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Thus, we studied about the Contiki OS In IoT and some of its features and uses in this post. We gain knowledge of the contiki communication components, dynamic module loading, and the Cooja network simulator.
Contiki OS In IoT
By 2020, a staggering 50 billion gadgets will be able to “talk to each other” to the Internet of Things (IoT), a technology that allows important information to be automatically shared between machines and eventually with people. The “things” being connected come in a wide range of sizes and shapes, from microscopic wireless sensors (smart dust) to household electrical appliances to electronics used in space exploration. They are classified as low-memory and low-power devices, meaning that a pair of AA-sized batteries may power them for years at a time. Memory is measured in bits or bytes, not megabytes or gigabytes.
Things that gather useful information from their environment and connect with the networked system are also known as smart objects. As a result, intelligent things serve as a link between the virtual and physical worlds. They have a power supply, communication, CPU, and sensors. All of these items’ functions are managed by the operating system (OS).
Although the 50 billion figure may seem dubious to us, technologies are being developed to make this a reality. The OS, like Contiki, is the essential component for that. Similar to how the majority of consumer electronics products have chips built into them, Internet of Things devices must have some basic software installed, like Contiki.
What is Contiki OS?
Contiki is an open-source OS for internet of things devices such wireless sensors, networking equipment, and low-power microcontrollers.
Contiki is a portable multitasker. It differs from the previous operating systems in that it includes communication components like uIP and 6LoWPAN. Contiki is a very well-liked choice because of its unique features, which include being lightweight and versatile for IoT devices.
Contiki can modify a complete operating system while using fewer kilobytes. It establishes an internet connection with tiny microcontrollers. It is an effective resource for creating extremely comprehensive wireless networks.
Contiki communication components
- uIP: Another name for uIP is micro IP. Due to their extremely limited resources, low power IoT devices are unable to implement TCP/IP protocols. MicroIP is designed for 8- and 16-bit microcontrollers and includes reduced versions of components that are necessary for the TCP/IP stack.
- uIPv6: It offers networking via IPv6. The Contiki can now communicate via the internet to uIPv6. It offers a more expansive address space. Sensors and other IoT devices are supported.
- Rime: Ideally used by sensors, the rime communication stack provides a collection of lightweight communication primitives. This networking is intended for wireless systems that are inexpensive.
- 6LoWPAN: It was created to enable low power internet of things devices to use the internet protocol. Through 6LoWPAN, low-power devices with limited processing capability take part in the Internet of Things. It has the perfect features that rule the market, such sensors, actuators, and smart homes.
- CoAP CoAP is a protocol for online transfers. In the Internet of things, it can use it with restricted nodes and networks. Because traditional protocols are burdensome for devices with little memory, CoAP became essential.
- RPL is an IPv6 routing protocol developed for low-power and lossy networks.
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Functions of IoT Contiki
Memory and process management
The standard C programming memory allocation function, malloc(), is supported by Contiki. It facilitates the allocation of memory blocks. “Protothreads” supports a low system’s requirements. They lower the overhead of multithreading programming and are written in the C programming language.
Communication management
The IPv6 and IPV4 stack implementations are supported by Contiki. The TCP, UD, and HTTP protocols are examples of these primitives. Low-power implementations like the 6LoWPAN are also made possible by the Contiki operating systems.
File system management
It’s possible that not all IoT devices have flashes or other huge, durable memory storage. Such gadgets are empowered by Contiki’s coffee file system. For gadgets that have an external flash memory chip, that is.
Dynamic module loading
Contiki facilitates dynamic loading of programming modules to make programming simpler. There are two programming interfaces for loading programs: the native executable format and an executable linkable format (ELF).
The coffee file system can be used to write the dynamic module to the flash memory.
Contiki OS Cooja Simulator
The Cooja network simulator is a network stimulator found in the contiki systems. It encourages networks on Contiki-supporting nodes. Prototypes of the contiki programming model can remotely operate a tiny memory system. Memory-efficient programs that use multithreading to minimize memory overhead are called prototypes.
Application of IoT Contiki OS
- Numerous programs are included in Contiki OS as part of the operating system. For example, calculators, shells, lightweight web servers, email clients and users, vnc viewers, ftp, calculators, and telnet for remote device management.
- Developers can use tools like the Cooja simulator to create applications. Developers can create power-sensitive applications by using Contiki to monitor the power of different programs.
- A UNIX-style shell for the OS interface and debugging is also included in the software bundle.
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Comparable software
- TinyOS. It is an embedded operating system made especially for wireless sensor networks and was created by UC Berkeley and Intel Corp. Applications on TinyOS are created using nesC, a dialect of “C,” aside from internal architectural changes with Contiki.
- FreeRTOS. It is a real-time operating system that was created with scalability and portability in mind. Preemptive and mixed scheduling options are supported. Devices from ARM, NXP, NEC, Infineon, and Freescale are supported.
Getting started
Download the code and compile it on the target computer to begin using Contiki. Or you can go straight down- To experiment, load the Instant Contiki virtual machine image.
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