Alif Semiconductor’s™ microcontrollers meet the market need for low-power, AI-enabled embedded solutions with unmatched levels of multi-layered security, and a fully integrated secure element.

How cutting-edge microcontrollers build security from the ground up

I2C vs SPI Serial Communication Protocol Devices

This in-depth guide will delve into the fundamentals of I2C and SPI communication protocols, including their working principles, comparative advantages, system configurations, and practical applications in embedded systems and IoT devices.

I2C vs SPI: A Comprehensive Comparison and Analysis

<p><em>This article is based on a Renesas webinar which you can&nbsp;</em><a href="https://info.renesas.com/en-securing-your-ip-webinar?utm_campaign=mcu_ra&utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=article&utm_content=secure_IP_sensitive_data_webinar" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>access here.</em></a><em>&nbsp;</em></p><hr><style type="text/css" id="isPasted">
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</style><p>The Internet of Things (IoT) is no longer a buzzword. Instead, it has become an integral part of our lives. Every sector, from healthcare to manufacturing, uses IoT devices. However, while the total number of devices has been forecasted to reach 83 billion by 2024 <sup>[1]</sup>, the security of these devices remains a significant concern. Without proper security measures, any connected IoT device is vulnerable to a breach, function loss, or hacking to steal user data or manipulate the system. This article examines how IoT security can be addressed with embedded microcontroller units (MCUs).</p><h2>IoT Security Issues</h2><p>A core part of the IoT is the connectivity to a network. Through this link, some 1.51 billion breaches of IoT devices took place from January to June 2020 <sup>[4]</sup>. To combat this, researchers of embedded systems are investigating how to address vulnerabilities of network links. These efforts have resulted in recent security advancements in embedded MCUs.</p><p>With improved processing on the edge (locally), embedded cryptography, and internet protocol (IP) security, embedded IoT security is helping to protect cloud processing through a network link. This is how IoT security issues are being tackled with embedded MCUs.</p><h2>Need for IoT Security</h2><p>As the number of connected IoT devices (nodes) increases, network vulnerability escalates because every node can be a potential entry point for a cyber-attack. Once a vulnerable node is compromised, it can be a link to other nodes,&nbsp;leading to ruinous effects, ranging from minor data breaches to catastrophic information leaks. Infrastructure damage can also occur, resulting in network disruptions and loss of valuable services.</p><p>Unfortunately, IoT devices do not have a one-size-fits-all solution to their security problems because of the wide variety of hardware and operating systems, and hackers continue exploiting connected devices.</p><p>However, to understand why IoT security has become paramount, we need a brief overview of possible IoT flaws and their devastating effects. One example we can all relate to is a fitness tracker. Fitness trackers are designed to measure body parameters to assess the user&rsquo;s health and fitness via cloud-based services. This sensitive information could be misused by third parties not at all interested in health improvement. In fact, users are increasingly concerned about their personal data, and, as a result, this kind of data is protected by privacy protection laws worldwide. Security-focused MCUs can help to protect data transmission against eavesdropping by unauthorized parties.</p><h2>Challenges Addressed by MCUs</h2><p>To tackle IoT security threats, specific features can be included in embedded MCUs. In particular, embedded MCUs need to address the following challenges for a secure IoT device:</p><ul><li>Protection of confidential software and data, such as intellectual property and device identity</li><li>Protection of data integrity to safeguard reliable data transmission</li><li>Provision of a robust foundation (root-of-trust) and a local cryptographic toolkit</li><li>Secured end-to-end communication channels</li></ul><h2>How can Microcontrollers Solve IoT Security Problems?</h2><p>To achieve IoT device security, MCUs comprise both hardware-based security and software mechanisms. Security-focused MCUs need to provide a cryptographic toolkit for the complete chain of security, including a hardware-based root-of-trust, true random number generation functionality in hardware, and user-code authentication.