An excursion into the internet of things... with a software engineers eye on the product and hardware design perspective

1. THINGAn unexpected journey
Sculpture: “Electrolux Death Ray”
by: Greg Brotherton
at: brotron.com

3. A walk on the hardware side from a networking
guy. As networking and things collide the
search for right-shifting experiences with things
from functional (but sucks) to a unified
experience with well-factored services, devices
and human interactions will be required.
This talk logs the journey of a software engineer
in the shoes of an electronic engineer and
product designer to better understand the
"internet of things".

4. THINGs?
What is the internet of

5. Internet of Things (noun) - a proposed
development of the Internet in which everyday
objects have network connectivity, allowing
them to send and receive data …
– “Internet of Things” - added to Oxford English Dictionary - August 2013

6. – “Internet of Things” - a better definition - Darach Ennis, October 2013
Internet of Things (noun) - a proposed
development of the Internet in which everyday
people can easily network everyday
objects, allowing them to send and receive
data …

7. THINGs
A pre-history of the internet of

8. Starting with electricity (skipping smoke signals etc..)

9. Edison did not invent the electric light. He invented the first
commercially practical incandescent bulb (and first practical
use of electrically interconnected networks) …

10. May 24th 1844. Morse sends first telegraph from Washington
D.C. to Baltimore. The message was “What hath God
wrought”, Numbers 23:23.

11. "Mr. Watson,!
Come here!”
Alexander Graham Bell’s first telephone call
to his assistant Thomas A. Watson.
The Victorian internet of things era begins…

12. – March 10th, 1876
Alexandar Graham Bell.
“Mr. Watson - !
come here. I want
to see you”
Bell’s Lab Notebook: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trr002.html

13. Heathrow RADAR

14.
Ra(dio) d(etection) a(nd) r(anging).
A system for detecting the presence, direction,
distance, and speed of aircraft, ships, and
other objects, by sending out pulses of high-
frequency electromagnetic waves that are
reflected off the object back to the source.
!
!
Origins:
Dr Christian Doppler discovers effect of pitch changes over distance in 1842.!
Dr Heinrich Hertz discovers reflectivity of radio waves in 1886.
!
Initial Application:!
!
Research into electromagnetic DEATH RAYS by British Air Ministry in 1934.
No, i’m not kidding: http://www.doramusic.com/Radar.htm
!
!

15. Henry Tizard
Robert
Watson-Watt
Arnold
Wilkins
Harry Wimperis
Could such a
death ray be
constructed
and used
against
aircraft?

16. Could such a
death ray be
constructed
and used
against
aircraft?
£1,000 standing reward
to anyone who can build
a death ray that can kill a
sheep at 100 yards

17. RADAR - So analog. Much age. Very antique…
RADAR - In theory, it can BBQ sheep at 100 yards…

18. ADS-B - Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast
1090MHz
From Death Ray to Plane to Plane collision avoidance?
Oh the irony…
Cheap SDR
15 quid, ebay

19. github: antirez/dump1090

20. THING
Design a

21. Design a thing
• Design radio mesh network capable using uC
embedded device for home area networking
• Use CAD/CAM and surface mount technology
• Require modular packaging interface for ease of
prototyping wireless sensor, and other internet of
things domains.
• Use free, open source technology where possible

22. THING
Survey existing

23. RF

25. Design a thing
• Design cheap radio mesh network using uC
embedded device for home area networking
• Use CAD/CAM and surface mount technology
• Require modular packaging interface for ease of
prototyping wireless sensor, and other internet of
things domains.
• Use free, open source technology where possible

26. 9.48USD is ~ 5.65GBP for 10. That’s 60p each. #winning

28. THING
Prototype a

29. Prototype
Using Arduino Pro Mini

30. THING
Implement a

31. Circuit Design
Eagle CAD

32. Board Layout
Eagle CAD

33. Create CAM (gerber) files
CAD -> CAM scripts are manufacturing specific

34. Order PCBs, … wait (weeks)
CAD -> CAM scripts are manufacturing specific

35. Solder, test and rework
May (probably will) require another revision or three to
manufacturing before everything is 'good'

36. THING
Evolve a

37. Evolve a thing
• Design cheap radio mesh network using uC
embedded device for home area networking
• Use CAD/CAM and surface mount technology
• Require modular packaging interface for ease of
prototyping wireless sensor, and other internet of
things domains.
• Use free, open source technology where possible

38. Modular?

39. No better platform…

40. …to integrate with!
but how to make the PCBs lego shaped with lego size
holes?

