According to Intel IoT is expected to be a multi-trillion-dollar market, with 50 billion devices creating 44 zettabytes (or 44 trillion gigabytes) of data annually by 2020. But that widely cited 50 billion IoT devices in 2020 number is clearly not correct! Forecast of 50 Billion Devices by 2020 Is Outdated. In 2017 we should be talking about about some sensible numbers. The current count is somewhere between Gartner’s estimate of 6.4 billion (which doesn’t include smartphones, tablets, and computers), International Data Corporation’s estimate of 9 billion (which also excludes those devices), and IHS’s estimate of 17.6 billion (with all such devices included). Both Ericsson and Evans have lowered their expectations from 50 billion for 2020: Evans, who is now CTO of Stringify, says he expects to see 30 billion connected devices by then, while Ericsson figures on 28 billion by 2021.
Connectivity and security will be key features for Internet of Things processors in 2017. Microcontroller (MCU) makers will continue to target their products at the Internet of Things (IoT) in 2017 by giving more focus on battery life, more connectivity of various types, and greater security. The new architectures are almost sure to spawn a multitude of IoT MCUs in 2017 from manufacturers who adopt ARM’s core designs.
ARM will be big. Last year, ARM’s partners shipped 15 billion chips based on its architectures. The trend toward IoT processors will go well beyond ARM licensees. Intel rolled out the Intel Atom E3900 Series for IoT applications. And do not forget MIPS an RISC-V.
FPGA manufacturers are pushing their products to IoT market. They promise that FPGAs solve challenges at the core of IoT implementation: making IoT devices power efficient, handling incompatible interfaces, and providing a processing growth path to handle the inevitable increase in device performance requirement.
Energy harvesting field will become interesting in 2017 as it is more broadly adopted. Energy harvesting is becoming the way forward to help supplement battery power or lose the need for it altogether. Generally researchers are eyeing energy-harvesting to power ultra-low-power devices, wearable technology, and other things that don’t need a lot of power or don’t come in a battery-friendly form factor.
Low power wide area networks (LPWA) networks (also known as NarrowBand IoT) will be hot in 2017. There is hope that f LPWA nets will act as a catalyst, changing the nature of the embedded and machine-to-machine markets as NB-IoT focuses specifically on indoor coverage, low cost, long battery life, and enabling a large number of connected devices. The markets will become a kind of do-it-yourselfers paradise of modules and services, blurring the lines between vendors, users and partners. At the same time for years to come, the market for low power wide area networks (LPWA) will be as fragmented and is already in a race to the bottom (Sigfox, said to be promising costs approaching $1 per node per year). Competing technologies include Sigfox, LoRa Alliance, LTE Cat 1, LTE Cat M1 (eMTC), LTE Cat NB1 (NB-IoT) and other sub-gigahertz options almost too numerous to enumerate.
We are starting to see a battle between different IoT technologies, and in few years to come we will see which are winners and which technologies will be lost in the fight. Sigfox and Lora are currently starting well, but telecom operators with mobile networks NB-IoT will try hit the race heavily in 2017. Vendors prep Cat M1, NB1 for 2017: The Cat M1 standard delivers up to 380 Kbits/second over a 1.4 MHz channel. NB-1 handles up to 40 Kbits/s over 200 kHz channels. Vendors hope the 7-billion-unit installed base of cellular M2M modules expands. It’s too early to tell which technologies will be mainstream and which niche. It could be that cellular NB-IOT was too late, it will fail in the short term, it can win in the long term, and the industry will struggle to make any money from it. At $2 a year, 20 billion devices will contribute around 4% of current global mobile subscription revenues.
New versions of communication standards will be taken into use in 2017. For example Bluetooth 5 that adds more speed and IoT functionality. In 2017, we will see an increase in the number of devices with the new Bluetooth 5 standard.
Industrial IoT to gain traction in 2017. Industrial applications ultimately have the greater transformative potential than consumer products, offering users real returns on investment (ROI) rather than just enhanced convenience or “cool factor”. But the industrial sector is conservative and has been slow to embrace an industrial IoT (IIoT), but is seems that they are getting interested now. During the past year there has been considerable progress in removing many of the barriers to IIoT adoption. A global wide implementation of an IIoT is many years away, of course. The issues of standards and interoperability will most likely remain unresolved for several years to come, but progress is being made. The Industrial Internet Consortium released a framework to support development of standards and best practices for IIoT security.
The IIoT market is certainly poised to grow. A Genpact research study, for instance, indicates that more than 80% of large companies believe that the IIoT will be essential to their future success. In a recent market analysis by Industry ARC, for instance, the projected value of the IIoT market will reach more than $120 billion by 2021. Research firm Markets and Markets is even more optimistic, pegging IIoT growth at a CAGR of 8% to more than $150 billion by 2020. And the benefits will follow. By GE’s estimate, the IIoT will stimulate an increase in the global GDP of $10 to $15 trillion over the next 20 years.
Systems integrators are seeking a quick way to enter the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) market. So expect to see many plug and play IoT sensor systems unveiled. There were many releses in 2016, and expect to see more in 2017. Expect to see device, connectivity and cloud service to be marketed as one packet.
IoT analytics will be talked a lot in 2017. Many companies will promise to turn Big Data insights into bigger solutions. For industrial customers Big Data analytics is promised to drive operational efficiencies, cut costs, boosting production, and improving worker productivity. There are many IIoT analytic solution and platform suppliers already on the market and a growing number of companies are now addressing industrial analytics use.
In 2016 it was all bout getting the IoT devices connected to cloud. In 2017 we will see increased talk about fog computing. Fog computing is new IoT trend pushed by Cisco and many other companies. As the Internet of Things (IoT) evolves, decentralized, distributed-intelligence concepts such as “fog computing” are taking hold to address the need for lower latencies, improved security, lower power consumption, and higher reliability. The basic premise of fog computing is classic decentralization whereby some processing and storage functions are better performed locally instead of sending data all the way from the sensor, to the cloud, and back again to an actuator. This demands smarter sensors and new wireless sensor network architectures. Groups such as the Open Fog Consortium have formed to define how it should best be done. You might start to want to be able to run the same code in cloud and your IoT device.
The situation in IoT security in 2016 was already Hacking the IoT: As Bad As I Feared It’d Be and there is nothing that would indicate that the situation will not get any better in 2017. A veritable army of Internet-connected equipment has been circumvented of late, due to vulnerabilities in its hardware, software or both … “smart” TVs, set-top boxes and PVRs, along with IP cameras, routers, DSL, fiber and cable modems, printers and standalone print servers, NASs, cellular hot spots, and probably plenty of other gear. IoT world at the moment is full of vulnerable devices, and it will take years to get then replaces with more secure devices. Those vulnerable devices can be used to make huge DDoS attacks against Internet services. The 2016 October 21 cyberattacks on Dyn brought to light how easily many IoT devices can be compromised. I expect that kind of incidents will happen more in 2017 as DDoS botnets are pretty easy to build with tools available on-line. There’s no question that everyone in the chain – manufacturers, retailers and consumers – have to do a better job securing connected devices.When it comes to IoT, more security is needed.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
How to Automate Your Home With Your Voice
https://www.hackster.io/gopalamlekar/how-to-automate-your-home-with-your-voice-c8b754
Here is a demo of voice-controlled home automation using Amazon Alexa and PubNub data stream network.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How embedded Linux accelerates IoT development
https://opensource.com/article/17/3/embedded-linux-iot-ecosystem?sc_cid=7016000000127ECAAY
You’ll find that the quickest way to build components of an IoT ecosystem is to use embedded Linux, whether you’re augmenting existing devices or designing a new device or system from the beginning. Embedded Linux shares the same source code base as desktop Linux, but it is coupled with different user interface tools and other high-level components. The base of the system is essentially the same.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Frederic Lardinois / TechCrunch:
Microsoft’s business-centric IFTTT competitor Flow updates with improved workflows for groups, and PowerApps platform gets Azure Functions integration
Microsoft launches updates to PowerApps and Flow
https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/17/microsoft-launches-updates-to-powerapps-and-flow/
Microsoft’s business-centric IFTTT competitor Flow and its ‘low-code’ PowerApps platform are both getting major updates today. While these are obviously different services that solve different issues, both aim to help non-developers make better use of their existing data and services without having to write their own code. While Flow, at its core, uses the if-this-then-that model, PowerApps allows you to build your own desktop and mobile applications from scratch.
Work less, do more
Create automated workflows between your favorite apps and services to get notifications, synchronize files, collect data, and more
https://flow.microsoft.com/en-us/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Marie Mawad / Bloomberg:
Actility, Paris-based Sigfox competitor in IoT connectivity space, raises $75M Series D from Bosch, Inmarsat, Foxconn, Orange, and others
Bosch, Inmarsat Back Startup That Links Canals to the Internet
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-04-12/bosch-inmarsat-back-startup-that-links-canals-to-the-internet
Actility, the European startup battling with rival Sigfox to connect things from fuel tanks to Amsterdam’s canals to the internet, has raised $75 million from investors in a bid to win business in the industrial sector.
Actility sells services like monitoring how much fuel Belgians have in their heating tanks at home, or alerting the city of Amsterdam when the water is too high in its canals. It’s seeking to tailor to industrials by connecting objects to a wireless network to help automate anything from supply chain to lights and heating in a building or factory.
