Here are some IoT trends for year 2019 to watch:
More device: There are four times as many devices connected to the Internet as there are people in the world, and the number of devices is increasing rapidly. There are computers, smart phones and many different kind of connected devices. Gartner forecasts that 14.2 billion connected things will be in use in 2019, and that the total will reach 25 billion by 2021,
Voice: The integration of voice into IoT devices creates an user experience that many consumers seem to enjoy. The next few years will see voice automation take over many aspects of our lives. The current major players in the IoT voice world are Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Google Assistant. Microsoft’s Cortana seems to have already lost in the game as Satya Nadella says Cortana won’t challenge Alexa and Google Assistant directly; Microsoft will focus on making it a skill on other voice platforms instead. Voice won’t change everything but it will be one part of a movement that heralds a new way to think about our relationship with devices and data. Consider voice as a type of user interface to be added to the existing list of UI technologies. Voice will not kill brands, it won’t hurt keyboard sales or touchscreen devices — it will become an additional way to do stuff; it is incremental. We need to learn to design around it.Deloitte expects the sales of 164 million smart speakers at an average price of $43 in 2019. The smart speaker market will be worth more than $7 billion next year, increasing 63% from 2018’s $4.3 billion.
Automobiles: Automobiles are leading the way in IoT adoption. Gartner predicts that one in five cars will be connected by 2020. Both Google and Apple have tools that allow drivers to control calls, listen to messages and control apps using voice.
IoT clouds: Developing for the Internet of Things is a complex endeavor, and nobody wants to do it from scratch. IoT data platforms offer a jumping-off point by combining many of the tools needed to manage a deployment from device management to data prediction and insights into one service. There are many IoT cloud platforms to choose from. All cloud platforms have their own distinctive areas of pros and cons. Ultimately the project needs and cost-effectiveness determine whom to choose. Utilizing cloud services also brings new potential risks that are good to understand already at the beginning of the project. I wrote on article to Uusiteknologia.fi magazine issue 2/2018 on IoT cloud platforms.
Digital Twins: Digital twin tech, or a virtual representation of a product, is a critical concept in IoT that’s still being sorted out. Digital twin refers to a digital replica of physical assets (physical twin), processes, people, places, systems and devices that can be used for various purposes. Definitions of digital twin technology emphasize two important characteristics: connection from the physical model to the corresponding virtual model and this connection is established by generating real time data using sensors. Physical objects and twin models interact. Digital twins applications typically integrate internet of things, artificial intelligence, machine learning and software analytics with spatial network graphs to create living digital simulation models that update and change as their physical counterparts change. In various industrial sectors, twins are being used to optimize the operation and maintenance of physical assets, systems and manufacturing processes.
Edge computing: The shift from centralized and cloud to edge architectures is well under way in the IoT space. In the future, computing the edge of the network will become an increasingly important way of processing data from networked devices and sensor networks. Compared to traditional centralized cloud computing, the new edge computing brings computing servers closer to the edge of the communications network. Compared to cloud centered IoT solutions, edge computing allow for lower delays and more reliable operation with respect to cloud services. At the same time, it promises improved security as not all potentially sensitive information needs to be transferred from the site to cloud. However, this is not the end point because the neat set of layers associated with edge architecture will evolve to a more unstructured architecture comprising of a wide range of “things” and services connected in a dynamic mesh. In thins kind of system data processing can be done on almost all network devices from IoT modules to gateways and in the future to 5G base stations. Relevant standardizing organizations on this field are Edge Computing Consortium Europe, OpenFog Consortium and Industrial Internet Consortium.
5G: 5G networks start to arrive. The standards for 5G will be defined in large part by the direct integration of Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial IoT (IIoT) devices into global networks and devices. 5G networks are expected to be 10 to 100 times faster than current LTE technology. If you are in need for very high speed, your application resides inside the small 5G test networks coverage areas and your IoT device is allowed to consume considerable amount of power (more than 4G solutions), then you might be able to consider 5G. For all other cases I don’t see 5G would offer much for IoT applications in 2019. There is not yet ready 5G standards specifically designed for IoT applications. So for 2019 IoT and IIoT will need to be pretty much stick to 4G technologies like NB-IoT and LTE-M. For 5G to shape industrial computing application in larger scale than just some small tests we will have to wait till 2020. Addressing the issues behind Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices and 5G is important in next few years. Qualcomm, the largest supplier of modem chips used in smartphones, has introduced the X50 modem to give IIoT devices the ability to communicate over 5G networks. Beware of “fake 5G” marketing in 2019. The promise is that 5G will enable the future enterprise technologies everyone is predicting and waiting for: fleets of self-driving delivery trucks, virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR), and a world of enterprise Internet of Things (IoT) deployments — systems that will define an era that the World Economic Forum termed the “Fourth Industrial Revolution.” Those promises will take years to realize, you will not see most of them in real use in 2019.
AI: Number one in Gartner’s predictions, no surprise, is artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence and machine learning will be talked a lot with bold claims that AI goes from expert-only to everywhere. I would not expect it to be everywhere in 2019. Gartner, said in a statement, “AI will be applied to a wide range of IoT information, including video, still images, speech, network traffic activity, and sensor data.” At the moment many neural network systems are power hungry when implemented with traditional computer hardware. “For example, the performance of deep neural networks (DNNs) is often limited by memory bandwidth, rather than processing power.” By 2023, it’s expected that new special-purpose chips will reduce the power consumption required to run a DNN, enabling new edge architectures and embedded DNN functions in low-power IoT endpoints.
IIoT: The concept of a Smart Factory is composed of many different physical and informational subsystems, such as actuators and sensors, control systems, product management systems and manufacturing systems that all work together. This is a very complex system. It is critical to understand differing operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) priorities to achieve collaboration and integration. Without this, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and control projects will fail. Also finding the right Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) vendor partner is crucial to success. OPC Foundation has on initiative to extend OPC UA out to field devices to provide vendor-neutral, end-to-end interoperability beyond the plant. Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) network works well for OPC UA applications.
Value chain: IoT as an umbrella term will diminish. There are strong views that “Internet of things is not valuable in and of itself” so the conversation is going to shift away from an ambiguous buzzword to the actual use of technology. For product designers this means that when we design our connected world, we need to pull ourselves away from the cool technology that we are building and look at the system through our customers’ eyes. The sales pitch will be more like “It’s about the use cases, it’s about the solutions, it’s about the applications, managing and monitoring assets, performance management solutions, different kinds of solutions coming together to solve a problem—that’s really what the value proposition is.”
IoT platforms: IoT vendors will compete to be the destination for IoT platforms. The IoT supply chain has been moving toward more collaboration to provide development and design kits designed for specific use cases and industries. IoT development kits are sold more and more with bundled IoT could service offer. IoT cloud service providers offer and recommend hardware that is tested to work well with their platforms. IoT platform vendors will be narrowing their scope in 2019, honing in on specific use cases. Business professionals aren’t looking for one industrial IoT platform to manage every process going on at their company, they are instead looking for platforms that specialize in specific tasks.
New development kits: A new breed of development kits is incorporating the three tenets of IoT design — ease of use, security, and business value. The promise is that the design engineers don’t need to have specialized expertise in several areas like networking protocols or security-related tasks, enabling a much faster development time. One way to simplifying design work is by intelligently reusing the fundamental building blocks.
