An IoT Hardware Platform for Pro-Users.
In this post I want to explain the benefits of using PixieBoard to enable fast deployment of Professional/Enterprise/Industrial connected solutions with excellent performance and amazing wireless features.
The IoT hardware market is filled with multiple options for different sizes, prices, performance and specs. And I think that’s great. Affordable boards make it easy for enthusiasts to start working on IoT projects. I love boards like the Raspberry Pi and BeagleBone Black. And I also love boards that allow you to run specialized applications like the Nvidia Jetson.
But if you are planning on building a new business around a connected device or on helping your company provide a new, high-value service for your customers, then it’s a different story. Suddenly there are not so many options out there and the entry barrier in terms of cost seems a lot higher.
Choosing a hardware platform for professional use cases.
I bet this has happened to you. I know it has happened to me.
You are starting a new project, have some amazing ideas about your next connected prototype and now it’s time to choose a hardware platform.
You start searching for the best piece of hardware to use and, before you know it, you are feeling overwhelmed. Why are there so many options? Why do some platforms cost less than $20 when others go to more than $1,000? Can I use anything to start and then change it to something else if the project succeeds?
Analysis Paralysis is your new state of mind.
The answer? Well, it depends. You’ll need to ask yourself a bunch of questions to find out.
- Where do you want to go with this new project? Will you provide a service to your company or your clients or is this just for fun?
- Do you want to start developing on the same platform that will be deployed to the production environment?
- Will the application running on the device be CPU/GPU intensive?
- Does your device need to be always connected?
- Do you need high speed wireless? Will having the fastest LTE 4G cellular or Wifi ac connectivity benefit your project?
- Will your device be deployed outdoors or in harsh environments? What about high (or extremely low) temperatures?
- Do you want to continuously add new features and updates to the device remotely?
If you answered YES to one or more of these questions, PixieBoard might be a good fit for your project. You are in the right place.
What makes PixieBoard unique.
PixieBoard is a high performing hardware platform that is designed for professional, enterprise and industrial class applications. Below I list a set of features that together make for an amazing package.
Long-term lifecycle
When we chose the components that make up PixieBoard, we started by selecting an Application Processor that would be well supported on the software side and has a guaranteed production lifetime by the manufacturer. We chose NXP because it’s one of the major players in the automotive and industrial landscape and they manufacture some great, reliable pieces of silicon. You don’t need to turn your car OFF and ON again if the infotainment stops working, because it wont stop working.
And we selected the industrial grade i.MX6 QuadPlus as the processor for PixieBoard PRO+ because it has excellent processing performance and excellent support on the software side. This part is certified to run for 10 years non stop. 10 years, always ON.
Having an extended product lifecycle allows companies to extend the returns of their investments in technology and product development. Reliable devices allow companies to provide high-value services to their users for a long time without having to reinvest in updating the hardware design. If you choose PixieBoard you won’t have to worry about the processor going to End-of-Life and suddenly having to spend tons of money on R&D and certifications. Again.
High-speed mobile broadband (LTE 4G)
Sometimes you need your device to be always connected. Or maybe your product needs to send bursts of high quality data back to the cloud while it’s moving across the city. Or perhaps your device is installed at your client’s premises and you don’t have access to their network infrastructure.
Having the advantage of being connected to the LTE network allows you to rely on a very stable wireless infrastructure that you don’t need to worry about. Mobile Network Operators provide companies with IoT plans that allow for provisioning, activation and quotas per device, making it very easy for you to manage your fleet of devices, even without direct or physical access to them. You can even use global SIMs and ship your product overseas.
Enough performance and memory for deep learning
IoT, AI and Big Data have been linked for a long time. AI/Machine Learning needs large datasets for training. IoT is one of the major contributors for digital data. And smart devices bring new value to companies and individuals.
But how smart are smart-devices nowadays? Well, with PixieBoard you can hold the power of a server in the palm of your hand. With 4GB of RAM and a QuadPlus Core ARM Cortex-A9 processor, you are able to evaluate deep learning algorithms in real time. Make high-level closed loop decisions without going back to the cloud. From image classification and object detection, to voice recognition, smart audio processing and NLP, the applications are endless. You can train your model in the cloud and make decisions in real time on your device.
Highly reliable software codebase
Sometimes, the features of your new device look great on paper. But once you try to do something serious with it you find stability issues. Perhaps you can’t stream audio from WiFi to your Bluetooth speaker at the same time. Or your device just hangs if you leave it running for more than a day. This doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world, you can spend part of your time fixing these issues and making your platform more stable. But, should you?
The team behind PixieBoard has invested more than 20,000 engineering hours for the past couple of years making sure the kernel, all drivers and a wide set of libraries are stable, up to date and performing as they should. All our wireless and wired interfaces are managed and correctly integrated to the OS, so minimal configuration will be needed from your side. We maintain an Arch Linux OS image that you can use to start developing your application without having to worry if the foundations are good enough.
Small form factor with a case-friendly connectors setup
I’m not kidding when I say you can hold the power of a server in the palm of your hand. With dimensions of 2" x 3.5" (52mm x 91mm) its amazing that you have a computer this powerful in this form factor. You may think “My smartphone has similar features!”. Well, yes, but how many external devices can you connect at the same time? Two, if you are lucky.
Pixieboard provides 2 USB host and 1 USB-OTG ports, analog and optical audio through the 3.5mm/miniTOSLINK connector, and full HD video + digital audio through the microHDMI port. All on the same side, so you can build a nice looking case or stop worrying to channel multiple harnesses through the internals of your device.
Ready for Clouds, DevOps and Continuous Integration
So, your device has been deployed to production environment and now you need to update your feature set, patch your application or improve security features. Don’t panic, PixieBoard has you covered.
There are several cloud providers and PixieBoard is ready to integrate with all of them. You have your own cloud or private server? No problem, PixieBoard can communicate with your enterprise backend as any other computer in the network. You can integrate with platforms like AWS Greengrass or Azure IoT Edge/Hub to manage your deployed devices and communicate securely.
Or you can use Docker to containerize your application and control your production environments. You can even use Swarm or Kubernetes to orchestrate your devices in the field. So having PixieBoards deployed to your production environment doesn’t need to be extra difficult to operate. You’ll find that the platform is flexible enough to adapt to what you are used to, and integrate into your technology ecosystem seamlessly.
Final Words
When we decided to create PixieBoard, we were motivated by the rise of interest in IoT and Edge Computing applications. We believed that everyone was looking at the consumer side, while professional applications were left behind. Companies were looking at 5-figure investments in R&D just to have a stable product. And that is a very high entry barrier for many small and medium sized players.
I still believe that PixieBoard brings to the table an amazing mix of features, with focus on connected solutions that provide high-value services to companies and their clients. With best in class wireless, long-term support and a super stable software ecosystem, companies can start deploying reliable IoT and Edge Computing solutions with minimal investments in product development.
If you want to learn more about PixieBoard, visit Code & Modules site. You can get a PixieBoard from the Treats4Geeks store or from Amazon. And if you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at jose.ruiz@codeandmodules.com.
