The Meaning of Electronic devices Prototyping

Should your next product or design be an Internet-of-Things product? That may be, should every embedded design always feature Internet connectivity, or machine-to-machine communications, the spot that the possibility exists? There are lots of different perspectives with this question, several positive aspects and disadvantages and pluses and minuses that need to be weighed up. Robots Are Set to Invade Electronics

Although Internet-of-Things connectivity is very popular and hyped currently, it isn’t going to be a worthwhile fit that provides valuable advantages of all devices in all situations.

Internet connectivity provides advantages - data collection and logging together with the data held in the cloud, accessible online from any device around the globe, or the chance for convenient remote access and power over devices online, for example, however type of Internet connectivity brings along with it concerns over security, safety and privacy.

There exists a very slight potential that devices attached to the Internet is usually accessed by unauthorised persons, if simply if exploitable security vulnerabilities exist. This is the serious concern for Internet services that control real, physical hardware which is potentially dangerous if misused, or even for hardware that controls security-critical systems including building access-control systems for example.

Control of security-critical real-world hardware, and the secure and confidential treating personal information (data collected from medical and health data-logging instruments for instance RF pulse rate sensors, as an example, or information at a home automation system that indicates the typical hours that men and women are at home and aren't at home) has to be taken into account when determining to have embedded automation systems in contact with the Internet.

Product designers need to consider if the benefits of Internet connectivity are worthy of the risks. Consumers expect that such data is going to be collected and handled with a bit of degree of privacy and security, and the simplicity of Internet-based data collation and having access to data is only accepted with the market when it doesn’t also come with unacceptable privacy concerns.

When your design incorporates Internet connectivity, can doing all this connectivity bring about a positive, easy buyer or does it potentially result in the user experience more difficult? If your product or design demands the consumer on an existing Wi-Fi or Ethernet network to deliver Internet connectivity, for example, is this inconvenient for many consumers?

Despite the fact that most consumers have already got Wi-Fi networks, will be the product still worthwhile for consumers that don’t? What about when the Internet connection to your LAN, or a mobile or cellular Internet connection if that’s what you’re using, fails? Can your design still function usefully in a environment without Internet connectivity, or perhaps it completely useless?

Can these devices work in a transparent, convenient way for the end user inside an environment the spot that the Internet connectivity is unreliable and will be off-line sometimes? For example, can data be temporarily buffered in local memory whilst the device is off-line, then transmitted to the net service later, reconnecting transparently without user intervention?

Adding Internet-of-Things connectivity to some design can introduce hardware complexity, and other cost to your device. It could possibly mean other increased costs for instance server and hosting costs, the prices of wireless LAN or some other network infrastructure, the price of cellular network access if cellular modems are being used, and potentially the running costs associated with RF regulatory compliance, testing and approval for consumer products which are intentional RF radiators. Such regulatory requirements may be simplified or eliminated should the RF connectivity element of your design is eliminated.

Are these costs worth it for the benefits? Or will you be simply over-engineering, and adding “Internet of Things” connectivity because it’s in vogue and it’s a hot buzzword? Do these features provide value in the context of your distinct product, or is it simply features for features’ sake?

Overcomplicated, over-engineered systems that try and pack way too many features in a single design may suffer from disadvantages like increased hardware cost and size, decreased market uptake resulting from relatively heavy cost, relatively high power consumption, tougher and complicated user interfaces, and greater challenges in attempting to assure the reliability, security, low maintenance and support costs of your design.

Furthermore an increased, more complicated system inevitably has more points of potential hardware (or software) failure, more make an effort to be done in debugging and quality assurance, and much more potential points of security vulnerability.

All this may sound just like the Internet-of-things is a negative point of difference for existing and potential products - however, this couldn’t be more mistaken. You already know that connected tools are the way of the longer term. The key to success in manufacturing, information security and customer support lies in the right design and dealing with a team who view the IoT and how it is usually put to work for your leisure.