While Actility played a part in developing a network protocol specific to connecting objects, it has relied on an alliance called LoRa, involving partners from IBM Corp. to Cisco Systems Inc. and a bunch of phone carriers, to build its services on top of partner networks.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hackaday Prize Entry: Another Internet Button
http://hackaday.com/2017/04/17/hackaday-prize-entry-another-internet-button/
Of course, to reach this button-pressing Nirvana, someone has to make the buttons. There are plenty of contenders for the prize of One Button To Rule Them All, the one we’ll probably have seen the most of is Amazon’s Dash. Today though we’re bringing you another possibility. [Hendra Kusumah]’s A.I.B. (Another IoT Button) is as its name suggests, a button connected to the Internet. More specifically it’s a button that connects to IFTTT and allows you to trigger your action from there.
Hardware wise, it couldn’t be simpler. A button, a Particle Photon, some wires, and a resistor. Then install the code on the board, and away you go. With a small code change, it also works with an ESP8266.
A.I.B (Another IoT Button)
Super Simple IoT Button. Easy to build and easy to program
https://hackaday.io/project/20425-aib-another-iot-button
Internet Button Has been around for the past few years since the IoT concept become popular. Particle.io itself which this project is based on, already sell its own internet button which cost another $30 from the photon hardware.
This project is another cheap and simple solution on how to build your own internet of things button.
If you don’t have particle photon hardware you also can build this using esp8266 based boards (wemos, nodemcu, etc). all you have to do is do a simple modification on the code
Tomi Engdahl says:
IKEA enters the smart lighting fray
http://www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/2017/03/ikea-enters-the-smart-lighting-fray.html?cmpid=enl_leds_ledsmagazine_2017-04-12
After dabbling in smart lighting in continental Europe, home furnishing retail giant IKEA is now bestowing its imprimatur on the concept, broadening its rudimentary line in Europe, introducing it to the US, and in trademark fashion positioning it as more affordable than rival products already on the market.
Helping to keep the wares within a certain price point, the Swedish-inspired, Dutch mass merchandiser excluded at least two features that other smart bulb makers such as Philips Lighting tend to offer: color, and compatibility with Google, Amazon, or Apple voice control systems.
IKEA’s new Trådfri line starts as low as £15 ($18.70) in the UK for a single remote-controlled bulb that can dim or brighten via a stylish IKEA handheld “steering wheel.”
A £29 ($36) version of the same bulb includes three different warmth settings. Neither bulb connects to the Internet or responds to smartphone apps.
But at £15 and £29, the limited functionality might hook consumers on smart lighting, which has remained a niche market as consumers balk at much higher price tags for fancier systems, such as the £150 that UK retailers currently charge for a full-color, Internet-connected, voice-capable, three-bulb starter kit version of Philips’ Hue line.
The IKEA entry-level bulbs fit existing sockets and do not require any other expenditure. For example, users do not have to first purchase an expensive starter kit the way some vendors require.
At the top of the Trådri line, IKEA is charging £69 ($86) for two variable temperature and dimmable bulbs controllable by a smartphone app that allows personalized settings and presets. Like with the £29 bulb, warmth has three settings — a 2200K warm glow, a 2700K warm white, and a 4000K cool white. The £69 kit includes the two bulbs and an Internet gateway that lets consumers use the Trådri app to control lights from phones or other computers. The system taps ZigBee wireless protocols.
Curiously, the Internet gateway will not initially allow users to control lights from another location via the Internet — a common selling point for smart lighting — although IKEA says it will add that capability in the fall.
IKEA’s Trådri line also includes a £25 motion sensor, as well as various LED light panels and what IKEA calls “light doors” that range in price from £55 to £100.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Swansea University smart bandage trials ‘within 12 months’
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-39590851
Bandages which can detect how a wound is healing and send messages back to doctors could be trialled within the next 12 months, scientists have said.
The bandages would use real-time 5G technology to monitor what treatment is needed and also keep track of a patient’s activity levels.
The work is being led by Swansea University’s Institute of Life Science.
It forms part of the £1.3bn Swansea Bay City deal which aims to create a 5G test hub for digital innovation.
“That intelligent dressing uses nano-technology to sense the state of that wound at any one specific time.
“It would connect that wound to a 5G infrastructure and that infrastructure through your telephone will also know things about you – where you are, how active you are at any one time.
“Sometimes we revere doctors so much that we tell them all is well but all of the evidence is there before them in this 5G world, so the clinician and patient can work together to address the challenge.”
Experts in nano-technology would develop the tiny sensors while 3D printers at ILS would be used to produce the bandages which would bring down the cost.
Researchers Working On Smart Bandages That Will Use 5G Data To Relay Health Details, Swansea University Reveals
http://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=452747&full=1
The 3D printed smart bandage is the brainchild of researchers at the Swansea University and uses nano-sized sensors and 5G wireless data. These in-built elements in the bandages will transmit the progress of the wound to the doctor. The bandage also tracks a patient’s activity levels.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smart bandages will use 5G data to track your health
Tests of always-connected dressings should start within a year.
https://www.engadget.com/2017/04/16/smart-bandages-with-5g/
Bandages are usually very mysterious — it’s hard to know how well you’re healing until you unwrap them, and that usually means a trip to the doctor. If Welsh researchers succeed, however, you’ll never have to wonder what’s going on underneath all that cloth. Swansea University is planning trials (due within 12 months) of smart, 3D-printed bandages that will use 5G wireless data and nano-sized sensors to constantly relay details about your health. It would help physicians customize treatment based on the progress of your wound, your location and your activity.
The use of 5G sounds like overkill, but the school’s Marc Clement says this is a chance to offer “resilient, robust bandwidth” that sends a constant flow of data to doctors.
the city of Swansea needs to complete its 5G test hub, while nanotech experts have to finish the sensors. Don’t be surprised if there are delays.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Water Your Lawn Using ESP8266 and Google Calendar
https://blog.hackster.io/irrigate-your-lawn-using-esp8266-and-google-calendar-edd2f7a808ef
Not a fan of cheap irrigation programmers, developer “ClemRZ” solved this first world problem by customizing his system with an ESP8266 module, allowing the sprinklers to be turned on and off remotely over Wi-Fi.
Instead of creating an entirely new UI, ClemRZ integrated it with Google Calendar via a script, using events to command a latching solenoid valve at the right time.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Irrigation-Using-Google-Calendar/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Low-Power IoT: Why Should I Care?
http://intelligentsystemssource.com/low-power-iot-why-should-i-care/
According to Berg Insight, a Sweden-based market research firm, the shipment of global cellular IoT devices will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.7% to reach 530 million units while non-cellular Low Power WAN (LPWA) including LoRa and Sigfox will grow from13.5 million units to 50-100 million in 2022. “LTE-M and NB-IoT are the latest in a long line of cellular standards already connecting hundreds of millions of devices worldwide”, says Tobias Ryberg, senior analyst and author of the report, “Alternative non-cellular LPWA technologies have a very long way to go before they achieve the same prominence.”
IoT has become a worldwide phenomenon. Why is everyone so enthusiastic? In short, it makes us more productive in a meaningful way. Using the cloud /wireless connectivity, IoT provides users with insight which was not available before. The major benefits include cost reduction, time saving and a new platform to generate more business together. It is technology-based enabler that help create new applications every day. The most popular application is in oil & gas and with IoT its process control can be improved. In a typical scenario, the programmable logic controller (PLC) with display can be monitored both locally and remotely. Connecting via cellular to the remote Control Center, relevant information and analytics can be monitored automatically 7/24 and proactive actions can be taken if an emergency occurs during the oil & gas production.
The second most popular application of IoT is in Smart City. Besides using smart lighting to save energy, the light posts with smart cameras mounted at the top using machine vision to capture the traffic condition as well as report accidents automatically can help the city run smoothly by synchronizing traffic lights and alerting drivers that emergency vehicles are approaching. In other words, IoT’s constant monitoring and communication between Control and the Devices/Sensors allows proactive actions to take place.
Low-power IoT
But why low power? In many IoT applications it is important for the remote devices to have long battery life as in the case of wearable health device. There are other applications also demand low-power consumption. In Europe, a self-service bicycle rental place allows customers to check out bicycles using mobile payment. IoT is installed to track the whereabouts of the bicycles until they are returned. Long battery life will provide greater convenience as replacement of batteries only need to take place every few years.
In the USA, Smart Agriculture would be a perfect application. Over the years, agriculture productivity has improved thanks to the invention of machinery and irrigation. But it can get better with IoT. With battery-powered modules installed throughout the field better irrigation and more precise fertigation systems can be designed. Currently, agriculture is taking up the largest share of water consumption so reducing it the IoT way can be significant.
In the early days, LTE cellular technology was not intended for low power. But the introduction of new specification and silicon has changed that. Today, low-power IoT devices can enjoy overall battery life greater than 10 years.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mouser – Single port Ethernet transceivers offer low-power and small form-factor (Microsemi VSC8530XMW-03)
http://www.electropages.com/2017/04/mouser-single-port-ethernet-transceivers-offer-low-power-small-form-factor/?utm_campaign=2017-04-18-Electropages&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=article&utm_content=Mouser+-+Single+port+Ethernet+transceivers+offer+low-power+and+small+form-factor
Available now from Mouser, Microsemi’s single port Ethernet transceivers are low-power, small form-factor Cu PHY with IEEE 802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE). The transceivers are available in a small 6mm x 6mm or 8mm x 8mm single row QFN package. The transceivers feature Wake-on-LAN which offers widest I/O LVCMOS support.
The VSC8540XMV-03, VSC8541XMV, and VSC8541XMV-03 single port Ethernet transceivers have a recovered clock output for synchronous Ethernet applications. The programmable clock squelch control is included in restraining unwanted clocks from propagating and to help prevent timing loops. VSC8540-03 and VSC8541XMV also includes Fast Link Failure 2.0 indication for high availability networks. The transceivers add a programmable threshold for applications where warning of even a probable link drop must be known at the microsecond level (<10μs).
