A sneak peek of two IoT platforms
allows developers to save time and cost while they streamline
connectivity to the cloud services.
A
new crop of the Internet of Things (IoT) development kits is
simplifying design work while streamlining the last mile that links
embedded systems to the cloud. This article will present two case
studies that allow IoT designers to quickly implement their ideas with a
combination of modular hardware and software solutions.
PI Development Hardware
First,
take UrsaLeo kit from RS Components (RS), which comes with
pre-registered access to the Google Cloud. The IoT kit allows developers
to configure their own dashboards and charts, so they can set
event-based text or e-mail alerts and run Google analytics.
The UrsaLeo sensor kit allows developers to collect and analyze data on a dashboard within minutes. Image courtesy of RS Components.
The
IoT platform is based on a Silicon Labs Thunderboard™ 2 sensor module
which is ready to connect to the Google Cloud services. The module
contains sensors for temperature, humidity, UV, ambient light,
barometric pressure, indoor air quality, and gas detection. It also
features a digital microphone, a 6-axis inertial sensor, and a Hall
sensor.
Portable Software Agent
A
portable software agent from Ayla Networks is another use case showing
how IoT platforms are simplifying connectivity to the cloud services. It
allows IoT developers to select any cellular or Wi-Fi module and have
it connected to the Ayla IoT cloud without a lengthy certification
process.
Generally,
for a specific connectivity chip or module, IoT designers have to build
software and then have it certified. That inevitably results in time
and cost overhead. What Ayla has done here is bypasses this need to
generate source code to port software on a specific connectivity module.
A view of how a communication module pre-loaded with a portable software agent facilitates connectivity to the cloud. Image courtesy of Ayla Networks.
The development kits explained in this article are a testament of how IoT platforms can play a vital role in quickly adding application enablement capabilities to the connected embedded systems—and how IoT developers can focus on their business priorities instead of getting stuck into the IoT's connectivity labyrinth.
What other IoT kits have caught your eye recently? Let us know in the comments below.
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