Internet of Things


For example, the classic allocation of processor architectures to application areas is currently changing: the long-established logic of Arm Cortex -based devices for low- powered embedded applications and X86 for more performant client- and servers is changing as the performance of ARM-based devices such as Qualcomm’s QCS5430/6490 and Mediatek’s Genio 510/700 series approach that of X86 devices. Additionally, modern ARM devices such as NXP’s i.MX8MPlus, the Genio 510/700 series and the QCS5430/6490 chips are equipped with neural accelerators to facilitate fast inferencing. Arm devices are therefore increasingly attractive for use in high- performance AI applications at the edge. At the same time, a considerable amount of pre-built X86 software exists which cannot be used effectively with ARM architectures. The choice of ARM or X86 architecture is therefore dependent not just on the specific application but also on in-house development expertise and existing software investments. The task of building IoT hardware solutions is being simplified as companies such as SECO integrate the latest System-on-Chip, (SoC) devices from manufacturers including Qualcomm, MediaTek, NXP and Intel into Computer-on-Modules, (COM) in an architecture-agnostic way. Integrating the SoC with functionality such as DRAM, boot-flash, voltage distribution, and communications interfaces, COMs are deployed together with application-specific carrier boards, containing customer-defined functionalities. Using a COM accelerates the development cycle by allowing the developer to focus on the application, with the hardware design taken care of. The economies of scale achievable with the COM approach also enhances profit margins and development risks are reduced through the use of reliable, tested solutions. COMs also enable second sourcing of hardware and support scalability beyond a processor family, processor vendors and even architectures (Arm Cortex or x86).


Several standards have emerged to ensure inter-operability of COM products, including SMARC, COM Express and COM-HPC. SMARC modules accounted for around 15 per cent of the $1 billion COM market in 2022 and the standard applies to the low-power end of the market. With a typical power requirement in the range of a few watts, SMARC modules are usually based on ARM processors. However, they can also be fitted with other low-power SoC architectures, including X86. The SMARC standard specifies the physical characteristics of the COM, and this standardized form factor ensures future proofing of a product; by replacing the


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COM the product can be upgraded during its lifecycle to take advantage of future functionalities.


COMs, such as the SOM-SMARC- Genio700 and the SOM-SMARC-Genio510 from SECO, figure 2, are ideal choices for building embedded solutions. Based on Mediatek’s new Genio 510/700 application processors, these powerful additions to SECO’s extensive SMARC family target industrial IoT applications which demand high performance and low power consumption. While the Genio510 processor offers impressive computing power at an attractive price, the


rapid deployment of AI models at scale. The cloud-agnostic software suite abstracts the developer from the complexities of underlying IoT platforms giving full control over the data journey, while offering comprehensive device management features, including OTA updates and software containerization. The modular Clea stack comprises three core components, Portal, Edgehog, and Astarte, and scales from POC to full production deployments. Clea can run Google Cloud Services out-of-the-box and developers can use the comprehensive toolset to rapidly build customized AI


Windows environment and have built libraries of reusable components then moving to ARM and Linux may introduce delays in the project. The security of the solution must also be considered which impacts not only hardware and software choice but also ongoing maintenance and upgrades. With so much choice the risk is that valuable development time may be lost through evaluation and analysis and, worse still, poor choices can lead to early product obsolescence. Meanwhile, in such a competitive environment there is huge pressure to get to market quickly with scalable, cost-effective solutions and companies need to leverage an effective ecosystem to ease the route to market.


Speed to market requires a strong ecosystem


Figure 2: The SOM-SMARC-Genio700 from SECO. Source: SECO


Genio700, with an additional two cores, offers even more performance for applications with more workload.


Additionally, the SOM-SMARC-QCS5430 and SOM-SMARC-QCS6490 COMs streamline access to the higher performing Qualcomm QCS5430 and 6490 SoCs. These COMs support computing intensive and on-device machine learning applications and also offer Windows capability.


Other COMs available from SECO include the SOM-SMARC-MX95 which is based on the NXP i.MX 95 application processor and delivers superior processing power and advanced security features for the next wave of edge applications.


Software for embedded systems has also evolved considerably over the years, with several real-time operating systems emerging which specifically target embedded systems such as Linux, Android, and Windows. Libraries of standardised software components also exist which enable reuse of tried and tested code, avoiding unnecessary rework. As IIoT application development is increasingly focused on servitization, middleware tools such as SECO’s Clea software suite create a layer of abstraction from the underlying infrastructure, allowing the developer to concentrate on developing value-adding applications. The open-source Clea software suite integrates data orchestration through its core middleware components and supports


applications while also benefitting from a number of pre-built structures through the Clea App Framework.


Developing an embedded solution The above description illustrates the challenge facing the developer when building an embedded solution. A significant amount of knowledge is required across several areas to ensure that the end solution effectively leverages all available technologies. Processor choice is driven by the position of the application on the performance-power spectrum but also by the demands of the system software. In many ways, software dictates product design more than hardware, due to the time and resources involved in its development, and also the impact of software on user experience. The product lifecycle must also be considered when choosing hardware; X86 processors have traditionally been replaced on a five to seven-year cycle, compared with more than 10 years for ARM devices. This may not be ideal for some products, although Intel has recently announced its intention to support industrial CPUs for 15 years and the use of COMs can mitigate lifecycle issues. When choosing between ARM and X86, the developer must also consider existing in- house skills and investment in development tools such as IDEs and compilers. If the in-house team is experienced with the


An effective ecosystem enables the solution developer to leverage the products, solutions, and skills of their partners to reduce the costs and timescales of the development cycle. Ecosystem partners can bring support in numerous areas, including support for software tools, providing plug-ins, libraries, APIs, applications, and much more. The task of choosing and integrating hardware, for example, can be simplified by adopting a COM board, pre-configured for specific applications. A good ecosystem partner such as SECO can provide a range of SBCs and COMs to cover the full spectrum of performance and power, as well as offer support to simplify the integration task. By investing in strategic partnerships with the industry’s leading technology companies, SECO actively participates in a wide range of early access programs, enabling our customers to benefit from cutting-edge technologies with reduced risk and accelerated times to market. Software development can be accelerated by using tools such as SECO’s Clea Software Suite which simplifies device access and data management and also provides pre-built frameworks to support rapid development of AI routines. SECO can also offer support across the whole development cycle, including supporting migrating between Windows and ARM architectures.


In today’s embedded systems market, the developer has access to an unparalleled choice of technological capabilities which can be integrated into innovative IoT solutions. In a rapidly changing market where windows of opportunity are short, the developer doesn’t have the time to integrate from scratch, leveraging the capabilities of the ecosystem is key to success.


https://www.seco.com/ Components in Electronics October 2024 41


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