To Speed Services Deployment for the Internet of Things, Freescale Demonstrates an IoT Gateway Platform for a One Box Solution

To Speed Services Deployment for the Internet of Things, Freescale Demonstrates an IoT Gateway Platform for a One Box Solution

Working with Oracle and ARM, Freescale defines a scalable, standards-based platform to support the secure delivery of IoT services.

Continuing its commitment to establish a secure and open infrastructure for the delivery of Internet of Things (IoT) services, Freescale Semiconductor today demonstrated the hardware platform that forms the foundation of the one box concept at the 2014 Freescale Technology Forum.

Featured prominently in today’s opening session at the 2014 Freescale Technology Forum, the IoT gateway is a flexible hardware platform to be equipped with multi-party software, and engineered to support the secure delivery of IoT services to end-users in a home, business or other location; thereby supporting the rapid deployment of a vast array of innovative IoT services.

The platform’s demonstration represents a significant milestone in Freescale’s one box initiative. Working with Oracle and ARM, Freescale developed this initiative to focus on the creation of a secure, standardized and open infrastructure model for the delivery of IoT services. The concept combines standards-based, end-to-end software with a converged IoT gateway design to establish a common, open framework for secured IoT service delivery and management. A “box” (or service gateway) built on the platform can consolidate boxes from multiple IoT service providers into a single, unified appliance that can support multiple service providers.

“Simplifying the deployment of secure services is critical to fueling widespread adoption of the Internet of Things,” said Geoff Lees, senior vice president and general manager of Freescale’s Microcontroller business.

“We are pushing the industry forward with an innovative enabling product platform that will help overcome some of the biggest barriers facing our customers.”

Freescale plans to offer the new platform in Q4 2014 with a software suite that integrates and pre-validates security and connectivity components, allowing developers to add value through application software development and connectivity of new edge node products.

Powered by a Freescale i.MX 6 applications processor built on the ARM Cortex®-A9 core, the platform runs Oracle Java SE Embedded and is suitable for basic networking and sensor connectivity. The solution supports the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth® low energy and 802.15.4 wireless interfaces. The initial Freescale IoT gateway platform also includes Oracle Event Processing for Oracle Java Embedded to facilitate quick reactions at the gateway level, as well as ARM Sensinode™ NanoServices software and Freescale-based processing.

Key features of the first product platform to be released:

  • Fan-less gateway based on the low power i.MX 6 series processor measuring just 5.3″W x 3.9″D x 0.8″T
  • Supports 802.11b/g/n out of the box with Bluetooth low energy and 802.15.4 (including ZigBee protocol) accessories and software available
  • System can be configured as a Continua® Healthcare Compliant gateway for interoperability with home health products
  • Pre-integrated Oracle software including Oracle Java SE Embedded as an application development framework, and Oracle Event Processing for Oracle Java Embedded, for building embedded applications to filter, correlate and process events in real-time
  • ARM Sensinode’s NanoServices, providing end-to-end web services optimized for resource-constrained edge nodes

Pricing and availability

The dual-core i.MX 6 processor-based hardware platform is priced at $159 (USD) for the base model, and is available for order in September 2014. A version of the IoT gateway platform built on QorIQ LS series processors will be available in Q4 2014. This gateway platform will offer gigabit line rate Ethernet and PCIe connectivity, as well as additional wireless connectivity options including 4G/LTE and 802.11ac for edge nodes requiring high-speed data transport and efficient packet routing.

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