TMCnet News
Low-cost modules speed IoT development [Emirates News Agency (WAM) (United Arab Emirates)](Emirates News Agency (WAM) (United Arab Emirates) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) As part of their efforts to educate design engineers on their microprocessor architectures, microcontroller vendors have been releasing more low-cost development boards. Many of these are primarily educational or demonstration vehicles highlighting specific attributes of the core processor, but some target service as prototyping platforms for developing Internet of Things devices. Some recent ones come in at less than $20. It may not have all begun with the Arduino, but the advent of that increasingly popular electronics module seems to have triggered an avalanche of microprocessor development boards. The Arduino's original intent was to serve as an educational platform for learning about microprocessors. But it quickly became popular with hobbyists as a control unit for their unique inventions. The support ecosystem of mezzanine modules (shields) and application software grew quickly. That caught the attention of commercial development teams looking to create quick prototypes and proof-of-concept designs. Microprocessor vendors increasingly jumped on the bandwagon and offered development boards compatible with the Arduino's shields, so that these commercial development teams could use the vendors' more powerful microprocessors while leveraging the Arduino support ecosystem. However, the Arduino's limitations also encouraged vendors to create base platforms and offer similar support ecosystems around a more capable foundation. The ARM mbed, Freescale Freedom, TI Launchpad, and BeagleBone are among the most well established of these new baseboards. Many of these platforms now target development for the IoT. And the number keeps increasing. Two recent offerings are the Freescale Freedom KL03 and the Tiva Connected Launchpad from Texas Instruments. Both boards are priced at less than $20. The Freedom KL03 is very similar to the currently available KL02 but uses the upgraded KL03 microcontroller based on the ARM M0+ core. The microcontroller device itself is quite tiny (nearly 15% smaller than the KL02) but incorporates more capabilities. Enhancements include a seven-channel ADC with integrated voltage reference, nine different power modes, and a boot loader built into the on-chip ROM. The Freedom boards can use Arduino shields for functional expansion and cost around $12. They target wearable electronics -- a good match with the microcontroller's small size. By contrast, the Tiva C-Series microcontroller in the Connected Launchpad is based on the more powerful ARM M4 core, which includes DSP-oriented instructions. The microcontroller also includes onboard 10/100G Ethernet MAC and PHY, as well as USB and a host of other serial interfaces. The Launchpad board has space for adding four of the platform's mezzanine cards (called Booster Packs) and comes pre-loaded with cloud-based demonstration software from Exocite to get IoT development off to a flying start. The board's cost, including cloud support, is $19.99. For IoT developers, boards like the Connected Launchpad are tremendous time savers during initial development. Most of them are open-source, with the board design and support software freely available to copy and modify. Together with the large variety of mezzanine boards available for adding plug-in functionality (there are nearly 60 different Booster Packs, for instance), these platforms virtually eliminate the need for hardware design. You simply plug together the functionality you need. Creating a gateway, for instance, can begin with the assembly of the Launchpad with Booster Packs representing WiFi, Bluetooth, and other wireless networks. Then it's on to the coding, and even there you have a leg up with the growing library of open-source software functions developed by the community that has formed around the platform. The trend is bound to continue. Chip vendors have embraced the idea of offering low-cost development platforms in the hopes of attracting developers and winning their business when their design ideas hit it big. They have also embraced the IoT as a potentially huge market for their products. We can expect more of these kinds of development products coming out at rock-bottom prices. (c) 2014 Emirates News Agency (WAM) Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info). |