Tomi Engdahl says:
What’s in a Name? Sorting Out the Alphabet Soup of 3GPP Cellular Naming Conventions
https://www.digi.com/blog/cellular/whats-in-a-name-sorting-out-the-alphabet-soup-of-3gpp-cellular-naming-conventions/
The 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) is a global consortium of various telecommunications associations. In the late 1990s, the 3GPP was organized to establish 3G cellular specifications based on evolved Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) specifications within the scope of the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 project of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Since then the scope of 3GPP standards have expanded to cover 4G LTE and evolving standards like LTE Cat 3, LTE Cat 4 and LTE Cat 1. Carriers such as Verizon, AT&T, and Vodafone are rapidly rolling out networks for LTE-M and NB-IoT.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Should I Choose Cellular or LoRa for my IoT?
http://intelligentsystemssource.com/should-i-choose-cellular-or-lora-for-my-iot/
At a fundamental level, LoRa is a low level, so called “Physical Layer” technology, whereas cellular IoT are systems made up of many different technologies and deployments. Some European and Asian carriers are experimenting with using LoRa with a system called LoRaWAN, as an alternative way to connect simple IoT devices to a network. However, most companies, Link Labs included, use LoRa more like Wi-Fi, where a large facility (factory, hospital, several city blocks) needs connectivity to IoT devices using wireless infrastructure.
Whether to use a mobile network for connectivity comes down to a few considerations like: mobility, power consumption, battery life and cost. If a device needs to “just connect” wherever it goes, then a mobile network is the only option. Technologies like LoRaWAN are deployed to make that connection more power efficient and inexpensive. The drawback is that LoRaWAN messages are mostly unidirectional and limited to a handful of bytes and deployments are very limited to date. Applications that need to send more data or have requirements for firmware over-the-air, for example, would not be able to use LoRaWAN.
The newest cellular IoT to appear in deployed networks is LTE Cat-M1. M1 is a 3GPP based 4G standard that narrows the bandwidth of the LTE signal, making chips less expensive and power hungry.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smart Manufacturing: When Factories Go Digital
http://intelligentsystemssource.com/smart-manufacturing-when-factories-go-digital/
Digital – it’s a word that has birthed many buzzwords, phrases, and discussions. For some, it brings to mind a specific type of technology that helps to enable automation, or that streamlines processes. Others hear “digital” and think about the customer experience of real-time data, access, and new business models.
A full palette of technology companies was represented – software, hardware, startups, Internet of Things (IoT), services groups, and IT. They contributed to an agenda that focused on digital trends in retail, finance, healthcare, utilities, government, transportation, smart manufacturing, and other verticals.
The future is IoT
IDC set the stage with some overarching insights on the future direction of digital transformation:
IoT spending will hit $1.3 trillion by the year 2020, with smart manufacturing being the largest segment at 22%1
By 2019, 43% of IoT data will be processed at the edge of the cloud2
Connected things will hit 30 billion endpoints by 2020, and by 2025 that number could reach 80 billion3
More than half of IT spending will be driven by line of business (LOB)4
Amid these changes, businesses are also notably shifting their digital strategies. Kirk Campbell, IDC’s president and CEO, said that one-third of GDP is already digitized and that digital will be the core of what companies deliver to their customers by 2020. He also noted how the cloud is evolving to a version 2.0, where the edge and distributed processing are becoming significant factors in the overall digital infrastructure. Campbell also emphasized that IoT will continue to be verticalized.
A major disruption point for companies driving transformation is how they use digital platforms.
Smart manufacturing: when factories go digital
The conference’s themes closely align with shifts currently happening in the manufacturing sector. As factories become more connected through industrial networking, predictive maintenance and data processing at the edge are becoming more essential to overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), which measures how effectively operations are being utilized. Fog computing at the edge provides an important value in securely processing data at its origination point and then distributing and communicating real-time information that is critical for plant operations. Using a combination of industrial Ethernet switching at the edge for machinery, as well as fog computing platforms, has helped companies like Mazak and Fanuc achieve better connectivity and real-time data and analytics.
“We are at the threshold of reaching scale where businesses are using this technology to change their business.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Navigating Engineering Complexities with the Industrial Internet of Things
http://intelligentsystemssource.com/navigating-engineering-complexities-with-the-industrial-internet-of-things/
I’ve heard that purchasing an extended warranty might be a waste of money. True? Well, on the one hand, it’s a good deal. Today’s products have more embedded software, delivering more functionality, driving complexity skyward. A single software bug could shut down your car, or HVAC system, or refrigerator. And the number of components and the interactions between them leaves engineers struggling to achieve quality objectives.
But, on the other hand, technologies like industrial Internet of Things are helping engineers manage complexity, and helping companies generate new revenue streams. How?
Understanding product behavior
Combining with simulation technologies that have evolved over decades, the IoT enables a new level of understanding of product behavior through what is called a digital twin. A digital twin is virtual representation of product and process behavior, allowing engineers to explore alternatives that would have been unimaginable not long ago.
These alternatives are not only with respect to how a product is designed, they’re about how it’s built, and how it will function within a complex system. Various outcomes can be explored, such as operating efficiency, time to failure, and cost to repair.
Exploring broader scenarios with the IoT
How does the IoT play in this? Today’s products are highly sensored, and provide operational data that can be captured and managed in the cloud. The connection between things allows broader scenarios to be explored, as the operational characteristics of one product can have effects on connected products. The value for engineers is the ability learn about product and system behaviors, and use that knowledge to quickly improve a design to address product deficiencies. Engineers learn by feeding IoT data into the digital twin. This helps them understand the effect of design decisions on predicted behavior.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Gateway
http://intelligentsystemssource.com/how-i-stopped-worrying-and-learned-to-love-the-gateway/
The Four Benefits of Using a Gateway in Your IoT Design
This article will help you navigate through the deluge of IoT information and identify which technology choices will have the biggest positive impact on your upcoming product plans. Selecting the optimal protocol stack for your IoT solution is critical. However, in order to that, we need to talk about the Gateway.
IT’S TIME TO STOP THINKING OF “GATEWAY” AS A DIRTY WORD
We know the term “Gateway” has become a bit of a lightning-rod-issue in our industry, with many arguing against the need for them. Our goal here is to make the logical argument for why we believe gateways are critical for success.
WHY A CENTRALIZED INTELLIGENT GATEWAY IS THE BETTER ANSWER
Here’s four more big reasons why this design is superior to many of the others being considered today.
Benefit 1: No Perceived System Latency
When an occupancy sensor registers movement, the expectation is an immediate response from the devices it is controlling. Some current architectures attempt to route all commands, including rules processing, scenes and groups through the cloud, which can introduce unwanted latency.
Having an on-premises gateway ensures response to sensor input is perceived as immediate.
Benefit 2: Adding and Configuring Smart Devices Simply and Quickly
Commissioning a network, especially a large network, is one of the most time consuming and difficult operations in the network life cycle. Commissioning starts with making sure devices are part of the network (also known as “joining” or “pairing”). It doesn’t end there.
Rather than having to setup each group, and schedule, and rule, the Gateway can be given a small amount of information and use this to create the configuration of the network. Smart.
Benefit 3: Uninterrupted, Internet-Independent Operation
While cloud-based control and monitoring of on-premises IoT devices will continue to be essential, attempting to move all intelligence and routing responsibilities into the cloud has so far proven to be ineffective. This is due to the latency issues mentioned above, but a larger problem involves the need for a constant connection.
In simple terms, having an on-premises gateway creates a reliable backup should internet access be interrupted. When cloud access is unavailable, gateway-based communication continues, allowing users to have uninterrupted control from on-site.
Benefit 4: Easier to Create Rich and Useful User Interface
Every network needs a user interface. Hopefully this is used mostly for management and configuration and used only sometimes for control, since the majority of control should ideally be automated.
Without a gateway, all devices would need to present a reasonable interface for a user application. This would add complexity to each device and would make the user interface development far more difficult.
Summary
Having a gateway do the heavy lifting ensures that users get the seamless, “It just works” control experience they expect; and that building managers get the immediate, “plug-and-play” device installation and management they require.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Industrial IoT (IIoT) – Where is Silicon Valley
https://www.mentor.com/tannereda/resources/overview/industrial-iot-iiot-where-is-silicon-valley-0e660047-febb-4b47-a619-b5afc85f3ec1?contactid=1&PC=L&c=2017_04_17_ic_tanner_iiot_where_is_sv_wp_v2
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has a market forecast approaching $100 billion by 2020, so it has everyone’s attention right now, except, it seems, Silicon Valley.
Turning volumes of factory data into actionable information from the supply chain, to the floor, to operations, and up to management, and potentially to customers, is the key challenge of Industrial IoT deployment.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Hunt For A Low-Power PHY
http://semiengineering.com/the-hunt-for-a-low-power-phy/
The physical layer interface is necessary for a chip to access the outside world, but it threatens to consume increasing portions of the power budget. What can be done to prevent a PHY limit?
Most chips will contain two types of interfaces, parallel and serial. “A serial interface has a serializer/deserializer (SerDes), and the data is run as fast as you can,” explains Kasamsetty. “With the memory interface, or other parallel interfaces, it is accessing more data at a time. You need parallel access to get enough data throughput.”
The PHY design for each is substantially different, and it basically comes down to the timing reference used for each interface.