Security: Wireless IoT devices are considered a major threat to the security of industrial networks. A growing number of embedded systems are open to security threats as a result of increasing connectivity and IoT device adoption. And it’s costing OEMs a lot in terms of money and reputation. A 2018 Gartner Inc. survey found that nearly 20% of organizations surveyed experienced at least one IoT-based attack in the past three years. IoT security is already a 1.5 billion dollar market. The market research firm Garnet expects that global spending on IoT security will rise to $3.1 billion in 2021, up from $1.5 billion in 2018. It is not about the spending on IoT security products. Already “a significant portion of OEMs’ existing in-house labor cost is already dedicated to addressing security” and is rising faster than development costs. VDC pegs the worldwide embedded engineering labor spend related to security at $11.6 billion in 2017, representing nearly 8% of the overall cost of embedded engineering labor. There will be different kind of certification marks for IoT product cyber security – some mandated with laws on some countries and some voluntary. 5G is going to increase security risks. Do we understand the 5G security threats to come? Most probably not because we don’t seem to understand well even that 5G really is.
eSIM: The embedded SIM card has been spoken for a long time, and even the first smartphones in which the SIM card has been implemented with an integrated circuit have already been introduced to the market. Infineon has presented the world’s first industrially qualified eSIM. Of course, eSIM shares opinions. Many operators do not like it.
Infonomics and Data Broking: Last year’s Gartner survey of IoT projects showed 35 percent of respondents were selling or planning to sell data collected by their products and services.“Data is the fuel that powers the IoT and the organization’s ability to derive meaning from it will define their long term success,” This brings us to Social, Legal and Ethical IoT because“ Successful deployment of an IoT solution demands that it’s not just technically effective but also socially acceptable,” It is possible tha tIoT Firms Face a ‘Tidal Wave’ of Lawsuits.
IoT Governance: As the IoT continues to expand, the need for a governance framework that ensures appropriate behavior in the creation, storage, use and deletion of information related to IoT projects will become increasingly important. We also need to manage IoT devices to keep them secure and make sure that they do what they are supposed to do. A market for IoT managed services will develop to help manage and operate fragmented IoT assets. “The idea of managing the ongoing end-to-end life cycle of a connected product is becoming more important, and ultimately this managed service opportunity is going to need momentum in the coming year,”
New Wireless Technologies: IoT networking involves balancing a set of competing requirements, such as endpoint cost, power consumption, bandwidth, latency, connection density, operating cost, quality of service, and range. No single networking technology optimizes all of these.
Trusted Hardware and Operating System: Gartner surveys invariably show that security is the most significant area of technical concern for organizations deploying IoT systems. Today organizations often don’t have control over the source and nature of the software and hardware being utilised in IoT initiatives. “However, by 2023, we expect to see the deployment of hardware and software combinations that together create more trustworthy and secure IoT systems.
Home automation: Arm predicts that the intelligent home goes mainstream. In survey results they published two-thirds of respondents said technology became “more a part of my life” during 2018. Cisco Systems is saying connected homes will be a big driver for the Internet of Things. “Connected home applications, such as home automation, home security and video surveillance, connected white goods, and tracking applications, will represent 48%, or nearly half, of the total M2M connections by 2022, showing the pervasiveness of M2M in our lives,” Cisco states in its new white paper, Visual Networking Index: Forecast and Trends, 2017-2022. The market is starting slowly. Bundled IoT services will try to motivate a slow consumer market.
Smart cities: Cities are becoming smarter and smarter in an effort to improve efficiency in operations. Smart cities bring in both benefits and risks. Between smart lighting, traffic controls, and public transportation, smart cities are bringing in a whole new family of threat vectors. Cybercriminals will target smart cities with ransomware attacks. Smart cities need to take precautions.
Silicon Chip Innovation: “Currently, most IoT endpoint devices use conventional processor chips, with low-power ARM architectures being particularly popular. However, traditional instruction sets and memory architectures aren’t well-suited to all the tasks that endpoints need to perform,” New special-purpose chips will reduce the power consumption required to run a DNN. Very low power circuit designs are important in many applications. Battery-powered designs require complex optimizations for power in the context of area, performance and functionality. Devices that work without battery and gather operating power from environment are maybe even more challenging. Clearly, sensors are a big part of any connected device, and there is a lot of innovation occurring in this market that delivers new features — think AI — all housed in smaller packaging.
Open source: 2019 Will Be the Year of Open Source in IoT and embedded systems applications. From software and even hardware, we saw more activity in open source than ever before in 2018. And the momentum isn’t likely to slow down in 2019. Arduino is pushing strongly to IoT markets with MKR1000 series of IoT boards. Raspberry Pi is very widely used in IoT systems, especially on prototyping and small scale deployments
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Links to other articles for IoT trends for 2019:
Internet of Things in 2019: Five predictions
Kymmenen tulevaisuuden kuluttajatrendiä ja ilmiötä
Deloitte’s 9 tech predictions for 2019
New Chip Architectures, Sensors and Trust in Top 10 IoT Trends (Gartner presented its top 10 strategic IoT technology trends)
Week In Review: IoT, Security, Auto (predictions from Arm, Deloitte and Juniper Research)
Predictions 2019: The Internet Of Things
Gartner Identifies Top 10 Strategic IoT Technologies and Trends
1,282 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kaikki IoT-radiot samalta toimittajalta
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/13891-kaikki-iot-radiot-samalta-toimittajalta
Kaikki IoT-radiot samalta toimittajalta
Julkaistu: 18.08.2022
Devices Embedded Business
Norjalainen Nordic Semiconductor tunnetaan erityisesti teollisuuden langattomien IoT-piirien toimittajana. Yhtiön mobiiliverkon tuotteet suunnitellaan Oulussa käytännössä entisten nokialaisten toimesta. Nyt Nordic on laajentanut wifi-piireihin.
Wifi-laajennuksen myötä Nordicin langattomat piirit kattavat Bluetoothin, mobiiliverkkojen IoT-variantit sekä langattomat lähiverkot. Yhtiö korostaa myös, että sen IoT-piirit tukevat kaikkia Matter-yhteyksissä käytettyjä langattomia tekniikoita.
Tomi Engdahl says:
BW16 Stamp – Tiny 5GHz WiFi MCU
Super compact functional 5G Hz WiFi MCU in stamp size with power circuit, work out of the box
https://hackaday.io/project/183644-bw16-stamp-tiny-5ghz-wifi-mcu
Tomi Engdahl says:
Global IoT Trends Report – 2022
https://uk.farnell.com/global-iot-trends-2022
The annual survey of the State of IoT conducted by Farnell showed some interesting results in 2022. Companies are engaging in IoT development because they see opportunities to grow their business and establish leadership in their industries, but can’t do it alone. The research showed a growing trend towards working with partners to develop solutions, and a demand for standardisation and interoperability, rather than companies working on their own to develop closed systems.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nordic Semiconductor announces its first Wi-Fi chip, the dual-band Wi-Fi 6 nRF7002
https://www.nordicsemi.com/News/2022/08/Nordic-Semiconductor-announces-its-first-WiFi-chip
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.nordicsemi.com/News/2022/08/Nordic-Semiconductor-announces-its-first-WiFi-chip
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/72-ecf/13924-teollisuuden-laitteita-ohjataan-pian-aeaenellae
Tomi Engdahl says:
Construct a Smart Space with Energy-Harvesting Sensors
Aug. 29, 2022
Smart spaces: How energy sustainability can be achieved with energy-harvesting sensor technology.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/power-management/whitepaper/21249628/electronic-design-construct-a-smart-space-with-energyharvesting-sensors?utm_source=EG+ED+Analog+%26+Power+Source&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS220831047&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
What you’ll learn:
How battery-free wireless sensors enable sensors, switches, and other building automation components help minimize energy usage.
How battery-free wireless sensors use light, movement, and temperature differences as an energy source.
How “smart spaces” can optimize energy usage regarding occupancy while utilizing existing building automation and IT infrastructures.
Is Wireless Power as Safe as Other Consumer Technology?
