor or within a public or private cloud.
Industrie 4.0 and IoT are key concepts within the industry.
The Internet of Things (IoT) products within the TwinCAT 3 automation software platform offer varied functionalities for exchanging process data by standardized publish/subscribe-based communication protocols and for accessing special data and communication services of public cloud service providers. Corresponding services can be hosted in public cloud systems, such as Microsoft Azure™ or Amazon Web Services but can be used just as effectively in private cloud systems.
The process data can also continue to be exported here using the standardized communication protocol, OPC unified architecture (UA), with the result that data can likewise be sent from non-Beckhoff systems. A smartphone app is available that enables mobile display of a machine’s alarm and status messages.
If input/output (I/O) signals are to be forwarded directly without a control program, then Beckhoff’s newly announced EK9160 IoT bus coupler allows I/O data to be parameterized via an easy-to-configure Website on the device to send to a cloud service.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Internet of Things control system optimizes plants and factories
http://www.plantengineering.com/single-article/internet-of-things-control-system-optimizes-plants-and-factories/559b6d5adb26b2fbd390f81722dd7174.html
Technology Update: The Industrial Internet Control System (IICS) from GE Automation and Controls can enable a 7% increase in performance, 22% increase in productivity, and 40% decrease in maintenance costs, GE said. Here’s how this helps Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).
Hydracheck
The company said its GE 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.”
The IICS gives equipment and factories the brains of cloud computing to optimize the manufacturing process. Among capabilities is the ability to run simulations against a digital twin based on analytics sourced from the cloud. The new control system then implements changes the user wants to make.
Q: How has the introduction been received?
Walsh: Feedback has been good. We’re not having to spend a whole lot of time describing the value proposition
Carpenter: It’s rare that anyone can deliver the product at the right time in the sweet spot for the market. Just a couple years ago, there was some skepticism about connecting the Internet to the control system. Now we’re almost at a point where we cannot imagine not having information above, below, and elsewhere, as part of industrial processes. A lot of thought has been given to security with a lot of feedback. This is fundamental to a digital strategy.
Q: How are customers using IIoT tools?
Carpenter: IIoT is enabling better asset performance management, with connectivity out-of-the-box, to help eliminate unplanned downtime. Predictive maintenance has been around a long time with GE software and services like SmartSignal. This makes it more real.
Walsh: One of biggest advantages we offer is that GE is one of largest equipment manufacturers on the planet, covering wind, power, transportation, oil and gas, and we know how to deliver solutions that drive meaningful outcomes. We’ve already proven the robustness of the proposition and the platform.
Q: Since security is a concern, as mentioned, could you address that?
Carpenter: Most control systems try to use an air gap, but IICS has complete defense-in-depth with 23 points of security, so any threat doesn’t spread to other areas. Also, in communication with the cloud, if an application or firmware is different than expected, the system won’t allow it to run. The next level of communication is build into the communications stack; it’s ready for IEEE Time Sensitive Networks (TSN). Multi-stack controllers allow seamless upgrades when needed from a central location.
Q: Others talk about IIoT and cloud capabilities. Why should some choose the GE platform?
Walsh: Predix is the preeminent industrial cloud built by a digital industrial company. We’ve tested it in our own facilities. It’s built for industrial applications that are very robust. The intent of Predix is not a proprietary cloud.
Tomi Engdahl says:
2016 Industrial Internet of Things, Industrie 4.0 Study
http://www.plantengineering.com/single-article/2016-industrial-internet-of-things-industrie-40-study/f090356577fefa65c7adc4cdbce16410.html
Awareness: Familiarity with the IIoT framework and the Industrie 4.0 platform has significantly increased since 2015; 79% of respondents are very/somewhat familiar with IIoT, compared to 60% last year, and 53% are very/somewhat familiar with Industrie 4.0, compared to 33% previously
Existing initiatives: Four in 10 respondents have found IIoT and/or Industrie 4.0 to be helpful with existing initiatives at their facilities; 11% report no effect; 4% harmful.
Budget: The majority of respondents and/or their clients are investing more in advanced technologies to support IIoT, Industrie 4.0, and/or digital manufacturing initiatives. In fact, an average of $213,672 is the estimated annual budget for this investment at respondents’ companies.
