We recently released the FP-SNS-IOTA1, an STM32 Function Pack that facilitates the development of applications leveraging IOTA’s Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). The pack comes with a precompiled binary for the P-L496G-CELL02 pack, one of our first Discovery Kits bundled with advanced cellular capabilities. The program runs on an STM32L496AGI6 MCU board and utilizes the Quectel BG96 worldwide cellular modem to send data to the Tangle, IOTA’s ledger. Put simply, the demo application captures data from the motion MEMS, thermometer, barometer, and hygrometer present on a sensor board, then, at a specific interval, it sends the values as an IOTA transaction along with a counter for the free-fall events detected and a boolean flag that shows if the temperature is below (false) or over (true) a threshold. Users can use a console to set the URL of the node, the transmission interval, and the temperature threshold.
FP-SNS-IOTA1, A Foundational Approach to IOTA Applications
The Function Pack thus represents a unique opportunity to use an IOTA application, and learn from the available source code, in just minutes. Recently, the TM Forum, a global telecommunication industry association, announced studying the use of IOTA’s tangle for Industry 4.0 solutions. Similarly, the EDAG group showed how they used IOTA to send and receive messages between autonomous vehicles. The demo in our Function Pack is thus highly symbolic because it acts as a foundation for similar applications. Indeed, the exchange of information is one of the more widespread usages of the IOTA network, and our recent Function Pack proves that anyone can get started with a hardware kit costing only USD110. Moreover, it is also a testament that unlike most distributed ledger technologies, IOTA is at home on a microcontroller, thus opening the door to energy-efficient systems.
FP-SNS-IOTA1, A Steppingstone to More Powerful IOTA Applications
The Function Pack is a ready-to-use solution that simplifies the evaluation of new concepts. After developers try it, they may choose to move to X-CUBE-IOTA1, a more generic software that serves as a basic building block that enables IOTA DLT functionalities for STM32 MCUs. The package contains all the middleware necessary to build IOTA applications, meaning that it assists engineers working on our devices and helps them enable security features.
For instance, our documentation shows how to implement readout protection, take advantage of memory protection unit features, or use the true random number generator available in some of our IPs. Such features are crucial when trying to create unique addresses, protecting a system from hackers attempting to dump keys or to gain access to resources. In the meantime, those with less experience can take their first steps with the new Function Pack. We published a guide that will show how to start the demo application and configure the IOTA application settings.