</p><p>Descriptions of processes that can be implemented on MCUs to improve IoT security are as follows:</p><h3>Hardware-based security</h3><p>For secure IoT applications, a hardware-based approach is preferred as it offers an immutable root-of-trust for the IoT device and integrated storage. In addition, it consumes less power than its software equivalent. Hardware-based security uses integrated circuitry to secure the IP and protect the system. For this reason, MCUs for IoT applications have sophisticated integrated hardware security features, such as cryptography blocks, code protection IP, and other hardware-based mechanisms.</p><h3>Secure key storage</h3><p>By nature, external memory is vulnerable to attackers wanting to exploit internal functions and confidential data. As a result, plaintext keys require protection from physical and logical attacks. A security-focused MCU offers an integrated flash memory that encrypts data within a secure processing environment, binding the key to only this MCU. In other words, immutable device identity and cryptographic keys are used for device authentication and data encryption. In particular, integrated secure memory is an effective countermeasure against identity spoofing and device cloning.</p><h3>True random number generation</h3><p>A true random number generation block obtains a number that is statistically random and based on some physical random variation that cannot be duplicated by rerunning the process. It is an essential cryptographic function required for many security mechanisms and protocols.</p><h3>Symmetric key encryption and decryption</h3><p>For a symmetric key cryptographic algorithm, such as the AES (Advanced Encryption Standard), the same key is used for encryption and decryption, called a secret, or private, key<sup>[6]</sup>. Compared to the asymmetric approach, symmetric ciphers are faster because their keys are significantly shorter and only one is required for the process. However, secure key management is a problem since the secret key is necessary for deciphering, creating vulnerabilities whenever the key is shared.</p><h3>Asymmetric cryptography</h3><p>To better secure the management of cryptographic keys, an asymmetric cipher scheme uses a pair of keys instead of one secret key for both sides &ndash; a public key and a private key. The public key used for encryption can be openly distributed without compromising security, and the private key is kept secret by the recipient needing to decrypt a confidential message. This way, key distribution and storage are easier to handle securely than with symmetric ciphers. While asymmetric ciphers are much slower, security-focused MCUs outperform software-only solutions by integrating various technologies, including crypto accelerators, secure key storage, and unique, immutable chip identifiers.</p><h3>Hash algorithms</h3><p>A secure hash algorithm (SHA) uses cryptographic functions to condense a dataset to render it unreadable by others. Essentially, a hash is a fingerprint of the original data. An SHA is not reversible, unlike encryption. In addition to this security, if the data are compromised, the hash value will change at the recipient&rsquo;s end, providing evidence of an attack. As an example, hash algorithms are often used for digital signatures.</p><h3>Digital signatures</h3><p>Public-key cryptography and hash algorithms are the main ingredients for digital signatures, which authenticate online communication among partners and maintain data integrity, e.g., when confidential messages are transmitted via public networks. Digital signatures are built on certificates for user public keys issued by a trusted third party, i.e., a public-key infrastructure (PKI) offered as a cloud service.</p><h2>Renesas Microcontrollers</h2><p>One company contributing to the secure embedded microcontroller revolution is <a href="https://www.renesas.com/us/en" target="_blank">Renesas</a>. Renesas offers a multi-tiered development infrastructure that provides security protection for various embedded products at multiple levels<sup>&nbsp;[2]</sup>.</p><p>With deep insights and an understanding of the need for improved security, Renesas has doubled down on privacy through advanced MCU technologies, including cryptography. Each Renesas Advanced (RA) Family MCU contains a Secure Crypto Engine (SCE), an integrated crypto subsystem&nbsp;that provides hardware acceleration for the most prevalently used cryptographic algorithms, key generation, and a true random number generator. Renesas binds encrypted keys to a specific MCU, so they are accessible only within the SCE module on the individual MCU that performed key-wrapping. The SCE contains dedicated RAM, which enforces the privacy of plaintext keys by not exposing them to any CPU-accessible bus.</p><p>Renesas&rsquo;s RA Family MCUs provide a flexible platform combining Arm Cortex-M cores with the company&rsquo;s embedded system peripheral IP. In addition, the RA Family&rsquo;s Flexible Software Package provides optimized HAL (hardware abstraction layer) drivers and a baseline software platform built on FreeRTOS and associated middleware. This option gives designers the flexibility to integrate their middleware and libraries of choice.