Attributes: The most useful attributes of the IIoT framework, according to 80% of respondents, are the security features and interoperability/open standards connecting people, processes, and data.
Expected benefits: Four in 10 respondents expect IIoT and Industrie 4.0 to improve connections between people, data, and machines; increase information flow and innovation; and improve data analysis, decisions, and data gathering capabilities.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A convenient connection to your mobile platform
Farnell Moto Modsit is intended as part of the new Motorola Moto Z -älypuhelinta. It is attached with a magnet in back of the phone. It provides an electronic link to the phone, where developers access to the phone’s power and data paths.
A new kind of development platform allows the system allows anyone to create intelligent control solutions. Moto Mods Development Kit contains everything you need to engage the applier Moto Z smartphone. There’s a perforated card that can be soldered components.
Farnell element14 also provides Motorola HAT Adapter Reference Card to expand Moto Modin also Raspberry Pi-small card HAT scopes and Motorola Personality cards. There is also a freely accessible electronic and mechanical solutions charts, Moto Mods hardware and software for Android Apps suite as examples.
Source: http://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2016/11/15/kateva-kytkentaalusta-kannykkaan/
More: https://www.element14.com/community/groups/moto-mods
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:
Verizon expands its IoT strategy into “smart cities” by buying LQD WiFi, a maker of interactive hubs offering WiFi and locally-relevant info in public places
Verizon buys LQD WiFi to expand its IoT strategy into “smart cities”
https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/14/verizon-buys-lqd-wifi-to-expand-its-iot-strategy-into-smart-cities/
Verizon today has made another acquisition to build out its IoT business: the carrier has purchased LQD WiFi, a developer of outdoor interactive displays that provide WiFi connectivity along with news, emergency alerts and community information. They also act as sensors collecting crowd, weather and other data.
LQD’s main service is called Palo, a kiosk-style structure that serves both as a WiFi station as well as a place for people to interact with information on the Palo itself. In this regard, it competes against the likes of Link NYC
This is the fourth acquisition this year made by Verizon to build up its Internet of Things business, which is a complement to Verizon’s other acquisition strategy based around consumer-focused media companies (among those, it’s in the process of buying Yahoo and last year acquired AOL, which owns TechCrunch).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Put an Honest Face On Alexa With This HAL 9000 Build
http://hackaday.com/2016/11/15/put-an-honest-face-on-alexa-with-this-hal-9000-build/
Amazon put out a version of Alexa’s software that could run on Raspberry Pi. Adafruit sold a big scary red button. For, [Keith Elliott] the project ahead was an obvious conclusion.
The Raspberry Pi version of Alexa’s software was lagging behind the release version. You had to press a button to input a command, which really steals a lot of the joy out of a creepy voice controlled robot listening to you putz around the house. Now, it can wake on command.
HAL 9000 Replica
https://keithwelliott.com/projects/hal-9000-replica/
A HAL 9000 replica has been on my “to make” list since Adafruit started stocking their massive, red arcade button. They even created a tutorial for building a HAL replica! When the Alexa developers added support for a wake word last month, I knew I had to build it. Rather than simply playing sound effects with the Pi, I wanted to include Amazon’s new Alexa sample that allows to run the Amazon Echo software on the Raspberry Pi 3. Always a fan I tempting fate, I thought the HAL replica would be the perfect container for a voice assistant that has access to all of my smart home appliances. What could go wrong?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Plug and play mesh IoT sensor system unveiled
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/eye-on-iot-/4442996/Plug-and-play-mesh-IoT-sensor-system-unveiled?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20161115&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20161115&elqTrackId=03cd909e59ad44d99cee7fa4b8a68b6a&elq=89e210db955b47238bdc1daebffbc7bf&elqaid=34796&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=30364
Systems integrators seeking a quick way to enter the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) market were given a new option at Electronica this week. Vicotee AS, part of the Virinco Group of Norway, released at the show a plug-and-play IoT sensor system based on the Smartmesh IP from Linear Technology. The Vicotee system includes Njord sensor modules, the Bifrost gateway, and cloud services for collecting data and managing devices, and operates out of the box collecting temperature, ambient light, humidity, and accelerometer data. The system may well help ease industry’s path to the IIoT.
