Future Hardware Platforms

This page should be a starting point for a discussion on: "What's the next primary Platform for RIOT?"

Constraints

• RIOT is currently unable to run on a platform with more than one core
• RIOT currently support 16 and 32 Bit based hardware

must have / must support

• ARM based
• low power platform
• one wireless interface
• some sort of sensors to play with or accessible I/O ports (such as SPI, I2C etc.)
• device capabilities should match a Class 2 device according to Terminology for Constrained Node Networks
• USB for flashing
• Debugging interface (e.g. JTAG)

should have

• first radio is 802.15.4 compliant
• second radio with more throughput than 802.15.4 (perhaps 802.11?)
• 32 bit based platform (easier to find) / 16 bit based follows
• an EXISTING community around this hardware
• not so expensive (50 € per device?)
• open source hardware / software already existing

nice to have

• energy measurement feature
• Ethernet for debugging, logging, administration

candidates for RIOT

STM32L053 Nucleo

• ARM M0+ Core
• STM32L053R8T6 CPU from ST-Microelectronics
• lowest power platform (several more power-states)
• brand new
• cheap
• no radio, but 2 SPI interface for connecting transceivers

Microchip MRF24J40MA

• 802.15.4 module
• certified module - could be used worldwide
• easy to integrate into a hardware-design
• cheap, less than 15 Euro
• SPI interface

Zolertia Z1

• shop
• "well-known" architecture, since it's some kind of "TelosB/SkyMote on steroids"
• is a low-power platform
• has good old TI CC2420 as radio transceiver
• has interesting sensors built-in (accelerometer, temperature)
• has a built-in USB port, and an optional JTAG port compatible with TI's MSP430-UIF debugger (something TelosB cruelly lacks)
• platform used "in production" (industrially) with other OSes
• quite expensive (but is still reasonable for an industrial, production-oriented device)

Arduino due

• shop
• no radio, no sensors -> buy extra
• not so cheap
• no energy measurement support?
• fits to our requirements in the most points

Thinkerforge

• shop
• no radio, no sensors -> buy extra
• no energy measurement support?
• not so cheap

Raspberry Pi

• specs
• not a low power platform
• no radio, no sensors -> buy extra
• no energy measurement support?
• too much ram/rom
• biggest community
• cheaper than the others
• ethernet

Modules from Dresden Elektronik

• adapter board deRFsam3
• Cortex-M3 (ARM 32 bits) + 802.15.4 radio chip (AT86RF231)
• Base module is ~30 EUR, but power + serial + JTAG connectors need to be soldered/added
• Many variations of the board and addons: including processor ARM7 / ATmega / ..., radio 800-900 Mhz / 2.4 Ghz, form factor (USB), extension boards, ... so the right(s) one(s) should be carefully selected, and the final price will be higher

Spark Core

• Kickstarter
• ARM Cortex-M3 (STM32) + 802.11b/g radio (CC3000)
• 128KB of Flash memory, 20KB of RAM
• 2MB of external flash memory
• Arduino compatible (through custom integration of Wiring libraries)
• 128-bit SSL encryption
• 3.3V DC supply voltage (with on board power regulator)
• Can be powered and programmed by USB Micro (cable included in box)
• 8 digital I/O pins and 8 analog I/O pins
• UART (Serial), SPI, and I2C peripherals
• no 802.15.4 radio, no existing community, no energy measurement

DigiX

• Kickstarter
• ARM Cortex-M3 (AT91SAM3X8E) + 802.11b/g/n radio + low-power 2.4GHz radio (nRF24L01)
• 96KB SRAM, 512KB Flash
• 99 I/O Pins
• 12 Analog Input
• 2 Analog Output (DAC)
• Onboard LED (connected to Pin 13)
• no 802.15.4 radio, no existing community, no energy measurement

STM32W-RFCKIT

• STM32
• STM32W System-on-Chip 32-bit ARM® Cortex™-M3 processor
• 2.4 GHz IEEE 802.15.4 transceiver and Lower MAC
• Flash memory upgrade capability via USB
• ARM Serial Wire Debug (SWD) interface (Remote board)
• Designed to be powered by USB or with 2 AAA batteries (Remote board)
• Two user-defined LEDs (green and yellow)
• Five push buttons to create easy-to-use remote functions (Remote board)
• Interoperable with other STM32W tool boards to enlarge wireless network capabilities
• 802.15.4, ZigBee RF4CE wireless protocols
• discontinued