Microsoft announced Windows 11 with new system requirements, including hardware with a TPM 2.0 chip. Altho not all computers, laptops, and tablets come with Trusted Platform Module (TPM), which can be a problem, especially if you need version 2.0.

According to a tweet from Shen Ye, Senior Director, Global Head of HTC Hardware Products, the price of TPM 2.0 has quadrupled, so while Windows 11 isn’t officially available yet, Microsoft has it legitimate, and the name is security.

Securing devices with Infineon industrial grade TPM

Infineon Technologies AG has unveiled a new security chip that defines the first TPM (Trusted Platform Module), designed specifically for industrial applications such as industrial computers, servers, industrial controllers and edge gates. The module protects confidential data in connected devices and reduces the risk of leakage of this information due to attacks, e.g. hackers.

The OPTIGA TPM SLM 9670 module protects the integrity of industrial systems and the identity of users using them. The system controls access to sensitive data at key locations in industrial environments, such as an automated factory. It also protects the cloud interface if the network uses one. The security system fully meets the TPM 2.0 standard developed by the Trusted Computing Group and is certified by an independent test laboratory in accordance with the criteria contained in this standard. The new module is meticulously controlled and certified by Infineon. Thanks to its use, it is possible to shorten the time of designing and introducing the device to the market, thanks to the ready security solution in the system.

The TPM system has a lifetime declared as 20 years. It allows programmers to perform firmware updates, which in turn enables them to meet the long-term security requirements in rapidly changing industrial environments. In this way, it can also reduce maintenance costs of industrial equipment thanks to secured remote software updates. The TPM chip will be available in serial production in the second half of 2019.

TPM 2.0 Key Features

  • Random Number Generator (RNG) according to NIST SP800-90A
  • TPM FW update functionality installed
  • 6962 Bytes of free NV memory
  • Full personalization with Endorsement Key (EK) and EK certificate
  • Up to 3 keys in the volatile memory
  • Up to 7 keys in the NV memory
  • Up to 8 NV counters
  • Support of various cryptographic algorithms:
    • RSA-1024 and RSA-2048
    • SHA-1 and SHA-256
    • ECC NIST P256
    • ECC BN256

Security chip implementation in Industrial IoT devices

With knowledge of latest Industrial IoT security measures, the choice of proper end-point conroller or gateway is much easier than you think. Some manufacturers can implement TPM 2.0 security chip in production process, to allow users to generate certification keys after purchase, maximizing security of their installations. TECHBASE offers wide range of solutions, optionally aided with TPM system.

For example, ESP-32 based solution, Moduino X series and eModGATE series products offer the support for such security measures. Read more in Industrial IoT Ecosystem brochure, to understand the importance of reliable and secure hardware for Industrial IoT.

Raspberry Pi based controller with Modbus, M-Bus & MQTT support

Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3+ based ModBerry industrial computer series use latest Compute Module 3+, powered by Quad-core Cortex-A53 1.2GHz processor, 1024MB LPDDR2 RAM and up to 32GB Flash eMMC. The module increase the device’s performance up to ten times, maintaining low power consumption and optimal price of the solution. Raspberry Pi based ModBerry features industrial protocol support, e.g. Modbus, M-Bus, SNMP, MQTT and the possibility to add new protocols with ease.

ModBerry protocol modularity

ModBerry remote management

The iMod platform guarantees a quick start and full use of the ModBerry computer, without the need to write complicated software. One of the main advantages of the iMod platform is its ease of use and variety of available functionalities. Due to the available SDK, the platform can be extended with new, dedicated functionalities.

iMod can be installed directly onto ModBerry device or using external PC outside the installation (iModBOX). The third option is using dedicated hosting server to host the iMod software (iModHOST).

iModCloud Ecosystem

Another product is iModCloud software-service, which enables full control of ModBerry/iMod devices. Together they form a stand-alone solution – iModCloud Ecosystem, a combination of cloud services with web-based user interface and industrial devices, fully manageable remotely.

iModCloud can be hosted externally, using stable DELL servers to host the cloud service.(iModCloudHOST). For higher data security or depending on project features, iModCloud can be hosted internally, inside the installation (iModCloudBOX) hosted by the dedicated Mini-PC or from portable memory stick (iModCloudSTARTER).