July 25, 2022
Far-field wireless-power transmission is often believed to impose safety issues. People wrongly assume any tech development is dangerous without realizing that every device around them emits radiation already tested and approved by authoritative bodies.
https://www.mwrf.com/technologies/systems/article/21247349/wigl-is-wireless-power-as-safe-as-other-consumer-technology
Tomi Engdahl says:
Miljoonat IoT-anturit lähettävät dataa satelliitin kautta
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/13962-miljoonat-iot-anturit-laehettaevaet-dataa-satelliitin-kautta
Tutkimuslaitos Berg Insightin uuden raportin mukaan maailmanlaajuiset satelliitti IoT-viestintämarkkinat kasvavat hyvää tasaista vauhtia. COVID-19-pandemian vaikutuksista huolimatta maailmanlaajuinen satelliitti IoT-tilaajamäärä kasvoi yli 3,9 miljoonaan vuonna 2021. Vuonna 2026 määrän ennustetaan olevan jo 21,2 miljoonaa.
Vain noin 10 prosentilla maapallon pinnasta on pääsy maanpäällisiin verkkoihin, mikä jättää valtavan mahdollisuuden satelliittien IoT-viestintään. Satelliittiyhteys täydentää maanpäällisiä matkapuhelinverkkoja ja ei-solukkoverkkoja syrjäisissä paikoissa, ja se on erityisen hyödyllinen maataloudessa, logistiikan seurannassa, merikuljetuksissa, öljy- ja kaasuteollisuuden etsinnässä, laitoksissa, rakentamisessa ja hallinnossa.
Sekä vakiintuneet satelliittioperaattorit että yli kaksi tusinaa uutta yrittäjää yrittävät kaupata omia yhteyksiään IoT-datansiirtoon. Berg Insightin raportissa tällaisia operaattoreita oli 44.
Näistä suurimmat ovat tällä hetkellä Iridium, Orbcomm, Inmarsat ja Globalstar. Iridium kasvatti IoT-tilaajakuntaansa 21 prosenttia viime vuonna ja on nyt yhdistänyt 1,3 miljoonaa IoT-laitetta. Orbcomin verkossa oli viime vuonna 1,1 miljoonaa IoT-laitetta.
Vakiintuneiden satelliittioperaattoreiden lisäksi markkinoille on viime aikoina ilmestynyt useita uusia aloitteita. Esimerkkejä korkean profiilin projekteista ovat Astrocast, AST SpaceMobile, CASC/CASIC, E-Space, Fleet Space Technologies, Hubble Network, Kepler Communications, Kineis, Ligado Networks, Lynk, Myriota, Omnispace, Skylo, Swarm Technologies (SpaceX) ja Totum. Monet niistä perustuvat matalan kiertoradan nanosatelliittikonsepteihin.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Energy-harvesting microcontroller module comes complete with a reference design for a light-powered, battery-free TV remote.
Telink, Nowi Launch Highly-Integrated Energy-Harvesting Module for Smart, Sustainable Gadgets
https://www.hackster.io/news/telink-nowi-launch-highly-integrated-energy-harvesting-module-for-smart-sustainable-gadgets-ec663e65e0c1
Energy-harvesting microcontroller module comes complete with a reference design for a light-powered battery-free TV remote.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Teapot Laboratories’ BWLR1E Is an Energy-Efficient Open-Hardware Solar-Powered Environmental Monitor
Designed for air quality monitoring, this sensor includes energy harvesting and a neat 3D-printed magnetic chassis for quick deployment.
https://www.hackster.io/news/teapot-laboratories-bwlr1e-is-an-energy-efficient-open-hardware-solar-powered-environmental-monitor-32cd977883cb
Tomi Engdahl says:
Data connectors for all interfaces: For reliable IIoT communication
https://www.arrow.com/en/research-and-events/videos/data-connectors-for-all-interfaces-for-reliable-iiot-communication
The world is becoming increasingly networked – and that means more interfaces on devices. For this, Phoenix Contact provides data connectors from RJ45 to USB, HDMI, and D-SUB, up to coaxial and FO connections as well as for SPE. Excellent services around your device connection supplement the product range.
Tomi Engdahl says:
MIT Engineers Develop a Chip-Free Wireless E-Skin
The MIT team devised a new kind of wearable sensor that communicates wirelessly without requiring onboard chips or batteries.
https://www.hackster.io/news/mit-engineers-develop-a-chip-free-wireless-e-skin-a01892ee590c
Tomi Engdahl says:
40+ ideas for your next home automation project with Arduino Cloud
https://blog.arduino.cc/2022/09/02/40-ideas-for-your-next-home-automation-project-with-arduino-cloud/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ulrich Spizig’s IoT Smart Socket Chatbot Slashes Summer Gas Bills by Two-Thirds
Having found a hot water pump running even when it wasn’t needed, Spizig set about making it smarter — and more eco-friendly.
https://www.hackster.io/news/ulrich-spizig-s-iot-smart-socket-chatbot-slashes-summer-gas-bills-by-two-thirds-c4e7b9cc6628
Tomi Engdahl says:
E-Skin Sensors Go Chipless and Batteryless Flexible, wearable devices promise VR and medical-monitoring applications
https://spectrum.ieee.org/electronic-skin-chipless-batteryless?share_id=7205718
Tomi Engdahl says:
Portables, IoT Fuel Demand for Low-Iq Power Converters
Sept. 8, 2022
Designers of portable electronic devices, powered by batteries/power converters, need to keep the quiescent current (Iq) as low as possible to extend the battery life.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/power-management/whitepaper/21250333/electronic-design-portables-iot-fuel-demand-for-lowiq-power-converters?utm_source=EG+ED+Analog+%26+Power+Source&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS220909042&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
What you’ll learn:
Low Iq in LDO design and the impact on power loss.
A look at the bidirectional buck/boost converter.
Optimizing power in Wi-Fi and other comm devices.
Today’s electronic devices, especially worn on the body, are small, lightweight, and mostly powered by batteries and regulated by low-quiescent-current (Iq) power converters. Such devices as cardiac monitoring patches, continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), insulin therapy patch pumps, and various biosensors rely on very low Iq, which will greatly extend the life of the batteries.
Tomi Engdahl says:
An electric vehicle is fine for the morning commute, but to power the huge trains, trucks and ships that move the global economy, hydrogen, heavy-duty batteries and cleaner fuels are the ticket. Cummins is leading the charge.
How Diesel Giant Cummins Might Beat Tesla In The Green Engine Battle
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2022/02/23/how-diesel-giant-cummins-might-beat-tesla-in-the-green-engine-battle/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialflowForbesMainFB&utm_source=ForbesMainFacebook
An electric vehicle is fine for the morning commute, but to power the huge trains, trucks and ships that move the global economy, hydrogen, heavy-duty batteries and cleaner fuels are the ticket. Cummins, a century-old maker of dirty diesels, is leading the charge.
Cummins was born a century ago and where the company’s foundation funded cutting-edge designs by I.M. Pei and Eero Saarinen for schools, fire stations and a library.
That the leading U.S. maker of diesel engines happens to be run by a Silicon Valley native with Stanford engineering degrees is another surprising twist. It’s also entirely relevant: The battle for the truck engine market will be fought on environmental territory, with Cummins taking on seemingly greener upstarts offering electric trucks.
Bring it on, says Thomas Linebarger, Cummins’ chief executive for the past decade.
“Teslas won’t drive our economy,” he says. “They’ll drive rich people.” Cummins is thriving precisely because it has been adept at meeting the ever more demanding environmental rules imposed on diesel engines. And when the day comes for battery-powered or hydrogen-fueled trucks to displace diesel entirely, Linebarger will be ready.
