设计物联网产品的聪明方法：IKeyp Smart Safe
为了应对物联网产品设计挑战，需要尽早通过多个开发障碍进行思考。设计物联网产品可能具有挑战性：一方面有成本和市场上的注意事项，另一方面，需要确保最终产品具有用户友好的界面and runs smoothly. Ideally, a good design approach results in the best of both worlds.
These considerations were important in the efforts to design theiKeyp这是一种支持智能手机的个人保险箱，可防止药物转移，可以在不使用工具的情况下安全地放置在厨房或药柜内。该设备是一种物联网产品，可以在其中输入安全代码，并在该键盘上输入加速度计，该加速度计检测运动，如果触发，该运动将警报发送到所有者的智能手机或链接到IKeyp的智能设备。
Our many years of experience designing IoT products has taught us that enabling smooth communications between theapplication softwareand the device’s embedded firmware, as well as meeting key requirements that will make an IoT device easy to use, is often difficult. In designing the iKeyp Smart Safe, we faced and overcame similar challenges and are sharing details from design approach here.
Align competing requirements with underlying goals
IPS系统工程和建筑高级总监Jan Niewiadomski表示，当首次接触时，最大的挣扎之一是满足使用AA电池的电池寿命要求，该电池可以持续六个月，同时还可以启用WI-fi连接。Niewiadomski说：“技术现实是，24/7 Wi-Fi连接将在几天之内耗尽AA电池。”
为了满足这些竞争要求，需要一种整体方法。首先，我们希望确保我们设计的设计达到了总体目标，这是为消费者提供一种简单，方便，负担得起和安全的方式，以存储和远程访问处方药以及其他小贵重物品。
To meet these goals, and to meet cost targets, we were careful to select and package components in a way that would minimize parts and wiring to reduce costs and maximize usable internal space. Niewiadomski also had his team take a hard look at all aspects of power management, including how the device woke up, how and when it would be used, and how it would connect to Wi-Fi. Careful consideration had to be given to the location and range of the antenna. By minimizing communication to the app and the cloud services to only once a day or only when the device is touched or jostled, we were able to meet the battery life requirements while still providing a good user experience.
Collaborate to connect application software to device firmware
Another design challenge that frequently crops up in IoT product design is连接应用程序软件到设备的固件。对于Ikeyp Smart Safe，重要的是，如果有人试图闯入保险箱，则安全所有者可以使用该应用程序进行安全警报设置。这需要在第三方应用程序（由另一家公司开发）与安全的固件之间进行通信。
We started testing with simple messages to work out the details. Similarly, for testing the app, we used an intermediate software that both sides could test with, so that we could independently confirm where the bugs were — cloud side, app side or in the embedded firmware. As a best practice, our teams workclosely together and collaboratefrequently, both internally and externally, throughout the process.
尽早做出关键的战略决策
Another key factor in being able to get products to market quickly while containing the costs involved, is making strategic decisions as soon as possible during the process. When designing the iKeyp, we decided in the beginning stages of development that we would use AWS as our cloud provider. Making this choice early on allowed us to reduce risk by selecting a manufacturer and a Wi-Fi certified module that also supported AWS. Choosing a certified module was also an important early stage strategic decision. While it added a little more to the design cost, it reduced the FCC certification costs by about 80% and, more importantly, sped up the FCC approval process by three to four months.
Test as early and often as possible
为了帮助确保产品可以在没有延迟的情况下从设计到执行，我们还构建了几个原型。原型使我们能够在物理设备准备就绪之前测试产品的完整功能。例如，当触摸键盘并打开安全门时，传感器会检测到敞开的门。但是，如果没有门或物理解锁，我们使用了AWS上的沙盒测试环境来测试这些功能并在生产前进行调整。
Addressing the multifaceted design challenges inherent with IoT product development requires spending significant time in the requirements stage, weighing design, execution and strategic considerations. By accurately planning and refining the design early on and working out technical bugs before proceeding to production, a successful IoT product can be developed and brought to market more rapidly and cost-effectively.
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