New Life for Embedded Systems in the Internet of Things
The Internet of Things (IoT) is no longer a fanciful vision. It is very much with us, in everything from factory automation to on-demand entertainment. Yet by most accounts, the full potential of interconnected systems and intelligent devices for changing the way we work and live has barely been tapped. Up until now, IoT software solutions have largely had to be built from scratch with a high degree of customization to specific requirements, which has driven up the cost and complexity of development and deterred many prospective entrants to the market. What have been missing are developer tools that alleviate the costs associated with building the foundational infrastructure—the “plumbing” of their solutions—so they can focus on optimizing the core functionality and bring solutions to market more quickly with less cost. Wind River® is addressing these challenges with new solutions that have the potential to expand the market for IoT by reducing the cost and complexity of development. This document outlines the challenges that IoT poses for developers, and how Wind River solutions can help overcome them.
Summary
This Wind River white paper explains how modern platform approaches and developer tools can revitalize embedded systems for the Internet of Things by removing repetitive infrastructure work so teams can focus on application value. It compares RTOS and Embedded Linux choices, examines virtualization and platform components, and presents architecture and lifecycle practices that speed time-to-market and improve security for IoT devices.
Key Takeaways
- Evaluate when to use an RTOS versus Embedded Linux based on device constraints, latency needs, and service complexity.
- Design consolidated device architectures using virtualization and partitioning to isolate functions and improve reliability and security.
- Adopt reusable platform components and middleware to eliminate custom "plumbing" and reduce development cost and time.
- Implement secure lifecycle practices such as secure boot, OTA updates, and device management to maintain IoT products in the field.
Who Should Read This
Embedded systems engineers, technical leads, and architects with some firmware or embedded Linux experience who need guidance on architecting, selecting, and accelerating IoT device software stacks.
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