Kiso or Bosch embedded IoT platform
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Kiso or Bosch embedded IoT platform

sebastianpfischer328756

Context

When I worked on PLS, we also developed in parallel an embedded IoT platform. Its goal was to enable us to do (1) fast prototyping and (2) reduce the transformation time of a PoC (Proof of Concept) to production-ready solution.

I believed in this project and tried to push it as far as possible up to 2020, when Corona hit us hard.

A 30% migrated version can be found on github: kiso

My contribution (technical)

Firmware Update Over The Air (FOTA or FUOTA)
  • After PLS FOTA implementation, created an overall concept allowing developers to plug and play their FOTA solution together.
  • Refactored the module to the new concept.
  • Supported the different projects to contribute and use my concept (XDK, transport data loggers, industrialized logging solutions, ...).
Low power communication stack
  • Designed how to connect different communication layers together to form a working stack (e.g. MQTT over TCP over IP, over NB-IoT, ...).
  • Supported the implementation of the design.
Core module structure
  • By working on the above topics, it was necessary to define how a package in the platform should look like in order to create a cohesive solution. A package needs to be modular, configurable, and choose its dependencies so that misconfigurations are not possible.
  • defined the refactoring approach for each package.
  • Supported the refactoring activities.
Cross cutting concerns
  • Designed and implemented the pip and filter module to enable projects to use the architectural pattern.
  • Designed and partially implemented the logging module.
  • Designed and implemented the ringbuffer module.
Testing framework
  • Designed the solution to enable us to test such platforms.
  • Implemented the first milestones to be able to have white box integration tests on embedded systems. This will become the future of kiso-testing.

My contribution (organizational)

Development coordination
  • Supported users to contribute to the platform.
  • Coordinated two development teams (each around 5 developers) in improving and extending kiso.
Evangelist to increase the customer base
  • Promoted kiso in different CoCs (Center of Competences).
  • Participated in rounds with CR (Corporate Research) and Bosch.IO division presidents to create a common strategy around it.
  • Started projects with AE (Automotive Electronic) (IoT Gateway), CR (I4.0 5G project) and BCDS (Bosch Connected Devices and Solutions).
  • Designed a package for device provisioning and more modular communication with the CoC Connectivity.
  • Assisted to a strategy meeting with Amazon to possibly build the platform together (Richard Barry, the founder for FreeRTOS assisted to it) (September 28, 2018 was a great day ^^)
Open-source approach
  • Started and pushed the open-source approach for kiso.
  • Participated to the Eclipse foundation incubation process.

Results

Unfortunately, the project died when Covid hit due to various budget cuts. We also realized the hard way that a growing community outpaces any lack of features. Zephyr took over the IoT world and after 2 years of development, it had more features implemented than what we had to offer.

Nevertheless, it was a great experience to push it through and maybe, under other circumstances, it would have become something amazing 🙂

It also gave me the opportunity to create a fabulous testing framework that is now adopted within Bosch eBike Systems.