[SOLVED] choice for IoT project

Thread Starter

Pushkar1

Joined Apr 5, 2021
416
I see on internet that ESP and Pi are mainly used for IoT projects. Do you use any other board for IoT project except Raspberry Pi and ESP? I am not asking about hobby project I am curious to know what do you prefer in IoT project for client?

my question is not for any particular project i know that any MC is selected considering the requirement of the projects. But I am asking your choice, what do you do when developing IoT
project for a client, do you use Pi or ESP?
 

Papabravo

Joined Feb 24, 2006
21,157
I see on internet that ESP and Pi are mainly used for IoT projects. Do you use any other board for IoT project except Raspberry Pi and ESP? I am not asking about hobby project I am curious to know what do you prefer in IoT project for client?

my question is not for any particular project i know that any MC is selected considering the requirement of the projects. But I am asking your choice, what do you do when developing IoT
project for a client, do you use Pi or ESP?
I might use an OTS (Off The Shelf) board to prototype an idea, but the board done for production would be a custom design. I've used many different processors from many different vendors over the years. The only vendor I will never use again is Siemens. They reneged on a 26-week delivery time order because they had to serve their domestic (German) customers, and I had to turn a whole design with another processor to meet our customer's requirements. The Atmel rep was most helpful in identifying a viable alternative part.
 

Thread Starter

Pushkar1

Joined Apr 5, 2021
416
I might use an OTS (Off The Shelf) board to prototype an idea, but the board done for production would be a custom design. I've used many different processors from many different vendors over the years.
you mean you will use your own board for customers products. Obviously you'll need a processor, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and others for your board. But why would you want to design your own board when you've got it all in the Raspberry Pi. What are the benefits of designing your own board?
 

Papabravo

Joined Feb 24, 2006
21,157
you mean you will use your own board for customers products. Obviously you'll need a processor, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and others for your board. But why would you want to design your own board when you've got it all in the Raspberry Pi. What are the benefits of designing your own board?
The company that I founded with two colleagues was involved in component devices for an industrial network used in factory automation. Our customers often had particular requirements for various numbers of digital inputs, digital outputs, analog inputs, and analog outputs. On top of that were bridge interfaces to other types of networks and communications. It was simply impossible to use a generally available open source solution. They would usually require from 50 to 800 pieces over the life of the product. I don't think we ever sold more than 800 of any single product. By comparison to using off the shelf generic boards in a blackplane system our prices were usually an order of magnitude cheaper.

We used to joke about those systems by saying: "you can find a better PLC than the one from company X, but you won't pay more for it".
 

cmartinez

Joined Jan 17, 2007
8,218
To use the minimum number of and least expensive parts and PCB size that will do the job to minimize the production cost of the product, of course.
I would probably start by using standard, off the shelf modules, if they exist, though. And after a few successful tests and runs, then I'd design the system from the very basic components up.

That way you could bring the product's cost as low as possible, while also making sure you have the absolute minimum of resources to make it successful.
 

JohnInTX

Joined Jun 26, 2012
4,787
I would probably start by using standard, off the shelf modules, if they exist, though. And after a few successful tests and runs, then I'd design the system from the very basic components up.

That way you could bring the product's cost as low as possible, while also making sure you have the absolute minimum of resources to make it successful.
That also is good advice!
FWIW, I pick parts that are at the top end of their family and develop with that. Then you have a good idea of what is required. Down - spec to a part that has just those resources and there you are.
 

DickCappels

Joined Aug 21, 2008
10,153
I am designing a small off the shelf in a subsystem I am designing but whe it gets down to a production design we will have our own design. In addition to the reasons already mentioned, making it ourselves (through our partners) we will have better control over the quality and with the minimum parts count, we should have better reliability.
 
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