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Knowledge Acquired Along The Way

"We first make our habits, and then our habits make us" - John Dryden(Aug 19, 1631 - May 12th, 1700)

The Internet of Things (IoT) - Security,Privacy,Safety - IoT Core Platform Development Project is the first of several development projects that we will be posting on this site.  The blog articles are specifically designed with education in mind.  As these blog develop so will different mindset learning approaches that will be implemented in order to connect with the different approaches that individuals connect and learn.

With over 40 years applied experiences with product development the road to develop a reliable guide for project development has had many ups and downs and detours along with failures and successes.  Some large and midsize manufacturers still attempt to increase the percentage of reuse only to find that the nature of the beast will always maintain a small percentage.  Why is this?  Well, one opinion is, the fact of the acceleration of technology where the older platforms are phased out and the new platforms are phased in, the cycle has not let up for the past 60 years and is still advancing.  Oh by the way, this is not a bad thing!

The knowledge being shared in this blog is with the intent of developing reliable engineering habits to be exercised within any development project with a high level of success.  As stated "We first make our habits, and then our habits make us".

Lets look at the habits that this series encourage from its conception in a block diagram below.  Education is not just a transfer of knowledge - it is a process of repetition in order to create positive habits that will stimulate personal growth.

A Block Segment of the Knowledge Acquired Along The Way

The habits that the IoT Core Platform Development series encourage are:

• Critical thinking of the impact of designing a product will have on its application.
• Looking at the Internet in a different Point of View.  
  End User-User Router - [Internet Highway Routers] - User Router-End User
• The importance of quality documentation for each section of a development project
• Documentation processes and traceability  - Reliability Traceability Matrix (RTM)
• Design of Interface Test Fixtures (ITF) to insure functionality and performance
• The managing of multiple projects that are interrelated and require parallel development
• and more -----

A Introduction Update to the IoT Platform Project Series

This series is what we are calling a "living development series" in order to present a realistic working product development project focused on the (IoT) Internet of Things.  The object of this series is to present the actual product development path along with real world project challenges in order to create a "Safe, Secure and Private" Core IoT Platform, Hardware, Firmware and Software for LAN, WAN and Cloud platforms.

2nd Anniversary Update (Jan 14, 2019)
A lot has transpired since we first started this IoT Platform Development Project series.  We witnessed the 2 billion records breach mark from multiple companies that contain a lot of PII (Personal Identifying Information) account data.  These records may not show up for some time maybe never, but the fact remains that many have now been enlightened that the Internet is not private at all.

Technology Connects Everything
The market introduced listening and camera devices that are able to listen and monitor our movements and issue commands to devices connected to the Internet, not to ignore the smart phones already tracking data.  The things to keep in mind here is for these listening and camera devices the data is going to some third party and being sold to other third party marketers to send advertising on the go for profit.  That means that your gestures and voices are stored and shared with multiple unknown third parties.  Now think of ordering products through this audio/visual device and giving personal information to these unknown third party data gatherers.  Oh by the way make sure the TV in the bedroom is off, oops!

Now enter the Internet of Things, everything interconnected and beyond with IPv6 huge addressing capability, security and privacy is gaining high visibility as the predominate issue.  The privacy and security issue is not just for the home environment is extends to the industry, from transportation, retail, marketing, engineering and more.  The world of access through IoT sensors of all types, video, audio, control networks like traffic lights, electric grids and municipal utilities that monitor and control the safety of our everyday lives.  Ok, enough of Gloom and Doom.

Wireless Communication Networks
Now the unspoken good bad and ugly of the new "5G" network.  Look, all companies have a right to monitor their product usage, especially if there product entails Power, Time, and Bandwidth as product entities.  Encouraging the monitoring of competitive products brings the best results in a competitive free market environment.  What we also encourage is accountability for product safety!!!  

I have been following the 5G network development for a some time and would not comment on it until there were substantial facts to present, vetted by recognized accountable scientists and medical professionals.  Well here is the 2nd annual update to this blog about the IoT which includes the new 5G smart phone.  

