Android Things is the latest attempt from Google to connect the dots between the cloud and devices by introducing an OS that is exclusively built for IoT devices. Initially announced as project Brillo, Android Things helps developers to build devices faster and enable them integrate with cloud services. This presentation traces the architectural aspects of Android Things by connecting it back with Embedded Linux, Embedded Android and Brillo.

1. Android Things:
Building Embedded Devices – An Introduction
Mubeen Jukaku
Emertxe
4-March „17
EFY Conference

2. Agenda
 Bit of History
 What is Android Things
 Architecture
 Summary
 Q & A

3. A bit of History
Embedded Linux
Android
Brillo

4. Embedded Linux
 A set of ad-hoc methods to package the Linux kernel with a
 (minimal) filesystem.
 FS content “to be determined” case-by-case
 APIs are specific to each device/build
 “Core software”:
• BusyBox
• U-Boot
• GNU Toolchain
 Your flavor of:
• glibc or uClibc or eglibc
• yocto or buildroot or eldk or ltib or ptxdist or ...
 No serious UX framework

5. Embedded Linux
Architecture

6. Android
 ... apart from its ubiquitous UX ...
 Fully-integrated IDE: Android Studio
 SDK/NDK
 ADB
 Fastboot
 Published, well-known, and very rich APIs
 A large and growing developer community
 And still we can use “embedded Linux” components:
• GNU toolchain, BusyBox, u-boot, …
 An actual standardized dev. env. across all product
lines

7. Android Stack

8. Embedded Android

9. Project Brillo
Initial Google platform for IoT
Based on Android
Announced at Google I/O 2015
Never officially released
Remained in “developer preview” mode
Needed to sign up for developer preview on
https://developers.google.com/brillo/
Sources available from
android.googlesource.com
“Apps” talk straight to HALs

10. Brillo Architecture

11. Android Things - Overview

12. Why Android Things?
IOT challenges
Complex technologies
Interoperability
Security
Scalability

13. What is Android Things

14. What is Android Things…
“Reboot” of Google's Android IoT strategy
Reinstates full Android environment
Developers use existing Android dev tools
C/C++ available through NDK
Extended APIs for IoT
Currently at Developer Preview 2

15. Features Status
Features Status
Memory Footprint < 500 MB
Public Availability Developers Preview 1- Dec ’16
Developers Preview 2 - Feb ’17
Android SDK, Runtime, APIs Developers Preview 1
TensorFlow (ML library) Supported
Device Usage Metrics Future Release
Security Future Release
OTA Updates Future Release
Weave Future Release

16. What is Android Things…

17. Turnkey Hardware Solutions
Device production for all
Certified Integrated Hardware Google BSPs
SoMs integrate the SoC, RAM, Flash
Storage, WiFi, Bluetooth and other
components onto a single board
•The Board Support Package (BSP) is
managed by Google.
•SoM vendors may provide the BSPs.
•OEMs provide HAL for sensors and
actuators as APKs.
Comes with FCC certifications Trusted platform to develop on with
standard updates and fixes from
Google.
You can optimize your board design by flattening existing modules
onto a PCB to save costs and space.

18. Supported Platforms

19. Weave
Open Communication Platform
 Devices can connect and interact
with one another, the internet,
and your phone
 Ensures that access to your
device and user data is secure
and private.
 Transports: 802.15.4 (zigbee,
threads), BLE, WiFi, Ethernet,
Others possible

20. Trust & Security
Long Term Support

21. Security…
Security Requirements from Google* are
largely the same as Android:
SE-Linux Enforcement
Android Verified Boot, Cryptographic
Chain of trust
Google Android Trusty
HW Keymaster 2.0
No Gatekeeper

22. Android Things Architecture

23. Android Things
Architecture

24. Android Things
Architecture
Java API framework
Google Services
API Level 7.0 ( Nougat )
Graphics optional
Things Support Library
OTAs received directly from Google

25. Behavior Changes
Standard system apps and content providers
absent
Missing core packages (ContactsContract,
MediaStore, Settings etc.)
Subset of Google Play Services available
No runtime permissions (Install time)
No notifications, no system-wide status bar

26. Behavior Changes…
Displays are optional
Supports graphical user toolkit
Does not include the system status bar or
navigation buttons.
Even without display, activities are still a
primary component of your app

27. Behavior Changes…
Home activity support
 Home launcher replaced by
IOT_LAUNCHER
Android Things expects one application to
expose a "home activity“ in manifest file
System launches application on boot

28. Things support Library
Peripheral IO APIs (PIO)
• Enables Apps to talk to sensors and actuators
• Supports GPIO, I2C, UART, PWM, SPI
User driver API
• Extend existing Android framework services
• Allow apps to inject hardware events into
framework that other apps can use.

29. Things Support Library…

30. User Space Drivers

31. Summary
Android Things is Google‟s IoT OS
Certified (but limited) Hardware SoM
support (current)
Developers use existing Android dev tools
Addresses most of the IoT challenges
Extended APIs for IoT (Things API)

32. Q & A

33. THANK YOU

34. Appendix

35. References
https://developer.android.com/things
https://developers.google.com/weave/

36. Contact Details
Mubeen Jukaku
Email: mubeenj@emertxe.com
URL: http://www.emertxe.com
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