We live in an increasingly digital world, where nearly every electronic device we touch will be connected, monitored and analyzed, extracting more and more data from IoT devices to make smarter decisions. How do we make these devices—from smart-home applications to medical wearables—easier to use, more secure and energy-efficient? It requires a lot of technology advances, from wireless protocols and connectivity interfaces to the tiny chips and modules on the boards.
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The number of IoT devices worldwide is forecast to almost double, from $15.1 billion in 2020 to more than $29 billion in 2030, according to Statista. These applications are increasingly driving requirements for faster data processing, higher-speed connectivity, lower latency and stronger security, while also being energy-efficient and interoperable.
In the March/April 2024 issue, we look at the range of wireless protocols used in smart-home applications and a selection of wireless system-on-chips (SoCs) powering them; IoT development kits that streamline the development process; hardware security for chips; and security strategies for remote patient monitoring (RPM) solutions.
The IoT is a global network consisting of networked things that provide seamless communication at any time, in any location and with any device, and these “things” can be physical or virtual objects that can be detected and integrated into the communication network, contributing writer Stefano Lovati said.
Making these things or devices interoperable, secure, reliable and energy-efficient is a challenge, resulting in an evolving development of wireless technologies. Lovati gives us a rundown of key wireless network protocol options, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Thread, ZigBee, Matter, LoRaWAN and Z-Wave, providing the basics on their uses, benefits and drawbacks.
Lovati also provides some insight into the wireless SoCs that power some of these smart, wireless devices. In addition to selecting the right wireless protocol, it requires a careful choice of wireless SoCs or modules to optimize the IoT design.
One way to evaluate and select the right wireless SoC or module is by using IoT development kits, and it is increasingly becoming more important. Embedded.com’s 2023 embedded market survey found that nearly one-third of embedded design is dedicated wholly or partially to IoT applications.
How do many developers start their designs? They use development kits or boards. Hardware-development tools, including dev kits, are one of their big requirements to help them accelerate their designs. These IoT dev kits include microcontrollers (MCUs) or SoCs, sensors, actuators and radios. In addition, with over one-third of embedded designs incorporating wireless technologies, according to the survey, many kits also provide cloud connectivity and support wireless and cellular connectivity to reduce design complexity.
Chipmakers are also prioritizing the integration of strong security features into hardware components and are tackling potential threats in the IoT ecosystem with hardware security technologies like secure elements (SEs), trusted execution environments (TEEs) and secure MCUs, Lovati said. Another big area of emphasis is on industry efforts, such as PSA Certified, in enhancing IoT security, he added.
Security is a big challenge because of the variety and number of connected devices in an IoT ecosystem and their limited resources, and embedded systems in IoT devices are prone to security vulnerabilities, Lovati said. Secure hardware technologies, such as SEs, HSMs, TPMs and TEEs, encompass a range of security features to protect IoT devices.
While security is of prime importance in all IoT devices, connected health raises some additional challenges. One of those applications is RPM solutions. “There is a growing volume of connected RPM devices in use and a growing variety of ways in which they can be attacked,” said Vinay Gokhale, vice president of business development at Thirdwayv.
Connected monitoring and dose-delivery devices like continuous glucose monitoring devices and insulin pumps “greatly improve lives and health outcomes but also open the door to safety and security risks in an increasingly dangerous digital world,” he said.
However, with many legislative and regulatory mandates or guidelines moving the industry toward an internet of medical things that builds on proven, multi-layered security strategies, it is proving successful in applications like diabetes management and medication adherence, Gokhale said, and can be extended to pacemakers, cardiac monitors and many other safety-critical connected RPM devices.
Also in this issue is an APEC 2024 roundup of new power products announced at the show. APEC was the place to highlight the latest and greatest developments in SiC and GaN power ICs. Many of these devices feature higher integration for performance improvements as well as space and cost savings.
We also look at the top 10 MEMS and sensors introduced over the past year. To help enable advanced features in smart devices, automotive, industrial and medical applications, sensor manufacturers have focused on developing new features that deliver lower power consumption while shrinking package size and easing implementation into new designs.
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