wireless
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IoT over BLE in 10 minutes with Microchip Curiosity and MikroElektronika Clicks
Goal: The following describes how to build a simple Internet of Things (IoT) data streaming application over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) using the Microchip Curiosity High Pin Count (HPC) development board, MikroElektronika Bluetooth and gyroscope Clicks, and the MPLAB X integrated development environment (IDE). We begin by configuring Curiosity’s onboard 8-bit PIC16F18875 microcontroller (MCU) [...]
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Four tips for assessing BLE module data sheets
Bring some salt. Bring a lot of salt, actually. You’re going to need it if you’re working on a product design and need to select a Bluetooth module from the stack of data sheets trying their darnedest to get you to pick their solution. There’s a reason these aren’t called “fact sheets.” These are sales [...]
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Driving Wi-Fi, zigbee, and Thread coexistence in the 2.4 GHz band, part 2: Managed coexistence
Wireless coexistence studies and mitigation technologies for unlicensed 2.4 GHz frequency bands have been around for at least 20 years. The issue is that different 2.4 GHz wireless technologies meet different needs for the same devices, and therefore must operate simultaneously without noticeable performance degradation. This two-part article discusses the growing need for a [...]
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Driving Wi-Fi, zigbee, and Thread coexistence in the 2.4 GHz band, part 1: Unmanaged coexistence
Wireless coexistence studies and mitigation technologies for unlicensed 2.4 GHz frequency bands have been around for at least 20 years. The issue is that different 2.4 GHz wireless technologies meet different needs for the same devices, and therefore must operate simultaneously without noticeable performance degradation. This two-part article discusses the growing need for a [...]
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Turning the Industrial IoT toolbox Blue(tooth)
Interview with Mats Andersson, Senior Director Technology, Short Range Radio Product Center, u-blox Given recent specification updates, what is Bluetooth’s outlook in the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) sector? ANDERSSON: Bluetooth 5 introduces several enhancements on top of those enabled by Bluetooth low energy (BLE) technology that further allow Bluetooth to move from a cable [...]
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Flexibility to update firmware, a key to IoT devices
Internet of Things (IoT) devices are being introduced into the market at a rapid pace – from home appliances to medical devices to cars – as manufacturers must stay ahead of their competitors with new innovations and the flexibility to adopt or integrate new technologies. Designers must build flexibility into their products to meet [...]
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Which IoT protocol should I use for my system?
Embedded systems using sensors and connectivity are not new to developers. However, using these elements with multiple additional Internet technologies is. Internet protocols (IPs) are not new, but dedicated IPs for the Internet of Things (IoT) are, and they are used to help shape system capabilities. There are multiple IP application layer protocols above [...]
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2017 embedded wireless landscape: LPWA standards seek Industrial IoT connections
Shortly after acquiring semiconductor IP vendor ARM last fall, Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son predicted a future with 1 trillion connected devices. Although it’s unclear exactly how Son reached that number, what is undeniable is that, however many devices are eventually connected, the majority will belong to the Industrial IoT (IIoT). Meanwhile, telecom companies in [...]
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Wireless coexistence and interference: The connected car conundrum
Automotive electronics manufacturers have to be good jugglers to keep the connected car revolution moving forward despite the ever-increasing complexity and costs of implementing applications based on vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P), vehicle-to-network (V2N), vehicle-to-grid (V2G), vehicle-to-home (V2H), and eventually vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications. The world is converging in many ways and boundaries between [...]
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Possible 802.11p, LTE-V automotive wireless coexistence underscores test necessity for V2X and connected cars
The infrastructure required for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications is slowly being tested and deployed by governments, automotive manufacturers, and technology companies, but different technologies and unique geographies are a challenge that must be overcome as the U.S., Europe, and Japan each pursue separate connected car strategies. An example of this is the [...]
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Low-power wide-area network standards, advantages, and use cases
The Internet of Things (IoT) may represent more innovation and change than any other technological development in our lifetime. By instrumenting the world with low-cost sensors, consumers, businesses, cities and entire countries have the opportunity to change the way value is created by providing ground truth data to transform outcomes, markets, and economies. With technology [...]
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The OpenFog Reference Architecture: A baseline for interoperability in the IIoT cloud-to-things continuum
Fog computing concepts have been floating in the ether for some time now, but it seems that industry has been challenged to put the theoretical models behind the architecture to use in the real world. Recently, however, the OpenFog Consortium released the OpenFog Reference Architecture (RA), a foundational document that will enable interoperable semiconductors, [...]
