cloud

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments on ESP-Hosted simplifies adding WiFi connectivity to legacy Linux or MCU-based products

ESP-Hosted simplifies adding WiFi connectivity to legacy Linux or MCU-based products

ESP-Hosted

Most of the ESP8266 and ESP32 projects and products we cover here use the Espressif microcontroller as the main chip, but ESP8266 started as a WiFi module meant to be controlled with AT commands from a host device. But there are still “legacy” products that may benefit from connecting to the cloud, and Espressif introduced the ESP-Hosted for that purpose in 2020, and recently released a next-generation ESP-Hosted solution (ESP-Hosted-NG) specifically for Linux hosts. The solution is available in two variants: ESP-Hosted-FG (First generation) exposing an Ethernet interface to the host and suitable for microcontrollers and Linux hosts, and the ESP-Hosted-NG presenting an 802.11 network interface and designed for Linux hosts only. Both solutions include ESP32 firmware and a host driver running on the legacy system. Espressif Systems recommends using ESP-Hosted-FG on an MCU host, and ESP-Hosted-NG on a Linux host in order to benefit from Linux user space applications/services […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Golioth ESP-IDF SDK connects ESP32 boards to the Golioth Cloud

Golioth ESP-IDF SDK connects ESP32 boards to the Golioth Cloud

Golioth ESP32 ESP-IDF

Golioth have released an open-source “ESP-IDF SDK” to let ESP32 hardware connect to their Golioth Cloud, extending existing support from the existing Zephyr SDK. We previously covered the Golioth IoT development platform with a Zephyr SDK supporting nRF9160 and ESP32-C3 (officially), as well as over 100 other platforms, that aims to make it easier for hardware developers to connect things to the internet without needing to know how to use AWS IoT, Azure IoT, or the other cloud services. While in theory, it would be possible to keep using the Zephyr SDK on ESP32 hardware, the ESP-IDF framework is the main tool of Espressif Systems, and they will release new code to that ecosystem first. So even though Espressif Systems have another team that is bringing many of the same features to Zephyr, the changes will be implemented in the ESP-ID framework first. The Golioth ESP-IDF SDK will be able […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 14 Comments on Is your Smart Home product being shutdown? Just buy the company!

Is your Smart Home product being shutdown? Just buy the company!

users buy Insteon smart home company

With Smart Home products connecting to the cloud, if a company decides to end support for a product or is required to close due to final troubles, there are few courses of action. The easiest one is to give up, and switch to another brand, or promise yourself you’ll never use one of those “Internet of Shit” products. The second one is quite more time-consuming and you’d have to work with the community to reverse-engineering the product and give it a second life, but obviously, this does not solve the supply issue since the product will not be manufactured anymore. Today, I learn about a third one: simply gather a small group of users, and buy the company! That’s basically the story of Smartlabs’ Insteon Smart Home products. Smartlabs was in bankruptcy proceedings. its cloud turned off, and products not working since April 14. Some members of Home Assistant community […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments on Home Assistant gives new life to Insteon Smart Home products following Smartlabs bankruptcy

Home Assistant gives new life to Insteon Smart Home products following Smartlabs bankruptcy

Insteon Home Assistant

Smartlabs used to sell Insteon Smart Home products, but the company is now in bankruptcy proceedings, its cloud has been turned off, and users have reported their products not working since April 14. Going to Insteon website confirms the problem: …the company engaged in a sales process in November, 2021. The goal was to find a parent for the company and continue to invest in new products and the technology. The process resulted in several interested parties and a sale was expected to be realized in the March timeframe. Unfortunately, that sale did not materialize. Consequently, the company was assigned to a financial services firm in March to optimize the assets of the company. IoT and Smart Home products going offline are nothing new, either because the company is going bankrupt or the product is not profitable anymore. It happens to me with Weloop Hey 3S smartwatch which I still […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS “Jammy Jellyfish” released

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS “Jammy Jellyfish” released

