IoT Hardware – The Backbone of Smart Devices
In this article, we will be going over IoT hardware. First, we will try to understand IoT hardware, why it is essential, and what you need to be looking for while selecting it.
Finally, we will conclude by looking at 7 fantastic and perfect examples of IoT hardware providers by looking at their versions and features. So pay attention, take notes, and read till the end for the best benefits!
What is IoT hardware?
We have seen that an IoT ecosystem consists of 4 essential interrelated components – sensors/devices, protocol, data processing, and UI. In other articles, we have covered protocols and UI (IoT software) in extreme depth. So this article will focus solely on sensors and devices, AKA hardware.
The sensors in the hardware components convert information obtained in the outer world into data for analysis. These include data regarding the process or environmental surroundings like temperature, fluid flow in the pipe, air quality, etc.
But when we say ‘hardware,’ we mean the entire package. This package may vary by different vendors/providers, but they are all the same. Apart from the devices like sensors and actuators, we must also consider other hardware like the wires, the connecting board (breadboard), and the brain that connects to the computer and runs codes.
Yes, the “brain” is the board that directs how the components connected to it are connected by executing computer code. You will understand it better as we look at some examples of IoT hardware providers.
What To look for while choosing IoT hardware?
There are many IoT hardware out there, but you must choose it to suit your specific needs and use-case scenario. We must take into account every detail, like requirements for performance, timeline and expected number of prototypes, the use case, and the operating environment where you will deploy your device. Let us look at a few things you must remember while choosing IoT hardware.
1. Connectivity required by the device
We already said that the connectivity or protocol required for enabling communication between the hardware devices is extremely important. Therefore, you can choose from various protocols to match your desired need.
For example, if you are deploying devices in urban areas, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth may be viable choices. Still, cellular has better mobile coverage for devices on the move, such as fleet management devices. LPWAN is excellent for devices that need to limit their power consumption and has been deployed in rural areas.
2. The amount of data processed by the device
Think about it. A water meter will need to process way less data than a smart video system. Hence it would be best if you considered the hardware needs of your device and how much processing power and storage it will need on board.
3. Purpose of the device
IoT devices are used in various files and domains. These include simple ones like soil moisture sensors and very complex ones like computer vision video security systems. It is why you must choose your IoT hardware to meet the purpose of your use-case scenario.
7 best IoT hardware platforms
Let us take a good look at the 7 most used and extremely popular platforms of IoT hardware by discussing their latest versions and notable features.
1. Raspberry Pi
Raspberry Pi is one of the most used IoT hardware platforms. In short, Raspberry is a single-board computer that runs Linux. One reason it is common is because of active online communities. In these communities, developers can share successes, ask questions, and collaborate on projects. It helps to fuel growth rapidly in the development of new IoT solutions. Let us look at some aspects of Raspberry Pi.
a. Connectivity
Raspberry Pi supports many protocols and connects its boards via Ethernet cable. Most raspberry Pi boards also enable wireless connectivity with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
b. Power management
It is the one field in which Raspberry Pi is behind its competitors. It lacks power management capabilities such as sleep and suspend modes. Hence, if you need such functions, you must search for other options.
c. Processing and Storage
Specific Raspberry Pi boards offer a range of data storage and processing capabilities, with more to be added.
d. Data acquisition
Selected boards of Raspberry Pi come with multiple data input options and built-in memory. In addition, Raspberry Pi has an excellent reputation for dependability, so don’t worry. You are in safe hands!
Here are some of the various Raspberry Pi versions used for multiple purposes.
a. Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+: this version of Raspberry Pi comes with a 1.4GHz 64-bit quad-core processor, Bluetooth 4.2/BLE, faster Ethernet, dual-band wireless LAN, and Power-over-Ethernet support
b. Raspberry Pi 1 Model B+: this version is the last revision of the original Raspberry Pi model. Raspberry Pi 1 Model B+ has more USB ports and GPIO pins, better audio, Micro SD, and a neater form factor.
c. Compute Model 4: This is a Raspberry Pi version designed for deeply embedded applications. This IoT board is best suited for those who intend to make a serious enterprise application.
2. Arduino
Arduino is mainly used for DIY prototyping. Why DIY? Many support resources are available, along with community support and their own open-source software to use with their products. Let us compare Arduino by these 4 factors:
a. Connectivity
Like Raspberry Pi, Arduino also allows many options for adding wired and wireless protocols like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Some specific boards like MKR include support for NB-IoT, LoRa, and SigFox.
b. Power management
Most Arduino products have sleep modes for saving power, including options for standby, idle, and power-save modes.
c. Storage
Arduino saves data onto a connected SD card or sends it to a connected computer. Most of the pieces also have built-in RAM used to store data temporarily.
d. Data acquisition
In Arduino, we can manage Data acquisition through data logging into an SD card, using Wi-Fi to send data to the cloud, or in real-time through the hardware’s serial port.
