RF Electronics For IoT : The Value Is In Data Transmission, Processing, And Data Usage

Extracted from: Internet of Things RF Protocols and their Impacts on the Electronics Industry report, Yole Développement

OUTLINES:

• The challenge for RF electronics manufacturers to secure value in the IoT industry stays relevant today.
• RF electronics for IOT: old technologies, low value.
• RF protocols for IOT: a divided spectrum of solutions.
• RF for IOT, slowly crossing the entry barrier.

The challenge for RF electronics manufacturers to secure value in the IoT industry stays relevant recently, announces the market research and strategy consulting company Yole Développement (Yole). IoT is often described as a wireless network of electronics-based components. RF, part of an IoT device is thus extremely important as it is linked to critical characteristics of the product, such as power consumption, data throughput or security.

Yole’s Power & Wireless team proposes today a comprehensive technology & market analysis dedicated to RF protocols for IoT and their impacts. Titled Internet of Things RF Protocols and their Impacts on the Electronics Industry, this analysis proposes a detailed description of the ecosystem with dynamics, barriers, enablers and product acceptance. This new report reveals the value repartition across the whole industrial chain and points out a comprehensive analysis of radio protocols. Technologies are also well investigated in this report, combined with an detailed technology competitive analysis.

Yole’s analyst offer you today a relevant snapshot of the RF protocols for IoT applications, within the electronics industry.

Silicon technologies linked to the IoT and dedicated to currently commercial protocols have long been developed. They are therefore mature and available. Kits embedding all discrete RF components on a single PCB have also appeared, such as STMicroelectronics’ STM32 node or the Hager Group’s Hager Smart RF Module.

In term of commercial appeal for silicon manufacturers, currently existing IoT components are low cost, low margin products, with low volumes in the IoT field. The niche IoT market is more of a prospective investment opportunity then an area of potential income. In IoT systems, whichever the protocol, the RF transceiver remains relatively low cost with open IP and the adjacent electronics stay relatively basic and unchallenging. As an example, STMicroelectronics’ STM32 IoT platform includes 192kB of flash memory, 20kB RAM and 6kB EEPROM. This performance has long been attained by inexpensive technologies. The truly tremendous value of IoT lays not in the electronics, but mostly in data transmission and processing, and in data usage.

“At Yole, we think, typically, from the total cost of ownership of a device, less than 5% is expected to go to the component manufacturers,” asserts Antoine Bonnabel, Technology & Market Analyst at Yole. “40% would go for data transmission and processing and 50% for the data analysis and its application.”

“Value is not in protocols,” confirms Claire Troadec, Director, Power & Wireless activities at Yole. “The truly tremendous value of IoT lays not in the electronics, but mostly in data transmission and processing, and in data usage…”

In addition to an impressive collection of RF reports, a detailed description of Internet of Things RF Protocols and their Impacts on the Electronics Industry report is available on i-micronews.com, RF Electronics reports section.