The lanky 59-year-old executive began laying the groundwork for an evolutionary shift at Cummins six years ago, acquiring companies with battery, hydrogen and fuel-cell expertise and setting up a new division focused solely on next-gen powertrains. Linebarger is betting that those moves and Cummins’ large global customer base can help it lead the market for cleaner trucks, buses, boats, trains, mining equipment and generators through the 2020s and beyond.
“We need solutions that will get things to market—get your mattress delivered, deliver your flowers, all this other stuff that goes on out here,” he says, pointing out a large conference room window as a heavy winter rain soaks Indianapolis. “One solution isn’t going to do it. Nobody understands the range of those solutions more than we do.”
A variety of approaches is necessary because the company’s product line is vast.
The environmental challenges of diesel are considerable. Besides carbon dioxide, the fuel emits black soot, a cause of heart and lung disease, and precursors to smog and acid rain. California is demanding that by 2024 commercial fleets begin replacing diesel trucks with zero-emission models. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency intends to phase in stricter requirements for heavy trucks starting with 2027 models.
So far, Cummins’ ability to develop cleaner diesel systems to meet tighter pollution rules over the past 20 years has helped it thrive.
Transitioning the heavy-duty vehicle market from diesel fuel won’t be fast or cheap. And the winner in the long-haul market may not be the battery-powered trucks that Elon Musk is promising. It might be engines burning hydrogen from renewable sources. Taking into account the lithium mining for a battery and the partly fossil-fueled grid used to recharge it, it’s quite possible that someday Cummins’ trucks will be greener than Tesla’s.
He took an internship at Cummins while completing a combined M.B.A. and master’s degree in manufacturing science at Stanford. “I wanted to build companies, not finance them,” he says.
Linebarger’s strategy to attack carbon and further cut exhaust pollution is multi-pronged, mixing conventional and high-tech options. Cummins’ engineering team plans to keep improving the efficiency of its diesel engine and generator lines while also designing them to burn cleaner fuels including natural gas and hydrogen made from renewable sources. They’re also readying hybrid options that, like Toyota’s Prius, boost fuel efficiency without the huge battery of an all-electric truck.
“Today, with the techniques we have with big data and analytics, we can design efficiency into the system in a way that we couldn’t 10 or 15 years ago. We have a target to improve the efficiency of our engines by 20% or 25% by the end of the decade,” Linebarger says. “The next step is mostly fueling; it’s not really much else to do with the engine at that point. Once you are perfectly efficient, it’s hybridization and fuel.”
Linebarger created a New Power division at Cummins in 2018 to design battery and fuel-cell power systems and hydrogen-generation technology that may supplant its diesel business by the 2030s. To shore it up, Cummins bought fuel-cell and hydrogen developer Hydrogenics, took a stake in Sion Power to develop lithium-metal batteries and started a joint venture with Chinese oil company Sinopec to produce hydrogen from renewable sources.
Led by Amy Davis, New Power is initially focused on batteries and motors for light and medium trucks, and hydrogen fuel-cell systems for rail applications and stationary power generation. Long-haul hydrogen-fueled powertrains for semis are in the works but won’t likely be a core business until the late 2020s, she says.
Cummins customers have concerns that battery-only systems—like Musk’s planned semis that go up to 500 miles—aren’t realistic. It isn’t just the size of the battery that gets in the way. It’s the paucity of charging stations.
Along with truck makers including Daimler, Volvo and startup Nikola, Cummins sees battery power as a viable option for heavy trucks that need only 200 miles of daily range, such as rigs hauling cargo from ports or running fixed delivery routes. For trucks needing to travel 300 miles or more between fueling, hydrogen power looks more attractive, particularly since a fuel-cell system that converts the element to electricity is lighter than a battery pack. Hydrogen’s refueling time can be comparable to that of diesel.
Cummins reported sales from the New Power of $116 million last year. That number is a fraction of total company revenue but greater than the combined sales of commercial EV makers Rivian, Arrival and Nikola, which are just starting fleet deliveries.
“The advantage [Cummins] has over someone like Tesla is this installed base of customers worldwide,” many of whom have dealt with it for decades, Elkott says. If the company says it has a compelling hydrogen-powered product and the fuel needed to power it, that’s likely to be taken seriously by companies it’s already supplying. “If I was that customer, I am more likely to choose Cummins than someone new to the market.”
“Cummins has done best when innovation is required,” Linebarger says. “As soon as the industry kind of settles on a technology, then you’re just competing for scale and cost.”
The U.S. Clean Air Act of 1970, which forced diesel makers to clean up their products, ultimately boosted business for Cummins, which was rapidly able to bring cleaner engines to market. Linebarger expects a similar outcome as carbon dioxide becomes the enemy.
“I look at decarbonization and say that’s a growth opportunity for Cummins, because now innovation is going to matter a lot,” he says. “Innovation is what we do—and then we don’t have to compete so much on the lowest price times a million units.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Extremely Useful NFC Home Automation Ideas!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwc07iXgo6M
Tomi Engdahl says:
OIL & GAS
Refining the process to connect, collect, analyze, and act on plant data for immediate ROI gains
https://www.freewave.com/industries-applications/petrochemical/?utm_source=OGE&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=OG&utm_term=PMS
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is bringing the refinery of the future within reach, today.
By infusing our proven M2M wireless radios with new edge computing power, FreeWaves offers petrochemical plants a practical, rapidly implemented solution move from reactive to proactive refinery management for transformative gains.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Connector, Gland, and Grip Options for Industrial-Automation Cabling
https://www.digikey.com/en/articles/connector-gland-and-grip-options-for-industrial-automation-cabling?dclid=CLv4wr_ckfoCFX_JOwIdKccAng
There are various connectors to join cables and components used in industrial automation. These connectors must transmit all power and data-signal streams carried over the cables while terminating the line in a way that keeps the conductors tightly connected and protected. The challenge is that equipment associated with industrial automation is often located in dirty, hot, mobile, and electrically noisy settings … so industrial cable connectors require a level of robustness and reliability not necessary for other applications.
First, consider some industrial-connector basics: Connectors include the components classified as couplers (which join two cables) as well as systems that include both the plug and socket (or receptacle) halves of a connector assembly. In some contexts, the term connectors can also refer to cable glands — terminations that pass through enclosures … often with a free-spinning subcomponent that acts to compress an O-ring seal around the cable end to close it off from chemicals, flames, dirt, and extraneous currents.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to Achieve Fast, Precise, and Low Power Position Sensing for Real-Time Control
https://www.digikey.com/en/articles/how-to-achieve-fast-precise-low-power-position-sensing?dclid=CN282cHckfoCFcbKmgodxmoOkw
The use of three-dimensional (3D) position sensing for real-time control is growing across a variety of Industry 4.0 applications, ranging from industrial robots and automated systems to robot vacuums and security. 3D Hall effect position sensors are a good option for these applications as they provide high repeatability and reliability, and can also be used with windows, doors and enclosures for intrusion or magnetic tampering detection.
Still, designing an effective and safe 3D sensing system using a Hall effect sensor can be a complex and time-consuming process. The Hall effect sensor needs to interface with a microcontroller (MCU) powerful enough to act as an angle calculation engine and to perform measurement averaging, as well as gain and offset compensation to determine magnet orientations and 3D positions. The MCU also needs to handle a variety of diagnostics including monitoring the magnetic field, system temperature, communication, continuity, internal signal path, and the power supply.
In addition to hardware design, software development can be complex and time-consuming, further delaying time to market.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Let’s Get Cyber-Physical: The Expanding Role of CPS
Sept. 2, 2022
Cyber-physical systems are closely tied to the IoT and will increasingly use AI in every imaginable use case to operate more autonomously.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/embedded-revolution/article/21250006/luos-lets-get-cyberphysical-the-expanding-role-of-cps?utm_source=EG+ED+Auto+Electronics&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS220914156&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
What you’ll learn:
What is a cyber-physical system and how do we define it?