The SmartMesh IP technology from Linear is based on the 6LowPAN and IEEE 802.15.4e standards, and forms a self-healing, multi-hop mesh network. Each unit, or mote, is able to collect and relay data under the control of a network manager, which also serves as the network’s interface to cloud services. Motes can both send and receive data, allowing over the air software updates, while the network manager monitors and manages network performance and security.
The Njord sensor modules use the SmartMesh wireless systems and add the sensor interfaces.
SmartMesh IP
http://www.linear.com/products/smartmesh_ip
SmartMesh IP products are wireless chips and pre-certified PCB modules complete with ready-to-deploy wireless mesh networking software. They are built for IP compatibility, and based on the 6LoWPAN and 802.15.4e standards. The SmartMesh IP product line enables low power consumption and >99.999% data reliability even in harsh, dynamically changing RF environments.
A SmartMesh IP network consists of a highly scalable self-forming multi-hop mesh of wireless nodes, known as motes, which collect and relay data, and a network manager that monitors and manages network performance and security, and exchanges data with a host application.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Waiting For A Letter? This IoT Mailbox Will Tell You Exactly When It Arrives.
http://hackaday.com/2016/11/15/waiting-for-a-letter-this-iot-mailbox-will-tell-you-exactly-when-it-arrives/
If you’re waiting for a much sought-after letter, checking your mailbox every five minutes can be a roller-coaster of emotion — not to mention time-consuming. If you fall into this trap, Hackaday.io user [CuriosityGym] as whipped up a mailbox that will send off an email once the snail-mail arrives.
The project uses an Arduino Uno, an ESP 8266 wifi module, and an idIoTware shield board — making specific use of its RGB LED and light dependent resistor(LDR).
Smart IoT Postbox with the idIoTware Shield
https://hackaday.io/project/17966-smart-iot-postbox-with-the-idiotware-shield
Smart IoT postbox will keep you informed about new envelopes dropped inside a postbox by the mailman.
In this project, I am going to demonstrate how to build your own IoT aware Postbox with the help of the idIoTware shield in a few easy steps. This postbox alerts you about new envelopes dropped inside a postbox by the mailman.
The LDR ( Light Dependent Resistor) on IdIoTWare shield is used as sensor to detect a letter being dropped into the letterbox. The on board WS2812 Led (addressable RGB LED) on IdIoTWare shield is continuously ON (WHITE Color) which acts as a light source, and reflects light onto the LDR. As soon as a letter is dropped into the postbox, there is an interruption in light – the light intensity on LDR changes due to reflection. The Arduino continuously monitors the change in the value of the LDR and when it notices a change in value, it sends an email. Here we are using IFTTT to send a pre configured email.
Tomi Engdahl says:
VoCore2: $4 Coin-sized Linux Computer with WiFi
Coin-sized Linux computer & smart router, target to make wireless life easier, fully open source.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/vocore2-4-coin-sized-linux-computer-with-wifi#/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Miniaturizing IoT Designs
http://www.techonline.com/electrical-engineers/education-training/tech-papers/4442968/Miniaturizing-IoT-Designs=NL_TOL_Edit_Subs_20161116_TechnicalPaper
Make it small, make it fast, make it first. As we wirelessly connect more and more devices to the Internet, electronics engineers face several challenges, including packaging a radio transmitter into existing device real estate and the demand to build increasingly smaller devices.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Red Lion Industrial Cellular RTUs Now NEMA TS2 Compliant
Support Intelligent Traffic Systems with 4G LTE Multi-Carrier Capabilities and Control to the Edge
Red Lion Controls, the global experts in communication, monitoring and control for industrial automation and networking, today announced its multi-carrier 4G LTE Sixnet® series RAM® 6000 and 9000 industrial cellular RTUs have earned NEMA TS2 section 2 compliance, which validates industrial equipment for use in Intelligent Traffic Systems (ITS) applications.
ITS applications often include remotely located overhead message boards, road condition and speed zone signs, traffic lights, intersection monitors and collision avoidance systems that require around-the-clock, low-latency network access.
Red Lion’s industrial cellular RTUs are ready-to-deploy remote monitoring and control devices that enable customers to reliably connect, monitor and control equipment in industrial environments from nearly any location.
Product Spotlight: RAM® Industrial Cellular RTUs
http://www.redlion.net/product-spotlight-ram-industrial-cellular-rtus