Introducing AWS IoT ExpressLink Makes Developing Secure IoT Devices Faster and Easier
This article is a Japanese translation of Introducing AWS IoT ExpressLink, making it faster and easier to develop secure IoT devices.
Introduction
Developing and deploying secure IoT products can be difficult. It can take months or even years to connect securely to the cloud in a scalable, maintainable manner over the entire product lifecycle. IoT product developers must navigate complex software stacks and master a variety of technologies, from embedded development to networking, cryptography, and cloud architecture. It's hard for one developer to cover all of this. IoT projects can quickly become bloated, complex with long development cycles and high failure rates. Modules using AWS IoT ExpressLink enable developers of all skill levels to quickly and easily securely connect virtually any device to the cloud seamlessly with over 200 AWS services, including AWS IoT Core can be integrated into
This post reviews common challenges developers face when building their first IoT devices. Then, learn how modules with AWS IoT ExpressLink overcome these obstacles to securely connect embedded devices in weeks instead of years, reducing costs and speeding time to market. .
Complexity Hides Costs and Vulnerabilities
A typical IoT application adds 50,000 (or more) lines of new embedded C code to a project. This is because many developers start by merging the code for connecting to the Internet with the code for product functionality to run on a single microcontroller or microprocessor. The challenge is that security vulnerabilities are hidden in hundreds of folders and files, while this code proliferation is hard to maintain. Additionally, resource constraints in embedded applications can threaten the success of your product. For example, consider the tiny processor in your coffee maker. Increased complexity can require rewriting applications from scratch and increasing the scope and budget of projects, significantly increasing costs and slowing time to market. Additionally, large codebases require ongoing investments to keep connected products secure by continuously analyzing and patching security vulnerabilities. This is a costly operation over the life of the product.
Undifferentiated work
To create secure IoT devices, developers use complex APIs to enable cloud connectivity:
Despite the complexity of each step, and the time and resources required to perform each step reliably and securely, none of these steps affect the customer experience beyond simply enabling cloud connectivity. No significant impact. It is rare that he has the technical knowledge necessary to perform these steps from the beginning, and the company will have to invest in creating his team of IoT experts or outsource the work to consulting services. I have. As a result, resources that could be devoted to building innovative products are robbed and replaced with repetitive and undifferentiated work.
ēdn CEO Ryan Woltz faced these challenges when building the smart indoor gardening device that powers the Shark Tank. Woltz wanted his team to move quickly and focus on building core brand features using machine learning and artificial intelligence. But he found them spending most of their time on undifferentiated work, trying to reinvent the wheel, and worrying about product security. Woltz says, "Firmware development for IoT is harder than hardware!"
Introduction of AWS IoT ExpressLink Modules
AWS IoT ExpressLink powers various hardware modules developed and provided by AWS partners such as Espressif, Infineon and u-blox. With these connectivity modules, you no longer need to be an expert in networking, cryptography, and authentication protocols to develop secure IoT devices. This allows the complex yet undifferentiated work of cloud connectivity to be moved into modules and seamlessly integrated with various AWS IoT services at a fraction of the time and cost (see Figure 1). Choose from a variety of form factors and connectivity technologies (Wi-Fi and Cellular) modules to meet your needs from our list of Qualified AWS Partner Modules. Figure 1 – Modular design for connected applications using AWS IoT ExpressLink
How to use
Connect to the cloud quickly and easily
AWS IoT ExpressLink packages complex and security-critical code into a single hardware component, Help developers. With just three wires ( TX , RX , GND ) you have everything you need to connect your embedded device to the cloud. Having three additional pins on the host processor gives you more control and efficiency in connecting. Figure 2 – AWS IoT ExpressLink physical interface
Whether using Wi-Fi or cellular LTE-M modules, your application can be expressed in 10 lines of simple code (see Figure 3). The Programmer's Guide contains various Attention ( AT ) commands to get you started quickly. The details of the means of communication are abstracted, and AWS IoT ExpressLink commands can be sent easily like “connect”, “send”, and “subscribe”. You can focus your resources on creation.
int main(){print("AT+CONNECT\n");while(1){ print("AT+SEND data {\"A\"=%d}", getSensorA()) ;delays(1);}}Figure 3 – AWS IoT ExpressLink pseudocode example
As a result, development is not slowed down by factors such as:
Security Built-in
All modules with AWS IoT ExpressLink are pre-provisioned with security credentials set by qualified AWS partners. It also includes AWS validated software so you can connect directly to AWS IoT Core and his 200+ AWS IoT services. The AWS IoT ExpressLink module implements security best practices and provides:
AWS provides AWS IoT ExpressLink connectivity software and technical specifications for partners to use in their modules. AWS will also review the results of the certification tests performed by the partner before the module is approved for inclusion in his AWS Partner Device Catalog. This helps validate that security is built into the product from the start, rather than being treated as an afterthought.
Scale for Deployment and Management
All modules with AWS IoT ExpressLink are pre-provisioned with unique identifiers and certificates to simplify large-scale deployments. increase. Modules can be onboarded in a common way using user accounts, reducing manufacturing time and costs. Additionally, AWS IoT Device Defender allows you to monitor the health of your devices, and AWS IoT Device Management makes it easy to manage your fleet at scale.
Getting Started
Order the AWS IoT ExpressLink Evaluation Kit from AWS partners Espressif, Infineon and u-blox. Any partner provides an implementation of her Wi-Fi connectivity module. Additionally, u-blox provides an implementation of AWS IoT ExpressLink with cellular connectivity.
Summary
Developing secure IoT devices has never been faster or easier with AWS IoT ExpressLink. Whether you are extending an existing application or designing a new application, you can do so in a fraction of the time and cost compared to traditional IoT applications. With pre-provisioning of identities and certificates and integration with AWS IoT Core services, you can rapidly deploy to large numbers of devices, monitor fleet health, and deliver updates at scale.
Lucio Di Jasio is a Product Manager at Amazon Web Services. He has spent the last 20 years in various technical and marketing roles in the semiconductor industry. He has published numerous articles and technical books on programming embedded control applications. Lucio is also passionate about flying and holds both FAA and EASA private pilot licenses.
This article was translated by Solution Architect Iida.