What are some of its uses/applications in transportation, energy, and manufacturing?
How to join a worldwide community of developers to share experiences, ideas, projects, and new ways of developing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.home-assistant.io/
Open source home automation that puts local control and privacy first. Powered by a worldwide community of tinkerers and DIY enthusiasts. Perfect to run on a Raspberry Pi or a local server.
Home Assistant integrates with over a thousand different devices and services.
Once started, Home Assistant will automatically scan your network for known devices and allow you to easily set them up.
Once you have integrated all your devices at home, you can unleash Home Assistant’s advanced automation engine to make your home work for you.
Turn on the light when the sun sets or when coming home
Alert you when you leave your garage door open.
Use the official Home Assistant apps, a convenient companion to quickly control your devices and be notified when things happen in your home, even on your wrist using the Apple Watch.
The apps can also be used to send your location home to use presence detection as part of your automations. Data is sent directly to your home, no access by third-parties.
Home Assistant allows you to get on top of your energy use with its home energy management feature. Gain new insights, optimize your solar panel production, plan energy usage and save money.
https://github.com/home-assistant/core
Tomi Engdahl says:
Maailman vähävirtaisin WiFi6-piiri tuo lisäkaistaa IoT-laitteisiin
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/14008-maailman-vaehaevirtaisin-wifi6-piiri-tuo-lisaekaistaa-iot-laitteisiin
SiWx917-piiri on pitää sisällään sekä WiFi6- että Bluetooth Low Energy -radiot. Lisäksi piiri tukee Matter-protokollaa, jonka tarkoitus on liittää eri radiotekniikoita tukevat laitteet samaan ohjaukseen. Matter-protokolla ei vieläkään ole virallisesti valmis, mutta piirejä siihen alkaa nyt tulla.
SiWx917-piiri laajentaa WiFi-linkin kaistanleveyttä ja linkin kantamaa. BLE-yhteyksiä käytetään ennen kaikkea linkkien muodostamiseen.
Tomi Engdahl says:
AVR-IoT Cellular Mini Development Board
Microchip’s AVR-IoT Cellular Mini features Sequans Monarch 2 GM02S cellular module
https://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/m/microchip-technology/avr-iot-cellular-mini-development-board?dclid=CLeO3tnWmPoCFZK8mgodmgUOOA
Tomi Engdahl says:
Embedded Security Solutions with dsPIC33 DSCs and PIC24 MCUs
https://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/m/microchip-technology/embedded-security-solutions-with-dspic33-dscs-and-pic24-mcus?dclid=CLDd6tzWmPoCFanIOwId4-kAWw
Microchip’s solutions deliver an application-specific feature set for low-power security, functional safety, and more
Tomi Engdahl says:
Valaistusdata pilveen, energiankulutus alas
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/14023-valaistusdata-pilveen-energiankulutus-alas
Helvar vahvistaa digitaalista Helvar Insights -ratkaisuaan. Nyt julkistettava Helvar Insights -laajennus mahdollistaa myös langattoman Helvar ActiveAhead-valaistuksenohjausratkaisun liittämisen pilviratkaisuun.
Laajennuksen ansiosta asiakas voi käyttää samaa käyttöliittymää, jossa näkyy Helvar Insights -pilvipalvelut niin Helvarin langalliselle Imagine-ratkaisulle kuin langattomalle ActiveAhead-ratkaisulle tai näiden hybridiohjausjärjestelmälle. Kaikki samat tehokkuutta, kestävyyttä ja hyvinvointia tukevat tiedot, raportit ja suositukset ovat nyt näin käytettävissä myös langattomasta ActiveAhead-järjestelmästä.
Energiahintojen noustessa on yritysten tärkeää ymmärtää paremmin omaa kiinteistöään energian säästämiseksi, toimitusvarmuuden parantamiseksi ja kestävän kehityksen tukemiseksi. Valaistuksen käyttämä energia on tärkeä osa kiinteistönhallintaprosessia, ja yksi helpoimmin muokattavista energiansäästökohteista.
Helvar Insights on skaalautuva pilvipohjainen ratkaisu, joka hyödyntää valaistusjärjestelmistä saatavaa dataa. Se tarjoaa älykkäitä ratkaisuja, jotka parantavat käyttäjien hyvinvointia sekä rakennuksen tehokkuutta ja auttavat asiakkaita heidän vastuullisuustavoitteidensa saavuttamisessa. Pilvipalvelu on yhteydessä rakennukseen ympäri vuorokauden tuottaen esimerkiksi arvokkaita Occupancy Insights -tilankäyttöraportteja, joiden avulla rakennuksen ja sen eri tilojen käyttöä sekä energiankulutusta voidaan paremmin ymmärtää ja optimoida.
Reaaliaikaiset hälytykset ja suositukset toimenpiteistä niiden korjaamiseksi auttavat diagnosoimaan tai ratkaisemaan kiinteistön ongelmia ja vikatilanteita.
Energianseuranta- ja käyttötuntiratkaisut ovat saatavilla sekä DALI-2 -liitäntälaitteille että muille DALI-2 -liitäntälaitteille.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wi-Fi Sensing: The Next Big Wireless Movement
Feb. 5, 2022
Wi-Fi can do more than just communication—it has the power to improve our lives through meaningful applications. Origin Wireless CEO Dr. Ray Liu talks with Editor Bill Wong about Wi-Fi Sensing technology and its vast potential.
What you’ll learn:
How Wi-Fi Sensing technology is influencing the future of the Wi-Fi ecosystem.
How Wi-Fi Sensing works.
How the 802.11bf Wi-Fi standard could lead to broader adoption of the technology.
The applications of Wi-Fi and wireless technology are rapidly evolving, and scientists have developed new ways to make sense of Wi-Fi signals. This is called Wi-Fi Sensing. You may soon see this new functionality in your security systems, your health at home monitoring, your cars, and the IoT devices you use daily. I caught up with Dr. Ray Liu, Founder and CEO of Origin Wireless, to discuss Wi-Fi sensing technology in depth.
What is Wi-Fi Sensing?
Wi-Fi Sensing technology harnesses Wi-Fi signals to sense activities and interpret movement. The technology applies AI capabilities to make sense of Wi-Fi signals, called “channel state information (CSI),” to perform the sensing. Some sensing capabilities include basic motion detection, motion localization, presence detection, speed/velocity measurement, breathing detection, sleep monitoring, and daily activity monitoring.
How does Wi-Fi Sensing work?
Wi-Fi Sensing uses the Wi-Fi signals that exist in a home or building. Much like a pool of water waves, when a person or object crosses the pool of radio waves of a wireless device or other Wi-Fi-enabled IoT devices, Wi-Fi Sensing technology can sense the disruption and use the information to determine the size, speed, and location of the disruption.
The 802.11bf Wi-Fi standard provides a set of back-and-forth signaling protocols to set up Wi-Fi stations that, if done right, can be used to establish a Wi-Fi Sensing network. It turns out that every time a data packet is sent over the air via Wi-Fi, the Wi-Fi devices compute CSI of the wireless channel to overcome interference from the environment so as to decode the data packet properly.
While the CSI is designed primarily for data communication, in recent years we discovered that to overcome the interference due to the surrounding object movements and changes, the CSI actually captures a huge amount of information of the environment. So, in a nutshell, we perform Wi-Fi sensing by “decoding” the information hidden in the CSI. Companies like Origin apply AI on the CSI to achieve a vast array of sensing tasks.
For example, when there’s motion in the surrounding area, there will be considerable amount of “perturbation” to the CSI. So, in Wi-Fi Sensing, we detect motion by monitoring the amount of perturbation over time. A significant instantaneous fluctuation of CSI suggests an object moving over space.