OK, the last thing we want here is another global warming controversy, lets stick to the scientific facts only, to date (Jan 1, 2019) 240 Scientists and doctors in 41 nations have published research findings on the 5G technology, (vetted at   Cell Phones 5G Network Health Risks.  OK we went through this as well with 3G, 4G networks as stated in the publications.  Granted there have been cases of health issues with the wearable devices incorporating 3G and 4G and they are isolated to a specific locations and use.  

This brings up the next fact, 3G and 4G are different transmission technologies than 5G transmission technologies and BASE stations are in unique locations that are generally away from direct proximity of residential areas.  As for the technology, RF (Radio Frequency) transmission from a cell phone is low power generally under 1 watt, however from a BASE station since it is a Power/Bandwidth transmitter the power is higher; however, the power is transmitted along with the transmit methodology differ as well as antenna designs.

So: Why does this matter?  How does it affect my health?
OK, we have been living with cell phones for over 20 years now and there have been some health issues as with every new technology that comes on board.   A problem with relating illness with a conclusive source is the variances in lifestyles as well as conditional parameters of use, diet etc. of all the individuals that use them. So let me try and break this down to understand this a bit better.  To start I have many years in NMR (Nuclear Resonance Spectroscopy, IR (Infrared Spectrophotometry) sonar, ultrasonic's and frequency modulation and generation for the analog and digital world, (Wooppiiee, so what does that have to do with the facts?).  

All matter has what is called a resonance (parallel or series) frequency that will (absorb, pass or reflect) energy, this includes all life as we know life that is a breathing biological "earth" entity.  Solids also have a resonance frequency as shown many times by the old breaking a glass with a sound-waves experiment.  

So, if the energy is reflective or passive when it comes in contact with an objects surface there will be very little effect on the internal structure past the objects surface, hence: it either bounces off or just passes through the object without any absorption of the transmitted energy.  Just like the glass will only break if the frequency is resonance to the glasses material structure.  

At resonance the energy is absorbed, when enough energy is absorbed within the glass structure the structure becomes compromised and resonates and literally shakes itself apart and shatters.  Now keeping this concept in mind and applying it to biological life form structures is where we get similar disruptions with how the biological structures react to this intrusion of energy.

Biological's and Energy Absorption
Low power radiation produced by low power RF fields seems to be passive or is handled by the biological's anti-intrusion mechanism, that is until we start to focus the energy, like 24/7 connected wireless cell phone headsets while we holster the cell phone on our side day in and day out.  Because of the low power this would take years on some people to create a health issue if any depending on the individual diets, exercise etc., yes, diet is an effective means for neutralizing small doses of radiation poisoning, do an Internet search on Iodine and other minerals that the body absorbs.

Now the 4G and 5G broad band network, base frequencies for 3G range 2GHz to 8GHz, while 5G range 3GHz to 300GHz.  As we see there is a wide overlap of frequencies that are used to define the range characteristics of the technology as defined in http://www.rfwireless-world.com/Terminology/4G-vs-5G-difference-between-4G-and-5G.html.   Hence: 4G is incorporated as part of the 5G network to address various bandwidths within the communications range.  OK, now, when you start to get beyond reasonable RF frequencies, radiation tends to have a greater effect on the biological's of a living organism.

Electromagnetic Absorption by Water  and "wait for it" --  the body is made up of about 80% water - oops!.  The real issue arises with the 5G channel frequencies that are used within the GigaHertz frequency ranges of the technology,  the 2MHz to 10GHz that makes up the digital bandwidth modulation schemes.   These are digital RF pulses (square-waves) being carried on the higher RF base frequency that have many harmonic frequencies as part of the waveforms being transmitted.  These modulation frequencies add to the transmission energy fields being absorbed or reflected that pass through the air in all directions.  

Now, the new 5G uses several of the 4G technologies along with a "focused" transmission technology that will allow the signal to travel along High Tension power lines.  The theory is to put a focused RF base station every 10 or 12 blocks on these transmission line poles.  This is where most of the 5G experimentation has been performed and where much of the health issues have been researched and published.

