Gave this presentation at the Austin IOT Sub Group. It was bout 2 hours long and was well received. http://www.meetup.com/AustinIoT/events/218899534/ It's about the Spark Core IOT device. It's basically a souped up Ardunio with WiFi, an online IDE, and a web API for $20

1. Spark for IOT
A $19 postage stamp-sized Wi-Fi module for IOT.

2. About Me, David Fowler
EMail: David.Fowler@gmail.com
G+: http://goo.gl/LHHakF
LinkedIn: http://goo.gl/jzA1hX
Twitter: uCHobby
GitHub: uchobby
Website: http://www.uCHobby.com
DayJob: Chief Engineer, Advanced Product Development, Raven Ind.
Applying technology in Agriculture. Entrepreneur Innovator.
software, hardware, mobile, embedded and Web Engineering
I do not work for Spark or TechShop and I do not get paid for this…
I am interested in consulting work or project collaboration.

3. This Presentation
● Spark, what is it?
● How does it work?
● How much does it cost?
● How do they make money?
● How can I use it?
● What if I want to do my own thing?
● Types of development
● Demo - Web development...

4. Spark? What is it?
IOT Module (Photon)
● 120MHz Arm Cortex M3 microcontroller
o 1MB Flash, 128KB RAM
o 18 GPIO, 2 Serial, I2C, SPI, ADC(6),DAC(1),and CAN
● Wi-Fi
o Broadcom BCM43362, 802.11 b/g/n, soft AP
Current module is the Spark Core which cost more and has less horsepower.
Spark is changing the WiFi module from TI to Broadcom and upgrading the CPU
to lower price and fix some communications issues.
● Beginning of a movement in IOT for Makers (opinion)

5. How does it work?
● Web Based IDE
● Over air firmware loading
● Arduino Compatible
● Built in Spark API/Web
o Module connects to Spark Servers
o Your apps connect to Spark Server
 Easy REST API
● Modules publish variables and functions
● Can send events
o Talk directly between modules.

6. How much does it cost?
$39 Spark Core
$19 Spark Photon (pre-order now)
Replaces the Core.
$10 Spark Po
For production of your product

7. How do they make money?
● Selling you the hardware, modules
o Reasonable price for a module solution
 Provides FCC certifications
● A major benefit
 Provides the ready made Web API
● Providing Web API
o Reasonable price for low to medium volumes
o They plan to be good option for less then 50K
volume

8. How can I use it?
● Home / Personal Projects
o Use the proton
o Embed the module in your gizmo
o Write a web app or other to interface with the API
 Python, C/C++, JAVA, .net, Javascript (web)
● Libs to make it easy
● Production Products
o Prototype with the Proton, produce with the Po
 FCC certs
 <$10 at small Quantities.

9. What if I want to do my own thing?
● Totally Open Source
o Module
 Programmable via JTAG
 Firmware in GIT
 Hardware Design in GIT
 You can make your own modules
o Server
 Server code is based on Nodejs
 Open and in GIT.

10. Model Railroad Awesomeness!

11. Types of development
● Firmware
o Web Based IDE with over the air loading
o Desktop IDE
o C/C++ with Arduino libs and more. This is a full up
ARM with full C/C++ support
● Software
o Web applications are easy using REST API
 Javascript and HTML
o Major language support with Libs
o Easy even without libs

12. The Weak Points
● Web IDE is too simple for Pro’s
o Poor code highlighting, syntax checking, etc..
o Simple Text Editor, slightly better than Arduino IDE
● Spark Core Radio is problematic
o Should be fixed in Photon
● Software (not firmware)
o Harder then Arduino code for new users
o What is REST? Web what?
● Power consumption
● Up to others to make this easier for Makers
o Opportunity knocks

13. Demo of Web development
● Firmware with web IDE
● Over the air FLASHing
● App running
● Web dev in Adobe Brackets
● UI demo in Chrome
● Questions?
● Code Walkthrough
● My Gauges Idea

14. Show and Tell

15. Gauges Idea - Make it simple
Create web app that makes monitoring and control easy for
Makers.
● No web coding required
o Built in functionality, just run from VisualIOT.com
● All control done from Spark Firmware App
● Nice looking Gauges and buttons
● Works in any browser,
o smart phones
o tablets
o Mac, PC, Linux, etc...

16. Gauges - View Config
● Adds a string variable
o viewConfig
 260 characters allowed
● Controls the web app
o On connection, app checks for viewConfig
o Configures gauges and button based on string
 comma delimited
 specifies labels and ranges for gauges and
buttons

17. Gauges - viewConfig Example
char* viewConfig=
"0,Demo Gauge&"
"gau,Temp C,tempc,-10,110&"
"btn,LED ON,LED,ON&"
"btn,LED OFF,LED,OFF";
First line is version and title. Next are
items to show. “gau” for gauges, “btn” for
buttons.

18. Gauge ViewConfig “gau” example
"gau,Temp F,tempf,-10,110"
● Display a gauge
● Label the gauge “Temp F”
● Pull the “tempf” variable
● Minimum value is -10
● Maximum value is 110