</p><p>These new developments have expanded Renesas&rsquo;s portfolio, providing state-of-the-art technology, including MCUs and system-on-chip (SoC) products <sup>[5]</sup>, for a more secure world.</p><p><strong id="isPasted">Recommended reading:&nbsp;</strong><span style="background-color: transparent;"><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/securing-your-ip-and-protecting-sensitive-data" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Securing Your IP and Protecting Sensitive Data</a></span></p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>With IoT devices flooding the market faster than their vulnerabilities can be identified, security-focused MCUs offer a viable path for confronting cyber threats on multiple fronts. They present a simplified solution with a security design ecosystem to facilitate point-and-click development environments. These specialized MCUs also reduce the cost overhead and power consumption, two primary considerations in the highly constrained IoT designs.</p><p>Trusted and reliable data exchange are prerequisites for most IoT use cases. Hence, this calls for improved security in technology as new products are constantly being rolled out every day, especially in the IoT and embedded microcontroller industry.</p><p><a href="http://Security from Concept to Production" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read more about IoT security from concept to production here.</a></p><p><em id="isPasted">This article was written with contributions from <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/kersten.heins" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kersten Heins</a>.</em></p><h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted"><em>About the sponsor: Renesas</em></h2><p><em>At Renesas we continuously strive to drive innovation with a comprehensive portfolio of microcontrollers, analog and power devices. Our mission is to develop a safer, healthier, greener, and smarter world by providing intelligence to our four focus growth segments: Automotive, Industrial, Infrastructure, and IoT that are all vital to our daily lives, meaning our products and solutions are embedded everywhere.&nbsp;</em><br><em><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjY2NTIzMjYyMzUyLXJlbmVzYXMgc3BvbnNvci5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></em><br></p><h2>References</h2><p>1. Smith Sam. IoT Connections to reach 83 billion by 2024 driven by maturing industrial use cases [Internet]. 2020 [cited 2022, April 17]. Available from: <a href="https://www.juniperresearch.com/press/iot-connections-to-reach-83-bn-by-2024" target="_blank">https://www.juniperresearch.com/press/iot-connections-to-reach-83-bn-by-2024</a></p><p>2. Renesas. How to solve the 6 top security challenges of embedded IoT design. [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2022, April 17]. Available from: <a href="https://www.renesas.com/us/en/document/whp/how-solve-6-top-security-challenges-embedded-iot-design?language=en#:~:text=In%2520Renesas%2520MCUs%252C%2520a%2520flexible,devices%2520in%2520remote%2520manufacturing%2520facilities" target="_blank">https://www.renesas.com/us/en/document/whp/how-solve-6-top-security-challenges-embedded-iot-design?language=en#:~:text=In%20Renesas%20MCUs%2C%20a%20flexible,devices%20in%20remote%20manufacturing%20facilities</a></p><p>3. Shea Sharon. IoT security (internet of things security). [Internet]. 2022 [ cited 2022, April 17]. Available from: <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/IoT-security-Internet-of-Things-security" target="_blank">https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/IoT-security-Internet-of-Things-security</a></p><p>4. IoT Cyberattacks Escalate in 2021, According to Kaspersky [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2022, May 1]. Available from: <a href="https://www.iotworldtoday.com/2021/09/17/iot-cyberattacks-escalate-in-2021-according-to-kaspersky/" target="_blank">https://www.iotworldtoday.com/2021/09/17/iot-cyberattacks-escalate-in-2021-according-to-kaspersky/</a></p><p>5. Renesas &amp; dialog semiconductors join forces to advance global leadership in embedded solutions. [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2022, May 2]. <a href="https://www.gsaglobal.org/renesas-dialog-semiconductor-join-forces-to-advance-global-leadership-in-embedded-solutions/" target="_blank">https://www.gsaglobal.org/renesas-dialog-semiconductor-join-forces-to-advance-global-leadership-in-embedded-solutions/</a></p><p>6. Secret Key. [Internet]. [cited 2022, September 19]. Available from: <a href="https://www.techopedia.com/definition/24865/secret-key" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.techopedia.com/definition/24865/secret-key</a></p>