41. Packaging. How?
Dude, you’re a programmer, so …
Write!
Code!

42. 3D shape model
Using OpenSCAD

43. Project 3D to 2D outline
Using OpenSCAD

44. Convert to CAD instructions
Using a simple ruby script
https://github.com/bryanduxbury/falconer/blob/master/dxf_to_eagle.rb

45. Run script in CAD
Using a simple ruby script
https://github.com/bryanduxbury/falconer/blob/master/dxf_to_eagle.rb

46. Design and layout circuit
Routing is hard to master. Don’t trust the auto router!

47. Order PCBs, … wait (weeks)
CAD -> CAM scripts are manufacturing specific

48. Design some more…
More fun to play with IoT the more things you have to
play with!

49. Design some more…
More fun to play with IoT the more things you have to
play with!

50. Design some more…
More fun to play with IoT the more things you have to
play with!

51. Lego mesh networks!
Testing is fun, especially when you add kids…

52. Design a thing
• Design radio mesh network using uC embedded
device for home area networking
• Use CAD/CAM and surface mount technology
• Require modular packaging interface for ease of
prototyping wireless sensor, and other internet of
things domains.
• Use free, open source technology where possible

53. OSS and services used

54. OSS Software
• RF24 - https://github.com/maniacbug/RF24
• RF24 Network -
http://maniacbug.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/rf24network/
• Adafruit NeoPixel library -
https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_NeoPixel
• Adafruit MCP23008 library -
https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit-MCP23008-library

55. Networks all the way down
• Serial communications. Both sides must agree baud rate
Images from: https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/serial-peripheral-interface-spi/all

56. Networks all the way down
• Serial Peripheral Interface. (Used by NRF module)
Images from: https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/serial-peripheral-interface-spi/all

57. Networks all the way down
• Serial Peripheral Interface. Bidirectional
Images from: https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/serial-peripheral-interface-spi/all

58. Networks all the way down
• Serial Peripheral Interface. Daisy Chaining
Images from: https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/serial-peripheral-interface-spi/all

59. Networks all the way down
• Even the LEDs used here embed networking circuitry and
can be daisy chained
4mm
4mm

60. SDLC
Dependencies on
external
manufacturing
processes (eg: new
PCBs) mean some
evolutions require
waits of up to 3
weeks. So bug fixing
can take a long time

61. Bugs, there’ll be a few
And they cost you cash money each time!
aagh fook! (ugh, wrong way round!)
monkey
patching!

62. Surface mount takes practice
But, the results are far more stable than breadboarded
or perf-boarded prototypes.

63. Surface mount takes practice
But, the results are far more stable than breadboarded
or perf-boarded prototypes.
LOOK inside the LED. See?
Yes, circuit inside!!!

64. O'Legs
Arduino based prototyping modules integrated with Lego.
Will be fully open sourced (soon!)
Designed for (geek) parents and kids to play together!

65. A question on the future
• Can the internet of things be componentized or modularised
in much the same way as lego so that ordinary people can
more easily design and build their own bespoke connected
things?
• Or will proprietary protocols, proprietary connectors and
impenetrable standards conspire to keep these things apart?
• Is this a cause for concern?
• Is this a death ray or gateway for at home innovation?
• It’s up to us (the creatives)

66. IoT
Is this a death ray
or gateway for at
home innovation?

67. Thanks
• Omer Kilik. My friend, colleague and hardware
mentor. Has guided my learning in circuit design
and taught me surface mount soldering.

68. Questions?
@darachennis