A Hybrid Approach for Digital Representation of Sensors in Real-Time Applications

Abstract We propose a hybrid approach for peripheral device emulation of sensors on hardware platforms as well as hardware virtualization platforms. The proposed approach stems from challenges faced in IoT (Internet of Things) application development, namely, hardware selection and evaluation, software development for the hardware under consideration, and reliable reproducibility of application tests. The hybrid approach provides strong support for all development phases of IoT products and system development in the absence of physical peripheral sensor hardware. We also present an event-driven software architecture for different components and a modular workflow for implementing the emulator. Within the approach, a peripheral device emulator is conceivable by using the event-driven software architecture and modular workflow. Finally, we introduce the term Simulatable Datasheet, which is realizable by configuring the emulator as per technical documentation like datasheets or application notes. The Simulatable Datasheet provides an interactive interface to improve decision-making during the product development phase. The Simulatable Datasheet thus relaxes the need for hardware availability and eases testing scenarios during IoT real and non-real-time application development without modification in the firmware. Additionally, these datasheets can reduce efforts for hardware and software integration and enable faster debugging, which in turn reduces the overall time to deploy IoT applications in various fields.