But clock rate is not everything. “Parallel interfaces have a latency advantage because you don’t have to squeeze everything through a serial channel,”
Conclusion
The design and integration of PHYs cannot be done in isolation. “We have to consider the overall system,” concludes Isaacson. “The expertise that goes into building one of these is not just the design of the analog portion of the PHY, but also in the package design, the board design, the signal integrity, the power delivery, the thermal delivery and, depending upon the memory type, may also lead to a discussion around manufacturing capability and mechanical capability. And if you actually build it, then how do you take the risk out of it? It can encompass a wide range of disciplines to be able to come up with a working product at the end of the day.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Designing Low-Power, MCU-Based Sensor Modules is Easier than Ever
http://electronicdesign.com/analog/designing-low-power-mcu-based-sensor-modules-easier-ever?NL=ED-003&Issue=ED-003_20170417_ED-003_979&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=10660&utm_medium=email&elq2=d5d7a797b8904538b49ad277729a150a
Monitoring and control devices have been around for decades in various forms, but they’re use is expanding in homes as well as in building automation for HVAC, fire safety, and lighting. At the heart of these devices and systems are the sensors that detect the physical characteristic of interest. What makes these devices so advantageous is that microcontrollers can be incorporated to customize and optimize the design to the application. New smaller, lower-cost, lower-power-consumption MCUs are making the design process fast and simple.
Guided by the “less is more” philosophy, companies like Texas Instruments (TI) continue to develop and release new smaller microcontrollers (MCUs) with only a few kilobytes of memory. Such devices with low-power consumption address hundreds of applications that can benefit from them since they can replace standard logic or some analog circuits.
At the heart of a typical modern thermostat design is a low-power MCU with RAM, ROM, or flash along with multiple I/O interfaces (Fig. 1). The temperature sensor is a negative-temperature-coefficient (NTC) thermistor. Its output is converted to digital by an internal analog-to-digital converter (ADC). Other inputs are multiple pushbutton controls.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Week In Review: IoT
AT&T offers tools; IPSO allies with CABA; $186B IoT market.
http://semiengineering.com/the-week-in-review-iot-48/
AT&T Partner Exchange is providing new Internet of Things resources to its value-added resellers and other channel partners. They include the AT&T IoT Starter Kit, an IoT Readiness Assessment tool, and “A Channel Executive’s Guide to IoT.” The new tools work with the AT&T Control Center, the IoT platform the carrier introduced in 2016.
Tech Data is working with Propel GPS to expand its SmartForce Internet of Things portfolio of services
Airgain has agreed to acquire Antenna Plus for $6.4 million in cash, addressing IoT devices in automotive fleet, government, and industrial markets.
NXP Semiconductors is releasing its reference platform for Amazon Alexa, integrating Amazon’s far-field voice recognition technology and the Alexa Voice Service. The reference platform, which includes the chip company’s i.MX applications processors
The IPSO Alliance and the Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA) concluded a reciprocal agreement to collaborate and share information between the organizations, which will work together on IoT interoperability for the connected home and intelligent buildings.
GMO GlobalSign has joined the Wi-SUN Alliance, which promotes interoperable wireless standards-based offerings for the IoT. GlobalSign secures connected devices for the smart city, smart utility, and IoT markets.
AT&T Partner Exchange is providing new Internet of Things resources
https://apextoolkit.att.com/youriotjourney/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Security: where the IoT meets the IT infrastructure
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/eye-on-iot-/4458251/Security–where-the-IoT-meets-the-IT-infrastructure
It’s true that in the animal kingdom there is safety in numbers. But in the Internet of Things (IoT), where billions of devices are expected to be connected within the next decade, the sheer volume of devices isn’t expected to mitigate the security risk. In fact, given that many devices may share the same codebase or hardware design, the numbers will simply increase the risk.
This is the reality of creating a more connected world; it will become easier to infringe personal space both in the real world and online. To some extent modern society has little choice; it needs that level of connectivity in to meet the rising demand for food production, mass transit, and energy distribution. Reconciling these two paradigms of risk and need will be where the emerging IoT meets the established IT infrastructure.
There is much the embedded industry can learn from the enterprise sector, in terms of the technology developed to provide security. Firewalls, authentication, encryption, and intrusion detection have all evolved within the enterprise space. Perhaps the most important thing to understand is that all these technologies are intended to work cooperatively. There is no single solution to security in IT; each technology must play its part.
Unfortunately, this technology isn’t directly transferable from IT to IoT. Putting a firewall in a device intended to communicate with other devices on an ad hoc basis would be difficult, for example (although embedded firewalls do exist). Similarly, intrusion detection may be challenging to implement reliably in resource-constrained devices such as smart sensors and other ‘edge node’ devices. However, authentication and encryption are security techniques that most definitely could — and should — be implemented in the embedded domain.
A significant aspect of the IoT security imperative stems from the way disparate devices will participate. By its nature the IoT will involve known and unknown devices joining and leaving networks on a relatively frequent basis. When those networks are considered ‘local’ and comprise only devices in the local area, the security risk is perhaps limited. But in reality a wireless device can join a ‘local’ network from some considerable distance. Physical barriers such as locked doors and high walls offer little or no barrier to a wireless signal.
Further, even wired interfaces represent a threat where physical access is possible and no security measures have (or can be) taken. These interfaces could be any kind of serial or parallel port, such as PCI Express, CAN, USB, or even (and, as it turns out, quite ubiquitously) JTAG/Boundary Scan. The problem isn’t necessarily the lack of security in the interface itself, but the lack of security in the devices and data that the interfaces connect to and, by extension, its network.
Some work to protect wired interfaces is already being carried out. The introduction of the USB Type C authentication protocol intends to inhibit unauthorized USB Type C chargers and devices from gaining full access to a system. Similar steps should perhaps be taken with other prominent interfaces, particularly those that implement a message-based protocol.
Many of the microcontrollers that will enable the IoT already provide support for encryption and authentication. ARM, for instance, has extended its TrustZone technology to the Cortex-M cores that are popular foundations for IoT designs
Tomi Engdahl says:
How IoT Growth Invites Opportunities and Hackers
http://intelligentsystemssource.com/how-iot-growth-invites-opportunities-and-hackers/
IDC, a global market intelligence firm, projects the total Internet-of-Things (IoT) spending will double to reach $1.3 trillion by 2020. USA alone will be spending $386 billion. (Source: IDC Worldwide Semiannual Internet of Things Spending Guide, version 2016H1). Wireless connection is not new so why the sudden excitement? The emergence of analytics, big data, low cost connections and most importantly the practice of the meaningful use of data has achieved something never imagined possible before.
Advantages of LTE Connection and Challenges
There are many competing offerings of IoT connections in the market. The main advantages of LTE are that it can use the infrastructure already in place including building and operating of cell towers, established channels and billing systems. The costs of such infrastructure involve time, planning, construction, experience, hardware and software installation, finance and management and they can run into billions of dollars. LTE has the competitive advantage of using existing operation to serve new customers and applications.
The IoT opportunities also attracted hackers around the world. In recently years, hackers are more sophisticated and innovative. What used to be disruptive and annoying behaviors have turned into a scheme to distort money from hospitals, banks and business of all sorts. For example, in recently months, hospitals have been attacked by ransomware. Unless they pay ransom to the attackers, their IT systems would not be functional. A lot of these attackers reside overseas and are not under the jurisdiction of the United States. Other attacks include taking over controls of connected vehicles by hackers, malicious software sent to vehicles via the automakers’ software upgrade systems, the disruption of bring down power grids and more. Additionally, the fear of medical devices being hacked has been on the minds of many security experts. Cyberattacks will only get worse. How to overcome these challenges?
Pros and Cons of Discrete Design vs. Modules
Successful IoT connections require integration of software, hardware and wireless technologies. Seamless connection to LTE is easier said than done. On the hardware side, generally there are two approaches; design with discrete components from the ground up versus using a module. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. If the end goal is to have high-volume production, the discrete approach may be more cost effective. On the other hand, for small to medium volume, designing with modules can potentially shorten development (and test) time and bring products to market faster. Even in the high-volume scenario, many designers would use modules for proof of concept and prototyping; then switch to discrete as volume increases.
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Whitepaper: LoRa Technology – Ecosystem, Applications and Benefits
https://www.mobileworldlive.com/new-whitepaper-lora-technology-ecosystem-applications-and-benefits/?utm_campaign=MWL%20Semtech%20WP%20Mar%202017%202nd%20send&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua
The Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) market is often viewed as a technology battleground from which one solution will emerge as the winner and de facto standard.
But LPWAN use cases are so varied that no one technology will meet all requirements, as some LPWAN technologies are better suited for certain applications than others.
Given the size of the LPWAN market and varied nature of applications, there is room and, in fact, a place for multiple complementary options.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Industrial Internet Consortium Provides Stepladder to IIoT Effectiveness
https://www.designnews.com/automation-motion-control/industrial-internet-consortium-provides-stepladder-iiot-effectiveness/80706507756579?cid=nl.x.dn14.edt.aud.dn.20170412
The Industrial Internet Consortium is actively developing testbeds, frameworks, and architectures to help organizations deploy IIoT platforms.
It’s one thing to connect a gazillion devices across a plant, but it’s quite something else to analyze the data for direct action and optimization that delivers measurable value. The Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) – created in 2014 with 268 corporate and government members – has spent the past two years creating test beds of IIoT deployment that work as templates for effective use of plant data.
Shi-Wan Lin, co-chair of the IIC, offered the details of the consortium’s progress in the session Machine Data Analytics in Smart Manufacturing, which was presented at the recent Advanced Design and Manufacturing Conference in Cleveland.
Lin noted that the rationale for the IIC is to turn Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology into value by showing members how to deploy systems and get results from the data in the systems.