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The landscape of wireless things: Business dynamics, vertical markets, LPWA technology, and industry challenges
The phenomenon of ubiquitous connected sensors providing key data and further processing of that data in the cloud to deliver business insights presents a huge opportunity for many players in the electronics and software industry. The Internet of Things (IoT) is less about wireless radios and technologies. It is more about the combination of [...]
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Cybersecurity for connected consumer devices: A lack of standards, expertise
Connected consumer devices have been commandeered recently during multiple cyber attacks, largely because immense cost pressures have limited the use of satisfactory security technologies and development practices. However, as the large organizations targeted by these attacks experience economic loss, Bernard Vachon, Director of Embedded Software Engineering at embedded design services firm Cardinal Peak forecasts that [...]
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zigbee evolution continues with wireless IoT security updates
Since 2002, the zigbee alliance and its member companies have created standards, certification programs, and tools to develop interoperable products for the low-power wireless Internet of Things (IoT). With the release of the ZigBee 3.0 standard (now referred to simply as zigbee) in early 2016, an enhanced toolbox has been provided for product designers [...]
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RF testing: The basis for automotive V2X
Automated vehicles can safely navigate the road only if they have precise knowledge of the environment and traffic situation. A wide variety of sensors and cameras already provide some of this information. Additional information is supplied by using wireless technologies to connect vehicles. To ensure that safety-related data messages are received even under poor [...]
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LoRa networks in buildings reduce infrastructure costs
LoRa-based low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) technology is not only an attractive solution for long distance outdoor connectivity; it is also extremely convenient for use in buildings. One of the flagship projects in this field is geolocalization infrastructures in potentially challenging buildings due to thick walls and interference by electrical equipment. The benefit LPWAN delivers is [...]
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A look at NB-IoT and LP-WAN from the top
The low-power, wide-area networking (LP-WAN) market is beginning to take form, with technologies such as LoRa, Sigfox, and LTE Cat-NB1 (formerly NarrowBand-IoT (NB-IoT)) looking to fill the void left by sunsetting 2G networks that connected a variety of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices. While this sector promises to be a significant contributor to the [...]
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Bluetooth and market trends in mesh networking
Of all the design decisions associated with an Internet of Things (IoT) deployment, the most fundamental is the choice of network architecture. Particularly when dealing with wireless machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, the selection of an appropriate network topology has significant ramifications on the cost, power consumption, and bandwidth requirements of the devices and infrastructure that comprise [...]
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IoT endpoint protection and good cyber hygiene
Protecting Internet of Things (IoT) endpoints from malicious cyber threats has become a significant issue now that networks of connected devices are being deployed in every market from retail to critical infrastructure (CI), but for embedded devices in particular, the challenges of adding comprehensive security remain the same as always. Resource limitations, legacy devices, [...]
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Map data as co-pilot: Extended scope for autonomous driving
In this decade, highly automated driving is the goal of every car manufacturer. New players have entered the market while traditional car manufacturers gradually improve driving assistance functions until they finally become completely independent from the driver. The newcomers have less experience in actual car manufacturing, but great know-how in machine learning and interaction [...]
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IoT interop across the OSI model
The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model is the foundation of Internet communications, including for devices connected to the Internet of Things (IoT). However, the wide variety of existing communications technologies and protocols that plug into this framework has resulted in significant interoperability issues that often force IoT device manufacturers and end users to adopt [...]
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Building better benchmarks for IoT systems
Benchmark testing is a favorite of electronic engineers, as it provides a quick reference on performance, power consumption, latency, or other component metrics that can have a significant impact on an overall system. Component benchmarks are widely available from organizations like the Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark Consortium (EEMBC), and measure everything from the energy efficiency of [...]
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IT, OT, and vying for control of the IoT connectivity platform
Internet of Things (IoT) “platform” has become a term as nebulous as “cloud” was a decade ago, partly because the technologies are still taking shape. However, there are clear differences between an IoT connectivity platform that serves industrial markets and those for the consumer IoT, such as reliability, security, and integration with highly specific [...]
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Edward Snowden and data security for the Internet of Things
A projector fired up in a moderately sized conference room at The Boulders Resort in Carefree, AZ on Monday, and from it appeared the image of a young man dressed in all black wearing rimless glasses. A day or two’s worth of stubble suggested fatigue although he was very much alert, and a green screen [...]
