An IoT proof of concept is a small-scale project that focuses on the vital functionalities of the required solution to assess the viability of the IoT idea. This process is essential before developing an IoT solution because it proves the business case, enables you to find the right vendor/partner, validates the implementation, and future-proofs the investment.
Let’s analyze this process in detail to see its models, platforms, and the possible issues that can come up.
PoC Models for IoT Projects
Model 1 (Real-Time Legacy Systems)
This PoC model is meant to enhance the operations of an existing legacy system that can send out data in real-time. It comprises these four steps.
- Developing the hardware and software components that collect data from the legacy system and process it
- Developing the communication interfaces between the end nodes, IoT gateways, and cloud
- Designing and developing the user interface (mobile app or website)
- Demonstrating the IoT PoC capabilities
This model takes a short time to complete (about a month), and it is important to note that real-time data is crucial when demoing the feasibility of the IoT project.
Model 2 (Non-Real-Time Legacy Systems)
The second model handles everything from scratch because it assumes the customer doesn’t have a real-time data-sending legacy system. It involves these steps.
- Evaluating the customer’s needs
- Designing the IoT solution architecture
- Designing the communication interface
- Configuring the cloud server
- Developing the hardware and software components that will collect and process data
- Developing the communication interfaces between the end nodes, gateways, and cloud
- Designing and developing the user interface (mobile app or website)
- Demonstrating the IoT PoC capabilities
This model can take about 3 months (12 weeks) to complete.
Factors To Consider in an IoT PoC
Device Connectivity
You must look at the existing hardware, connectivity options, operating systems, protocols, power sources, and geographic concentration when developing the IoT PoC.
Data
Consider the device data types, remote software and firmware update procedures, and messaging rates.
Analytics
The key factors to keep in mind are the max allowable latency (according to user requirements), real-time or near-real-time processing, alerting types, AI (machine learning) applications for deep insights, non-IoT data sources, and predictability.
Actions
Consider the automated workflows, role-based personas, interactions/relationships with end users, and organizational & operational structures.
How To Implement an IoT PoC
Define Objectives Clearly
The initial step is to define the objectives of the PoC clearly, which include what your IoT solution aims to prove or disprove. These objectives can also include the specific criteria you must meet to declare success.
Assemble The Right Team
To ensure the success of the PoC process, it is necessary to assemble the right, cross-functional team that will inject the required skills, expertise, and perspectives into the project.
Allocate the Required Resources
Come up with a budget and timeline for completing the project depending on the model. After that, allocate the necessary resources (as per the budget) and avail all required external requirements to ensure project success within the stipulated timelines.
Prototype and Test
Create a prototype of the IoT solution, incorporating the essential hardware, software, communication interfaces, and user interface. Subject this scaled-down version of the project to rigorous testing while collecting and analyzing the output data continuously.
Evaluation and Documentation
Evaluate the collected results, compare them with the pre-defined objectives, and document the findings. This documentation should include the successes and failures, why the failures occurred, and how you fixed them.
Stakeholder Engagement
Share these analyzed results and insights with the relevant stakeholders to get feedback, which will help fine-tune the PoC. Their insights will also help to make better-informed decisions.
Assess PoC Scalability and its Impact on the Business
If the PoC is successful, assess its scalability and the implications of integrating it in the customer’s premises at a large scale. Also, consider the future-proofing measures to ensure it remains a relevant investment to the customer for the long term.
IoT Platforms for Proof of Concept
When developing an IoT PoC, you need a cloud platform to assist you in testing and evaluating the solution’s efficacy by analyzing real-time sensor data. Some popular IoT cloud platforms you can use are AWS, ThingsBoard, etc.
AWS for IoT PoC
Building an IoT PoC using AWS requires 5 crucial steps.
- Hardware and Sensor Selection
The selected hardware and sensors must be compatible with AWS, so check for the necessary APIs or SDKs to ensure seamless integration. Remember, you should tailor the IoT PoC to suit the specific use case, picking the hardware and sensors that are compatible with this platform.
Confirm these devices can connect to the internet and consider other factors like scalability and future-proofing because user or project demands can change.
- Data Ingestion with AWS IoT Core
Create and register the devices in the AWS IoT core console to get the relevant certificates for secure communication. After that, implement the best practices for secure communication to send data between your hardware and AWS. Remember to utilize device shadows to maintain a persistent state of your device in the cloud, including when offline.
- Data Processing and Analytics
Use AWS Lambda to create serverless functions that process and transform PoC data on the fly. You can also enrich this data using other AWS services or external APIs, and then use AWS analytics to derive meaningful information.
- Dashboard Creation for Data Visualization
For data visualization, you can use Amazon QuickSight or other external tools to create dashboards for monitoring the data in real-time. Create intuitive and informative dashboards with interactive elements that enable the customer to get specific data points or adjust the views to get better insights.