“The core idea of the IIC is that it’s about optimization driven by analytics. It’s also about the role of IIoT and analytics in digital manufacturing and a possible architecture,” said Lin (photo, right). “The goal is to overcome barriers for driving the development of the IIoT.”
Creating IIoT Testbeds, Frameworks, and Architecture
The goal of the IIC is to develop the templates for IIoT deployment. While the IIC doesn’t create standards or offer consulting, the consortium does show how IIoT platforms can be developed effectively. “The IIC drives innovation through testbeds and by developing architectures and frameworks to enable interoperability,” said Lin. “The consortium crosses many industrial sectors. While it’s not a standards organization, the IIC provides the framework and architecture. It provides the testbed for standards.”
Using Analytics to Drive Value
The IIC sees the IIoT as a means to deliver value by collecting and analyzing the data the comes from a system of connected devices. The goal is direct, measurable value. “IIoT seeks to connect the things in manufacturing in order to optimize the assets most efficiently,”
Creating the Digital Lifecycle
Lin expects it to take decades for organizations to realize the full value of IIoT systems. Ultimately, the value from IIoT systems will find its way into overall direction of the organization. “This is a journey to improve performance over the next 10 or 20 years. The ability to connect to the assets, to collect the data, and to analyze the data gives us new insights to optimize the system,” said Line. “We turn data into insight, and we turn insight into action. That provides feedback for business planning.”
The IIoT can ultimately be used to create an overall digital representation of product design and production, from the earliest iterations on through to the feedback coming from consumers as they use the product. “We have digitized various stages of the product lifecycle. The goal is to integrate the production cycle with the other stages of the lifecycle, thus creating the digital twin,”
As the IIoT connects a network of devices into a system, multiple systems can also be connected to share data and insights. “In the future, we can have an internet of hundreds, even thousands of cyber-physical systems,” said Lin.
Tomi Engdahl says:
OBD-II Dongle Attack: Stopping a Moving Car via Bluetooth
http://hackaday.com/2017/04/14/obd-ii-dongle-attack-stopping-a-moving-car-via-bluetooth/
Researchers from the Argus Research Team found a way to hack into the Bosch Drivelog ODB-II dongle and inject any kind of malicious packets into the CAN bus. This allowed them to, among other things, stop the engine of a moving vehicle by connecting to the dongle via Bluetooth.
Drivelog is Bosch’s smart device for collecting and managing your vehicle’s operating data. It allows a user to connect via Bluetooth to track fuel consumption and to be alerted when service is necessary. It was compromised in a two stage attack.
The Bluetooth pairing mechanism, called “Just Works”, has been fixed by Bosh by activating a two-step verification for additional users to be registered to a device. The second issue, the ability for a maliciously modified mobile application to possibly send unwanted CAN messages, will be mitigated with an update to the dongle firmware to further limit the allowed commands that the dongle is able to place on the CAN bus.
A Remote Attack on the Bosch Drivelog Connector Dongle
https://argus-sec.com/remote-attack-bosch-drivelog-connector-dongle/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Calendar Interface for Your Internet of Lawns
http://hackaday.com/2017/04/13/google-calendar-interface-for-your-internet-of-lawns/
If you live somewhere where summers are hot and dry, you can instantly tell which homes don’t have automatic sprinklers installed. Or they may have them installed, but like the blinking “12:00” on that VCR of yore, the owners may not have mastered the art of programming the controller. To be fair, the UI on most residential irrigation controllers is a bit wanting, which is the rationale behind letting Google Calendar tell your sprinklers when it’s time to water.
It’s still pretty simple stuff, though, centered around an ESP8266 as it is.
Irrigation Using Google Calendar!
http://www.instructables.com/id/Irrigation-Using-Google-Calendar/
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Smart Switch Board For The ESP8266
http://hackaday.com/2017/04/17/a-smart-switch-board-for-the-esp8266/
With a plethora of IoT projects and inexpensive commercial smart light fittings and mains switches appearing, you might be forgiven for thinking that another offering in this crowded marketplace would be superfluous. But there is always room for improvement in any field, and in this particular one [Xose Pérez] has done just that with his Espurna board.
This board is a very well executed ESP8266 mains relay, with an on-board mains power supply and power monitoring. It was designed with his Espurna (“Spark” in Catalan) custom firmware in mind, which offers support for Alexa, Domoticz, Home Assistant and anything that supports MQTT or HTTP REST APIs.
The ESPurna board, a smart wall switch with power monitoring
http://tinkerman.cat/the-espurna-board-a-smart-wall-switch-with-power-monitoring/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Networking: Pin the Tail on the Headless Raspberry Pi
http://hackaday.com/2017/04/18/networking-pin-the-tail-on-the-headless-raspberry-pi/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Driving Intelligence to the IoT Edge
http://www.techonline.com/electrical-engineers/education-training/tech-papers/4458206/Driving-Intelligence-to-the-IoT-Edge
Life on the edge of the IoT is where creativity knows no bounds. But, this sensor-driven design environment is extremely complex. Small teams need big knowledge in order to drive intelligent, high-value devices to the IoT edge.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Los Angeles Times built a Slack bot that lets the newsroom know when the coffee is ready
Coffeeboy will be on GitHub soon.
http://www.niemanlab.org/2017/04/the-los-angeles-times-built-a-slack-bot-that-lets-the-newsroom-know-when-the-coffee-is-ready/
“Computers are great at mitigating tiny frustrations, like when you walk across the newsroom to the coffee pot and there is none left,” Joe Fox, a graphics and data journalist at the Times whose Twitter header includes a coffee emoji (☕). “We had been talking about some kind of automated coffee system for a while.”
Chris Keller, the Times’ newly hired deputy director of data visualization, came up with a simpler idea: A Raspberry Pi (a tiny basic computer) and a simple USB-connected button. “You push the button when you start brewing a pot, and it sends a message to our Slack channel that says brewing has started,” Fox said. “Eight minutes later, it notifies us that the coffee is ready to drink. It’s also logging the time of each pot so that it can report when the last pot was brewed, and in the future start generating some stats.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
That fancy smart gadget you put in your car could let hackers turn off the engine while you drive
https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/19/that-fancy-smart-gadget-you-plugged-into-your-car-could-allow-hackers-to-turn-off-the-engine/?sr_share=facebook
Example A: researchers at Argus Security have found a flaw in a commercially available Bluetooth-enabled diagnostics dongle that let them to turn off the vehicle’s engine while the car was moving as long as they were within Bluetooth range.
To Bosch’s credit, the company began addressing the issue within a day of being alerted, and publicly acknowledged and outlined their fix the issue here.
Similar flaws have been found in other devices. Meanwhile, more gadgets are tapping the OBD-II port than ever
So do you need to go rip that shiny new dash cam or smart display out of your car? Probably not — but be mindful of the attack vector you’re introducing to the 4,000 pound metal box you’re cruising around in. It’s the owner’s responsibility to stay up-to-date on reports regarding the device’s security, and to keep the device itself up-to-date (a lot of these things are easy to set up and then completely forget).
More crucially, it’s up to the device makers to test the hell out of their devices, hire external firms to try and crack them, and patch bugs as quickly as they responsibly can. Consider building a “red alert” notice/mandatory update into apps for the worst stuff.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft simplifies IoT further
https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/04/20/microsoft-simplifies-iot-further/
The Internet of Things (IoT) is quickly becoming a critical aspect of doing business. In the same way that web, mobile and cloud technologies have powered digital transformation, IoT is the next big catalyst.
Announcing Microsoft IoT Central, a new SaaS solution to simplify IoT
Today, Microsoft is announcing Microsoft IoT Central, a new software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering that reduces the complexity of IoT solutions. Microsoft IoT Central is a fully managed SaaS offering for customers and partners that enables powerful IoT scenarios without requiring cloud solution expertise.
Built on the Azure cloud, Microsoft IoT Central simplifies the development process and makes it easy and fast for customers to get started, making digital transformation more accessible to everyone.
Read more at https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/04/20/microsoft-simplifies-iot-further/#SmSRwHTiP6x9wORW.99
Tomi Engdahl says:
Motor driver fits small IoT devices
http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/other/4458273/Motor-driver-fits-small-IoT-devices
A single-chip 2.6 A driver for brushed DC motors, STMicroelectronics’ STSPIN250 targets battery-powered portable and wearable applications. This low-voltage, energy-efficient driver integrates a power MOSFET bridge and fixed off-time PWM current controller in a tiny 3×3 mm VFQFPN package.
The STSPIN250 offers a low on-resistance power stage, just 200 mΩ total for both high side and low side, and standby current consumption of less than 80 nA
With its maximum output current of 2.6 ARMS, the STSPIN250 can be used in low- to medium-power applications, such as portable printers, POS terminals, consumer devices, and medical and wellness devices ranging from electric toothbrushes to syringe pumps.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Network integration enables Industrial Internet of Things
http://www.controleng.com/single-article/network-integration-enables-industrial-internet-of-things/031674ce07fc4075856ed7798a0dfc28.html
Control Engineering International: It’s easier to implement Industrial Internet of Things applications with network integration, data collection, visualization, and analysis, according to a Control Engineering China interview.
For Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and intelligent manufacturing, enterprises should lay a firm foundation before integrating higher levels. All plant-level equipment should be connected, and all data from connected equipment should be transmitted to a database, explained Daniel Gao, vice president of sales of Red Lion Controls Asia Pacific.
Industrial automation applied
Using the industrial interface protocols, the company developed a series of industrial automation products, including a human-machine interface that eases information integration and data capture. In product development, Red Lion Controls has been attaching great importance to product modularization.