IoT security can be addressed with embedded microcontroller units (MCUs).


Solving IoT Security Issues with Embedded Microcontrollers

Food processing techniques require the removal of moisture from the crop without destroying its nutritional qualities. The article proposes a dehydrator/oven whose temperature and humidity can be perfectly controlled and its generated heat is evenly distributed in its drying chamber.

Conceptual design of smart multi-farm produce dehydrator using a low-cost PLC and Raspberry Pi

<p dir="ltr" id="isPasted"><em>This is the final article in a 2-part series about choosing cellular or Wi-Fi.&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/cellular-vs-wifi-for-iot-how-to-choose-the-right-one-foundations" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Read article one&nbsp;</em><em>here.</em><em>&nbsp;</em></a></p><p dir="ltr">There&rsquo;s no one &ldquo;best&rdquo; choice for every single IoT project. Choosing cellular vs. WiFi comes with tradeoffs that have to be understood and managed to find the best option for your deployment. Here are a few things to consider as you decide which technology would be best for your IoT project.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Device Location and Movability</h2><p dir="ltr">The first question that you should ask yourself is where your device is going to live and whether it&#39;s movable. For example, any device that&#39;s moving even a few-hundred feet, won&rsquo;t work on WiFi because it&#39;s not going to have access to the same WiFi network across those different places where it needs to operate. If the device is movable, then cellular connectivity would be your best bet. Key examples here would be IoT-connected light electric vehicles, whether they&rsquo;re part of a rideshare, privately owned, or used for last-mile delivery.</p><p dir="ltr">If the device is going to be part of a mostly stationary asset that will have constant access to a reliable WiFi network, then WiFi can be a good choice as well.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Number of Devices</h2><p dir="ltr">A high concentration of connected devices may lend themselves to more to cellular connectivity. This is because the more devices connected to a single WiFi network, the more the signal degrades, potentially leading to lost connectivity. If you have a high concentration of devices in one location, cellular connectivity might be your best bet.</p><h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">The Desired End-User Experience</h2><p dir="ltr">If you want to provide a seamless onboarding experience for your customer, you want the device to be instantly connected to the Internet anywhere in the world, cellular would be your top choice.</p><p dir="ltr">WiFi requires the end user to set up the network and ensure the device can connect to it. This isn&rsquo;t a problem if someone with the required technical expertise to do this is present, but can be difficult for those without.</p><p dir="ltr">The ongoing <a href="https://www.particle.io/iot-guides-and-resources/what-to-know-about-3g-sunsetting/" target="_blank">3G sunsetting</a> and introduction of 5G and other advanced technologies is bringing down the cost of cellular connectivity and widening the network coverage. More and more, IoT deployments that were previously impossible to run on cellular due to no coverage or high cost are becoming technically and financially feasible. Cellular will get increasingly more valuable relative to WiFi with the benefits of 5G and technology innovation.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Security Needs</h2><p dir="ltr">Protecting your devices from bad actors is critical, especially if downtime or improper usage can lead to injury or equipment failure. In general, cellular networks offer considerable security advantages. They are encrypted by default, while encryption on WiFi connections must be enabled manually by the network owner. Additionally, security upgrades for cellular-connected devices happen automatically, while security patches must be installed manually for WiFi. If your devices are going to be connected to a public WiFi network, or if they&rsquo;ll be connected to a private network that may not be adequately protected by the owner, cellular would be a safer choice.