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AWS, Microchip deliver trust anchor for end-to-end IoT security
Digital certificates, such as X.509 used by the transport layer security (TLS) protocol, are ingrained in almost every aspect of our digital lives. Whether sending a secure e-mail, checking a bank account balance, or performing any other action that requires an encrypted online connection, these certificates authenticate the identity of parties involved in the [...]
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Z-Wave opens up as smart home connectivity battle closes in
As Internet of Things (IoT) concepts took hold and started to become realities a few years back, one of the first challenges realized was interoperability between wireless protocols. Different vertical markets and applications often employ different protocols tailored to the specific use case. Some of these protocols have been standardized; others have not. In all, [...]
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The evolution of high-frequency precision microwave components for ADAS and active safety applications
In the near future, dangerous driving will be a thing of the past. Unskilled and careless drivers will be mitigated by a host of active electronic systems that improve safety by taking many decisions out of drivers’ hands. These advanced driver assis...
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V2X test beds for faster, cleaner, safer transportation
Every day on the drive home from work I hit a two-mile stretch of road with nine traffic signals. As if that weren’t bad enough amidst rush hour, the lights aren’t synchronized (at least not properly). I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat trapped behind a red at signal four and watched signals [...]
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Fast FOTA update tutorial for the Internet of Things
Learn how to leverage Node.js, Python, and the MediaTek Cloud Sandbox to push firmware updates over-the-air instantly to a LinkIt Smart 7688 Duo hardware development kit (HDK). Goal: The following describes how to use SSH and the MediaTek Cloud Sandbox to deploy firmware over-the-air (FOTA) updates to a MediaTek LinkIt Smart 7688 Duo hardware development [...]
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A Maker’s take on “build versus buy” for data stream networks
Recently, I set out to build a smart thermostat to monitor the ambient room temperature in my home and chart these values on my Android phone. I wanted to track the temperature of my house from anywhere in the world and get notified when the values exceeded a threshold. Seems unassumingly simple, right? When I [...]
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Leveraging embedded industry standards for flexible IoT gateway designs
Market research firm VDC emphasized in a recent study that Internet of Things (IoT) gateways are the essential link between heterogeneous local sensor networks and enterprise applications. The following case study explores the challenges of implementing such a solution, and how MyOmega Systems Technologies was able to develop a uniquely flexible and secure IoT [...]
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Trends and tradeoffs of implementing multi-standard wireless in IoT devices
While Internet of Things (IoT) device manufacturers have a growing number of connectivity options when defining next-generation systems, misjudgment of the fast-changing network landscape can leave those products off the grid, literally. This has led many to hedge their bets by supporting multiple wireless standards in the same system-on-chip (SoC), which helps safeguard against [...]
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Current and future possibilities with wireless energy harvesting
Energy can be found everywhere – in the movement of doors and windows or machine components, the vibration of motors, changing temperature or variances in luminance level. These energy sources, which usually remain unused, can be tapped by mea...
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Fundamentals of IoT device management
Four fundamental device management requirements exist for any Internet of Things (IoT) device deployment: provisioning and authentication, configuration and control, monitoring and diagnostics, and software updates and maintenance. Here, each of these are defined. Once an Internet of Things (IoT) device is installed, it is not a “fire and forget” scenario. There will be [...]
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IT-centric IoT device management using Java and Eclipse Kura
Java-based device application frameworks in the Open Services Gateway initiative (OSGi) model can speed development of Internet of Things (IoT) gateways and applications, as well as offer advanced remote management capabilities not available thr...
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IoT continues momentum as new integration in MCUs emerges
Wireless connectivity is a big driver in the world of IoT. Combining wireless protocols with compute power, power management, and sensor technologies has opened the door to a wide variety of IoT applications. In this feature, we’ll look at how...
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Bluetooth’s third trick – Mesh networking for IoT
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is working on a mesh networking specification it hopes to release in the second half of 2016 that could be a game changer for the smart home and connected buildings. In this interview with Erret Kroeter, VP of Marketing at the Bluetooth SIG, he offers a preview of [...]
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A Unified Data Platform for IoT transport protocol interoperability, part four – Automated analytics
This multi-part series addresses the need for a single data interoperability model that unifies data exchange across multiple transport protocols (including SMTP, MQTT, CoAP, DDS, BACnet, and others) via an extension layer. Such a layer must be simple and extensible to enable plug and play interoperability and universal adoption amongst humans, machines, and applications [...]