More information Raspberry Pi based industrial device

TECHBASE provides solutions for industrial automation, telemetry, remote access and integration with IT systems. Since 2012 the company has been actively developing its competences in the market. Due to an innovative approach – based on the use of cutting-edge technologies, open standards and easy to maintain products – the company has earned the trust of Customers all over the world.

TECHBASE’s mission is to provide our Customers with tools, which will shorten and simplify the process of system implementation. With open architecture and high level of configurability, maintenance of a system is not expensive anymore.

To read more about ModBerry 500 M3 solution, download PDF datasheet: http://a2s.pl/products/ModBerry/ModBerry_500M3_EN.pdf
Read more about all ModBerry Industrial Solutions at: https://modberry.techbase.eu/

ModBerry hardware modularity

ModBerry 500 hardware modularity

The main features of ModBerry Industrial Computers series are the extension capabilities to increase input/output number, add up to 4 internal wireless communication modems and modules, support additional features such as accelerometer or opto-isolation options.

ModBerry 500 series offers wide range of industrial interfaces e.g.: digital inputs/outputs, analog inputs/outputs, relay outputs, serial RS-232/485 ports, Ethernet, 1-Wire, CAN, USB 2.0, HDMI, LTE/3G/GPRS, NarrowBand IoT/LTE, GPS, ZigBee, WiFi, Bluetooth, LoRa and many more via extension modules.

Mannie Peterson (aka FellFromTree) developed an embedded operating system called HeliOS, which is specifically designed for 8-bit and 32-bit Arduino boards and is easy to use with the Arduino IDE. HeliOS is said to only have 21 function calls and implements collaboration, event driven multitasking, task notification / messaging, timers, and memory management.

How does HeliOS work?

HeliOS was written with hobbyists, enthusiasts and researchers in mind who want more functionality than what existing task schedulers offer yet want to avoid the size and complexity of an RTOS. HeliOS has only 21 function calls and implements a wide variety of functionality including cooperative multitasking (run-time balanced), event driven multitasking, task notification/messaging, timers and managed memory. Not only is HeliOS easy to use, it is conveniently available through the Arduino IDE Library Manager or from GitHub as a ZIP file and has out-of-the-box support for Arduino AVR, SAM, SAMD and ESP8266. Either way, HeliOS is compliant with Arduino’s 1.5 (rev 2.2) Library Manager Specifications so getting started is a snap!

Source: https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/FellFromTree/helios-embedded-operating-system-e311bf

Industrial use of LoRa & ESP32-based solutions

One of industrial IoT devices, supporting LoRa wireless technology is ESP32 based eModGATE from TECHBASE. Economical, ESP32-based solution can serve as an end-point in any installation or works well as a gateway, gathering data from scattered sensor mesh across the installation. For more information and also Raspberry Pi based solutions check Industrial IoT Shop with all the configuration options for eModGATE.

eModGATE with ESP32

Espressif Systems and Amazon recently announced the ESP32-PICO-V3-ZERO Alexa Connect Kit (ACK) module, which provides support for features such as out-of-the-box connectivity to the cloud service ACK, Alexa control, „seamless setup”, and Amazon Dash completion for connected devices.

This new module is as much as 50% lower in cost.

Source: https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/blogs/alexa/device-makers/2020/07/Introducing-the-New-Alexa-Connect-Kit-Module-with-Espressif-Chipset
ESP32-PICO-V3-ZERO

How Alexa Connect Kit Works

With Alexa Connect Kit, you can make nearly any device with power into an Alexa-compatible smart device your customers will love, all at a fixed per-device cost. You simply integrate an Amazon-managed ACK module into your device, connect it to your device’s microcontroller (MCU) over a serial interface, and add interface code to your device’s firmware to interpret control messages from the ACK module. The ACK module adds Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, and all the software needed for Alexa control, Frustration Free Setup, security, and log and metric collection – managed and updated by Amazon. For your customers, products built with ACK include Alexa control through voice and the Alexa app, and the option to support Amazon Dash Replenishment. For developers, ACK enables you to connect your devices to Alexa without the need to operate a cloud, create and maintain an Alexa skill, develop a companion app, or deal with IoT firmware integration. With an ACK module on your device, you can focus on building great hardware.