- Testing, Iteration, and Optimization
Test the solution extensively to ensure it is reliable in terms of connectivity, data accuracy, and system performance. Collect the performance data and user feedback to enhance the system’s user experience and functionality, then optimize the solution to ensure it is secure, scalable, and ready for deployment.
Dusun gateways come pre-installed with the AWS plugin, so you can expect seamless integration with the platform when developing the PoC. The DSGW-210 edge computing gateway, for instance, can work with the AWS IoT core service to connect and manage your devices. It can also connect to Alexa to control IoT devices or get feedback using the same secure AWS IoT core connection.
ThingsBoard for IoT PoC
The primary advantage of using ThingsBoard is it is open source and free to use for both personal and commercial applications. Its development and configuration steps are slightly different than those of AWS because they include:
- Device provisioning with their attributes (supports work area, server, and meeting room zones)
- Device firmware flushing to update them with the firmware that has the device credentials built-in
- Developing the data processing rules (involves coding)
- Alarms distribution to the user using email (requires an email plugin)
- Data visualization using various dashboards, such as maps, floor plans, and historical data graphs
Once the PoC is ready, you can demo it using a device emulator after signing in and logging into the ThingsBoard demo platform.
Dusun IoT gateways support Thingsboard, as well, and installing the platform on your device is quite easy. Follow these steps to get on board and start developing your PoC.
Possible Issues That Can Come Up During IoT PoC
Inaccurate Sensor Signals
Sensors can send inaccurate or random signals when measuring different values, such as temperature. When developing the PoC, you need to figure out the cause of the problem, which might be as simple as non-calibration. They can also send the detected values at spread-out intervals that affect the accuracy of the analytics software.
Weak Casings
Supporting hardware, such as casings, must be robust enough to handle the conditions of the installation area, which might be outdoors or in an industrial manufacturing environment. For instance, if the application handles high voltages, you might have to redesign the IoT hardware’s protective case to handle those conditions
Software Errors
The IoT gateway’s OS can have threading system or kernel errors that affect communication with sensors. End nodes can also experience communication issues if they have software (microcontroller firmware) issues.
Lower Sampling Rate Than Required
The microprocessors that run IoT hardware have different sampling rates, and the one in use might not meet the customer requirements. In such a case, you can either replace the processor to match the user’s required sampling rate or come up with the highest rate the chip can handle that is close to what is needed.
Inadequate Sensor Range
Sensors operate within a certain preset range, which might be insufficient for the PoC. For instance, a project that requires temperature sensing across a wide range is better off with a K-type thermal sensor than a J-type. The former has a sensing range of -270°C to 1260°C, while the latter has a 0°C to 750°C range.
Importance of IoT PoC
IoT PoC helps to:
- Identify bugs through rigorous testing early on during product development, which mitigates the risk of investing in unproven concepts.
- Find alternative solutions to attain the PoC goal, which might be cheaper, more reliable, or both.
- Improve product designs
- Avoid costly recalls or repairs during production
- Cut product development costs
- Avoid design or technological issues that can cause project-stalling failures
- Boost innovation as engineers and technicians experiment with different concepts and novel ideas to achieve the IoT PoC goal.
- Improve stakeholder confidence (customers, partners, and investors). A successful IoT PoC assures them the developed solution will solve problems and support business use cases in the best way possible.
Wrap Up
In a nutshell, IoT PoC serves as a preliminary test or experiment that helps to determine if an IoT concept aligns with the required objectives and can be executed successfully. It might seem like an expensive undertaking at first, but it is a cost-cutting measure that ensures all other production steps flow smoothly afterward.
Dusun IoT hardware and services are ideally suited for rapid Proof of Concept (PoC) projects, thanks to several key factors:
- Professionalism and Flexibility: Dusun offers highly customizable and compatible solutions. Our IoT gateways support multiple protocols and are compatible with various platforms, providing open SDK and API interfaces that facilitate secondary development and integration. Additionally, we offer highly integrated, production-ready Systems on Modules (SOMs) and mainboards for swift development and faster time-to-market.
- Extensive Development Experience: With over 18 years of development experience, Dusun boasts a professional and robust R&D team that ensures rapid innovation and responsiveness to partners requirements.
- Rapid Technical Support and Resources: Dusun provides comprehensive development documentation and real-time technical support, enabling IoT device developers to quickly bring new applications to market. This helps reduce time-to-market, development costs, and design risks.
These advantages guarantee not only high performance and rapid deployment of products but also significantly shorten development cycles and lower costs.
At Dusun IoT, we understand the critical need to validate concepts quickly before committing significant resources. Imagine a streamlined process where you can evaluate your IoT solution’s viability without unnecessary expenditure. Ready to transform your ideas into reality with minimal risk? Partner with Dusun IoT for unparalleled expertise and support, contact us with your project details to get started.