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Cellular or WiFi? Why not use both with Particle.</h2><p dir="ltr">Particle, an integrated IoT Platform provides an opportunity for the best of both WiFi and cellular connection by working on the same Device OS operating system. Device OS offers an easy-to-use programming framework that makes it simple to write IoT applications that can connect via cellular or WiFi. It gives you the same interface no matter how you choose to connect to the Internet. &quot;Whether you build your specific logic for a hot tub, a scooter, or a water monitoring solution, all of that&#39;s built on the same software interface called Device OS, regardless of its WiFi or tracker or site. That makes it really useful for customers who have what we call heterogeneous fleets,&quot; &nbsp;Calvin Jepson, senior manager of solutions architecture at Particle explains.</p><p dir="ltr">&ldquo;Heterogeneous fleets&rdquo; have multiple device types. If you&rsquo;re using Particle devices, you&rsquo;d be using a mix of the following:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://docs.particle.io/argon/" target="_blank">Argon</a> - a powerful Wi-Fi development kit</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://docs.particle.io/boron/" target="_blank">Boron</a> - a powerful cellular enabled kit</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://docs.particle.io/datasheets/asset-tracking/tracker-one/" target="_blank">Tracker/TrackerOne</a> - a ready-to-go tracker SoM (system on a module) carrier board with optional weatherproof enclosure.</p></li></ul><p dir="ltr">A heterogeneous fleet reduces technical debt associated with managing various projects and allows for switching between device/connectivity types for different stages of development.</p><p dir="ltr">In some cases, people start by buying Argons since there&rsquo;s no subscription fee and you can develop firmware and conduct tests easily. Once it&#39;s time for them to start building the devices, they can switch from Argon to Boron and use the same code, which is a unique proposition that Particle can offer.</p><p dir="ltr">&quot;Imagine you&#39;re a novice at squash, and you&#39;re a right-hand dominator. To get started quickly, you want to use your right hand. But once you join the major leagues, you have to use your left hand to be competitive,&quot; suggests Calvin. &quot;It&rsquo;s the same with IoT. You might be great at using cellular or WiFi during prototyping or at a small scale. But when you <a href="https://www.particle.io/iot-guides-and-resources/iot-scalability/" target="_blank">scale an IoT deployment</a>, you might need to use completely different technologies, redesign a lot of stuff, and redo a lot of the work that you already did to build a scalable solution to be market-ready.&rdquo;</p><h2 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h2><p dir="ltr">By understanding the pros and cons of cellular and WiFi technologies you will be able to make the right choice for your IoT device. IoT platforms, such as Particle are enabling innovation by providing easier routes to creating prototypes that can then easily scale at the appropriate time.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr"><em>About the sponsor: Particle</em></h2><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.particle.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Particle&nbsp;</em></a><em>provides an integrated IoT Platform-as-a-Service that helps businesses connect, manage, and deploy software applications to connected devices, from edge to cloud and back. Over 240k developers, and 160+ Enterprise customers are building on Particle, from fast-growing startups to Fortune 100 companies.&nbsp;</em></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Our expertise goes beyond world-class technology, enabling next-generation business intelligence, insights, and expert customer support to make sure IoT projects succeed. So you can build the business of tomorrow, today.</em></p><p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1652969762255-particle+bottom.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><p><br></p>