Source: https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/blogs/alexa/device-makers/2020/07/Introducing-the-New-Alexa-Connect-Kit-Module-with-Espressif-Chipset

Industrial use of LoRa & ESP32-based solutions

One of industrial IoT devices, supporting LoRa wireless technology is ESP32 based eModGATE from TECHBASE. Economical, ESP32-based solution can serve as an end-point in any installation or works well as a gateway, gathering data from scattered sensor mesh across the installation. For more information and also Raspberry Pi based solutions check Industrial IoT Shop with all the configuration options for eModGATE.

eModGATE with ESP32
Arduino Portenta H7 - new player on the Industrial IoT market

At the Consumer Electronics Show 2020, Arduino has made a possibly groundbreaking announcement with the Arduino Pro IDE. This could bring the maker scene and classic industrial companies closer together.

Arduino Portenta H7 features

The Portenta H7 is equipped with an STM32H747Xi with a Cortex-M7 and a Cortex-M4. Portenta H7 has 2 megabytes of RAM and a 16 MByte NOR flash. An SD card can be connected via an adapter. The connection to a wireless network is via WiFi 802.11 b/g/n or Bluetooth 5.1. The charging electronics for a 3.7 volt LiPo battery are already integrated.

With the Arduino Portenta H7, the first model of the new Portenta family was announced. This should be tailored specifically to the needs of industrial applications, AI and robotics scenarios.

Arduino Portenta H7
Arduino Portenta H7

The model is equipped with two 80-pin connectors, plus four UART ports. USB Type-C port can output image signals via DisplayPort. The Portenta H7 is also programmable with an interpreter in MicroPython, JavaScript and TensorFlow Light. The single-platinum calculator should be available from February for 90 euros.

Source: https://www.linuxinsider.com/story/86448.html

What the world says about Arduino Portenta?

Fabio Violante, CEO of Arduino, said manufacturers will be able to create modules for robotics, 3D printer and more:

Portenta H7 is directly compatible with other Arduino libraries and offers new features that will benefit hardware manufacturers, such as a DisplayPorl output, much faster ADC multi-channel and high-speed timers.

Arduino Portenta Carrier
Arduino Portenta Carrier

Meanwhile, Charlene Marini, vice president of strategy for Arm’s IoT Services Group commented:

SMEs with industrial requirements require simplified development through secure development tools, software and hardware to economically realize their IoT use cases.

ARM Partnership cooperation

ARM works with Arduino to provide secure, easy-to-manage and manageable devices to a wide range of programmers. Two innovations to date show the results of this partnership.

„Mbed OS Portenty is one of the concrete achievements of the partnership,” said Marini. „Another example is the Arduino SIM card, which uses Pelion connection management.”

She said companies have the ability to provide secure Internet of Things on a large scale. This is the foundation of machine learning, automation and the rapid evolution of applications that cross the physical and digital world.

eModGATE with ESP32

Industrial use of Arduino-like solutions

One of industrial IoT devices, supporting Arduino-like technology is eModGATE from TECHBASE. Economical, ESP32-based solution can serve as an end-point in any installation or works well as a gateway, gathering data from scattered sensor mesh across the installation. For more information check Industrial IoT Shop with all the configuration options for eModGATE.

Raspberry Pi 4 is well known for its size and value, but will soon start to be seen for it’s significant performance. A few months ago, the Raspberry Pi Foundation announced the development of Vulkan support on Raspberry Pi 4. Today, the team published demonstration photos showing updates and progress in the current state of the project.

When we announced the effort back in January we were at the point of rendering a coloured triangle, which required only minimal coverage of the Vulkan 1.0 API in the driver. Today, we are passing over 70,000 tests from the Khronos Conformance Test Suite for Vulkan 1.0 and we have an implementation for a significant subset of the Vulkan 1.0 API.

