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The Raspberry Pi (see “Arduino, Raspberry Pi or BeagleBone?”) is a very popular platform for prototyping, which makes it an interesting platform for the Internet of Things (IoT). Building an IoT device isn’t simply adding an application—a lot of infrastructure is needed to support an IoT solution.
One company targeting IoT on the Raspberry Pi is myDevices with its Cayenne platform (Fig. 1). I talked with Kevin Bromber, CEO of myDevices, about the company’s IoT solution.
Wong: Please describe myDevices and your new offering, Cayenne.
Bromber: myDevices develops IoT platforms and application solutions that simplify the connected world. We announced our versatile device and connectivity agnostic platform in October 2015. With the announcement of Cayenne, we are extending our solution to the developer and maker community with an easy-to-use tool. Cayenne is the world’s first drag-and-drop IoT Project Builder.
Wong: What audience is Cayenne built for, and how do they benefit from it?
Bromber: Developers often do not have the time or budget to build an IoT project from scratch. With Cayenne, we have achieved our goal of providing engineers with an IoT Project Builder that reduces development time to hours instead of months. It is like an easy-to-use website builder, but for IoT projects.
Wong: How does one get started with myDevices?
Bromber: Start by creating your free account at cayenne-mydevices.com. Once logged in, you will type two lines of text into the terminal of your Raspberry Pi. This will install Cayenne onto your Raspberry Pi. After a few minutes, your dashboard will appear with the default widgets and your Pi will be connected.
You can also download the app from the iOS app store (Android coming soon) and put Cayenne on your Pi.
Wong: What types of sample applications or application notes are available?
Bromber: Cayenne will have tutorials available for each device that assist in connecting and wiring hardware to the Pi. While no coding is necessary to connect devices, Cayenne will be offering the ability to write custom scripts in the dashboard.
Wong: What are the core features of Cayenne?
Bromber: The key features include:
• A mobile app to set up, monitor, and control devices and sensors from anywhere.
• Easy setup that quickly connects devices, sensors, actuators, and extensions in minutes.
• Rules engine for triggering actions across devices.
• Customizable dashboard with drag-and-drop visualization widgets.
• Scheduling of lights, motors, and actuators.
• GPIO control that can be configured from a mobile app or dashboard.
• Instant remote access from phone or computer.
Wong: What type of devices can be used with this product?
Bromber: On the business side, Cayenne can be used for cost-effective prototyping, improving business prophecies, and streaming workflow. In the home, Cayenne will allow makers to easily and fluidly control home automation, security, sensors, and lighting, among other things.
Wong: As far as the pricing structure, how would it work?
Bromber: You can sign up for a free Cayenne account at https://www.cayenne-mydevices.com/signup/. myDevices also offers a customizable enterprise platform with a back-end connected-device solution for the manufacturer and an interconnected front-end solution for the end user. For pricing inquiries or to schedule a demo, please visit: www.mydevices.com/contact.
