So you're an enterprise Internet of Things (IoT) developer tasked with creating some new application that taps into connected edge devices and sensors to help glean business insights and bolster other "enterprisey" initiatives.
To do that, you might leverage software development kits (SDKs) and other "kits" readymade to speed your development. They come in all shapes and sizes, enabling all kinds of development ranging from widespread frameworks and platforms to specific, single-task niche applications.
To help keep you abreast of the continuing stream of new offerings, here's a round-up of recently released kits, covering a wide range of use cases.
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Ockam Open Source SDK
Ockam says it has a new approach to IoT development, with its platform incorporating best practices for secure connected device systems while at the same time abstracting away technical complexity.
Based on blockchain technology, Ockam's software is now open sourced and parked on GitHub.
"The Ockam open source Software Developer Kit (SDK) contains a library for Golang developers and a Command Line Interface (CLI)," the company said last month. "Additional language support, features, and tools will be included in future releases. The Ockam SDK allows a developer to build Ockam functionality into their applications or embedded software. When a developer adds the Ockam SDK to the firmware in their connected devices they become clients to the Ockam Network, receive a unique Decentralized ID (did:ockam), can share data as a verified claim with another device, and can verify data that they receive from other IoT devices that are registered with the Network."
The GitHub repository includes:
- The ockam command line program for simple interactions with the Ockam Network.
- The github.com/ockam-network/ockam Golang package to develop Go applications that programmatically interact with the Ockam Network.
"In the near future, we will be adding ockam packages for other programming languages as well," the repository notes say.
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ON Semiconductor RSL10 Sensor Development Kit
This kit is "designed to provide engineering teams with a comprehensive platform for developing IoT applications with cutting-edge smart sensor technology, and enabled by the industry's lowest power Bluetooth Low Energy radio."
Its features are illustrated in this graphic:
[Click on image for larger view.]
RSL10 Sensor Development Kit (source: ON Semiconductor)
In words, that equates to: "The RSL10 Sensor Development Kit brings together the highly integrated RSL10 System-in-Package (RSL10 SIP) with a range of advanced low power sensors from Bosch Sensortec. The development platform provides 9 degrees of freedom (DoF) detection and environmental monitoring, including ambient light, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), pressure, relative humidity and temperature. An ultra-low noise digital microphone is also included, along with a user-programmable RGB LED, three programmable push-button switches, and 64 kbit of EEPROM."
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Dual-Radio Bluetooth/LPWAN IoT Development Kit
The STMicroelectronics STEVAL-FKI001V1 dual-radio development kit "gives unrivaled flexibility to envision, build and connect IoT devices like smart sensors, finders and trackers which can be configured, updated, remotely monitored and tracked using various network topologies, protocols and services."
Key features include:
- WS2118-00 Sigfox BLE module (Jorjin):
- Embedded BlueNRG-132 Bluetooth low energy SOC based on ultra-low power Arm Cortex-M0 (up to +8 dBm BLE RF output power, excellent receiver sensitivity -88 dBm)
- Embedded S2-LPQTR ultra-low power sub-1 GHz transceiver tuned for 826-958 MHz frequency bands (up to +16 dBm sub-1GHz RF output power, excellent receiver sensitivity down to -130 dBm, modulation schemes: 2-(G)FSK, 4-(G)FSK, OOK, and ASK, air data rate from 0.1 to 500 kbps, ultra-low power consumption: (7 mA RX, 10 mA TX @ +10 dBm ), low duty cycle RX/TX operation mode, automatic acknowledgement, retransmission, and timeout protocol engine)
- BALF-NRG-01D3 50 Ω integrated balun, matching network and harmonics filter companion device of BlueNRG-1
- Low power and wide supply voltage range: 2.0 to 3.6 V
- Dimensions: 22 mm(l) x 24 mm(w) x 2.8 mm(h)
- Operating temperature range: -40 °C to +85 °C
- U.FL RF interface connectors
- USB interface
- Arduino Uno V3 connectors
- JTAG debug connectors
- Antennas: 2.4 GHz and Sub-1 GHz
- USB cable
- RoHS compliant and China RoHS compliant
- CE compliant
- WEEE compliant
"Based on a ready-to-use WS2118 RF dual-radio module from Jorjin, the STEVAL-FKI001V1 provides a convenient, pre-certified solution for developers to quickly move from early concept-feasibility phase to prototyping, field trials and volume production," the company said. "The programmable ultra-low-power radio module has flexible power management and wake-on-event capability that allows multi-year lifetime from a small primary battery."
The kit is available now from ST distributors or directly through st.com, for $56.
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UrsaLeo
This Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) specialist's Pi development kit -- released last year in beta as part of the company's IoT and cloud platform -- was recently offered up by distributor RS Components.
"By combining the Silicon Labs Thunderboard 2 sensor module with a Raspberry Pi development board, UrsaLeo Pi delivers all the functionality of the UrsaLeo UltraLite development kit, at a lower price," RS Components said. "Trading only reduced debug support and restrictions on hardware re-use, it is ideal for cost-conscious development in sectors such as Industry 4.0, automotive diagnostics, healthcare and general data monitoring."
In announcing the kit last year, UrsaLeo said: "B2B customers can start using the platform by purchasing a development kit from an UrsaLeo online distributor, Mouser or RS Components. Both companies are currently carrying inventory with kits based on popular embedded processors including the NXP i.MX 6UltraLite (with Murata WiFi/BLE) and the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ single board computer. All kits come with a Silicon Labs Thunderboard Sense 2 carrying ten environmental sensors and are loaded with code for connecting to the UrsaLeo platform and sending data within a few minutes after setup is complete. Users of the Beta platform can work directly with UrsaLeo engineering to add sensors, port the code to their own hardware, and white label the platform for existing and potential customers."
Netevia In-App Payments SDK
As bespeaks its name, this is one of those niche, single-application SDKS specifically targeted to in-app payments, or, as Net Element Inc. says, "payable solutions."
Last month, in announcing the launch of Netevia In-App Payments SDK for IoT devices, the company said it enables "application developers and hardware manufacturers to process payments within their consumer-facing applications. With just a few lines of code, Netevia's SDK for IoT, allows developers to easily and professionally build a fully PCI compliant, secure and seamless payments flow experience for their devices."
The kit is part of the Netevia Platform offered by Net Element, which also features compliant cryptocurrency payment acceptance among its functionality for connecting and simplifying payments through one integration point in order to increase the economic efficiency of all transactions made within the ecosystem.
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Qualcomm LTE IoT SDK
This kit from Qualcomm Technologies Inc. isn't being offered up stand-alone now, but rather it's being included in the device agent software from Ayla Networks, another PaaS IoT specialist. Ayla Embedded Agents are part of the company's device virtualization and management platform. The agents enable networking and security at edge devices.
"This Qualcomm LTE IoT SDK is designed to support developers in creating custom IoT application software to run on the integrated Cortex-A7 CPU within the Qualcomm MDM9206 chipset, as well as to provide developers with access to Qualcomm Technologies' extensive suite of software and tools which are designed to make available some of the additional capabilities of the Qualcomm MDM9206 LTE IoT modem, such as GNSS," Ayla said in a Jan. 29 statement. "The integrated Cortex-A7 CPU within the Qualcomm MDM9206 LTE IoT modem is designed to help eliminate the need for an external microcontroller, which helps improve time-to-commercialization, cost-efficiency, and device security."
You can read more about the partnership here.