How To Build An IoT Device

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The Internet of Things is a huge buzzword, but even the most tech-savvy businesses may not understand the architecture that goes into building a connected device. According to Dassault Systemes Director Michael Munsey, "the building blocks to build these devices actually exist already."

"The first thing you need is an ultra-low power processor," Munsey said.

"Intel's trying to still break into [this market] and they may eventually be successful, but 90 percent of most IoT devices out there are going to be powered by some type of ARM processor," he said.

The next piece of the equation is energy harvesting, power management and the ability to locally store data.

"We actually have this capability right now, and there are plenty of companies out there that you could go and get this from," Munsey said.

Munsey said Google is currently developing a smart contact lens based on this piece of technology "that's only powered when you blink."

The last piece of the puzzle is an ultra-low power wireless link, which several companies offer. Together, these three components make up the System on a Chip (SoC).

These SoCs then interact with sensors and microelectronic mechanicals machines (MEMS).

"Now, because of processing issues right now, you can't build them all on the same chip, but you can build them in the same package, and that's known as a SiP -- a System in a Package, and this becomes your IoT device," Munsey said.

PUBLISHED JUNE 4, 2015