Choosing Cellular or WiFi Article #2: Learn how you can determine the best choice for your IoT deployment.


Choosing Cellular or WiFi for your IoT Project

<p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Cellular and WiFi are the two most popular connectivity methods for IoT technology. Though many early IoT projects relied on WiFi, cellular technology has grown in popularity as it became better equipped to handle more use cases. Against the backdrop of continuous innovations in the wireless industry, choosing the best radio access technology for your IoT project has become challenging. In this first half of a two-part article, we&#39;ll examine the key differences between cellular and WiFi, show example use cases for each one, and explain how you can choose the right technology for your project.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Cellular VS. WiFi for IoT - A quick comparison</h2><p dir="ltr">There are several criteria you can use to compare cellular vs. WiFi, such as:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Cost</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Reliability and security</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Location detection</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Coverage</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Data throughput</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Device provisioning</p></li></ul><p dir="ltr">Let&rsquo;s dig into the details of each one to understand how cellular and WiFi are meaningfully different (or in some cases, similar).</p><h2 dir="ltr">Cost</h2><p dir="ltr">Cellular data plans are generally more costly than comparable WiFi plans on a per-byte basis. If your project requires recurring big data transfers, WiFi networks would be your best choice. However, when doing a cost comparison, you should factor in ongoing cost of maintaining your WiFi network as well as the cost of provisioning many devices across different WiFi networks that you as the IoT fleet operator may not control.</p><p dir="ltr">Cellular is generally more expensive on a per device basis than WiFi but you should also take into account the cost of maintaining and managing the WiFi network as a part of the per-device cost when comparing the two.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">When comparing one-time hardware costs, cellular modems are more expensive than WiFi modems. That said, it&rsquo;s important to understand how either type of connectivity will influence the total cost of ownership of your IoT deployment.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Reliability and Security</h2><p dir="ltr">Part of what you&rsquo;re paying for in your cellular plans is world-class security and reliability. While it is possible to create comparable security and reliability over WiFi, you&#39;re relying on WiFi network owners &amp; building management teams to do that work on an ongoing basis. In contrast, cellular security is backed by knowledgeable cybersecurity specialists.</p><p dir="ltr">When you&#39;re buying cellular, part of the costs is for the expert network management from the provider. However, when buying WiFi, network management is managed by yourself. Your own WiFi network generally provides a less stable network than the cellular solution does.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Location Detection</h2><p dir="ltr">There is not much difference between getting accurate location information via WiFi and cellular. However, in some circumstances where your device is out of range of WiFi, cellular networks will perform better, being able to mark your devices&rsquo; approximate location. In either case, getting location from WiFi SSIDs or cellular towers requires integrations with 3rd party providers which give location estimates based on a geographical database of network IDs.</p><p dir="ltr"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 553px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjUxMzE1MTQ0OTgzLWltYWdlMy5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 551px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner"><em>Image 1: In some circumstances where your device is out of range of WiFi, cellular networks will perform better.</em></span></span></span></p><h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Coverage</h2><p dir="ltr">WiFi is a great access technology when your deployed environment has WiFi coverage. This tends to be the case for devices deployed in homes or buildings, or in places where cellular networks are known to not have coverage such as oil rigs and mines. If you&rsquo;re planning to track things that are mobile, such as vehicles, or deployed in remote locations, then cellular is better.</p><p dir="ltr">Although this is covered below, it bears repeating that cellular is often a great choice for stationary assets in urban and office environments because of the relative ease of onboarding a device to the cellular network compared to a WiFi network where you have to know passwords and get through network-specific security measures.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Data throughput</h2><p dir="ltr">Traditionally, WiFi performs faster than cellular networks. But with the development of 4G and 5G, the data throughput of cellular networks can be relatively on par with WiFi. Both cellular and WiFi networks are sufficient for most IoT projects.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Device Provisioning &amp; Setup</h2><p dir="ltr">It&rsquo;s much easier to deploy fleets of cellular devices when compared to WiFi. Installing a cellular fleet can be as simple as turning on the power to the device. Assuming that connected device has cellular coverage, it will automatically connect to the network.</p><p dir="ltr">In contrast, with a WiFi device you may need to first set up your network or otherwise manage access to that network with usernames &amp; passwords for each device. This can be a deal breaker for many use cases where the WiFi network is heavily protected by the owner.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Benefits and drawbacks of cellular for IoT</h2><h2 dir="ltr">Pros:</h2><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Cellular has more robust privacy and security with automatic encryption.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Cellular service has more comprehensive coverage with no set range since you don&#39;t need a router. This is important for remote assets like oil rigs.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Obstacles do not as easily block deeper coverage with cellular signals.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Often better for use cases that need low power consumption</p></li></ul><h2 dir="ltr">Cons</h2><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Data plans can be expensive if your use case requires you to send large amounts of complex data.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Bundling SIM cards from different providers can force you to get your entire IoT deployment recertified. Be sure to understand what goes into <a href="https://www.particle.io/iot-guides-and-resources/iot-fcc-certifications/" target="_blank">FCC certifications for IoT</a>.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Devices can lose coverage in locations where cellular service is spotty.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Not always accurate when determining device location.