Development board helps developers connect for Cloud IoT Core
To help device manufacturers to develop secure IoT products, Microchip Technology introduces the PIC-IoT WG development board for Cloud IoT Core. PIC microcontrollers are used in a wide variety of products, from coffee makers to thermostats and irrigation systems yet as developers migrate next-generation PIC microcontroller-based applications to the cloud, they have to overcome complexities associated with communications protocols, security and hardware compatibility. To accelerate the development of these applications, Microchip has announced an IoT rapid development board for Google Cloud IoT Core that combines a low-power PIC microcontroller, CryptoAuthentication secure element IC and fully certified Wi-Fi network controller. According to Microchip, this provides a simple way to connect and secure PIC microcontroller-based applications, removing the added time, cost and security vulnerabilities that come with large software frameworks and real time operating systems (RTOS). Once connected, Google Cloud IoT Core provides powerful data and analytics to help designers make better, smarter products, explains Microchip.
Microchip Technology has an extended partnership with Google Cloud, which means that the PIC-IoT WG development board enables PIC microcontroller designers to easily add cloud connectivity to next generation products using a free online portal at www.PIC-IoT.com. Once connected, developers can use Microchip’s MPLAB Code Configurator (MCC) development tool to develop, debug and customise an application. The board combines smart, connected and secure devices to enable designers to create connected applications. It includes the eXtreme low-power PIC microcontroller with integrated core independent peripherals. Suitable for battery-operated, real-time sensing and control applications, the PIC24FJ128GA705 microcontroller employs the PIC architecture with added memory and advanced analogue integration explains Microchip. It is supported by the latest Core Independent Peripherals (CIPs) designed to handle complex applications with less code and decreased power consumption.
There are also secure element to protect the root of trust in hardware. The ATECC608A CryptoAuthentication device provides a trusted and protected identity for each device that can be securely authenticated. It is supplied pre-registered on Google Cloud IoT Core. For Wi-Fi connectivity to Google Cloud, the ATWINC1510 is an industrial-grade, fully certified IEEE 802.11 b/g/n IoT network controller that provides an easy connection to a microcontroller via an SPI, with the designer needing networking protocols expertise.
Google Cloud IoT Core provides a managed service that enables designers to easily and securely connect, manage and ingest data from devices at a global scale. The platform collects, processes and analyses data in real time to enable designers to improve operational efficiency in embedded designs.
The PIC-IoT WG development board is supported by the MPLAB X integrated development environment (IDE) and MCC rapid prototyping tool and is compatible with more than 450 MikroElektronika Click boards to expand sensors and actuator options.
