CNXSoft – Embedded Software Development

Sierra Wireless, a company providing machine-to-machine (M2M) solutions, has recently introduced a new (nameless) architecture for embedded wireless communications comprised of a multicore (again, nameless) “high speed application processor” + Cortex M0 MCU + Radio SoC, secure cloud services (AirVantage) to store the data, and an open application framework with M2M libraries and development tools. This new architecture will be available in the company’s AirPrime WP & AR Series wireless modules to provide 2G to 4G technologies for the Internet of things. WP Series are industrial grade modules to be embedded into applications such as smart metering, remote monitoring, transportation, security systems, networking, and healthcare, whereas AR series will be used for automotive applications.

The 2G versions will feature an M2M system-on-a-chip with a advanced tri-core architecture that includes a 2G EDGE modem, a Cortex A5 ARM application processor, and an ARM Cortex-M0 processor to enable ultra-low power operation. The 3G/4G LTE versions will be based on Qualcomm Gobi 9×15 chipset, a multi-mode modem solution powered by an ARM Cortex A5 processor and running Linux that integrates all the modes of 3G and 4G LTE.
Those wireless modules can then send data securely to AirVantage M2M Cloud which is comprised of 2 components:

• AirVantage Enterprise Platform – Used to collect, transmit, and store machine data, and process and schedule events, from any number of devices, across any network operator around the world.
• AirVantage Management Service – Used to centrally deploy and monitor AirPrime embedded modules, including configuring device settings, delivering firmware and embedded application updates, and administering airtime subscriptions.

Products can be developed with Sierra Wireless’ C/C++ Open AT Application Framework which includes:

• An M2M operating system providing wireless services (voice call, data call, SMS) and TCP/IP connectivity, and gives access to hardware interfaces.
• Libraries called Location (GPS), eCall (Modem), Security, Internet (TCP/IP Stack) and AirVantage agent (M2M Cloud client). There’s also a third party library “WirelessIDEA” that allows you to write your applications in Java.
• Sierra Wireless Developer Studio – Eclipse based integrated development environment

The framework is free to download from Sierra Wireless developer zone and requires a machine running Windows XP/7 with Java 1.6.

Sierra Wireless and ARM are demonstrating the new module architecture both at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, and at Embedded World, in Nuremburg, Germany. The demo simulates a wearable healthcare device that could be carried by an elderly person or a patient, and if the person falls, the system detects it thanks to an accelerometer, places a call, and return to low power mode once the call completes. The Cortex M0 takes care of the accelerometer in low power mode (60 uA), an more powerful processor takes care of the call handling (60 to 90 mA). If the system always stay in low power mode, a cell battery should last over 2 years.

Watch the video below for an introduction of Sierra Wireless and their new architecture, and see the demo described above.

You can find more information on http://www.sierrawireless.com/NextGenModules.

The Weightless Special Interest Group (SIG) has recently announced the world’s first transceiver chip using the Weightless Specification and operating over white space spectrum. Neul Iceni chipset makes use of the entire TV white space spectrum to provide low power connectivity for M2M and IoT applications using the Weightless Standard.

3D Rendered Weightless Module with MCU, Weightless IC, Antenna, and Battery

Weightless Standard Overview

Since this is the first time I write about the Weightless standard, let’s see what it is and what will be used for. There has been a lot of talk about the Internet of Things (IoT) and machine to machine communication (M2M), but one of the limiting factor is currently the cost of technology (and networks?) to provide communication. That is where “white space” spectrum comes into play. A large spectrum was used by analog TV channels, and since many countries have now switched to digital TV, part of this spectrum is unallocated (hence the name “white space”). According to Wikipedia, in the US, analog television broadcasts, which operated between the 54 MHz and 806 MHz, ceased operating on June 12, 2009, and power TV stations were required to switch to digital transmission and operate only between 54 MHz and 698 MHz, freeing the spectrum above 698 MHz. In the US, regulations have changed to allow free (as in free beer) use of this spectrum, and regulatory changes are also in the process in other countries and regions around the world (Watch one of Charbax videos for details about expected regulations changes in different countries). So Weightless standard will use white spaces, but since machine traffic is very different compared to human traffic, a different communication standard also had to be defined with those key features:

• Great flexibility in the data rate provided depending on the application, range and environment. From 16Mb/s for wireless broadband to 1kb/s for M2M.

• Time division duplex (TDD) operation since it may be difficult to find a pair of white space channels with appropriate duplex separation in all areas.
• Relatively long frame duration of the order of 2s so that when high spreading factors are used on the frame header it remains a small percentage of the overall frame duration.
• Frequency hopping at the frame rate to minimize the impact of interference – both received and caused.
• A design that minimizes costs and power consumption.
• A broadband downlink using single carrier modulation within a 6-8MHz TV channel.
• A narrowband uplink with 96 uplink channels per downlink channel to accommodate the lower terminal transmit power while maintaining a balanced link budget.
• Highly efficient MAC-level protocols that result in small headers per transmission and hence little overhead even when the payload is only a few bytes long.]

