Open-source development board platform Arduino has partnered with Atmel to release a new WiFi module for the Arduino platform, geared towards secure connections and rapid prototyping for IoT applications. Improved security features are another plus for the Arduino ecosystem, which hopes to continue to be a central focus of amateur and professional development in IoT projects.
The Arduino system centers around a development board, to which developers add modules to provide additional and non-standard hardware. These modules are called Shields. This latest module is called the Arduino WiFi Shield 101, and is “an easy to use extension that can seamlessly be connected to any Arduino board, enabling high-performance WiFi connectivity.”
The pair go on to announce that “this new shield gives the design community more opportunities to securely connect IoT applications, ranging from consumer goods to wearables, robotics, high-tech devices and more.” The shields are plug-in modules that expand the board’s hardware capabilities in a modular fashion.
The Arduino boards first appeared in 2005, and since then have evolved into a range of 19 microcontroller development boards available from the Arduino website, ranging in price from $9-27, with varying levels of hardware specifications. The official boards are manufactured by the Italian firm Smart Projects, and are mostly built around Atmel’s range of ATmega microcontrollers, with a smattering of 32-bit Atmel ARM chips. It’s a very similar concept to the more well-known Raspberry Pi.
The Shield 101 is powered by the same wireless controller that runs the Atmel SmartConnect family, which offers a set of features that lets you integrate WiFi connectivity into a design without any of the 802.11, Real Time Operating System (RTOS), IP Stack or RF experience that would normally be required. Atmel claims this makes the module an excellent choice for embedded designs – such as the low-power and low-computation applications necessary for IoT.
The more interesting feature is the CryptoAuthentication package, which utilizes an integrated circuit (IC) to provide hardware authentication for devices. Atmel says the design is extremely cost effective and ideal for space-conscious packages. The IC provides Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA-2), the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and the Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) algorithms, as well as hardware fortifications including active metal shields, multiple tamper detection schemes, and internal encryption.
The CryptoAuthentication module contains a unique serial number that is assigned in the factory. Zoned storage provides space for the developers to configure in application-specific ways. A hardware random number generator is also on hand for developers, and Atmel hopes this combination will provide powerful security features for miniscule IoT devices – addressing the main concern that is levelled at IoT devices these days.
And this extra level of security gives the Arduino project access to the usual IoT applications such as home and building automation, lighting, white goods and smart metering, but also into the more niche use-cases of conditional access and secure telecom implementations. Improved hardware security is one of the key requirements for attracting the larger commercial players into the IoT, and dedicated security hardware such as this is a good step forward for the Arduino ecosystem.
“In this increasingly connected world, the Arduino WiFi Shield 101 will help drive more inventions in the IoT market, giving our community more options for connectivity, along with added security elements to their creative projects,” said Arduino CEO Massimo Banzi.” Similarly enthusiastic words were found from the Atmel camp. “Through our long standing partnership with Arduino, Atmel is committed to the Maker Movement and excited to enable more connected devices in the Internet of Things,” said SVP and GM of Atmel’s microcontroller division Reza Kazerounian. “We’ve partnered with Arduino to develop true turn-key IoT solutions that will allow the community to create unlimited possibilities.”