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

Canonical has just released Ubuntu 22.04 LTS “Jammy Jellyfish” right on schedule. The new version of the Linux operating system provides cloud confidential computing, a new real-time kernel for industrial applications, Arm optimization, support for Raspberry Pi SBCs, as well as support for enterprise Active Directory, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, FIPS, and FedRAMP compliance. Confidential Computing aims to improve data protection and privacy in public clouds without requiring any changes to existing application deployments, and Ubuntu 22.04 supports Azure Confidential VMs. Speaking about cloud computing, Canonical also says they optimized Ubuntu 22.04 LTS images for AWS Graviton for greater performance on Arm servers. The new real-time PREEMPT_RT kernel is currently in beta and available for both x86 and Aarch64 architectures. It is designed for telco (5G gateways) as well as other latency-sensitive applications such as industrial automation and robotics. Ubuntu 22.04 LTS is also the first long-term support release with Ubuntu Desktop […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on ESP32-C3 AWS IoT ExpressLink module & devkit aim to ease connection to AWS IoT services

ESP32-C3 AWS IoT ExpressLink module & devkit aim to ease connection to AWS IoT services

ESP32-C3 AWS ExpressLink DevKit

Amazon and Espressif have launched another wireless module with the ESP32-C3 AWS IoT ExpressLink module together with a development kit supporting out-of-the-box AWS IoT connectivity, following their earlier collaboration with the launch of the ESP32-PICO-V3-ZERO Alexa Connect Kit Module last summer. Also called the “ESP32-C3-MINI-1-N4-A”, the ESP32-C3 AWS IoT ExpressLink module implements the AWS IoT ExpressLink specification and provides AWS IoT Core connectivity to a host MCU via AT commands over a UART interface. Pre-provisioned and pre-programmed with ease integration the module supports WiFi configuration, messaging, OTA, and device management.   The compact (16.6 x 13.2mm) ESP32-C3 module is currently offered as part of the ESP32-C3-AWS-ExpressLink-DevKit development board following the Arduino Zero board form factor allowing it to be plugged into the Arduino board, or easily connect to other host systems such as the Raspberry Pi. The goal is to simplify the deployment of IoT solutions removing the need for […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments on Raspberry Pi CM4 based PiBox 2 Mini serves as NAS, private Cloud storage (Crowdfunding)

Raspberry Pi CM4 based PiBox 2 Mini serves as NAS, private Cloud storage (Crowdfunding)

Pibox Mini

The PiBox 2 Mini is a networked storage solution based on a Raspberry Pi CM4 module and equipped with two slots for 2.5-inch SATA drivers be it HDD’s or SSD’s. It also exposes USB ports and an HDMI port, so I could also be used as a computer. Designed by KubeSail “self hosting company”, the PiBox does not only serve as a standard NAS, but aims to provide a home-based private cloud hosting solution that can replace services such as Google Photos or Dropbox with easily installable templates that are hosted in the box. Pibox 2 Mini specifications: Support SoM – Raspberry Pi CM4 or CM4 Lite with up to 8GB RAM, 32GB eMMC flash Storage 2x SATA port for 2.5-inch drives (SSD or HDD) MicroSD card socket for people using CM4 Lite Video Output – HDMI 2.0 port up to 4Kp60 Display – Built-in 1.3-inch color LCD for information […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments on OpenRemote fully open-source IoT platform targets OEMs and DIY projects

OpenRemote fully open-source IoT platform targets OEMs and DIY projects

OpenRemote Architecture

OpenRemote claims to be a 100% open-source IoT platform suitable for DIYs as well as OEMs. The asset management platform can help with the tracking of vehicle fleets, energy systems, or crowds, help to build smart cities, smart buildings, smart airports, and more. While most cloud IoT platforms rely on open-source tools, the software hosted on the providers’ servers is usually closed-source as we’ve seen in our comparison between Microsoft Azure IoT, Balena, and Particle, but OpenRemote is different will the full stack being released under an AGPLv3 open source license. OpenRemote 3.0 software is comprised of four main blocks: The Frontend is comprised of Consoles (native iOS and Android apps), Web components and Templates, as well as a System Administration interface used to create dashboards and control panels. Manager – headless Java application to capture the current asset states and includes Asset Management, State & Historical Data, Event Processing […]