The Weightless SIG expects that in a few years, you’ll be able to get free M2M communications with:

• A range > 10km
• Battery life > 10 years
• Chipset cost < $2

Weightless is a royalty-free open standard, and you can download the draft Weightless Specification (You’ll need to become a member first. Registering as an “Observer” is free).

Neul Iceni Weightless Silicon

Since most of you probably never heard about Neul before (I hadn’t), a short company introduction is needed. First, even though they’ve just announced a Weightless chipset, Neul is not a silicon company. Neul touts itself as a “Wireless Services and Solutions”, and develops wireless network technology to enable the use of TV ‘white space’ spectrum, and manufactures radios that meet the FCC white space radio specification. So I understand they are a pure “white space” company, and to help push for adoption, they decided to design and release a silicon compliant with the draft version of Weightless standard. On their website, they have an even more aggressive price target than the one published on Weightless SIG website, as they expect to to go from a $5 BoM today to a $1 chipset by 2014, with battery life of 15 years for things like smart meters.

Weightless Chip Block Diagram

Neul ‘Iceni’ is a TV White Space transceiver chip, capable of tuning across the entire UHF TV white space spectrum (470 – 790MHz). This single chip solution is said to draw very little power to deliver secure and long range wireless, non-line-of-sight connectivity for both machine-to-machine (M2M) or Internet of Things (IoT), as well as for applications in wireless broadband.

Iceni provides the following key capabilities:

• Operation over the entire TV white space frequency range, from 470MHz to 790MHz, and support for both 6 MHz and 8 MHz channel bandwidths.
• Adaptive digital modulation schemes and error correction methods can be selected according to the trade-off between data rate and range required for a given application.
• Encryption mechanisms ensure secure data transfer over the air.
• Memory-mapped parallel bus interface and discrete interrupt lines can be used for waking the external application processor, such as an ARM Cortex M3, upon receipt of a relevant frame.
• Programmable IOs are available for controlling the external RF front-end, such as a Transmit Power Amplifier.

Neul ‘Iceni’ samples are already available to select partners for testing and development of white space-enabled solutions. Currently, there’s very little information about this chip, no product brief, and basically nothing on Neul website part from the press release.

VIA Technologies has just unveiled the VIA AMOS-3002, a fanless system based on VIA EPIA-P900 Pico-ITX board, targeting embedded applications such as telematics, in-vehicle control, machine to machine controller (M2M), digital signage and kiosks.

VIA AMOS-3002 System (Click to Enlarge)

The VIA EPIA-P900 Pico-ITX board is powered by VIA Eden X2 dual core processor (1GHz) together with VIA VX900H media system processor (MSP) and VIA Chrome 9 video processor which render VIA AMOS-3002 systems capable of handling hardware video decoding for MPEG-2, WMV9 and H.264 codecs at 1080p resolution.

Two models are available: AMOS-3002-2D10A1 and AMOS-3002-2D10A1. The latter features a 2.5” SATA hard disk drive bay which is not available in AMOS-3002-2D101A1.

Here are the specifications for both VIA AMOS-3002 Models:

• CPU – VIA Eden X2 @ 1.0GHz
• Chipset – VIA VX900H Media System Processor
• Memory – 1x DDR3 1066 204-pin SODIMM socket (Up to 4GB)
• Storage:
  • 1x CFast Flash disk socket
  • 1 x 2.5” SATA hard disk drive bay (Model AMOS-3002-2D10A1 only)
• Graphic Controller – Integrated VIA Chrome 9 HD DX9 3D/2D video processor with MPEG-2, DivX, WMV9/VC1, H.264 video decoding acceleration
• Video Output:
  • 1x External VGA port (Up to 2560 x 1600)
  • 1x Onboard HDMI 1 port connector
  • Dual View support with independent display of VGA and HDMI
• Ethernet – 2x Gigabit Ethernet
• Audio I/O – 1x Line-out and 1x Mic-in
• USB – 6x USB 2.0 ports
• Serial Ports:
  • 1 x RS-232
  • 1x RS-232/422/485
• GPIO – 1 x D-Sub 9-pin connector of 8-bit GPIO (4 inputs+ 4 outputs) + 5V power source
• Expansion:
  • 1x MiniPCIe slot
  • 1x SIM slot
• Watchdog timer
• Power Supply – [email protected] A
• Dimensions – 197mm (W) x 49mm (H) x 104mm (D)
• Weight – 1.4 kg
• Operating Temperature:
  • -10 °C up to 60°C
  • 0 °C ~ 45°C when system equipped with 2.5” hard disk drive
• Certifications – IEC 60068-2-64, IEC 60068-2-27, CE, FCC Class A and CCC

VIA EPIA-P900 Block Diagram (Click to Enlarge)

VIA AMOS-3002 systems support Microsoft Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows Embedded Standard, Windows Embedded
Compatibility Standard 7 and Linux operating systems.

You can find more information on VIA AMOS-3002 (Pico-ITX) page as well as EPIA-P900 page.