IIoT product update: HMI, controls, networking
The Red Lion Controls GraphiteHMI operation panel enables convenient connection with enterprise equipment, allowing direct modification of setup and writing into a database on the website server. The user experience is excellent, said Daniel Gao, vice president of sales of Red Lion Controls Asia Pacific. In October 2016, Red Lion Controls expanded that platform by launching a new Graphite core control. It may be plugged into the touchscreen to give a PLC with collection, monitoring, and control functions. It also combines IEC 61131-3 programming language control functions with networking, and data visualization.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Connecting controls helps manage assets
http://www.controleng.com/single-article/connecting-controls-helps-manage-assets/84eff393ceaf4bb68a4f574f95f28fc5.html
Asset management: A winning industrial internet strategy starts with connected controls to help systems use more asset data, dynamically adapt in real-time to changing business conditions, and automatically upgrade as needed for better cybersecurity. Advantages include productivity gains of 22% and a maintenance cost reduction of 40%.
With the rise of the industrial internet, the pace of technological advancements has accelerated significantly, and initial tests of more interconnected controls show productivity gains of 22% and a maintenance cost reduction of 40%, among other benefits. Why the hesitation? Advancements are outpacing control system upgrade cycles. Today, the average traditional control system only can use about 3% of data from industrial assets and is unable to dynamically adapt in real-time to changing business conditions. Out-of-date systems also often cannot automatically upgrade internal software and security patches. Risks include productivity loss, security, and system integrity.
To gain and maintain a competitive edge in this new era of software-defined machines, it is no longer enough for a control system to keep a machine running reliably. Machine-level controls need to be smart enough to collect and process data locally and be connected. Connected controllers, like connected people, can take more intelligent actions.
Predictive models, optimization
Such apps require more horsepower, more flexibility, and more connectivity than traditional control systems can provide. To enable these advanced capabilities, control systems are being developed for the age of the industrial internet.
Piloting internet-based controls
For instance, a recent pilot program for the new internet-based control system connected machines such as gas turbines and MRI machines to cloud-computing capabilities.
This has dramatically increased the amount of data captured and can deliver 1,000 times more computing power than standard control systems. By combining the power of data analytics and real-time control at scale, IICS helped improve assets’ performance by 7% and productivity by 22%, reduce maintenance costs by 40%, and increase network and asset security.
Connectivity apps
For instance, a secure health cloud platform uses advanced controls technology from an automation and controls company. The platform collects data from anesthesia machines, analyzes trends, and uncovers insights that improve patient care and boost operating room efficiency.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ethernet cuts automation hardware, labor costs, errors
http://www.controleng.com/single-article/ethernet-cuts-automation-hardware-labor-costs-errors/61811a126aa7aa791d800e1e11e43922.html
Think Again about digital networks: A redesigned automated industrial process with the goal of improving safety and efficiency saved $106,654 in hardware, design, and installation costs by using an industrial Ethernet protocol instead of hard wiring, not counting a two-thirds reduction in potential errors or other project benefits.
Using an industrial Ethernet protocol saved money for industrial system project design, installation, and hardware costs, according to Mike Prokop, CMSE, LSO (certified machinery safety expert via TUV NORD, laser safety officer) and chief electrical engineer at Taylor Winfield Technologies Inc. Among those Prokop worked with on the project was Nick Maillis, electrical engineer, programmer, and co-worker on an industrial process redesign that included 2,700 hazards to mitigate. Prokop described the effort and quantified benefits associated with the efforts as saving $106,654 in hardware, design, and installation costs by using an industrial Ethernet protocol compared to hardwiring. He explained in a presentation at the 2016 General Assembly Meeting for PI North America in September 2016. The savings quantified in the presentation doesn’t include the savings related to a two-thirds reduction in potential errors or other project benefits.
Automated system components
The system uses a failsafe PLC, six enclosures, input/output (I/O) modules, light curtains, non-contact coded magnet safety switches, and safety input modules for zone isolation.
Twenty pushbutton stations have guardlocking; E-stops and interlocks are used with an industrial safety Ethernet network. Three human-machine interface panels are connected via industrial Ethernet; another connects via a related industrial network as a smart client-server, server which connects to a mobile device providing status of consumables, order processing, and alarms.
Thirty variable frequency drives (VFDs) are used, providing standard control over industrial Ethernet. Two industrial Ethernet-enabled laser distance sensors replace encoders on the rail.
Seven robots are controlled via industrial Ethernet for job calls, enabled signals, tooling signals and control, “Removing the need for I/O in a robot controller, which would have been a nightmare,” Prokop said.
Safety communication devices communicate from the primary failsafe PLC to two failsafe PLCs and with 5 slave machine PLCs over industrial Ethernet.
Detailed savings analysis and tables were produced comparing hard-wired costs to use of industrial Ethernet, looking at wiring, safety relays, I/O connections, hardware, and labor, producing more than $106,000 in savings, not counting the cost of potential errors avoided with 1,146 connections with a digital network versus 3,795 with hardwiring, eliminating the need to look for broken wires.
After arrival of the system in 13 semi-trailers, installation took the anticipated three weeks
Tomi Engdahl says:
Four IIoT connectivity challenges for businesses
http://www.plantengineering.com/single-article/four-iiot-connectivity-challenges-for-businesses/8ebe34b3e0ab56dbba478020945ccd9b.html
Companies looking to implement an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) strategy need to address several potential issues as they seek to bridge the gap between operations technology (OT) and information technology (IT).
A Genpact Research Institute survey shows 81% of executives agree that Internet of Things (IoT) adoption will be critical to the future success of their companies, yet only 25% have a clear Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) strategy. As organizations look to develop such plans, one of the biggest challenges is seamlessly enabling devices or “things” that live at the edge of the network.
1. Connecting disparate communication mediums
Very often, industrial networking technologies do not leverage Ethernet as their physical communications layer. Instead, they may use anything from RS232/485 to modems to proprietary wiring depending on the environment and what comprises the system.
2. Using non-standard methods of identification
Unlike IP addresses in the IT world, many industrial things don’t use standard addressable schemes for uniquely identifying themselves on the network. Instead, their schemes vary by vendor and type, and they may or may not have built-in discovery mechanisms.
3. Determining a request/response model
Industrial networks have historically followed a request/response model. If a particular thing is interested in a piece of data contained in another thing, it will make an appropriate connection, request the piece of data, and wait for a response containing the result.
4. Enabling short-term data storage
Within the context of a single industrial network, we may find thousands of things that together may generate several thousand data points. Though this sounds like a small set of data, real-time operations requirements will necessitate these points to be sampled at sub-millisecond rates for data change detection. In the past, this high-frequency data would be simply analyzed, acted on accordingly, and thrown away. As companies move to making this data available to IIoT, thye will need short-term storage to ensure it can be pushed to other parties when they are available.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Digital plant’s value in real numbers
http://www.plantengineering.com/single-article/digital-plant-s-value-in-real-numbers/d0456448e8bad608a06735a63c612517.html
Hannover Messe sessions, displays are focused on how to realize IIoT’s potential as the show celebrates its 70th year.
Even in uncertain global political and financial times, the manufacturing revolution continues to gain momentum. The digital plant is becoming a reality, and it brings with it many questions about the strategic and tactical approaches needed to effectively implement the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).
Technology focus
The five days of Hannover Messe bring more than 200,000 visitors to the sprawling fairgrounds, but even with miles to walk each day, the focus of the trade event remains the challenge of bringing an integrated, digital plant into common practices for large and small manufacturing operations.
Jan Zhang, senior manager of IHS Markit’s manufacturing technology group, will lead the discussion about how the focus of the discussion on robotics has shifted from how quickly the industrial robots market will grow to how robotics technology will help to reshape manufacturing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IIoT’s emergence just a matter of when
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) will continue to grow as more investments are made and technology and skills continue to develop.
http://www.plantengineering.com/single-article/iiots-emergence-just-a-matter-of-when/c7543914730e885dc26da626d3b9a25d.html
This will be remembered as the year that the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) grew up. After so many years of predictions, distractions and industry coaxing, IIoT arrived in 2017. As I look at developments across the industry I see more and more IIoT strategies in progress, with investments being made in infrastructure, technology and skills, and exciting returns being reported on initial projects.
Just as significantly, I see vendors and other industry experts coalescing to build end-to-end solutions that will make IIoT easier to deploy and quicker to yield a return. With so many positive developments, I’m confident IIoT will lie at the heart of every manufacturing facility in 10 years’ time.
My optimism is underscored by a recent survey of 200 manufacturing executives conducted by KRC Research for Honeywell in which nearly 70% of respondents said they plan to invest additional resources in IIoT and data analytics technology in 2017. What’s driving this desire is the cumulative strategic and financial value of their problems: downtime and related losses in efficiency, inadequate staffing, off-spec production and supply chain inefficiencies. They all add up.
IIoT now is acknowledged by industrial manufacturers as having the capability to resolve each of these challenges. So it’s not a question of will the Internet transform process manufacturing—it’s a question of when.
Taking the first steps
As a first step, many early adopters implemented digitization campaigns. Most are reporting excellent early results to the tune of multi-million dollars in savings.
However, for all the success of these pilot projects, there remains a significant number of manufacturers standing still. Indeed, the survey revealed that some respondents are pressing ahead without a data analytics-led IIoT strategy or are not planning to invest in data analytics in the next year.
Their reasons include a lack of understanding of the benefits of data analytics and inadequate resources—specifically, people with data analytics expertise. And disconcertingly, while these companies put off decisions about IIoT, many are working their plants harder than they should: the survey found many respondents feel pressured to continue working under the threat of unscheduled downtime and equipment breakdowns to maximize revenue.
