There is no elevator to success, you have to take the stairs – Zig Ziglar. It is often believed that turning an IoT prototype into a scalable production is as easy as pushing a button to change floors on an elevator. With less urgent timelines, smaller quantities, and lab driven development, the … [Read more...]
How Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) Simplify Geographically Broad IoT Deployments
Making the right connections can influence success and failure in life. The same can be said when attempting to connect your IoT devices to cellular networks. This is especially true in global deployments or even deployments spanning North America, as coverage and service providers vary … [Read more...]
Scaling the IoT Mountain involves a Well-Planned Trek
Well regarded Mountaineer Conrad Anker fairly articulated that "The summit is what drives us, But the CLIMB ITSELF is what matters." This famous phrase rings true when adopting an IoT project. Failure to summit will occur without a well-conceived and executed adoption plan. The McKinsey … [Read more...]
The Overlooked Key to Unlocking IoT’s Pot of Gold: Organizational Perseverance
"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth" was an infamous quote from former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson. As it turns out, this quote appears to be summarizing what many project teams in recent years may be experiencing when attempting to develop Internet-of-Things (IoT) … [Read more...]
Getting IoT Projects to the Finish Line During the Chip Famine
The appetite for automation and Internet-of-Things (IoT) has likely never been higher. As the pandemic tightened labor markets and constrained business operations, companies have a lot of reasons to introduce IoT and automation into their operations. Unfortunately, just as many technology, product, … [Read more...]
HOW ULTRA WIDEBAND (UWB) BASED IoT APPLICATIONS MAY DRIVE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Imagine walking into a warehouse with seemingly endless rows of palletized products stacked multiple levels high. Between the rows of products, there are autonomous robots zooming up and down narrow aisles picking products off of the shelves. But these robots aren’t just forking pallets of products … [Read more...]
How to Overcome Three Common Connectivity Challenges with Industrial IoT (IIoT) Projects
A successfully functioning Internet-of-Things (IoT) solution has a lot in common with a finely tuned orchestra. Sensors, communication protocols, backend platform, integrations, and data outputs must all work together in a continuous symphony. If any component is out of tune, the harmony breaks. … [Read more...]
Raspberry Pi – A Clear Path through to Commercialization
The Raspberry Pi is quickly becoming the de-facto standard for single-board computer prototyping. This wild success has only increased the demand for a clear path to commercialization when the prototype gains stakeholder interest. Hallsten Innovations has traveled that path and we want to share … [Read more...]
Hallsten Innovations COVID-19 & RPi Round Table Summary
Summary Our recent Hallsten Innovations and Digi-Key Electronics presented “COVID-19 & RPI Round Table Discussion” event included over 50 participants representing IOT industry and COVID-19 stakeholders from around the world. We were especially pleased to have special guest Randall Restle, the … [Read more...]
Hallsten Innovations COVID-19 & IoT Round Table Summary
The Hallsten Innovations facilitated COVID-19 & IOT round table discussion included over 60 participants, representing IOT industry and related COVID-19 stakeholders from around the world. The HI team included Jon Hallsten (CEO) as the moderator, HI lead from our Chicago office (Gregg … [Read more...]
IoT Revenue Models that Turn the Tables on your Competition
An IoT device on its own has little value beyond that of a corporate curiosity. With our front-row seat to IoT device and system deployment, we know that a right-valued business model makes all of the difference in considering a deployment successful. IoT deployments are new territory for many … [Read more...]
Raspberry Pi Compute Module… A Viable Commercialization Path?
Note: I want to give a shoutout to Andrew Chilcott our UK Office lead for his insightful contributions to this article. It turns out there is a pathway to production for the Raspberry Pi ecosystem, but it might not be in the product form factor you instantly envisage when you hear the words … [Read more...]
Napkin Review Report… 9 Must-See TAILORED Insights on your Idea
Hallsten Innovations offers napkin reviews.... WHY? Because we love the innovation and creativity that comes when ink meets napkin. But WHAT IS a review, exactly? The Napkin Review concept is simple: We offer experience-based advice and design guidance to your IoT product concept. We seek to … [Read more...]
