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INTERVIEWThe Internet of Things An Interview with Geoff Lees (Senior VP, Freescale)
We met with Geoff Lees (Senior Vice President & General Manager of Microcontrollers, Freescale) at the 2015 Embedded World Show in Nuremberg, Germany. We asked him about the Internet of Things, the big changes on the embedded systems horizon, and what it takes to be a successful engineer.
CIRCUIT CELLAR: You call the Internet of Things, the Internet of Tomorrow?
GEOFF: The IoT is a very disruptive force. It started out as a buzz, but it is in the "nature" of microcontrollers to connect and to communicate. With new Wi-Fi concepts, low-power and IPv6 the road is clear for many new applications. To demonstrate the new technologies we have a "bigger than big" truck driving through the US. We put it in the parking lot of companies and demo not only our own products, but also their products as well as the solutions of their competitors. With a show you get the designers or marketing people. With the truck we also have CEOs and CTOs for a coffee-the guys who would not even consider visiting our website!
CIRCUIT CELLAR: But how will the IoT affect us?
GEOFF: I currently have eight apps on my phone that are all IoT controls, monitoring my house, solar panels, and vehicle. I expect that number will grow. Also, devices will talk to devices and create new independent controls. "Big Ass Fans" is a nice example of that. That company is making fans but is also playing a role in home automation. Their latest model fan talks to the NEST. Only a small difference in temperature can set the fan to work rather than your air conditioning, either by cooling down or circulating the hotter air downwards.
CIRCUIT CELLAR: Everyone knows that standards are key to making the IoT really happen. What role does Freescale have in this?
GEOFF: We joined up with the Thread Group. This initiative started with only eight companies, and that number has grown to 50 in five months, and now we see around 1,000 companies that look for information. If we see a growth from eight to 50 to 1,000, you know that there is a momentum which will result in new standards. The Thread Group uses existing (IEEE 8082.15.4) technologies and standards to build a new wireless mesh protocol that will enable to overcome the current limitations in wireless home automation. Read More
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ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING CHALLENGE
Sponsored by NetBurner, Administered by Circuit Cellar
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 Spot the SCHEMATIC ERROR to win! Put your technical skills to test. The April Electrical Engineering Challenge (sponsored by NetBurner) is now live.
THE CHALLENGE
PRIZES
Circuit Cellar will randomly select 2 prize winners from the pool of respondents who submit the correct answer. One person will receive a NetBurner MOD54415 LC Development Kit ($129 value). A second person will receive a Circuit Cellar Digital Subscription (1 year).
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Circuit Cellar #297
April 2015
IoT as a Disruptive Force | FlashForth in the Lab | DIY LCDTV Server | Prototyping with SuperSpeed USB | SuperSpeed for FPGAs | Software Development Predictability | Estimating Software Costs | ESD Protection Tips | Intro to Programmable Logic Controllers | The Future of Embedded Security | And More
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