The core of ThingOS is a technology-neutral abstraction layer (TNL) which allows building smart applications (Hub-Apps) for environments equipped with many different wireless and wired sensor/actuator devices from different vendors. In a smart home scenario, such applications can for instance use any recent voice-controlled virtual assistant to control any smart bulbs (e.g. Philips Hue, IKEA, Wifi bulbs, DALI lights, KNX lights etc.) using the same technology-neutral code. ThingOS does all the magic underneath, allowing a smart application developer to focus on business.
The ThingOS core software runs on multi-protocol hub-devices, such as our own Connect Hubs and many other suitable edge devices (e.g. HPE Edge-Line servers, RevPis, etc.).
ThingOS can bridge wireless communication technologies such as WiFi, BLE, BLE-MESH, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Enocean, building buses such as KNX, DALI, DMX as well as fieldbuses. And we are expanding the coverage of new products and communication technologies every day!
ThingOS is made for the edge. It runs without needing to connect to the internet or to cloud-applications at all. ThingOS Connect Hubs can, however, be connected to our cloud- or extranet-based App-Store. This allows our customers a quick and simple remote mass deployment of Hub-Apps and updates.
Connect Hubs
ThingOS is a software platform which runs on hub devices in the environment. Connect Hubs running ThingOS will directly connect to many different devices in the direct surroundings, bridging their differences and allowing them to smartly interconnect their individual capabilities. This is implemented in the form of Smart Space Applications (Apps for hubs).
ThingOS can run on hardware as such a SoMs, rack hardware such as HPE EdgeLine servers as well as industrial hardware such as RevPis, NetPis and many others.
Apps for Smart Environments
Apps for smartphones are great. They allow anyone to extend the functionality of their smartphone without having to be an IT expert.
ThingOS transfers the idea of smartphone apps to physical environments such as rooms, floors or whole buildings and production environments. End-users and managers of spaces can now install an app for their environment as easily as they can install an app on their smartphone.
Apps for ThingOS can be developed by third-party developers and published in the App-Store. Because of this, ThingOS focuses especially on making the development of such apps as easy and efficient as possible. This is achieved through a powerful Cross Platform Software Development Enviroment (XDE) as well as through clients and firmware for all recent mobile platforms and MCUs.
App Store
The ThingOS App-Store makes it possible for our Business Customers and their End-Customers to conveniently and remotely install Apps onto Connect Hubs. The App-Store contains Apps developed by ThingOS, our customers and third parties. Our customers can furthermore run their own local private company-wide App-Stores and App ecosystems invisible to anyone outside their organisation.
In addition to Apps, the App-Store also provides access to a rapidly growing ecosystem of Adapters, making any commercial or industrial third-party device, sensor or actuator compatible and uniformly accessible.
XDE – SDK for Developers
The development of ThingOS apps is not only very fast, but also a completely new development experience. A developer can create code by simply interacting with the environment while developing (Video). This makes the development process of smart applications much quicker, more efficient and extremely user-friendly.
The ThingOS XDE comes as a web-application with multi-user support installed directly onto the hub. This means no toolchain installation is required and a whole team can start developing within minutes.
Third-Party Device Integration
ThingOS connects third-party devices by many different vendors and communication technologies through adapters. Adapters can be compared to printer drivers. After installation on a hub, new devices are automatically discovered and can be uniformly accessed from ThingOS. Of-the-shelf devices, e.g. light bulbs, switches and Amazon Echos, are therefore easily integrated.
For devices that allow the installation of software, ThingOS is already providing ready-to-go apps, client software and firmware. For the integration of devices such as mobile phones, tablets, TVs etc. running Android or iOS, a single generic app is provided, which makes it possible to easily interweave the capabilities of these devices into Smart Space Applications.
This makes ThingOS the most user-friendly and future-proof connectivity solution, as any kind of device can conveniently be integrated and used in a unified way – independent of the underlying vendor or technology.
Custom Stationary Embedded Devices
ThingOS makes it possible to turn nearly any embedded stationary computer (both commercial and industrial) into a smart node for its environment. Sensors and actuators connected to these units can then instantly offer their capabilities to apps running in the surroundings.
Ready-to-run client software for Linux, Windows, Android and iOS-based systems is an intrinsic part of the ThingOS technology platform.
Custom Wearable Devices
Wearable devices are mobile and usually battery-powered. Keeping power consumption low in order to enhance battery lifetime is thus an important issue for this device category. ThingOS offers a wide range of ready-to-run firmware for BLE, BLE-Mesh, WiFi and Combo MCU chipsets. In addition to over-the-air update-capabilities, these devices can be completely reconfigured at run-time to use various sensors and actuators connected to them.
For the rapid prototyping of novel wearable applications, we have further integrated our own low-energy hardware module ecosystem. Sensors and actuators can simply be stacked or chained to the core module, making it possible to create small wearable device prototypes. This allows the developer to build and test new smart sensor applications within minutes instead of weeks or months.
After the prototyping phase of a new device, we can rapidly turn it into a standalone PCB design for mass-production.
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