Hard Earned Commercialization Lessons
Earlier this year in San Jose, I spoke at the Sensors Expo. I discussed "Hard Earned Commercialization Lessons" with the subline - Taking a Napkin Sketch from coffee-stained canvas to commercialization in the sensor IoT/IIoT Space... Representing my design firm with decades and decades of … [Read more...]
Bigger Than a Napkin – Hallsten Innovations Ideation Events
We call it "napkin resonance" - the moment when two or more people first see original sketches of an outstanding new design concept, on a napkin. This sketch is often preceded by discussion, brainstorming, years of market knowledge and experience, mixed with a helping of innovation, coffee, and … [Read more...]
Industrial IoT System Design through Examples
Building complex Industrial IoT systems that balance costs, risks, the cloud, stakeholder needs, inputs and actions is difficult at best. We talked about having a framework in a previous post to outline a project, but, there are a multitude of industry specific nuances that bend an IoT Framework … [Read more...]
Innovation and Process Leads Us, But User Feedback Rules
You may have seen our recent blog post that espoused our process methodology. That methodology is guided by our (I+P)^BN formula (Innovation fused with Process that reflects your Business Needs!). Our guiding approach is very lean - in that it captures three interwoven elements at the BIG … [Read more...]
Designing with Azure Sphere and the 7 Pillars of IoT Security
Before the advent of our very connected world, not a thought was given to locking up a light switch, putting a string password on an HVAC temperature controller, or creating individual hardware security credentials for a fleet of thermostats. There was never a reason to suspect sinister … [Read more...]
A Stand Out Development Process for Custom Electronic and Software Solutions
Many design houses will tout their ability to serve up turn-key products on a silver platter with deep technical expertise. But when, as is the natural tendency, design resources rush headstrong into a project, they run the risk of losing sight of the big picture... which often results in budgets … [Read more...]
Raspberry Pi to Production – Insights from the Front Lines
Hallsten Innovations loves the Arduino / Raspberry Pi movement! 2020 UPDATE: Raspberry Pi Compute Module - A Viable Commercialization Path? Hallsten Innovations celebrates this movement as it has brought a wide variety of talent to the entrepreneurial community not necessarily classically … [Read more...]
Deter your Mischievous Machine Leprechauns with Predictive Maintenance and IoT
Don't let the luck of the Irishman determine the long-term success and service costs of your machines... seek out pesky Leprechauns in your machine fleets with Predictive Maintenance procedures, the Internet of Things and monitoring tech! Predictive Maintenance (PdM) is the methodology of … [Read more...]
The one to many manufacturing challenge… Advice from the front lines
Recent history is unfortunately full of product launch failures. The Kickstarter culture has presented us thousands of glitzy, feature-rich products that all too often fail to be successfully launched. The viewing of a handful of prototypes in a board room or a shiny crowd-sourcing campaign may … [Read more...]
The Amazon Go’s Triple-Dog Dare!
In January, Amazon Triple Dog Dared the world to pocket goods from the shelves of their new experimental AmazonGo convenience store. This Just Walk Out Technology is a gauntlet run at the retail sector, that not only frees the customer from lines, the thief from non-payments, but, possibly, the … [Read more...]
The Ginormous Pile of Never Going to Happen Napkin Ideas…
So you and your team are creative geniuses. Totally get it. Your ballpoint pen marks off product ideas onto napkins faster than a redneck collecting washing machines for porch furniture. However, that product idea you are passionate about, those 3 concepts you had over the last year, will not … [Read more...]
Once Again, Apple Demands Change… #QiWireless
This past week, Apple brought an ugly animated poop emoji to the public as part of an announcement for the release of iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X. Whether you found this feature worthy of the $1000 price tag or not, there was a highlight which was much more sublime, and in our opinion significantly … [Read more...]
The Future of Industrial Data Silos
The good thing: many control systems and sensors create valuable data in the manufacturing process of various goods. The bad thing: that recorded data is often locked into proprietary systems. Data collection happens in silos, with dedicated connections and dedicated databases, all resulting … [Read more...]