These companies are fighting a battle against time and will start to lag as their competitors surge ahead. The fact that many remain unmoved by IIoT underscores the importance of continued industry education. Many still feel that IIoT requires a sudden and wholesale change in their business. It doesn’t; it can be phased and scaled to a company’s circumstances. IIoT should be viewed as an evolution, not a revolution.
One trend that I believe will have a positive influence over those still undecided is increased partnership among industry vendors, process licensors, equipment experts and consultants to provide joined-up technology solutions that will ease and speed adoption and provide innovative solutions to industrial problems previously thought to be unsolvable.
Cloud-based forums of experts have the potential to deliver advice and assistance, whenever or wherever it is needed. Innovative and flexible offerings such as these are becoming available now through closer industry cooperation.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Prepare your maintenance program for the IIoT
http://www.plantengineering.com/single-article/prepare-your-maintenance-program-for-the-iiot/9494910ccb62d993d41e35b936491d23.html
Companies looking to implement the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) into their maintenance program need to understand its benefits and how they can take advantage of its potential by implementing reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) and condition-based maintenance (CBM).
You’ve read about the Internet of Things (IoT) and its subset, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Gartner’s recent Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies has the IoT rising to what it calls “The peak of inflated expectations” with an estimated 5-10 years before it reaches a “Plateau of productivity.”
IIoT’s promise
What are the potential benefits of using the IIoT for your maintenance operation? Advocates cite many time, labor, and material-saving advantages including:
Interaction with production systems would preempt product losses due to equipment failure and/or unplanned maintenance downtime
Interface with the CMMS to kick out work orders based on current conditions
Equipment such as pumps could be programmed to switch over to back-up systems and redundancies based on conditions
Linkage to MRO inventory to call out parts needed for condition-based maintenance requirements
Realtime readouts via handheld devices to improve effectiveness of time spent on inspection rounds
More detailed feedback to operators to support total predictive maintenance (TPM)
Provide follow-up on maintenance activity to verify it was completed correctly and on schedule
Accelerating defect elimination and financial gains identified from the RCM program.
You’ll need to collaborate with your production, engineering, and quality cohorts to assess hardware and connectivity requirements, implementation costs and data security measures. You’ll need to address integration and communication with existing equipment. Companies can probably use most of the of the sensors and connectivity technology that you already have in place so there aren’t additional costs.
If you are ready to begin planning for an IIoT connected maintenance program, here’s what to consider before diving in.
Understand what the IIoT can do
Here’s an important concept: the IIoT is not so much about automated factories as it is about delivering the full range of services that the equipment in the factories was designed to provide—consistent high quality output at a predictable rate. The same can be said about reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) in general, and condition-based maintenance (CBM) in particular.
Lead with RCM
One byproduct of implementing RCM is an increased awareness of your assets’ needs—this knowledge can help you take advantage of the IIoT’s potential. Manufacturers that do not have an RCM program will have a much longer row to hoe than those who do and are at risk of falling even further behind. Here’s why.
First, a good RCM program includes an equipment criticality assessment to establish consensus on ranking which assets are genuinely critical and to what extent by determining how the failure of an asset can impact output, utilization, quality, safety, environment, failure rate, downtime and wastage.
Assess where you are (and are not)
The ability to effectively utilize the IIoT in a maintenance program will depend on how far you have evolved towards RCM. It will also depend on the fundamentals of planning, scheduling, training, and good communication. Courtesy: Daniel Penn AssociatesThe ability to effectively utilize the IIoT in a maintenance program will depend on how far you have evolved towards RCM. It will also depend on the fundamentals of planning, scheduling, training, and good communication.
Walk, then run
Where are you on the maintenance maturity scale? Have you advanced from reactive to more proactive and predictive maintenance strategies? If you are just now getting work order disciplines in place, don’t have an asset list, or have not updated your preventive maintenance procedures in a few years, adopting the IIoT will only bury you in data you can’t hope to use properly. Get a solid RCM program in place first, prove it out, then start planning for IIoT.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT megatrends on the rise
http://www.controleng.com/single-article/iot-megatrends-on-the-rise/9cb235b1ffe99fc8e50035fe7455c615.html
A report from technology analyst house Vision Mobile uses the mega label to denote the rapid developments in the Internet of Things (IoT) market and what it means for developers and consumers as technology becomes “smarter.”
The trends, progressions, and swings happening in the Internet of Things (IoT) market are no longer just trends. Now they’re called “megatrends.” A report from technology analyst house Vision Mobile uses the mega label to denote what it highlights as a handful of key factors currently being played out in across the IoT developer coalface.
Interdependency matters
Vision Mobile noted that IoT markets are interdependent and that this means that IoT developers will need to work across industry boundaries.
IoT markets (or perhaps we could use the term “locations” or “deployment scenarios”) must indeed be interdependent. The Internet of Showers (IoS) arena must be DNA-linked to the Internet of Connected Bathrooms (IoCB) market, which, in turn, must be logically related to and a family member of the Internet of Hotels (IoH).
Further still, the Internet of Hotels (IoH) is a member of the smart cities market and the smart cities ‘movement’ is, of course, part of a wider drive towards a smarter planet.
Developers working in one corner of the IoT market must think about the wider world in which their software will play out.
Home is where the IoT is
In terms of which IoT vertical holds the greatest number of active software application developers, Vision Mobile estimates that smart home ranks highest, with 1.4 million programmers. This lead is followed by retail at 1.1 million and industrial IoT and wearables at 1 million each.
Smart city, medical and connected car all command just less than one million developers. Possibly too mega a forecast to make, Vision Mobile’s figures may look very different before the end of this decade. The market is, surely, developing and moving that fast
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mouser – Compact LoRa module ideal for smart metering, wearables, tracking, M2M and IoT edge nodes (Murata CMWX1ZZABZ-078)
http://www.electropages.com/2017/04/mouser-compact-lora-module-ideal-smart-metering-wearables-tracking-m2m-iot-edge-nodes/?utm_campaign=2017-04-12-Electropages&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=article&utm_content=Mouser+-+Compact+LoRa+module+ideal+for+smart+metering%2C+wearables%2C+tracking%2C+…
Murata Type ABZ LoRa module, available now from Mouser, is a compact low power wide area network (LPWAN) wireless module that supports the LoRaWAN long range wireless protocol. The module measures just 12.5×11.6×1.76mm and is housed in a metal shielded package. The module includes a Semtech SX1276 ultralong range spread spectrum wireless transceiver and an STMicro STM32L0 series ARM Cortex M0+ 32 bit MCU.
Typical applications for this module include smart metering, wearables, tracking, M2M and IoT edge nodes. Accommodating a wide range of temperatures, the module can operate from – 40C to + 85C.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Chris Welch / The Verge:
Google Home now supports up to six users and can distinguish voice of speaker to provide personalized results, available in US, expanding to UK within months — Up to six people can train Home to recognize their voice — Google Home can now be trained to identify the different voices of people you live with.
Google Home now supports multiple users, but still can’t separate work and personal accounts
Up to six people can train Home to recognize their voice
http://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/4/20/15364960/google-home-speaker-multi-user-new-feature
Google Home can now be trained to identify the different voices of people you live with. Today Google announced that its smart speaker can support up to six different accounts on the same device. The addition of multi-user support means that Google Home will now tailor its answers for each person and know which account to pull data from based on their voice. No more hearing someone else’s calendar appointments.
Training the thing to tell people apart sounds rather easy, and Google is using neural networks to identify who’s who! That’s all kinds of cool.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Medical Tests: Merged Technologies Yield Dramatic Insight
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1331586&
New devices leverage high-performance, low-cost sensing technologies and signal processing to develop radically new ways to non-invasively address medical-instrumentation challenges.
We’ve seen lots of activities in “wearables” and personal health/wellness devices of many types in the past year, with more to come. These small units can track pulse and respiration, cardiac waveforms, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) level, and more.
All of the well-deserved attention that these useful medical and fitness products are getting, however, may be obscuring a bigger picture. Engineers, researchers, and scientists are combining advanced sensor types and technologies — along with complex analog and digital signal processing — to provide new insights into a variety of medical issues and to do so in a low- or no-risk, non-invasive way.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How Makers Can Use IoT to Help the Environment
IoT can be leveraged for a more sustainable future. As makers, we can take action at home.
https://www.sparkfun.com/news/2296
Our water system is currently under major distress. Every year we lose approximately 2.1 trillion gallons of clean, treated water to leaks and other infrastructure issues. With notable population growth, major climate challenges like the drought in California and water quality issues like the Flint Water Crisis, it’s becoming apparent that we need to find better ways to capture and conserve fresh water.
On the individual scale, you can build your own IoT project for water sustainability using our very own Soil Moisture Sensor.
One of the biggest ways in which we mismanage water usage is through over-watering plants and agriculture. The soil sensor features two large exposed pads that function as probes, acting together as a variable resistor. More water in the soil means better conductivity, and therefore lower resistance.
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13322
Tomi Engdahl says:
Networked energy metering and home automation
https://hackaday.io/project/20877-networked-energy-metering-and-home-automation
Networked energy-metering nodes (at 10A 85-265VAC) nodes for home and building automation. And smart capacitive light switches, too!
Networked energy-metering nodes (at 10A 85-265VAC) nodes for home and building automation. As well as energy metering, each node includes a switching relay. RMS, power factor, reactive power, etc are all calculated by the energy metering AFE.
Network-connected devices for home automation and energy intelligence which are small, cheap, powerful, “IoT” ready and offer a satisfying and intuitive, minimalist user interface. The best UI is no UI – something that is intuitive and just happens by magic.
