IoT Prototyping using BBB and Debian
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The document discusses an overview of using the Beaglebone Black and Debian for prototyping IoT applications. It covers setting up a basic weather station demo using the Beaglebone Black, Python, MQTT and a public broker. Potential next steps discussed include using a private broker, adding device and system management, and automating offline image generation. Production considerations mentioned are developer workflows, first-boot actions, and injecting device-specific data during manufacturing.
IoT Prototyping using BBB and Debian
- 1. Drew Moseley Technical Solutions Architect Mender.io
- 2. Session overview ● Discussion of basic IoT system architecture ● Overview of Beaglebone Black and Debian ● How to use them for quick prototyping of IoT application ● Demo application ● Considerations when moving beyond prototyping Goal: Get started quickly
- 3. Thank you to our Sponsors ● Kevin Dankwardt and the Silicon Valley Linux Technology meetup group ● Ouster.io ● Red Alert Labs
- 4. About me Drew Moseley ○ 10 years in Embedded Linux/Yocto development. ○ Longer than that in general Embedded Software. ○ Project Lead and Solutions Architect. [email protected] https://twitter.com/drewmoseley https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewmoseley/ https://twitter.com/mender_io Mender.io ○ Over-the-air updater for Embedded Linux ○ Open source (Apache License, v2) ○ Dual A/B rootfs layout (client) ○ Remote deployment management (server) ○ Under active development
- 5. Motivation for this topic ● IoT product growth: $520 billion by 20211 ● Product lead time and life cycle time ● Developers lacking embedded background ● Maker movement 1 https://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2018/08/16/iot-market-predicted-to-double-by-2021-reaching-520b/
- 6. Challenges for Embedded Device Development Hardware variety Storage Media Software may be maintained in forks Cross development Initial device provisioning
- 7. ● “A network of internet-connected objects able to collect and exchange data using embedded sensors.”1 IoT Definition 1 http://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-the-internet-of-things-definition-2016-8 ● A “network of physical devices, vehicles, home appliances and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and connectivity which enables these objects to connect and exchange data.”3 ● IEEE (86 page PDF)2 ● Key characteristics: ⎻ Connected ⎻ Sensors ⎻ Actuators ⎻ Cloud Infrastructure 2 https://iot.ieee.org/definition.html 3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_things
- 9. About Beagleboard Governed by a “non-profit corporation existing to provide education in and collaboration around the design and use of open-source software and hardware in embedded computing”1 ● Embedded development boards powerful enough to run full Linux system ● Active developer community ● Multiple form-factors ● Multiple OS providers ● Readily available from many vendors 1 https://beagleboard.org/about
- 10. About Beagleboard, cont’d Onboard peripherals Expandable using capes: ● Beagleboard.org: 8 ● Elinux.org: 10 production/many “legacy” Cape Features: ● High power ● Servos/Motors ● Robotics ● Prototyping 1 https://beagleboard.org/about
- 11. About Debian Debian is a free operating system (OS) for your computer. 1 ● Over 51000 packages ● 10 CPU architectures ● Used as the basis for many other distros (eg Ubuntu) 1 https://www.debian.org/
- 12. IoT Demo Architecture Weather station: sensors and actuators Note: device and system management is not part of this demo Beaglebone black Debian WiFi/Ethernet Python MQTT
- 13. Step 1: Host PC Prototyping Python code running on PC ● Any system capable of running python ○ Linux: likely already installed ○ MacOS: preinstalled(?) or from Homebrew ○ Windows: available from python.org ○ Docker: https://hub.docker.com/_/python 1 See also virtenv (https://virtualenv.pypa.io/en/latest/) for creating isolated Python environments https://github.com/drewmoseley/iot-mqtt-bbb.git ● Using python Paho MQTT library ○ $ sudo apt install python python-paho-mqtt ○ $ pip install paho-mqtt1 ● Using public MQTT broker2 2 Warning; any data shared with this server is publicly available.
- 14. Step 2: Beaglebone Black Prototyping 1. Install IOT image1 2. Boot the board 3. Login with ssh (debian:temppwd) 4. Verify/install python and paho-mqtt library 5. Download sample code 6. Run it 1 https://beagleboard.org/latest-images
- 15. ● Use a private MQTT broker ○ Encrypted transport ● Web management UI ○ Device management ○ Updates ● Automate offline image generation Ideas for Next Steps
- 16. ● Device lifetimes. ● Managed vs unmanaged fleet: ○ Will you have direct control of deployed devices? ● Operating Environment: ○ How hostile is it? ○ How reliable is power and connectivity? ● Can the user modify the software? ● Is there some kind of end-user interface? ● Bandwidth: ○ Network ○ Cloud compute Production Considerations
- 17. ● Developer workflow ○ Offline vs on-target steps ○ Incremental vs full image ○ Application vs System developers ○ “Golden Master” media is a bottleneck ● Manufacturing ○ First-boot actions slow the line ○ Need mechanism to inject data (certificates, host names, serial numbers) Development Considerations
- 18. System Software Options - Linux ● Embedded Linux Options ⎻ Desktop Class Distro ■ Direct Install ■ Packaging scripts ⎻ Embedded Distro Builder ■ Yocto ■ Buildroot ■ OpenWRT ⎻ Hybrid ■ ISAR ■ ELBE I got this!! 1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_on_embedded_systems
- 19. Other Criteria ● Hardware vendor provided material ● Training and documentation ● Vendor for support ● Developer experience