The NFC Game Changer
With Apple's Announcement of Core NFC being included in their upcoming iOS 11, the technology that has been available but underused for Android becomes available to everyone. NFC, or Near Field Communications, NFC is a way for your phone to wirelessly interact with similar equipped devices within … [Read more...]
Napkins that have Changed the World
You've been there. The corner Chipotle or the local Doug's Dinner Bucket. You went out with a coworker as you brought the baggage of a nagging problem from work with you. Unsurprisingly, the change of scenery, scents, flavors and conversation has wrought a new level of creativity and … [Read more...]
3 Ways an Internet of Things Project can Fail to Launch
Design is a hugely important component in IoT development- of that we have no doubt. A successful deployment however, rests on an entirely different set of assumptions, experiences, and ...I must say...human beings. A successful program deployment rests on the heels of a different set of skill … [Read more...]
5 Reasons Internet of Things Projects don’t get Past Proof of Concept
Cisco recently ran a survey which revealed about 60 percent of Internet of Things projects stall at the Proof of Concept phase with only 26 percent were what Cisco considered a "complete success". What were the top points of failure? Time to Completion Limited Internal Expertise … [Read more...]
Embedded Devices with clearly random Cryptology Key Generation
In light of this past week's computer bug...fiasco, it's certainly a good time to talk about who and what you can trust when designing new embedded devices. Our answer- don't trust little black boxes. Let's dig in to one little black box that doesn't deserve our trust. The … [Read more...]
The Second Wireless Device Tsunami is here and it is M1
Through a strange confluence of events in the 1990s, a wireless technology company formed in Akron, Ohio. Aironet, as it was named, worked to define the WiFi space and was a gathering of Telxon RF Engineering, Telesystem SLW and Accipter. If you were a technical employee of Aironet, you knew … [Read more...]
Introducing our new Chicago mHUB office!
We have exciting news to share as we now have opened up a new office in downtown Chicago! We have procured space at Chicago’s new mHUB. mHUB is a co-working community of product designers, developers and engineers just like ourselves. Aside from the community of tech people, you can find ten … [Read more...]
The Widely Undervalued Art of Macro Process Improvement using Industrial IoT
The secret will soon reach the masses of process engineers working in manufacturing plants across the country -process improvement is changing. There won't be a better algorithm for a PID loop. There won't be a new measurement tool to clearly identify product tolerances. And there won't … [Read more...]
The Industrial Internet of Things Reference Architecture, from the IIC
One can find many ROI opportunities when looking at IoT to solve problems and bring value in an industrial context. Process improvement, asset tracking, and preventative maintenance are the three major pillars that drive ROI opportunities. The constant churning wheel of New Industrial IoT … [Read more...]
Are They Always Listening? Amazon Echo and Google Home
I own a Google Home device. It sits in my kitchen. My children love to ask google "What sound does a _insert your favorite large African mammal here_ make?" Roars and grunts aside, this device is a small step up above novelty level with incredible voice recognition. I currently have it … [Read more...]
Dear Things, the Internet is Here for You
Dear Things, You dear object, dear machine, dear inanimate thing...you have been lonely. We know that. But, a western wind is blowing and times are due for a change- and you're going to like it. Back in 1999, a human being named Kevin Ashton coined the idea of a new connectivity to and … [Read more...]
The Essential Guide to building your Amazon Drone Delivery Pad
Sounding like the clawing and clicking sounds of cicadas in select early summers, an Amazon truck or possibly even an airship base may soon be launching a fleet of drones to manage the last 1000 feet (or up to 15 miles by some accounts) of a delivery directly to your door and to those of your … [Read more...]
What Might the World Measure with 1 Billion Temperature Sensors?
The Internet of Things (IoT) is brewing. From the bubbling morass of connections we shall see countless devices that measure, deliver, capture and share information with humanity. Estimated new device counts are in the billions over the coming 5 years. One of the easiest measurements that can be … [Read more...]