Source: https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/vulkan-update-now-with-added-source-code/

Rasbperry Pi 4 upgrade of ModBerry M500

In 2019, with the premiere of Raspberry Pi 4, TECHBASE upgraded their ModBerry M500 device with the latest revision of this popular SBC, further enhancing the performance of their device. New 1.5GHz quad-core 64-bit ARM Cortex-A72 processor (approximately 3 times better performance than previous Cortex-A53 powering Raspberry Pi 3+ Model B and Compute Module 3 and 3+). ModBerry M500 can now be configured from 2GB / 4GB LPDDR4 SDRAM options.

Revised ModBerry M500 features Gigabit Ethernet, USB3.0, two microHDMI ports supporting OpenGL ES 3.x and 4Kp60 hardware decode of HEVC video. The device is fully compatible with previous versions of Rasbperry Pi based Industrial IoT devices and accessories from TECHBASE.

Raspberry Pi & ESP32 use-hack of OpenMQTTGateway

Many developement boards can be used in home and industrial applications to control and manage data. Check out latest video from open-tech infuencer, Andreas Spiess, in which he uses Raspberry Pi and ESP32 boards to build and visualize weight loss system using Xiaomi scale and Node-RED, influxDB and Grafana. Open MQTT Gateway might come in handy too.

Industrial use of Raspberry Pi & ESP32-based solutions

One of industrial IoT devices, supporting Espressif’s ESP32 technology is eModGATE from TECHBASE. Economical, ESP32-based solution can serve as an end-point in any installation or works well as a gateway, gathering data from scattered sensor mesh across the installation. For more information and also Raspberry Pi based solutions check Industrial IoT Shop with all the configuration options for eModGATE.

eModGATE with ESP32

Aries Embedded announced one of the first computing modules with the SoF PolarFire function. It is equipped with a Linux RISC-V SoC chip with a Microchip Microsemi FPGA processor. The M100PFS has the same dimensions of 74 x 42 mm as the similar M100PF module from Aries and is equipped with PolarFire FPGAs without RISC-V core for Linux.

The two major M100PFS SKUs are:

  • M100PFS-025ADA0 — MPFS025T FPGA with 23K LE, 68 math blocks, 4x SERDES; 1GB LPDDR4 RAM for HMS (RISC-V/Linux); 4GB eMMC
  • M100PFS-250AECC — MPFS250T FPGA with 254K LE, 784 blocks, 16x SERDES; 4GB LPDDR4 each for HMS and FPGA; 8GB eMMC

Source: http://linuxgizmos.com/linux-powered-module-charges-up-the-risc-v-polarfire-soc/

Aries’ M100PFS a competition for Raspberry Pi 4 in IoT
M100PFS

PolarFire SoC from Microchip combines the previously introduced PolarFire FPGA card with 4x RISC-V U54-MC SiFive core. Microchip claims that PolarFire SoCs are superior to hybrid SoCs with an arm / FPGA, such as Xilinx Zynq, with more configurable and open RISC-V designs, lower power consumption and much better real-time deterministic functions. I am In December, the company called it „the first FPGA SoC chip with deterministic and consistent RISC-V processor clusters and the deterministic L2 memory subsystem enabling the use of Linux and real-time applications.”

Industrial use of market Raspberry Pi 4 SBCs

A year ago, TECHBASE released an updated version of the ModBerry M500 industrial IoT computer, replacing the aging Raspberry Pi 3 with a 3B+, giving it better performance. With the recent launch of the Raspberry Pi 4, TECHBASE has yet again, announced another upgrade to the M500, which now packs the latest single-board computer.

ModBerry M500 with Raspberry Pi’s 4

ModBerry M500 also utilizes many more SBC platforms, such as Orange Pi, NanoPi and Intel-based UpBoard. Find more information here: https://iiot-shop.com/product/modberry-m-series/

ESP32-based LoRa / LoRaWAN wireless network

One way of long-range and low-power data transmission is LoRa wireless technology. Since the Internet of Things market (with ESP32 – based solutions) is mainly covered with short-range Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and long-range with 3G / NarrowBand-IoT technologies, LoRa oftens is omitted or simply unknown by IoT users. Below you will find a short representation of what LoRa is and how can it be used.

