IoT – with and against – Android

RunTastic’s Christianus Kaar is a prime example for the success of building hardware: he transformed his easy-to-intimidate firm into a powerhouse owned by Germany’s most powerful media company.
This story looks at the various ways an Android device can be made to communicate with real hardware.
Look forward to a demonstration of obscure and common techniques ranging from the use of the headphone output to Bluetooth LE, the ADK and a large variety of other ways to make real things go beep and boom.

1. What r u talking about? IoT for – and against – Android What can one say against Android? A lot...
2. This is wrong
3. Let's get loud #droidconIT
4. This is wrong - II • Android is huge • Android needs maintenance • Android is no RTOS • Data needs syncing
5. Solution 1: go RT • Android can be expanded to be an RTOS • Be careful: huge level of effort Evaluating Android OS for Embedded Real-Time Systems Claudio Maia, Luıs Nogueira, Luıs Miguel Pinho RTDroid: A Design for Real-Time Android Yin Yan, Sree Harsha Konduri, Amit Kulkarni, Varun Anand, Steven Y. Ko, Lukasz Ziarek
7. Solution 2: do the Banzi! • Combinatorial Process Computer
8. Don't play Ping-Pong! • Interconnects are slow – 112500bps • Awaiting confirmation defeats purpose – Yeah, the bridge will crash... – ...but the warning window hasn't popped up yet
9. Be as lazy as you can • Sleep to save energy – Running CPU burns energy • Interrupt wake-up – Intelligent trigger logic is half of the game
10. Cables Because speed might matter
13. Let's get loud #droidconIT
14. ADK?!? • First-gen phones could not act as USB host • ADK: “virtual host” – Pretends to be a computer – Takes MSR orders
15. Just do it • USB Serial connection can be established • Connect hardware via USB OTG cable • Profit • A small hint: if it's mains powered – Charge the user's phone
16. WiFi, GSM and friends They might not be 100% reliable They might not be 100% safe But you can bet your hide That they are already there
17. TCP/IP is everywhere • Berkeley sockets • Native on many, if not most process computers • Native on Android • Already at your client's
19. GSM can be cheap • A man walks into a store – Not the right way • Dedicated M2M or IoT operators – 1MB / 1 Euro – 3 Euro for SIM card set-up • Ask your carrier rep
20. One Cable, Two Problems • Power over Ethernet – Less cabling effort • Both power and data
21. ESP 8266
22. Beware: power drain • ESP8266 needs 200mA • WiFi is not cheap energy-wise • WiFi can be “cluttered”
23. Beware: sucky antennas • Raspberry Pi 3 – WiFi works barely (2m range) • Antenna design is not high priority
24. Beware: haxxors!
25. Beware: temperature
26. Protocols Standing on the shoulders of giants Lets you see much farther
27. Custom or ready? • + – Easy to hack together – Does what you need • - – Not proven – Must be implemented by hand • + – Linus Law – Ready • - – Not 100% custom – Simplifies reverse engineering (+???)
28. Firmata • Text-oriented protocol • “Wiring over IP” • Wide-spread Wide-spread – I don't need to like it... I don't need to like it...
29. MQTT • Event management system • Transfer information between devices • Central server required
30. CoAP • HTTP for embedded devices • Very efficient → small headers
31. Bluetooth... And other topics, somewhat related to it whether by good luck or ill fortune
32. What is Bluetooth • Frequency hopping short-range RF protocol • Relatively low power • Serial Port Profile == virtual socket • Available just about everywhere
33. How to use it • (Pair devices) • Establish socket • Send data via serial link
34. Stupidly easy BluetoothDevice myRPI=mBluetoothAdapter.getRemoteDevice("B8:27:EB:2D:2A:DB"); try { BluetoothSocket mySocket=myRPI.createInsecureRfcommSocketToServiceRecord(UUID.fromS tring("e8e10f95-1a70-4b27-9ccf-02010264e9c8")); mySocket.connect(); os=mySocket.getOutputStream(); OutputStreamWriter myOSW=new OutputStreamWriter(os); myOSW.write("Hallo Welt\n"); myOSW.flush(); } catch (IOException e) {
35. TAMHAN is B.A.D (c) • Solution: Annette Systems HesABadTam • Plays Snup Tok – Ana Si Sayed • Communicates via XML
36. Request to Bluetooth SIG • Profile “Punishing device” • Yes, we're checking...
37. Request to Bluetooth SIG • Profile “Punishing device” • Yes, we're checking...sorry, but no...
38. Let's get loud #droidconIT
39. Request to Bluetooth SIG • Profile “Punishing device” • Yes, we're checking...sorry, but no... – SmellsLikeGinger (Zenzero) – Plays DJ Shadow – Organ Donor – Speaks CSV
40. Bluetooth LE / Bluetooth Smart • Physically close to Bluetooth – Frequency hopping, etc • Different intentions – Intended for IoT – Energy saving – Low latency, “bursty transmissions” – Low complexity
41. Normative things • Managed by Bluetooth SIG • @bluetooth_mdw Martin Wooley • Specs available for free: – https://www.bluetooth.org/en- us/specification/adopted-specifications
42. Mind the GAP! • Generic Access Profile • Specifies device roles – PERIPHERAL: IoT-”Gadget”, passive – CENTRAL: Smartphone, etc
43. I'm alive • Peripherals advertise their presence – Advertising Interval • Up to 31 Bytes of extra data • Optional: Scan Response Request – Central to Peripheral – Answering is possible
44. I got a GATT! • Generic ATTribute profile – Used after connection establishment – One center per peripheral per time • “KV store” of Bluetooth LE – GATT Server: Peripheral, holds data – GATT Client: asks for data
45. Profiles • Collection of KV storage schemata • If you want to build an X, better implement Y • https://developer.bluetooth.org/TechnologyOver view/Pages/Profiles.aspx#GATT
47. Services • Schemata of KV storages • How do I store my data? • https://developer.bluetooth.org/gatt/services/Pa ges/ServicesHome.aspx
48. Characteristics • KV-Storage • https://developer.bluetooth.org/gatt/characteristi cs/Pages/CharacteristicsHome.aspx
49. “Serial Characteristics” • Simple Implementation – Popular in China • Characteristic 1: In • Characteristic 2: Out • Beware the packet length
50. How to get started • Transistor, Diode and Antenna stay home – Friend wanted to implement BT 1.0 – Still working on it • Buy a module – Ask your local distributor
51. How to get started - II • Electrical link – UART – SPI • AT-Commands – Smells like modem
52. It is not easy but don't give up now It is not easy Happyness is an option
53. Mind the cash curve
54. Conclusion • Android is great for – Visualization tasks – Command and Control tasks – GUI tasks • Android sucks at – RT – HW control
55. Conclusion - II • Process computers excel at – Controlling processes – Running Hardware – Adapting data flows
56. Conclusion - III • Every job is different • Choose the right tool for the job – Amount of devices produced – Environment of existing devices – Needs of client
57. What r u talking about? IoT for – and against – Android What can one say against Android? A lot... Send me the slides! tamhan@tamoggemon.com