What are the current applications of this technology?
One application of Wi-Fi Sensing technology is in home security. Wi-Fi Sensing has revolutionized the DIY home security space by offering a highly accurate, affordable solution that covers more ground than competing security technology with far fewer false alarms.
With in-depth understanding of the many challenges in practical systems, Origin has developed a series of effective measures to contain and overcome the challenges enabling our solutions to possess extraordinary performance. In our collaboration with some professional security service providers, our home security solutions undergo long-term professional field tests and are verified to be game-changing—being highly accurate in real applications without the need of professional hardware sensors and associated tedious professional installation.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wi-Fi Sensing: The Next Big Wireless Movement
Feb. 5, 2022
Wi-Fi can do more than just communication—it has the power to improve our lives through meaningful applications. Origin Wireless CEO Dr. Ray Liu talks with Editor Bill Wong about Wi-Fi Sensing technology and its vast potential.
William G. Wong
https://www.electronicdesign.com/industrial-automation/article/21214331/electronic-design-wifi-sensing-the-next-big-wireless-movement?utm_source=EG+ED++Sponsor+Paid+Promos&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS220914097&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Tomi Engdahl says:
SparkFun’s DA16200 Thing Plus Packs an Ultra-Low-Power Wi-Fi Module Onto a Compact Dev Board
With a current draw as low as 0.2µA, this ultra-low-power Wi-Fi board aims to deliver year-plus battery life.
https://www.hackster.io/news/sparkfun-s-da16200-thing-plus-packs-an-ultra-low-power-wi-fi-module-onto-a-compact-dev-board-2e8b1a52b575
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smart Pills Can Tell Your Doctor That You’ve Taken Them
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/26/smart-pills-can-tell-your-doctor-that-youve-taken-them/
We have many kinds of pills available these days to treat all kinds of different disorders. Of course, the problem with pills is that they don’t work if you don’t take them. Even Worse, for some medicines, missing a dose can cause all kinds of undesirable withdrawl effects and set back a patient’s treatment.
Smart pills aim to fix this problem with a simple monitoring solution that can tell when a patient has taken their medication. They’re now publicly available and authorized for use, so let’s look at how they work.
They’re Putting Microchips In The Pills Now (Really!)
Tomi Engdahl says:
Quickly Negotiate Wearable Optical Signal Paths with a Multiparameter Monitor
https://www.digikey.com/en/articles/quickly-negotiate-wearable-optical-signal-paths-with-a-multiparameter-monitor?dclid=CKyhmIe5ufoCFZEMewodukAKfA
Wearable health and fitness monitors use various techniques to collect a broad spectrum of movement, overall health, and sleep information. For designers, the problem is figuring out how to accommodate end-user demand for more functionality in these wearable monitors for pulse oximetry (SpO2), photoplethysmography (PPG), electrocardiogram (ECG), blood pressure, and respiration rate measurement. Each additional function only adds to the integration, power management, performance, weight, development time, and cost challenges facing designers.
For example, SpO2 solutions typically require complicated electronics with multiple integrated circuits (ICs) that create an optical path through the body using light-emitting diodes (LEDs), photosensors, transimpedance amplifiers (TIA), analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), and associated algorithms. ECGs require a sensitive, low-noise analog circuit with a front-end instrumentation amplifier and an ADC. These discrete systems also use additional hardware to reduce the effects of ambient light and manage electromagnetic interference (EMI). While these solutions work, they require significant pc board space and custom firmware, thereby increasing cost and extending development time. What’s required is a more complete and integrated solution that solves many of these design issues.
This article describes wearable physical entities and a multiparameter monitor comprising LED drivers, TIAs, a bandpass filter, an integrator, and an ADC.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Let’s Get Cyber-Physical: The Expanding Role of CPS
Sept. 2, 2022
Cyber-physical systems are closely tied to the IoT and will increasingly use AI in every imaginable use case to operate more autonomously.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/embedded-revolution/article/21250006/luos-lets-get-cyberphysical-the-expanding-role-of-cps?utm_source=EG+ED+Connected+Solutions&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS220927185&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
What you’ll learn:
What is a cyber-physical system and how do we define it?
What are some of its uses/applications in transportation, energy, and manufacturing?
How to join a worldwide community of developers to share experiences, ideas, projects, and new ways of developing.
Cyber-physical systems (CPS) are intelligent systems that integrate physical and computer components which exchange data with each other. This interaction between the physical and computational components enables the system to make decisions and operate autonomously. A cyber-physical system typically has a network of interacting elements with physical input and output.
The term “cyber-physical system” was coined by Dr. Helen Gill of the U.S. National Science Foundation in 2006. CPS has a long history that dates back to the beginning of cybernetics, which was defined as the science of control and communication between machines and humans.
There are two types of CPS: autonomous CPS and closed-loop human-machine systems. Autonomous CPS are systems that can make decisions and operating independently. However, at this point, CPS development is mostly in semi-autonomous systems. These systems operate independently only in pre-defined conditions, such as semi-autonomous drones.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Power-Efficient Edge AI Processing Targets Next-Gen HMI
Sept. 21, 2022
Sponsored by Texas Instruments: Featuring low-power modes and low active power consumption, the AM62x processor family brings AI-enabled human machine interface to industrial and IoT apps.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/tools/learning-resources/whitepaper/21250315/texas-instruments-powerefficient-edge-ai-processing-targets-nextgen-hmi?pk=DesEssen-09282022&utm_source=EG+ED++Sponsor+Paid+Promos&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS220915048&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
We’ve been steeped in the traditional methods of human machine interface (HMI) for so long that the addition of artificial intelligence (AI) and edge computing requires a tune-up of our knowledge base. In the past, an HMI consisted of a physical control panel with pushbuttons, switches, trackballs, and indicator lights that enabled users to communicate with a machine. But it’s not sacrilege to suggest that these are rapidly exiting the scene.
In their place, edge computing brings compute power to where your data is collected. Edge AI is more nimble and agile than other forms of data processing, where data is sent to remote data centers or the cloud for processing. It offers faster, localized processing with less latency than traditional forms of cloud computing.
With the proliferation of AI and machine learning (ML), the next generation of HMI is poised to bring entirely new ways of interacting with machines and devices. Coupling edge AI features such as machine vision, analytics, and predictive maintenance with HMI applications is changing the way we interact with machines. Examples include gesture and/or facial recognition in a noisy factory environment or allowing the control of machines via digital voice assistants (such as Alexa and Siri) and a wireless connection.
SK-AM62
AM62x starter kit for Sitara™ processors
https://www.ti.com/tool/SK-AM62?HQS=epd-pro-sitp-prs_am62-asset-evm-ElectronicDesign_09-wwe_awr&DCM=yes&dclid=CPinmKW4ufoCFRocewodFKUHqA
Tomi Engdahl says:
FAQ: Why are System-on-Modules with Connectivity the Best Choice for IoT Applications?
Sept. 6, 2022
This FAQ explores the functions and benefits when considering the best SOM for applications.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/tools/learning-resources/whitepaper/21248329/laird-connectivity-faq-why-are-systemonmodules-with-connectivity-the-best-choice-for-iot-applications?pk=LairdConnectivitySep22FAQEm2-09282022&utm_source=EG+ED++Sponsor+Paid+Promos&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS220908050&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2022/09/30/puettava-elektroniikka-auttaa-terveytta/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Analyysi: Näin helposti 20 euron pistorasian saa syttymään ja sammumaan pörssisähkön tahdissa
Purkkaviritys ei vedä vertoja oikealle optimoinnille. Se osoittaa kuitenkin, kuinka yksinkertaisesta asiasta on lopulta kyse, kirjoittaa taloustoimittaja Juha-Matti Mäntylä.