Tiny, well integrated hardware, and extensible, flexible communications standards – support for different options such as WiFi or Bluetooth or 802.15.4/6LoWPAN
The RF communications component is implemented as a separate module, rather than an all-in-one single PCB. The first of several radio modules that I’ll implement will be the familiar Espressif ESP8266.
A 2-channel capacitive touch panel is also implemented, as a light-switch retrofit, with wireless connectivit
Tomi Engdahl says:
Half Baked IoT Stove Could Be Used As A Remote Controlled Arson Device
http://hackaday.com/2017/04/20/half-baked-iot-stove-could-be-used-as-a-remote-controlled-arson-device/
[Pen Test Partners] have found some really scary vulnerabilities in AGA range cookers. They are connected by SMS by which a mobile app sends an unauthenticated SMS to the AGA to give it commands for instance preheat the oven, You can also just tell your AGA to turn everything on at once.
The problem is with the web interface; it allows an attacker to check if a user’s cell phone is already registered, allowing for a slow but effective enumeration attack. Once the attacker finds a registered device, all they need to do is send an SMS, as messages are not authenticated by the cooker, neither is the SIM card set up to send the messages validated when registered.
IoT Aga. Cast iron Security Flaw
https://www.pentestpartners.com/blog/iot-aga-cast-iron-security-flaw/
the latest Aga models are loads more efficient, so I looked in to replacing it. One even features ‘Total Control’ through a mobile and web app. I wanted to know more about its security before spending extra on this option.
Inspecting the mobile app revealed that it simply passes messages to an API. Unsurprising.
However, the mobile app communicates over plain text HTTP. The Android app explicitly disables certificate validation through use of ALLOW_ALL_HOSTNAME_VERIFIER. Even if it did offer SSL, it would thus be trivial for rogues to intercept and modify traffic.
Digging deeper, it turns out that a physical module is added to the Aga. It contains a GSM SIM, to which the customer has to subscribe to Orange/EE (at £6/month).
It looks like this; note the Tekelek branding
The Aga is controlled by SMS.
Seriously, the web app sends text messages to your cooker.
That’s really quite an odd concept, particularly as many Agas are in remote locations in the country so don’t have great mobile reception. Yet internet access and Wi-Fi routers are ubiquitous. So Aga’s choice of mobile comms costs customers >£70 extra per year and doesn’t help those in poor mobile reception areas!
We can only assume that Aga did it this way to keep costs down. A shame, as a Wi-Fi module done right and conventional mobile app/API would be unlikely to have cost them much more to develop.
The web app is where things got quite interesting
Here’s the login and registration page, all over plain text HTTP, just like that mobile app. They hadn’t bothered to protect customer data in transit at all
There’s enumeration of the SIM Card Number. They don’t actually mean that, they actually mean the phone number.
Put in a valid number (i.e. +44 845 712 52 as suggested by the app when you make an invalid entry) and you’ll see that it’s already registered
So those with nefarious intentions could enumerate a list of all the valid Aga cooker phone numbers. Time consuming, but likely effective.
Whilst we’re there, the password policy is only 5 characters. This is starting to get pretty irresponsible of Aga; customers will have their cookers compromised.
But surely there is validation of the number and authentication of messages, right?
Umm, no. There’s no link sent to validate the number or the account. Nothing.
Yes, hackers could turn other people’s Agas off.
All you have to do is simply send a text message to the Aga.
One could also power up people’s Agas when they’re not looking, wasting electricity. They draw around 30 Amps in full heat-up mode, so if you could switch enough Agas on at once, one could cause power spikes. That’s a bit fanciful though.
The web interface also lends itself to spamming the hell out of people using SMS at Aga’s expense.
Disclosure was a train wreck. We tried Twitter, every email address we could find and then rang them up. No response to any of the messages we left.
Come on Aga, sort it out. This isn’t acceptable. Get rid of the silly SMS based remote control module and put in a nice secure Wi-Fi enabled module with mobile app.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Smart Switch Board For The ESP8266
http://hackaday.com/2017/04/17/a-smart-switch-board-for-the-esp8266/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft launches new IoT services for the enterprise
https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/20/microsoft-launches-new-iot-services-for-the-enterprise/?ncid=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=FaceBook&sr_share=facebook
Microsoft is launching IoT Central today, a new Internet of Things (IoT) service that gives enterprises a fully managed solution for setting up their IoT deployments without needing the in-house expertise necessary for deploying a cloud-based IoT solution from scratch. It’s basically IoT-as-a-Service.
In addition, the company is bringing its Azure Stream Analytics to edge devices, making it easier to provision new IoT devices, and it’s launching a completely new analytics service for time series data.
The two most important new services here are probably the launch of IoT Central service and the new Azure Time Series Insights tool.
“While we find that IoT is a big differentiator, one of the things we’re finding in the broader market is that there is still a broad set of skill sets needed to implement IoT solutions,”
IoT Central is fully managed by Microsoft and provides a fully featured solution that abstracts all of the underlying infrastructures away and lets business focus on analyzing their data.
Azure Time Series Insights, which is now available in preview, is actually a new database offering from Microsoft that is based on the same technology the company itself uses to log every single event on Azure (and we’re talking billions of events a day here). While there are plenty of exceptions, IoT data tends to arrive in a time-based fashion
Azure Stream Analytics service can now run on edge devices. This basically means that those devices will be able to run real-time analytics locally without having to send all their data to Azure first.
a single device doesn’t actually produce all that much data, and even a very basic Raspberry Pi has enough power to run this service locally.
Microsoft believes that as IoT becomes a more mature technology, more and more of the intelligence will get pushed out to the edge — and stream analytics marks Microsoft’s first effort in this area.
Microsoft, of course, isn’t the only company playing in this field. George believes that it does have a leg up on its competitors like Google and AWS, though. “When we look across the industry, we see that there are now three hyper-scale clouds on the planet,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT Security is Hard: Here’s What You Need to Know
http://hackaday.com/2017/04/21/iot-security-is-hard-heres-what-you-need-to-know/
Security for anything you connect to the internet is important. Think of these devices as doorways. They either allow access to services or provides services for someone else. Doorways need to be secure — you wouldn’t leave your door unlocked if you lived in the bad part of a busy city, would you? Every internet connection is the bad part of a busy city. The thing is, building hardware that is connected to the internet is the new hotness these days. So let’s walk through the basics you need to know to start thinking security with your projects.
If you have ever run a server and checked your logs you have probably noticed that there is a lot of automated traffic trying to gain access to your server on a nearly constant basis. An insecure device on a network doesn’t just compromise itself, it presents a risk to all other networked devices too.
The easiest way to secure a device is to turn it off, but lets presume you want it on. There are many things you can do to protect your IoT device. It may seem daunting to begin with but as you start becoming more security conscious things begin to click together a bit like a jigsaw and it becomes a lot easier.
Passwords and Password Security
Before we start always remember to change default passwords for every package and device you use. This is the first thing you should do with any connected device. Web security hinges on two goals: keeping the unauthorized from gaining access to resources and ensuring the authorized have access to resources they need.
Passwords should always be hashed. This is a one way process and cannot be reversed if done properly using “salting”.
Old Software with known Vulnerabilities
ATMs are notorious for lagging behind on software updates. This makes them easy targets.
It’s obvious, but well worth saying. Avoid using old software with known vulnerabilities, never use older versions of software. Software is updated for a valid reason. Use the most recent versions, even if the changelog doesn’t mention specific security patches.
If You Don’t Need It, Why Keep It?
Lets assume your device is running some form of Linux. There are many protocols you can use to communicate with the device. For example you may have SMB, SSH, Telnet, FTP, VNC etc. but you need to decide which of these protocols you need and which you don’t.
good bit of advice is to disable root login for SSH and create another account to use. Your root account is the most likely to be brute-forced
Giving Away Too Much Info
Exposing information which may help an attacker form a more complicated attack is a big no-no. Your IoT server might be giving out more information than you thought or even information you didn’t feel was important.
For example, self-written websites may be linking directly to files on the server instead of hiding their actual location. This should be avoided. You have a “web directory” for a reason; your device software expects your files to be in this place and permissions are set up to prevent reach beyond this directory. Don’t open up the back end (non HTTP part) as this could lead to an attacker gaining privileges through a simple bug in a web script in what is supposed to be a secure part of your device.
Cross site Scripting
XSS or Cross Site Scripting attacks are one of the more common attack vectors. This is where the attacker exploits a script
When hosting your own web services that provide submission forms to control your hacked-together IoT thing, make sure you consider XSS. The solution to this is what we call sanitizing data. Of course you should restrict what your web form includes (scrubbing out “script” and other HTML tags). XSS attacks are very common so is the web interface for you IoT device will take input, now is a great time to go and learn as much as you can about XSS.
Physical Access Attacks
Physical access may also be a problem. You may have your device in a location that is public or easily accessible. You need to make sure no one comes along and shoves a USB Killer, or USB hacking tool for example one that shows up as a HID (Human Interface Device) like a keyboard and starts reeling off commands from a pre-configured script. If you don’t need USB make them inaccessible or turn them off through software.
Use Tried And Tested Security Measures
Security through obscurity is not a good idea either, there is always someone out there who is smarter or luckier than you. Try to stick to tried and tested security measures
Future Prevention
Internet of Things devices are being ravenously hunted for sport right now. You need to be vigilant and make sure your devices don’t fall foul to attacks like brickerbot or become a part of the latest IoT botnet. There will be more attacks like this to come in the future. Get ahead of the curve by learning about security and keeping your devices locked down.