A critical need of deeply embedded systems is to keep the communication system easy to implement and use. While the 802.11 protocol makes an ideal candidate for communication for these devices, many manufacturers specialize in the art of their own product and not in wireless IP communications.
Often, there’s no room in a critically priced product for more memory to run an operating system, which requires an off-theshelf driver offered by traditional 802.11 solutions. These drivers are created for complex operating systems, such as Windows, Windows Embedded CE, or Linux.
A significant benefit of a solution like the Microchip and ZeroG 802.11 example is the ease of implementation to the developer. Along with the basic networking features of security, infrastructure, and ad hoc, the stack supports various services required by a deeply embedded product developer.
Stack-supported services include ICMP, HTTP, SSL, DHCP, FTP, SMTP, SNMP, TFTP, DNS, and Telnet. These are sufficient for serving Web pages, sending and receiving data files, and handling e-mail services. Customers benefit because they can minimize code-space requirements by selecting only the services they require, time-to-market is accelerated, and they can focus on device application and the user interface, rather than on the underlying communications protocol.
SUMMARY
The Internet of things is about connecting a diverse set of simple, deeply embedded devices to the tools we already use. It allows servers and other instruments that can work in the background to provide a clearer understanding of what is happening— whether the interest is in energy conservation, product maintenance, health and safety, or just information retrieval.
The Microchip/ZeroG 802.11 solution is designed for deeply embedded devices. It considers the speed, bandwidth, and latency needs of embedded devices, which are much less than what most demand for their day-to-day Internet connectivity experience.
As a result, the solution is much lower in power and easier to use than standard IP-connection alternatives. It’s also compatible with the cost constraints of deeply embedded devices. These characteristics allow the system developer to concentrate on application development rather than on networking knowledge. While it is said that the Internet of things will progress to a billion new connected things by 2011, most of these things will be in embedded and deeply embedded devices. The unique characteristic of IP connectivity is that having devices connected and providing improved efficiency isn’t the only benefit.
The real return is the progression of benefits that will result from the interconnecting of devices to a wider and automated information database. This can include better performance through longer operation within optimal ranges, new revenue streams that give users simplicity in dealing with things that otherwise go into disrepair, and increased sales pull-through via product and information co-marketing.