OK, nice presentation but what does this have to do with our IoT Platform Project?
The IoT core platform will incorporate wireless technology!  The issues we will discuss when we enter the wireless peripheral design stage are what wireless technology will be applied and locations it will be applied.  Designing wireless products entails a bit more research than that of direct connect (wired) devices.  

As we read through each of the parts of the series we see how the series direction finds its own way to be incorporated into product development.  As we developed the series we incorporated the typical engineering design approach, "We want it to do everything" .  Totally unrealistic, however that is how design engineering mind-sets are wired.  Have to give management credit to bring the blue-skying back down to earth with many discussions on reality.

This IoT Core Platform series developed after we discussed the inner workings of the Internet architecture, "The Information Highway" and progressed from a conceptual blue sky at 50,000 feet and landed safely and was separated into reasonable functional parts that addresses both managerial, marketing, sales and design on just what is involved in the product development of an IoT core platform that is capable of addressing multiple applications.

The IoT Core Platform development series addresses real security issues on privacy, control and safety that the industry has ignored to get the product to the market first.  The old tale of the tortoise and hare race, in this case the briar patch was a bit too dense for the hare.  In the interim of being first on the market, networks have been hacked through IoT devices as coffee maker controllers, fish tank controllers to name a couple and the list goes on.  Hackers are using IoT devices for controlled DDoS APT attacks as well.

I want to sincerely thank all the readers and those that contacted me privately for their support, advice and suggestions to improve this series.
Enjoy the Series - Sal Tuzzo

IoT Core Platform Develoment Series Index

Part 1 Introduction - Setting the Atmosphere for the Series (September 26, 2016)
Part 2 IPv4, IPv6 - The Ins and Outs of IP Internet Addressing  (November 11, 2016)
Part 3 IPv4, IPv6 DHCP, SLAAC and Private Networks - The Automatic Assignment of IP Addressing  (November 24, 2016)
Part 4 Network Protocols - Network, Transport & Application (January 10, 2017)
Part 5 Network Protocols - Network, Transport & Application -Continued (Aug 17, 2017)
Part 6 Network Protocols - Network, Transport & Application -Continued -Ethernet Protocol (Sept 21, 2017)
Part 7 Network Protocols - Network, Transport & Application -Continued -The CRC-32 and Checksums(Nov 23, 2017)
Part 8 IoT Core Platform - SoC Core Processor of Embedded Systems (Jan 12, 2018)
Part 9 IoT Core Platform - SoC Core Processor of Embedded Systems-Vulnerabilities (Mar 16, 2018)
Part 10 IoT Core Platform - SoC Core Processor of Embedded Systems-Product Development Management (Apr 5, 2018)
Part 11 IoT Core Platform - SoC Core Processor of Embedded Systems -Documentation Management Processes (June 27, 2018)
Part 12 IoT Core Platform - IoT Core Platform - Peripherals -Documentation Management Processes (July 29, 2018)
Part 13 IoT Core Platform - Peripheral Interface Devices  -Peripheral Design From the Beginning  (Oct 7, 2018)
Part 14 IoT Core Platform - Peripheral I/O Development - Analog Input Peripheral Device Design (Oct 29, 2018)
Part 15 IoT Core Platform - Peripheral I/O Development - Analog Input Peripheral Device Design (Dec 7, 2018)
Part 16 IoT Core Platform - Peripheral I/O Development - Peripheral Design - Real World Testing (Feb 11, 2019)
Part 17 IoT Core Platform - Peripheral I/O Development - Peripheral Device Real World Testing (Continued (Mar 15, 2019)
Part 18 IoT Core Platform - Peripheral I/O Development - Peripheral Device Real World Testing -Continued(Apr 25, 2019)
Part 19 IoT Core Platform - Peripheral I/O Development - Peripheral Device Real World Testing -Continued(June 17, 2019)
Part 20 IoT Core Platform - Peripheral I/O Development - Peripheral Device Real World Testing -Continued (Nov 3, 2019)

I also want to thank a few for contacting me on some spelling errors on this blog.  I do use a dictionary and a thesaurus, however there are times as a true focused design engineer I fall into the narrow view of the industries classification of engineers and their issue with spelling.