Wearable Medical Technology WILL benefit from LTE M1 connectivity
Today there are a flurry of new medical devices that measure.. people. Whether that measurement be of temperature, blood oxygen saturation, sugar level in diabetics, muscle quality, weight, ECG systems or asthma air flow meters, patients have an improved quality of life being able to separate … [Read more...]
The Midwest’s Undeniable Status: Seedbed for the Internet of Things
I truly believe that the Midwest is rich soil for the Internet of Things. For any young industry, an ecosystem that fosters growth and sustainability is crucial. And we have that right here. The IoT Brain Trust in the Midwest The nexus of Manufacturing in the 20th Century was in the … [Read more...]
The Importance of IoT’s First Mile
My late grandfather Hans immigrated to the USA from Sweden at the age of 12. He landed with my great grandparents on the Northside of Chicago. I remember stories he would tell... specifically today about a telephone. There was but one phone being about 300 yards away from his home at the corner … [Read more...]
Video Interview: Choosing the BeagleBone Black for Video Streaming
Showcasing some technology development examples at the TI Tech Days in Detroit, I had the opportunity to meet Jason Kridner of the BeagleBoard.org Foundation. Simply, Jason was excited to see a BeagleBoard being used in such a prominent fashion meeting a real world electronics problem. Check us … [Read more...]
The Arrival of Low Cost, Cellular Network Connectivity – Verizon’s LTE Cat M1 Deployment
The announcement went out last week from Verizon- they are deploying Category M1 connectivity solutions to their nationwide 4G LTE Network. This availability means an astounding new choice for IoT device deployment. This new network opportunity for battery-powered devices can compete against … [Read more...]
IoT Amid the Microcosm that was the Rio Olympic Games
I previously wrote about the wearables that athletes used to train for the Olympic Games. However IoT is more than just performance, efficiency, and continuous improvement... IoT technologies can improve our daily lives by improving data transfers quickly, in a secure fashion, and when we want … [Read more...]
Wearable IoT Ups Performance Feedback for the Rio Olympics
The Internet of Things, or IoT, is shifting the how we connect and monitor the world around us. Whether it be in industrial applications, security, home automation or the management of any sort of distributed collection, IoT enables access to information previously never available or obtained at … [Read more...]
Apple MFi Certified Design Partner and Licensee
The logo above is going to be a game-changer in the consumer goods market as Apple® jumps into the Internet of Things (IoT) market adding some much needed standardization and awareness of what is really possible by the mass market. The good news is that Hallsten Innovations is an Apple® MFi … [Read more...]
Internet of Things Case Study: Industrial Data Collection
There is a new era in computing technology - the Internet of Things (IoT). Non-connected devices are becoming intelligent through the ever decreasing costs of embedded processors, wired and wireless communication protocols, cost-effective embedded sensors and the abundance and power of cloud … [Read more...]
Advancing Internet of Things Awareness to the Midwest (US)
To further our Internet of Things (IoT) custom design engineering awareness to a larger Midwest (US) audience Hallsten Innovations is excited to announce the joining of the Illinois Technology Association (ITA). The ITA is a significant Midwest player in the IoT market space and will now routinely … [Read more...]
Third Party Design Partnerships with Microchip and Renesas
We understand that alliances and partnerships play a key role in helping us to design innovative products that enable our customers to be successful. We believe that keeping up-to-date with the latest technologies across multiple vendors ensures we recommend the best solutions for our clients. To … [Read more...]
Alliances with Texas Instruments, Atmel, and NorTech Forged!
We understand that alliances and partnerships play a key role in helping us to design innovative products that enable our customers to be successful. We believe that keeping up-to-date with the latest technologies across multiple vendors ensures we recommend the best solutions for our clients. … [Read more...]
FPGA Services Added
In our relentless effort to continue to expand our value-adding services for our clientele, Hallsten Innovations is pleased to announce an expanded solution set for FPGA oriented design services. These new expanded abilities allow Hallsten Innovations to bring high-speed, multi-gigabit FPGA … [Read more...]