Top Ten

By Alan Singer

These days, everyone is talking about Internet appliances. What exactly is an Internet appliance? Is it an appliance such as a refrigerator or a microwave oven that can download information from or upload information to the Internet? Or is it an information appliance like a cellular phone or a PDA that can download reformatted Web pages and e-mail from the Internet? Or, then again, is it a vending machine that can send its inventory status over the Internet, or a parking meter that can report when it is time to collect its coins?

The Oxford Dictionary defines an appliance simply as “an instrument or an apparatus.” An Internet appliance, therefore, could be any instrument or apparatus that connects to the Internet. Until lately, with PCs costing well over $1,000 and routers costing many times that, connecting a device to the Internet was expensive.

Why, then, does the International Data Communications group predict that Internet-appliance shipments will overtake PC shipments by 2002? First, there is more awareness of using the Internet as the backbone for global communications. Why build a private network when you can use the Internet for free? Second, the cost of processors has plummeted. You can buy an 8086 chip, the processor of IBM’s second-generation PC for less than $2. Third, modem prices have dropped while speeds have increased. This is significant for information appliances or medical devices that need to transfer large files. Finally, some devices have processors and memory with extra headroom that can be used to run Internet protocols.

So, what are the “don’ts” — the things to avoid, when contemplating an Internet-enabled design?

1. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.
   If a product works fine as it is, there is no need to completely redesign it when trying to add Internet functionality. There are solutions on the market that will protect investments in current designs. Try to avoid a major hardware redesign at all costs as it will only slow the time-to-market for next-generation Internet-enabled products.

2. Don’t change an existing processor.
   It is only necessary to add Internet protocols. If a processor has enough extra processing power, and if the host board has enough available memory, the current hardware design can be utilized. Some vendors offer powerful processors that run Internet protocols on external memory. However, these processors require replacement of the current processor as well as the addition of external memory components. Fortunately, there are now peripheral chips on the market with the sole function of running Internet protocols while working in tandem with the existing processor.

3. Don’t change the OS.
   Some vendors of embedded Internet solutions offer an operating system (OS), which includes the Internet protocols. This makes it necessary to rewrite the entire application in the language of the new OS. While there are many excellent embedded OSes on the market, such as Wind River’s Tornado, the cost is high in terms of development time and license fees. Changing a perfectly good OS for one that does nothing more than embed the Internet into a device is not a cost-effective solution.

4. Don’t reinvent the wheel.
   Some engineers who want to embed the Internet into their next-generation designs may want to do it themselves. First, they must redesign their host board. Next, they must specify, source, and buy a processor and additional memory components. Then they’ll buy or write protocols for TCP/IP and messaging. Then they’ll integrate it, debug it, deploy it, and pray that it all works. Remember Murphy’s Law. There’s a good chance that it won’t work, and in the end it may cost more than readily available solutions, especially in terms of unexpected delays. These days it’s all about time-to-market. It’s best to buy proven solutions.

5. Don’t forget to Flash.
   The Internet is a dynamic, evolving medium. Protocols change. New ones become popular. Flexibility is key when dealing with such variability. It may become necessary to update the host processor’s OS. Using Flash or some other nonvolatile memory enables the device to stay as dynamic as the Internet itself. Some chips include on-board Flash memory and RAM, which allow the chip to remotely update itself and the host device over the Internet.

6. Don’t forget — all servers are not equal.
   The Gumpism: “Life’s like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get” goes for ISPs as well. When dealing with a dial-up application, it’s difficult to know what the point-to-point (PPP) protocol flavor will be. It could be password authentication protocol (PAP), challenge handshake authentication protocol (CHAP), Microsoft CHAP, or scripts. The vendor can provide information regarding which protocols are supported. If a device does not support all of these protocols, it may be talking to itself.

7. Don’t select an incomplete solution.
   Some vendors are offering solutions that only go halfway. For instance, a chip may include PPP and TCP/IP protocols, but may have a socket interface that requires designers to write their own applications or buy protocol stacks, add memory components, and, on top of everything else, to integrate everything. These hidden costs can add up to a significant amount of time and uncertainty.

8. Don’t choose a proprietary, nonstandard protocol.
   Some vendors sell a networked solution with a nonstandard proprietary interconnecting protocol, which does not provide the option to change vendors in the future. While the client software on the device is light byte-wise, this solution requires a server to run the full TCP/IP protocol stack and messaging software. Thus, it is a good solution only where there is a LAN, which is not practical in remote locations or where there are many devices to be embedded.

9. Don’t go for a solution that ties you to one ISP.
   Some vendors offer a plug-and-play solution, which is preconfigured to work with only one ISP, that has the benefit of requiring no configuration on the device. However, the ISP may not have a local dial-up number in all the locations where a device will be deployed, which means that device may not be able to connect to the Internet. Many of these ISPs are only located in the US, and there will be problems if the product is installed outside of the US.

10. Don’t forget to evaluate every alternative.
    There are pros and cons to all the solutions on the market. It’s imperative to understand these considerations, as well as internal requirements. Is on-line communication or off-line messaging necessary? Will there be a need for extra processing power? Will extra memory be required? Is it necessary to perform extra programming on the host device in order to invoke the Internet protocols? Are the files that must be transferred large or small? Are all of a particular vendor’s protocols really necessary? Can the protocols be remotely updated? Intelligent design decisions are based on a careful evaluation of all these issues.

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