Presented at the 2013 Design West conference in San Jose, CA, by Mark Benson on April 24th, 2013. ABSTRACT: In the last decade the race has been on to find the next peripheral to enable better embedded systems designs. In 2000, it was LCD integration, USB, and CF; in 2005, it was touchscreen integration, hardware acceleration, and SD; and in 2010, it was cellular radios, WiFi, and security. The next peripheral on the horizon is The Cloud. This presentation gives embedded designers a view of what The Cloud can do for their designs and how to think about it in both technical and business dimensions. To make this relevant, a real-world example is given on how to internet-enable a CNC lathe with off-the-shelf products, treating a broad range of topics such as embedded radio modules, short-range RF protocols, network aggregators, cellular gateways, mobile (virtual) network operators, and application enablement platforms (AEPs).

1. CLOUD 101 FOR EMBEDDED DESIGNERS

2. Abstract
• Attendees will learn about the PROs and CONs
of different connection options for the
Internet of Things.
• The class will cover Ethernet, WiFi, cellular,
and mesh networking options and also talk
about tradeoffs for each (security, reliability,
performance, and cost).

3. What is the cloud?
• Definition: Scalable servers connected to the Internet
that provide certain functionality.
• Some applications in “The Cloud”:
– Salesforce -> Sales, CRM
– Amazon Cloud Drive, Box.net -> Data storage
– Google Apps -> Office productivity
– Mint, Quickbooks -> Financial
• Today, we are talking about “The Cloud” as it pertains to
embedded systems.

4. Market evolution
For anyone who has designed or spec’d a product in the past 12 years, there
has been a race to add the next thing to meet customer needs, improve the
product, drive down costs, keep up with the competition:
USB
Embedded
Products
Serial Ethernet
Bluetooth SD Card
Touchscreen
LCD
Cellular
Flash Storage
SPI
2000
LCD, USB, Ethernet,
Compact Flash
2005
Touchscreen, Video, HW
Accelerators, Wireless, SD
2010
Cellular, WiFi, Security,
Authentication

5. The new peripheral
2000
LCD, USB, Ethernet,
Compact Flash
2005
Touchscreen, Video, HW
Accelerators, Wireless, SD
2010
Cellular, WiFi, Security,
Authentication
USB
Embedded
Products
Serial Ethernet
Bluetooth SD Card
Touchscreen
LCD
Cellular
Flash Storage
SPI
The cloud enables new options:
•Remote diagnostics
•Remote software upgrades
•Remote control
•Asset management
•Simpler hardware
Cloud
2015

6. The opportunity
End UsersEnd Users
Service
Admins
Service
Admins
Site
Managers
Site
Managers
PRODUCTS STAKEHOLDERSCONNECT

7. What can the cloud do?
• Add value by enhancing user experience
• Add revenue by offering new services
• Reduce expenses by improving business processes
and managing firmware updates, support, and data
collection from a central vantage point
• Understand users by analyzing use patterns
• Make better decisions by integrating with existing
business systems

8. Converging perspectives

9. We’ve got problems
• New product categories are emerging
• Vocabulary is not standardized
• Consensus standards are immature
• Differing interpretations of what IoT/M2M is

10. Hierarchical Taxonomy

11. Smart Services
Source: http://trentonsystems.com/

12. Machine Interfaces
Source: http://eurescom.eu

13. Solution evolution
Goal: internet-enable a CNC lathe

14. Embedded webserver
Summary: simple; not highly scalable; IT firewall
issues can be challenging
CNC lathe (server) Computer terminal
(client)
Ethernet

15. Treat devices as clients
Summary: endlessly customizable, complex,
requires IT expertise
CNC lathe (client) Web application
(server)
Ethernet

16. Buy, not make
Summary: leverages existing technologies; focus
on data/stakeholders
CNC lathe (client)
Application Enablement
Platform (AEP)
Ethernet End UsersEnd Users
Service
Admins
Service
Admins
Site
Managers
Site
Managers

17. Add cellular
Summary: increased flexibility; no IT firewall
issues; increased cost
CNC lathe + Gateway
Application
Enablement
Platform (AEP)
End UsersEnd Users
Service
Admins
Service
Admins
Site
Managers
Site
Managers
MNO,
MVNO
CNC lathe + Gateway
CNC lathe + Gateway

18. Optimize cellular
Summary: add short-range RF to reduce cellular
costs
CNC lathe +
Short-range RF
Application
Enablement
Platform (AEP)
End UsersEnd Users
Service
Admins
Service
Admins
Site
Managers
Site
Managers
MNO,
MVNO
CNC lathe +
Short-range RF
CNC lathe +
Short-range RF
Gateway
RF
Aggregator

19. Parting thoughts
• Understand your design goals
– Flexibility vs. cost
– Performance vs. power
• Understand your options
– Modules, aggregators, gateways, cellular networks,
cloud platforms, mobile frameworks
• Focus on your core competencies; buy the rest
• Prepare for the next frontier: federation of
services (CRM, ERP, social networks)

20. We’ve got opportunities
• Bring simplicity where there is complexity
• Design solutions where there are none
• Set lasting consumer precedents
• Provide access to information that drives business decisions
and reduces risk
• Pioneer new territory

21. CLOUD 101 FOR EMBEDDED DESIGNERS