What is LoRa / LoRAWAN network?

LoRaWAN® network architecture is deployed in a star-of-stars topology in which gateways relay messages between end-devices and a central network server. The gateways are connected to the network server via standard IP connections and act as a transparent bridge, simply converting RF packets to IP packets and vice versa. The wireless communication takes advantage of the Long Range characteristics of the LoRa physical layer, allowing a single-hop link between the end-device and one or many gateways. All modes are capable of bi-directional communication, and there is support for multicast addressing groups to make efficient use of spectrum during tasks such as Firmware Over-The-Air (FOTA) upgrades or other mass distribution messages.

Source: https://lora-alliance.org/about-lorawan

Industrial use of LoRa & ESP32-based solutions

One of industrial IoT devices, supporting LoRa wireless technology is ESP32 based eModGATE from TECHBASE. Economical, ESP32-based solution can serve as an end-point in any installation or works well as a gateway, gathering data from scattered sensor mesh across the installation. For more information and also Raspberry Pi based solutions check Industrial IoT Shop with all the configuration options for eModGATE.

eModGATE with ESP32
Raspberry Pi based controller with Modbus, M-Bus & MQTT support

Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3+ based ModBerry industrial computer series use latest Compute Module 3+, powered by Quad-core Cortex-A53 1.2GHz processor, 1024MB LPDDR2 RAM and up to 32GB Flash eMMC. The module increase the device’s performance up to ten times, maintaining low power consumption and optimal price of the solution. Raspberry Pi based ModBerry features industrial protocol support, e.g. Modbus, M-Bus, SNMP, MQTT and the possibility to add new protocols with ease.

ModBerry protocol modularity

ModBerry remote management

The iMod platform guarantees a quick start and full use of the ModBerry computer, without the need to write complicated software. One of the main advantages of the iMod platform is its ease of use and variety of available functionalities. Due to the available SDK, the platform can be extended with new, dedicated functionalities.

iMod can be installed directly onto ModBerry device or using external PC outside the installation (iModBOX). The third option is using dedicated hosting server to host the iMod software (iModHOST).

iModCloud Ecosystem

Another product is iModCloud software-service, which enables full control of ModBerry/iMod devices. Together they form a stand-alone solution – iModCloud Ecosystem, a combination of cloud services with web-based user interface and industrial devices, fully manageable remotely.

iModCloud can be hosted externally, using stable DELL servers to host the cloud service.(iModCloudHOST). For higher data security or depending on project features, iModCloud can be hosted internally, inside the installation (iModCloudBOX) hosted by the dedicated Mini-PC or from portable memory stick (iModCloudSTARTER).

More information Raspberry Pi based industrial device

TECHBASE provides solutions for industrial automation, telemetry, remote access and integration with IT systems. Since 2012 the company has been actively developing its competences in the market. Due to an innovative approach – based on the use of cutting-edge technologies, open standards and easy to maintain products – the company has earned the trust of Customers all over the world.

TECHBASE’s mission is to provide our Customers with tools, which will shorten and simplify the process of system implementation. With open architecture and high level of configurability, maintenance of a system is not expensive anymore.

To read more about ModBerry 500 M3 solution, download PDF datasheet: http://a2s.pl/products/ModBerry/ModBerry_500M3_EN.pdf
Read more about all ModBerry Industrial Solutions at: https://modberry.techbase.eu/

ModBerry hardware modularity

ModBerry 500 hardware modularity

The main features of ModBerry Industrial Computers series are the extension capabilities to increase input/output number, add up to 4 internal wireless communication modems and modules, support additional features such as accelerometer or opto-isolation options.

ModBerry 500 series offers wide range of industrial interfaces e.g.: digital inputs/outputs, analog inputs/outputs, relay outputs, serial RS-232/485 ports, Ethernet, 1-Wire, CAN, USB 2.0, HDMI, LTE/3G/GPRS, NarrowBand IoT/LTE, GPS, ZigBee, WiFi, Bluetooth, LoRa and many more via extension modules.