Broadcom is making it easy to prototpe Internet of Things devices

Broadcom wants Internet of things applications to grow like wildflowers. So the chip giant is releasing a development kit today that will make it easier to create prototypes of Internet of things applications using a standard wireless platform dubbed WICED. The Internet of things brings computing intelligence and Internet connectivity to previously dumb devices, from coffee machines to thermostats. Combining computers, connectivity, and sensors should lead to an explosion of devices. By 2020, Internet-connected devices are expected to number between 26 billion and 50 billion, according to Raymond James & Associates. The IoT European Research Center estimates there are 80 things connecting to the Internet for the first time every second, and by 2020, this should expand to 250 every second. And those devices will need connectivity. That’s where WICED comes in. It stands for Broadcom’s Wireless Internet Connectivity for Embedded Devices. It uses low-power protocols to connect devices to each other and the Internet. The development kit makes it easy for app developers to create sensors with built-in wireless connections. Broadcom’s own chip for this WICED-based platform includes Bluetooth Smart connectivity (a low-power version of the short-range wireless connection protocol), and five different low-power motion sensors (micro-electro mechanical systems MEMS).