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-12633301
Tomi Engdahl says:
Monitoring Parkinson’s Patients at Home Could Improve Disease Management Device uses low-power radio waves to assess walking speeds
https://spectrum.ieee.org/radar-device-could-monitor-parkinson-s-at-home
A radar device the size of a Wi-Fi router could help continuously monitor Parkinson’s disease in patients from afar as they go about their lives at home. By using radio waves to track the gait of Parkinson’s patients, the device should help doctors assess the effectiveness of medications, see how the disease is progressing, and create better treatment plans.
Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive brain disorder that affects motor function, causing tremors, impaired balance, and the risk of falls and injuries. There is no cure for it and patients rely on medications to control symptoms.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Industry 4.0 is here to stay, but is your factory smart enough?
https://www.etteplan.com/stories/industry-40-here-stay-your-factory-smart-enough
When we think about smart factories, the first thing that comes to mind often relates to technology, like robotics, automation, and highly modern production lines. However, before a factory, plant, or mill can benefit from the latest gadgets and equipment, they need to pay attention to the basics – the smart in smart factories stems from somewhere else entirely. We sat down with Etteplan’s Smart Factory experts Juha Nieminen and Kari Jussila about what exactly makes factories smart.
Tomi Engdahl says:
By the year 2030, there will be more than 24 BILLION IoT-connected devices in the world. That’s why it’s so important to teach students about the Internet of Things now.
Find out more about the benefits of teaching high school students about the IoT, from enhanced engagement to connections to the real world, in our blog post: https://www.arduino.cc/education/benefits-of-teaching-iot-in-high-school
Tomi Engdahl says:
“Using your smartphone as an IoT device in the Arduino IoT Cloud could not be any easier.”
Your Smartphone is an IoT Device in Arduino Cloud
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tb3LRifDKVg&feature=youtu.be
Your Smartphone is an IoT Device in Arduino Cloud.
In the latest Arduino newsletter I see there is a blog post about using your smartphone as an IoT device in the Arduino IoT Cloud. It turns out that setting this up could not be any easier. I think I will be sending my burner phone up on a rocket with the camera running and the Arduino Iot Remote app sending GPS and accelerometer data to the Arduino IoT Cloud.
Use your phone as an IoT device in the Arduino Cloud.
https://blog.arduino.cc/2022/10/14/use-your-phone-as-an-iot-device-in-the-arduino-cloud/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/test-measurement/article/21253052/l2l-condition-monitoring-can-improve-automotive-manufacturing
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bluetooth: The Great Configurator
Oct. 12, 2022
Matter is a unifying connection environment for IoT, but adding something to the mix often includes Bluetooth.
William G. Wong
https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/communications/article/21252653/electronic-design-bluetooth-the-great-configurator?utm_source=EG+ED+Connected+Solutions&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS221019085&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Security and Connecting Via Bluetooth
Luckily, most networks these days are designed to run, and even are initially configured to work with, encryption for connectivity and often for data transport. Way back when, a Wi-Fi router/access point would start up with no encryption enabled. Now there’s usually a device-specific username and password on the device, and accessing the wireless network requires an additional password.
Connecting a device like a smart TV is something that can often be done in a standalone mode, because it’s obviously equipped with a display. A remote-control device can be used along with the user interface to connect to a Wi-Fi network that has password protection.
This isn’t the case for many IoT devices, which often lack everything short of a way to provide power. Sometimes they even include a status LED.
So how does one connect these devices that are devoid of a built-in user interface? Answer: Use a smartphone app connected to the device via Bluetooth.
Typically, a security handshake occurs. The smartphone often uses its camera to scan a QR code that can provide all sorts of information from the smartphone app to download to a secure password associated with the device being configured.
Bluetooth can be used as the device’s main connectivity mode, but it lacks many of the features of other alternatives, from increased range to higher throughput to even low power consumption—and Bluetooth isn’t a power hog. As a result, the device typically must employ two wireless interfaces: Bluetooth and something else.
Dual-Mode Wireless SoCs
In the case of Infineon’s AIROC CYW30739, the two wireless interfaces are Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and 802.15.4. The latter supports protocols like Thread that works with Matter as well as other open and proprietary wireless mesh networks.
Another is Infineon’s CYW43012 Wi-Fi + Bluetooth Combo Chip, which is found in the CY8CKIT0 PSoC Pioneer Kit (Fig. 1). The kit includes a PSoC 62 Line host microcontroller with a 150-MHz Cortex-M4 and a 100-MHz Cortex-M0. Also on-board is an Excelon very-low-power F-RAM.
The wireless support is provided by Murata’s 1LV Module with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support (Fig. 2). This multi-die module has its own shield and includes the CYW43012 chip.
The systems are supported by Infineon’s ModusToolbox. They also support the open-source Mbed OS developed by Arm. Of course, Matter support is part of the mix, too.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sijainti
Etusivu > Uutinen > Aurinkokennoja tulevaisuuden älyvaatteisiin
Aurinkokennoja tulevaisuuden älyvaatteisiin
Uutinen
- 21.10.2022
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2022/10/21/aurinkokennoja-tulevaisuuden-alytekstiileihin/
Tulevaisuuden älytekstiileihin upotetut aurinkokennot voivat tuoda ratkaisun uudenlaisiin elektroniikan energiantarpeisiin. Aalto-yliopiston verkossa julkaisema Sun-powered textiles -kirja esittelelee uusimmat keinot ja ideat, joilla älytekstiilistä viedään tuotantoon.
Sun-powered textiles -kirja on ladattavissa ilmaiseksi pdf-tiedostona tai ostettavissa 25 euron hintaan painettuna kirjana (LINKKI)
https://shop.aalto.fi/p/1810-sun-powered-textiles/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Less Is More When It Comes To Sensor Power
https://hackaday.com/2022/10/25/less-is-more-when-it-comes-to-sensor-power/
It used to be the cost of a microcontroller was a big inhibitor to putting brains in everything, but those days are long gone. Even 32-bit CPUs are now cheap enough that you can throw them into anything. The biggest factor now is probably power. Do you really want to charge your electric toilet seat or change batteries every few weeks? A company called Everactive wants you to ditch your battery using their sensor platform they claim harvests energy from a variety of sources and they are about to deliver their first developer’s kit.
https://everactive.com/
https://everactive.com/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Using Google Calendar For Machines To Keep Track Of Human Days
https://hackaday.com/2022/10/25/using-google-calendar-for-machines-to-keep-track-of-human-days/
Daily triggers for automation are simple in theory, unless it needs to keep track of the calendar that humans actually live by. Seasonal changes, shifting public holidays, or just being on vacation are all exceptions you may need to account for. [Jeremy Rode] likes using Google Calendar to stay on top of events, so he created CalendarScraper, a simple script to make his machines use it too.
Jeremy needed a timer for his spa heater that would reduce costs by only switching it on when his local time-of-use-based electricity rates were favorable. The rates varied based on the time of day, day of the week, and even seasons and public holidays. Instead of trying to set up everything manually in a cron job, he created a short and easy-to-modify JavaScript script to keep track of events on a Google Calendar.
CalendarScraper: Perform Time-Based Action via Scraping a Google Calendar
https://github.com/jeremyrode/CalendarScraper
Handling time and date-based events sucks. Calendars are complicated and change, daylight savings time comes and goes. Originally, I was developing an app to schedule my spa heater around time-of-use (TOU) electric rates. The TOU rates change with season, on weekends and holidays. At first, I was using the cron daemon, but it was a real pain to make exceptions or change anything.