</p></li></ul><h2 dir="ltr">Benefits and drawbacks of WiFi for IoT</h2><h2 dir="ltr">Pros:</h2><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Private WiFi connections are secure and enable fast access to connecting multiple devices.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Suitable for data-heavy transfers since there is no cost limitation on the amount of data transferred. A note here is that with the development of 5G, the advantages of WiFi relative to cellular might be eroded.</p></li></ul><h2 dir="ltr">Cons:</h2><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Public WiFi may not be secure.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Reliant on end user&#39;s WiFi. If they change their password or get disconnected, the device may go down.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">The devices need to have access to a WiFi router. The limited range can be a barrier for remote assets.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Too many devices connecting to one router may degrade the signal.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">WiFi configuration may require technical expertise.</p></li></ul><h2 dir="ltr">Best use cases for Cellular</h2><p dir="ltr">The use cases for cellular IoT are extensive. In this section, we&rsquo;ll share a few examples of where it&rsquo;s effective.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Deploying Continuous Emissions Monitoring</h2><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.qubeiot.com/" target="_blank">Qube</a> was an early mover in response to emissions-cutting pledges that gained widespread attention following 2021&rsquo;s COP26 conference. Qube offers <a href="https://www.particle.io/iot-guides-and-resources/energy-production-continuous-emissions-monitoring-solution/" target="_blank">continuous emissions monitoring</a> solutions by combining proprietary algorithms that can detect greenhouse gas emissions and pinpoint their type and location with IoT sensors that provide a continuous data feed.</p><p dir="ltr">Qube was looking for an affordable platform that could scale across the world while offering low power consumption. The team knew that cellular connectivity would be the right choice as many of their devices would be deployed in remote locations where WiFi wouldn&rsquo;t be available.</p><p dir="ltr"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 555px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjUxMzE1NTE2NTQzLWltYWdlMS5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 553px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">Image 2: By connecting monitoring devises via cellular networks, Qube created a continuous emissions detection system that detects sources of emissions and gives real-time insights on leak sources, quantity, and type. Image credit: Qube</span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Qube built its solution using IoT platform, Particle&rsquo;s, EtherSIM solution, a SIM card powered by over 350 carriers worldwide. No matter where Qube&rsquo;s devices are deployed, they will automatically connect to the best cellular network available.</p><blockquote><p dir="ltr">&ldquo;We rely on Particle&rsquo;s devices to get continuous data, which is streamed to our servers on a minute-by-minute or second-by-second basis. We then use that continuous data in our machine learning algorithms to infer what is actually happening in terms of leak quantity, leak size, and leak type,&rdquo; Cube COO Eric Wen said.</p></blockquote><h2 dir="ltr">Managing Remote Industrial Assets</h2><p dir="ltr">While the emissions monitoring sector is benefiting from global connectivity, those with <a href="https://blog.particle.io/the-top-5-applications-for-industrial-iot/" target="_blank">industrial IoT applications</a> are also finding key benefits from cellular connectivity.</p><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.networkinv.com/solution/fieldintell-iiot-automation-tracking/" target="_blank">FieldIntell</a>, a cloud platform serving customers mainly in oil &amp; gas, agriculture, and mining, is also seeing a promising future of stable global-wise cellular connection.</p><p dir="ltr">Particle provides global connectivity with hundreds of carriers worldwide, which saves FieldIntell&rsquo;s time spent on negotiating with carriers across multiple countries. FieldIntell&rsquo;s customers push Over-the-Air updates and remotely control complex assets with connectivity that&rsquo;s integrated with both the devices and cloud.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Best use cases of WiFi for IoT</h2><p dir="ltr">Cellular isn&#39;t always the best everywhere. If your devices mostly live in a facility with cement and metal all around it, signals from a cell tower aren&#39;t going to reach them. There are other use cases, like oil rigs in the middle of the ocean, where there&#39;s no cellular coverage. Under those circumstances, WiFi can be a superior choice. For example, remote oil rigs or mining operations generally have a satellite uplink and a local WiFi network. The same applies to industries like mining, which are usually based in remote locations where cellular networks haven&#39;t invested in putting a cellular tower.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Combatting the COVID-19 pandemic</h2><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://auraair.io/" target="_blank">Aura Air</a> built a data-driven air quality monitoring system with a WiFi-connected IoT product that was designed to disinfect 99.9% of viruses, bacteria, mold, and VOCs from indoor air. Aura Air&rsquo;s devices can help combat the threat of COVID-19. With the help of IoT technology, the product can detect influenza and COVID-19 viruses and sterilize the air to reduce spread. By harnessing Particle&rsquo;s WiFi module P1 SKU, the Aura Air devices can be connected through local WiFi networks of 2.4 GHz that do not have a firewall enabled. Users can view and update real-time air quality data through their phones or central dashboards.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h2><p dir="ltr">As the IoT and the wireless industry continue to innovate, selecting the right radio access technology for your IoT project is increasingly challenging. However, by understanding the pros and cons of each technology and examining similar use cases the decision can become clearer. In the second half of this article, we&rsquo;ll dive deeper into the strengths and weaknesses of each one and how you can determine the best choice for your IoT deployment.</p><h2 dir="ltr"><strong><em>About the sponsor: Particle</em></strong></h2><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.particle.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Particle</em></a><em>&nbsp;provides an integrated IoT Platform-as-a-Service that helps businesses connect, manage, and deploy software applications to connected devices, from edge to cloud and back. Over 240k developers, and 160+ Enterprise customers are building on Particle, from fast-growing startups to Fortune 100 companies.</em></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Our expertise goes beyond world-class technology, enabling next-generation business intelligence, insights, and expert customer support to make sure IoT projects succeed. So you can build the business of tomorrow, today.</em></p><p dir="ltr"><em><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1652969804194-particle+bottom.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></em><br></p>