Let us look at some most used versions of Arduino.
a. Arduino MKR family: the MKR family boards from Arduino are the latest and greatest as these wireless connectivity boards are designed for Internet of Things development due to their hardware size and low power consumption.
b. Arduino YUN 2: This version of Arduino is specifically designed for Internet of Things projects by providing Wi-Fi-enabled connectivity. These boards can also communicate with Linux distribution
3. Pycom
Pycom hardware offers development boards, low-power modules, expansion boards, and shields. Their company also has a full line of software, supports several networking options, and offers community support like Arduino and Raspberry Pi. Let us compare Pycom against the 4 aspects:
a. Connectivity
Pycom supports various protocols like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LoRa, Sigfox, LTE Cat-M1, and NB-IoT.
b. Power management
A few selected hardware of Pycom can function in power-saving mode, where you choose how often your device will connect to the network and how long it will remain connected.
c. Storage
Generally, Pycom boards save data onto a connected SD card or send it to a connected computer.
d. Data acquisition
Pycom provides many options for data acquisition, including a data acquisition tool integrated with its software.
4. Particle
One of the strongest pillars of Particle is the industrial-grade connectivity modules they offer. They also provide development kits created for IoT developers as they have a platform for building and managing IoT devices. Let us compare the Particle with the 4 aspects.
a. Connectivity
Like other platforms, Particle supports several connectivity options like Wi-Fi, cellular (2G/3G/LTE), and Bluetooth Low Energy.
b. Power management
All hardware from Particle has “stop mode,” which is a sleep function that you can configure based on when and how you want your device to wake up.
c. Storage
All the boards of the Particle have onboard flash drives for data storage and can add SD cards easily.
d. Data acquisition
All hardware of Particle can direct data to flow into your business system, and the hardware is compatible with many of the top cloud management systems.
Here are some of the most used versions of Particle:
a. Argon: Argon is a development board that can connect to the Internet over Wi-Fi.
b. Boron: Boron is a development board that can connect to the Internet over cellular networks.
c. B series: This version of Particle is an enterprise-grade, production-scale version of the Particle Boron.
d. E series: The Particle E series kit is designed to scale your IoT project.
5. SODAQ
This company provides low-power IoT solutions using alternative energy sources, as their hardware focuses mainly on asset tracking. It can also withstand heavy-duty industrial use. Let us see how SODAQ measures up by comparing it against the 4 factors.
a. Connectivity
Connectivity in SODAQ depends on the product you choose. Some support Wi-Fi, cellular connectivity, and LTE-M. depending on the model,
other boards from Particle also support NB-IoT, LTE-M, LoRa, and more,
b. Power management
Power management is SODAQ’s strongest pillar. As we saw in the introduction, they provide low-power IoT solutions using alternative energy sources. Not only do they rely on solar panels for energy, but the sensors and boards function in ways that conserve power.
c. Storage
Most of SODAQ’s IoT boards and microcontrollers can process incoming sensor data and send it to storage hardware or the cloud through various connectivity types.
d. Data acquisition
SODAQ’s IoT boards have sensors that are helpful for tracker development, including GPS, accelerometer, and magnetometers.
6. Adafruit
Adafriut provides open-source hardware for people who are new to the domain. They sell IoT hardware from other companies, one of which is their own Adafruit Feather line of products. “Feather” allows engineers to create IoT projects of all kinds, including pet tracking, remote monitoring, air quality detection, and control. Let us look at how Adafruit measures up with its competitors by comparing it with the 4 factors.
a. Connectivity
This company sells IoT boards that include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LoRa, and radio connectivity options.
b. Power management
“Feather” can either draw power from a computer via a MicroUSB cable or with a lithium battery. The cherry on top is the hardware is configurable to go into a power-saving mode.
c. Storage
Depending on your model, Adafruit’s boards have some built-in storage, and some even have slots to add on SD cards for additional storage capabilities.
d. Data acquisition
The Feather lie of Adafruit makes data logging easy, and you can add different sensors and shields to collect different types of data.
Let us look at some of the top-grossing versions of Adafruit:
a. Adafruit Feather Huzzah32: This IoT development board is packed with everything you need to prototype a connected project rapidly.
b. Adafruit Feather 32u4 blue fruit LE: If you want an IoT development kit designed around Bluetooth low energy, the Adafruit Feather 32u4 blue fruit LE is for you.
c. Adafruit Feather 32u4 basic proto: If you care about battery, look no more, you have found your match. This board is designed solely around power.
7. SparkFun
“Making the world of electronics more accessible is the mission of Sparkfun. So it opened a whole subcategory dedicated to cellular IoT products and accessories. They have everything ranging from LTE antennas to their own cellular IoT board. All of them are available for sale in their online stores. So let’s see how SparkFun measures up with the others.
a. Connectivity
The IoT board offered by SparkFun can augment to support Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cellular LTE, Cat M-1, NB-IoT, and more.
b. Power management
SparkFun also provides power management add-ons that allow you to run your prototype in power-saving mode.
c. Storage
Sparkfun also offers a range of data processing and storage add-on components.
d. Data acquisition
The starter kits and IoT development boards provided by SparkFun are often simple but include everything you need for adding on data acquisition components.
Apart from these, there are so many platforms out there that prove IoT hardware. So you need to choose according to your requirements.
Summary
As you have seen, hardware of an IoT ecosystem is crucial. It is because, without it, the protocol, cloud, and UI are all a waste. You have learned what IoT hardware is, why it is essential, and what to consider while selecting it. We have concluded by looking at 7 fantastic examples of IoT hardware providers by looking at their versions and features.