I was thinking that the only interface I’ve ever liked is Google Calendar; so why not just use Google Calendar? So here it is, less than 100 lines of Node.js that scrapes a Google calendar and translates the calendar events into Javascript setTimeout(). Gets the function call down to <.01 s on a Raspberry Pi W2.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Future of Energy IoT
https://teltonika-networks.com/resources/articles-archive/the-future-of-energy-iot/
This past August, the annual inflation in the eurozone hit a record 9.1%. Many factors contribute to this, with the current political climate and its effects on soaring energy prices being one of the primary ones. Predictions for the coming winter of 2022-2023 range between grim and hopeful, with some estimating it will last several winters, and others claiming the energy crisis is likely to be solved. Regardless of what ends up actually happening, the turmoil itself is bound to continue to negatively impact inflation.
Out of the Cold
Let’s start with the basics. Global energy demand rose by 3.4% so far in 2022 – which is less than the estimated 3%. A similar growth rate is expected for 2023, and the general trend is for a slowing down of energy demand. Annual renewable capacity has grown by 6% in 2021, despite the pandemic, and is expected to grow by 8% in 2022. In other words, demand is slowing while capacity is growing. On the finance side of things, the energy market was valued at 168.57 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach 298.26 billion by 2026 – a CAGR of 10%. Within this span, several factors will push and pull the market. The pandemic already affected it significantly, and a shift towards renewable, natural resources like solar and wind energy is continuing to break annual records and reallocate government funds away from oil and coal and towards expanding infrastructure to keep renewable energy capacity growing.
This need for more and better infrastructure is where IoT comes in. While its growth rate in the energy market differs from region to region, with APAC and India at the front and LATAM, Africa, and the middle east at the back, the overall global picture is that of growth. In particular, the implementation of smart meters for more efficient monitoring and management of energy flow is the key selling point IoT brings to the energy sector. You may think this isn’t a particularly ground-breaking technology, but this has a “many droplets make an ocean” effect on how energy is used.
This IoT-powered energy efficiency will cascade into many different layers of the energy market. From the solar farm energy grids all the way to the end client – the family warming its home in the winter or charging its electric vehicle. From head to tail of this energy journey, everyone gets to make a more informed, data-driven decision on their energy consumption thanks to those meters. The end result is a more stable ratio between supply and demand, lower prices, and a greener future.
Tomi Engdahl says:
THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING CONNECTVITY FOR YOUR IoT PROJECT
https://teltonika-networks.com/resources/articles-archive/things-to-consider-when-choosing-connectvity-for-your-iot-project/
Having many options seems excellent in almost any situation, yet with the freedom of choice comes the responsibility of taking the right path. And with over 200 cellular router and gateway manufacturers, your choice truly matters. Naturally, to choose the best option for your IoT solution, you must be sufficiently informed on various aspects of available hardware and software and all of the other supporting factors.
Let’s start with the big picture and narrow in on the best individual device choices. First of all, decide what scale will your solution span:
Hobbyist — various DIY solutions, mainly small-scale projects that do not require a lot of investment.
Consumer Electronics — smart home solutions, wearable tech, low to medium scale solutions.
Industrial IoT — smart factories, automated tracking and regulating systems, remote maintenance for industrial-scale projects.
Industry driven — encompassing a whole industry infrastructure like logistics, smart city, agriculture, very large-scale solutions.
Once your niche is selected, it will be easier to plan your solution and calculate all the needed costs and labor. The next step is to look at the crucial factors that can influence your project.
Reliability
Reliability means more than just knowing that your supplier has an excellent track record with other clients. It would help if you considered the technical side of things. Can you trust the hardware to have all the necessary safeguards in place, so your IoT project would properly function even if something unexpected happens? Now let’s take a look at some of the essential features that increase the reliability of the product you plan on purchasing.
Auto-reboot
You might have heard that ‘turning it off and on again’ is a great way to fix many problems that a device might encounter. However, you can’t always be there in person to press the reboot button. A regular restart of the device is a great preventative measure for any minor hiccups that it might encounter. An auto-reboot function does just that. Ping Reboot performs periodic device reboots or re-establishes the connection to the internet. Be sure to look for this function if you want to ensure that your solution will minimize system downtime and need for maintenance.
Another great tool that increases solution reliability is The Watchdog. It can be an electronic component or a software timer that monitors the work of software and hardware. If an error occurs and the watchdog timer fails to restart the ongoing monitoring loop, the Watchdog can perform many corrective actions. Such a mechanism further automates problem-solving steps and lessens the need for human interaction. So be sure to check if the device has a Watchdog already installed or is compatible with such a failsafe mechanism.
Failover
Failover is a vital function that can ensure uninterrupted connectivity. If your primary connection goes down, then the device will automatically switch to another available option. This way, your setup will have uninterrupted connectivity and stable speed. You can also set up failover so that the change happens when one connection starts to slow down.
Ease of Use
THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING CONNECTVITY FOR YOUR IOT PROJECT
Ease of use is another crucial factor to consider. Once again, depending on the scale of your solution, you might need a way to monitor and control the IoT equipment efficiently. Look into options that would let you troubleshoot and change the settings of your IoT solution remotely, cutting down on expenses significantly. If you do not need to travel every time you need to reconfigure the settings physically, that will substantially reduce the cost over time of your IoT solution. Also, look for easy installation options, make sure that all of the necessary connections are there.
Available information
You should be able to access all the available information easily. Sure, you can find most of the questions answered online in user forums all over the internet. However, an official wiki or knowledgebase for that specific piece of equipment is the way to go. Your supplier should offer installation manuals, configuration examples and use case scenarios. Also, look at the compatibility information because many assembly lines can have older components integrated into the overall solution.
Pricing
Naturally, everyone wants to cut down the cost as much as possible when implementing their solution. However, some manufacturers might at first present you with a lower price. Only after that will you notice that some crucial components are missing from the initial deal, like antennas, cables, mounting options, or a remote management system. So, make sure in advance that the offer you get includes all the required hardware and software for your project.
Security
Security options can make or break the company. In 2021 data breaches cost companies approximately $4.24 million. It is crucial that you make sure that all parts of your smart solution are secured. If malicious parties breach a switch or a router, it might start a chain reaction and sabotage the entire system. Such options as a Firewall, VPN and various certificates are crucial components in any IoT solution. Of course, there are measures that only you can take, but a baseline level of security is a must from your provider.
Secure passwords
Arguably the first line of defense is a secure password. However, this might be a little too obvious, so much so that some people tend to forget it. A great deal of breaches happens because of generic passwords. Teltonika Networks has addressed this issue by making password change mandatory before deploying our devices into your IoT solution. With a required password change before even enabling the system, your security is vastly increased.
Firewall and VPN
Two of the most prominent security features are a Firewall and a VPN. A Virtual Private Network establishes safe access between remote private networks, encrypts data and provides anonymity while browsing the internet. It also has many security protocols in place that further increase the security of your network. Next is the Firewall, which can have a set of custom rules on who can access your network and devices. You can set who can access the data within your network and who gets rejected and basically, it acts as a barrier between secured and unsecured networks.
Finishing thoughts
To wrap things up, let’s take one more quick overview of what you should focus on when looking for a suitable device for your IoT project. First, you must decide what scale IoT project you are taking on, which lets you plan how much you wish to invest and what additional hardware you might need to solve all the connectivity issues.
After that, you must plan out your solution carefully. Planning will let you answer the question of what exact functionality you are looking for in your devices. Remember to take into consideration the reliability of the supplier and the product. Will you access all the additional information you might need and support if you encounter a problem?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Key advantages of RutOS: Security
https://teltonika-networks.com/resources/articles-archive/key-advantages-of-rutos-security/
Key advantages of RutOS: Reliability
https://teltonika-networks.com/resources/articles-archive/key-advantages-of-rutos-reliability/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/10/27/comparing-solar-energy-harvesters/