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A Unified Data Platform for IoT transport protocol interoperability, part three – Universal runtime for software-defined machines
This multi-part series addresses the need for a single data interoperability model that unifies data exchange across multiple transport protocols (including SMTP, MQTT, CoAP, DDS, BACnet, and others) via an extension layer. Such a layer must be simple and extensible to enable plug and play interoperability and universal adoption amongst humans, machines, and applications in [...]
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A Unified Data Platform for IoT transport protocol interoperability, part two – Normalizing data
This multi-part series addresses the need for a single data interoperability model that unifies data exchange across multiple transport protocols (including SMTP, MQTT, CoAP, DDS, BACnet, and others) via an extension layer. Such a layer must be simple and extensible to enable plug and play interoperability and universal adoption amongst humans, machines, and applications [...]
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Evaluating Bluetooth Smart – What IoT developers need to know about getting connected
This article serves as an initial guideline to help those with little-to-no RF or Bluetooth expertise get started on Internet of Things (IoT) designs and get to market quickly. The IoT landscape continues to grow at a rapid pace. Between fitness and ac...
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Maximizing cloud value with strategy before connectivity
Connected embedded systems are all about the data – enabling information access now, or fueling analytics in the future. Addressing the right questions will help uncover a manageable path to connectivity, enabling cloud efficiencies where they make sense today and keeping business poised for inevitable evolution. Connecting edge devices to the cloud is technically something [...]
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A Unified Data Platform for IoT transport protocol interoperability, part one
This multi-part series addresses the need for a single data interoperability model that unifies data exchange across multiple transport protocols (including SMTP, MQTT, CoAP, DDS, BACnet, and others) via an extension layer. Such a layer must be simple and extensible to enable plug and play interoperability and universal adoption amongst humans, machines, and applications [...]
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Network virtualization technologies scale IoT into 5G
As Internet of Things (IoT) devices go online, network demands are slated to increase dramatically. For many, 5G is the answer, but the underlying core infrastructure must also be enhanced to enable resource provisioning that is dynamic, cost effective, and highly reliable. Network functions virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN) have been refined over [...]
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How to build a smart home thermostat with WyzBee
The following steps describe how to effortlessly build an end-to-end application that remotely monitors and controls heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems (HVAC) using WyzBee and its add-on THINGS. The remote thermostat application utilizes WyzBee’s inherent multiprotocol wireless abilities and advanced optimization techniques to achieve design efficiency. WyzBee is a comprehensive Internet of Things platform that [...]
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Moving toward plug & play: Top 5 considerations for enterprise IoT integration
As an enterprise embarks on any new Internet of Things (IoT) initiative, the prototype phases tend to be fairly smooth because the systems supporting the surge in IoT are becoming more mature. There are several prototyping platforms available that include a flexible hardware device, software development kits (SDKs), pre-integrated data services, and connectivity, allowing a [...]
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Moving toward plug & play: Top 5 considerations for enterprise IoT integration
As an enterprise embarks on any new Internet of Things (IoT) initiative, the prototype phases tend to be fairly smooth because the systems supporting the surge in IoT are becoming more mature. There are several prototyping platforms available that incl...
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NFC: Now for children?
Near field communication (NFC) combined with the latest Internet of Things (IoT) technology is creating a generation of mini-consumers; whilst good for retailers, is it good for society? Undoubtedly stretching back to the invention of money itself, gen...
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Market analysis: I’d hate to burst your IoT bubble
Tech bubble. Overhyped. Confusion. All of these have been used to describe the Internet of Things (IoT) over the past year, and not one of them is a term to use when laying out plans for a board of directors. But amidst all the excitement, doom, and gloom (depending how you see it), it’s important [...]
Brandon Lewis, Technology Editor
Jonathan Kaye, Laird
Hardik Patel, Microchip
Christian Legare, Micrium
Dave Kjendal, Senet
Kailash Narayanan, Keysight Technologies, Inc.
Victor Berrios, Zigbee Alliance
Dr. Thomas Bruggen, Rohde & Schwarz
Thomas Barthel, Elektrobit Automotive
Edgardo Menendez, AVX
Bhavana Srinivas, PubNub
Dan Demers, congatec
Frank Schmidt, EnOcean GmbH
Walt Bowers, Eurotech
Doug Migliori, ControlBEAM
Mark Bowyer, Anaren
Catherine Ter Horst, Dedicated Computing
Jim Brandt, wot.io
Jim Brandt, wot.io
Rory Dear, European Editor/Technical Contributor- 1
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