Assessing the opportunities and challenges in designing

Connecting the IoT dots through simulation driven

IoT products

design

It ’ s easy to see why IoT is driving enterprises towards the vast

While the challenges are not new in themselves , the size and

opportunities it offers . According to a International Data

scale of the IoT opportunity makes it an entirely different ball

Corporation ( IDC ) report , the global IoT market is growing from

game . A simulation driven product design is the answer to

what was a $ 655.8 billion business in 2014 to an estimated $ 1.7

addressing the engineering opportunities and challenges around

trillion in 2020 — a compound annual growth rate ( CAGR ) of

IoT product design , be it wearables , medical implants , or

16.9 %. The report predicts that devices , connectivity , and IT

connected cars . According to Aberdeen Group study , the use of

services will make up over two-thirds of the IoT market in 2020 ,

engineering simulation enables businesses to approach

with devices such as modules and sensors representing a third of

development in a holistic manner , leading to products that meet

the total .

intended performance and revenue targets , as well as consumer

While these statistics represent massive opportunities for

expectations . Simulation offers a level playing field for businesses

businesses across industries to design smart products , it also

of all sizes by providing the opportunity to go beyond the

ushers in a fresh set of challenges . Essentially , there are five major

boundaries of traditional engineering discipline . Using multi-

challenges when it comes to designing IoT products .

domain and multi-physics analysis , it helps engineers virtually

Ÿ

Ÿ

Optimizing products for size , weight and energy efficiency – designers must pack several components such as printed circuit boards , battery , receiver , and antenna in a constrained space , even while keeping the device cool and ensuring long battery life .

Smart products rely on their ability to sense their environment and communicate with surrounding objects –

prototype any idea and cost effectively refine it through thousands of simulation and operational scenarios . By taking a holistic approach and simulating vastly diverse components of the product at various levels – device , system , algorithms , network connectivity , timing , etc – designers can ensure optimized product design and time to market .

Delivering value will be key to success

engineers must therefore maintain signal and power integrity

A combination of low-cost hardware , superior tools , and better

at all times .

simulation is driving IoT product development at this point . While

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Many IoT products such as automotive and aerospace operate in safety critical environments – this means tens of millions of lines of code in embedded software needs to be validated .

With increasing product complexity , late stage integration challenges have also become increasingly common .

Anticipating and testing the durability of trillions of sensors under extreme environmental conditions through physical prototypes is incredibly difficult .

launching IoT products presents several challenges , businesses can succeed with the support of new industrial software solutions that help engineers understand the feasibility and longevity of their product design . To thrive in the new IoT era , product manufacturers will need to make the transition from a traditional engineering mindset to a multi-disciplinary approach to product design . At the end of the day , success depends on the value a product delivers . And to this end , engineering simulation can help ensure that IoT products operate the way they are expected to

So how can businesses tackle these multi-faceted challenges ?

and deliver the value they are intended to , for sustained success .