Choosing Cellular or WiFi Article #1:Cellular and WiFi connectivity have their own distinct benefits for IoT. Learn about the strengths and weaknesses and application examples of each one. 


Cellular VS. WiFi for IoT How to Choose the Right One: Foundations

<h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">What is (and isn&#39;t) a microcontroller?</h2><p dir="ltr">A microcontroller unit (MCU) is a small, self-contained computer that is housed on a single integrated circuit, or microchip. They differ from your desktop computer in that they are typically dedicated to a single function, and are most often embedded in other devices (e.g. cellphones; household electronics).</p><h2 dir="ltr">What&#39;s the difference between a microcontroller and a microprocessor (MCU vs MPU)?</h2><p dir="ltr">Microcontrollers also differ from microprocessors. Microprocessors contain only a CPU, and therefore require added peripherals to perform tasks. MCUs, on the other hand, contain RAM, ROM, and similar peripherals, which allow them to perform (simple) tasks independently.</p><p dir="ltr">Ultimately, despite similar names and appearances, microcontrollers and microprocessors differ widely in their applications. Microprocessors are more powerful, but must be employed as single components in larger systems to function.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Microcontrollers, meanwhile, are limited in power and functionality, but can perform simple functions independently. Your Apple TV, for example, requires a microprocessor to handle all the varied and demanding tasks it performs. A connected coffeemaker, on the other hand, only needs to perform simple routines and tasks, and therefore employs a microcontroller.</p><h2 dir="ltr">What is the difference between a microcontroller (MCU) and a system-on-a-chip (MCU vs SoC)?</h2><p dir="ltr">The other term one hears often in this discussion is System on a Chip (SoC). The distinction between an MCU and an SoC is much less clear, and the two terms are often used interchangeably. However, in common usage, the term SoC typically refers to MCUs with a greater number of onboard peripherals and functionality. For the purposes of this outline, we won&rsquo;t make a distinction between MCUs and SoCs.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Why use an MCU for IoT</h2><ul><li dir="ltr"><strong>Simplicity</strong>: In most IoT use-cases, the relative simplicity of an MCU is an advantage rather than a disadvantage. MCUs don&rsquo;t require operating systems to function, and are easy to interface with external devices such as sensors and motors. Their lack of external dependencies also makes them easy to set up. You can simply turn them on, upload firmware, and they work. Additionally, the coding required to program an MCU is minimal.</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>Security</strong>: By virtue of their relative simplicity, MCUs also offer fewer avenues of attack. As a rule, each open port and available protocol is also a potential vulnerability. Code on MCUs runs &ldquo;bare metal&rdquo;, meaning it includes no intermediary operating system to execute instructions. This results in limited potential attack vectors and increased inherent security.</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>Cost</strong>: In most contemporary IoT applications, an MCU can deliver all the processing power and functionality one needs. As a result, MCUs are most often the best, most economic hardware choice for IoT applications. Overall, they offer simple, secure, functionality for little cost.</li></ul><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 557px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjUxMjU3Nzk1MjI1LXNodXR0ZXJzdG9ja181Nzg2MjY0NzcgKDEpLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 555px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner"><em>Image 1: Security, cost, and simplicity are key factors in choosing an MCU for your IoT project.</em></span></span></span></p><h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Which MCU is right for you?</h2><ul><li dir="ltr"><strong>Tech Specs</strong>: Which technical specifications your MCU should have will depend entirely upon its intended application. The relative importance of specs such as processing speed and memory capacity will be different from use-case to use-case. For example, An IoT device meant to perform more demanding tasks will necessitate an MCU with a higher clock speed. Less processing-intensive tasks, however, may not necessitate such high-performance hardware. That&rsquo;s why it is imperative that you clearly determine your technical needs before deciding upon a specific piece of technology. Overall, primary spec considerations include: memory, speed, power use, security features, and connectivity type (Bluetooth/Wi-Fi/Cellular).</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>Cost</strong>: All these technical specifications will be invariably weighed against their cost. Although the cost of MCUs is rapidly decreasing, added power, memory, and other specs will generally result in increased costs. While the costs of hardware may not seem daunting initially, increases in scale can quickly amplify even minute differences in hardware price. At the same time, selecting an MCU with only the bare minimum specs required to function may leave you unable to implement updates, new features, and other improvements in the future.</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>Support</strong>: When selecting an MCU, it&rsquo;s also important to consider the community surrounding it. MCUs with limited adoption will have fewer resources available to aid you in development.</li><li dir="ltr">Devices like the Photon from Particle, have a large community of users and developers, which makes it much easier to find information and support when needed. With a community of over 100,000 developers and engineers, the Particle platform has a wealth of resources available, including sample projects, demos, and development tools.&nbsp;</li><li dir="ltr">By selecting a more widely adopted MCU, you will ensure that integrating your IoT device with existing cloud services will be easy.</li></ul><h2 dir="ltr">Looking beyond the MCU</h2><p dir="ltr">Your IoT product is a system, not a component. So, when planning any element of your design, it&rsquo;s important to take into consideration the full stack of hardware, software, and infrastructure. Obviously, your product needs to connect to the Internet to qualify as IoT.</p><p dir="ltr">How it does so, and how that data is managed, should be central considerations in your IoT development process. In the past, developing, hosting, and managing one&rsquo;s own cloud infrastructure was a necessary part of IoT implementation. Now, platform providers such as Particle are offering cloud-connected hardware and comprehensive IoT platforms that lower the total cost of ownership of an IoT project, as well as reduce the time to market.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Begin your IoT undertaking with Particle</h2><p dir="ltr">A piece of IoT hardware is only as good as the platform it lives on. As an integrated IoT platform-as-a-service Particle provides everything you need to connect your device to the web. Pre-configured modules like the Electron are ready to connect to the internet right out of the box, and are already FCC/CE/PTCRB certified. These integrated platforms are allowing entrepreneurs to focus on their products, rather than the complications of connectivity. Particle offers a variety of low-cost, Wi-Fi and Cellular MCU dev kits that are easy to set up, and simple to integrate with your organization&rsquo;s existing infrastructure.</p><p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1652969871830-particle+bottom.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p>

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