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© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
Building a Reliable Remote Communication
Device with Java MEJavaOne San Francisco 2013 - CON8004
Leonardo Lima – V2COM ([email protected])
Tiago Padovani – V2COM ([email protected])
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
Introduction
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
About the presenter (Leonardo)• Software Development Manager at V2COM, leading the
development of both embedded software for edge/field devices and server-side software that receives field data and enables fast communication with remote devices.
• Eight years of development and architectural experience on mobile, embedded and server platforms to enable management and operation of highly scalable and fast telemetry and network control systems.
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
About the presenter (Tiago)• Lead Software Developer for Embedded at V2COM, leading the
development of embedded software for edge/field devices.
• Six years of development and architectural experience on embedded Java platforms, building reliable communication devices that stays on the field for years.
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
About the presentationExplore how to build reliable remote communication
devices that must stay online, connected, and transmitting field data without interruptions. Using Java ME, a solid foundation was built that can be used to deploy many kinds of applications in the field, with fast, reliable development. In this session, see what the difficulties, ideas, and insights were that led to this foundation, which is currently in use in more than 50,000 devices in Brazil and Latin America to connect more than 800,000 field devices.
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
• V2COM is a leading Latin American provider of Smart
Grid technologies and Advanced Metering Infrastructure
(AMI). Our offer includes hardware, software and services
that can reduce losses and increase water and energy
efficiency, currently connecting more than 700.000
devices.
• Besides the economic gains for our customers, we
develop technologies with significant impact on the
environment (avoiding losses of important natural
resources) and with social responsibility (our Smart Grid
systems can be used to offer free internet access in
challenging areas)
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
• Awarded 2013 Java Business
Innovation Award
• JCP member, nominated for EC election• More interaction with community to foster
Java ME development in this age of IoT!
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
V2COM clients
Meter Reading
Network Control
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
The scenario
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
IP Network Local Network
Legacy Systems Intelligenceware Suite
WAN Terminal LAN Devices
Wireless Network
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
Use cases• Automated Meter Reading (AMR)
• Read “dumb meters” and send data over to Utility• Both energy and water meters• Can be any meter, really!
• Like our Zigbier refrigerator’s temperature sensor, with alarms for too cold or hot!
• Network control• Remotely connect SCADA systems to field devices like reclosures• “transparent pipe” between SCADA and Device• DNP3/IEC104 protocols and proprietary as well
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
Use cases
136 4 25b 5a
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
The techonology usedGateway:
• Oracle Java Micro Edition 1 (Java profile IMP-NG version 2 & CLDC 1.1 Hl), embedded in a Gemalto TC65i module.
• Started with Siemens TC45, 6 years ago!
Intelligenceware Suite:
• Oracle Java Enterprise Edition 5
• Oracle Java Standard Edition 6
• Oracle Utilities Meter Data Management 2.0
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
Living an embedded life
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
The 3 commandments• “If the device has a power from source, it must be on”
• Our first commandment is to keep the device always on.• If it can be on, it must be on, no matter what.
• “The firmware must be remotely upgradable”• One of few certainties in software developments is that bugs always
happen!• So, we must be able to OTAP (over-the-air provision) the device
• “If it’s on, it must be online and connected (or trying to be...)”• It doesn’t suffice to be on. It must be also be avaiable so that
communication can happen
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
Hardware choices• WatchDog
• One of the few always-must-have circuit for any device is a watchdog to turn it on in case it turns off or there’s a lock-up
• Dual Sim Card• GPRS infrastructure is not very reliable, so it should be able to have
option in case of carrier failure
• Dual Serial• Many field devices have two serial ports, so being able to connect to both
at the same time is very important
• Java ME• Being able to run Java ME allows many advantages over C
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
Software choices - Separation of concerns
• “Hardcore”• Abstracts board specifics details (like GPIO)
• “Zion”• Handles common infrastructure (backend connection, message
queues, locks and so on)• Abstracts Modem commands, so there’s one for each avaiable module
(Cinterion/Gemalto; Motorola; Telit)
• “App”• Holds application logic - As tailored as clients need it to be• Ranges from a simple Transparent (TN) to Automated Meter Reading
(AMR)
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
Hardcore• Handles board specifics
• Modem/AT Connection
• SMS/GPRS logic
• GPIO• Watchdog
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
Zion• Defines command shell
• Handle TCP communications
• Kitchen sink utils (math, string, locks, queue)
• Event Bus
• Extendable to handle “fatter” functionalities• CSD• SNMP monitoring
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
Application• Handles only business logic and protocol
• Fast changes to acommodate business logic• After the first few cicles, it stabilizes
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
Package Diagram• mobi.v2com.zion...
• Application• Control• Hardcore• Communication• Event• Protocol• Tools• Utilities• ... and application specifics as well
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
ChallengesProblems faced, solutions provided!
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
How to keep the device on?• Problem:
• Module can throw Exceptions (EXIT CODEs) that shuts down the application
• Solution:• Hardware Watchdog!
• Dedicated QG8 to handle only this (power on/off)• 10 minutes timeout: either the firmware “swings” the GPIO, or it gets powered off
then on
• Many other software watchdogs...• Many other conditions can mean a “lock up”
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
How to keep the device online?• Problem:
• GPRS connections can be unstable, specially when needed most: thunderstorms and harsh weather condition
• Solution:• Dual-SIM cards, so if a network fails, there can be another• Many soft watchdogs to retry attachments
• Turn on/off modem, like our phones• Attach/Deattach
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
How to get behind public APN firewall?
• Problem:• Can’t use a server socket while communicating on public networks!
• Solutions:• Device polls server, asking for new commands
• This doesn’t work for always-on connection needs• Expensive on resources
• Software Switch (server side)!• Meet-in-the-middle approach
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
How to keep the TCP connection up?• Problem:
• You don’t know the connection is broken until you have a blocking read() or write()
• TCP keep-alive is not enough• No module support for this...
• Solution: • Keep-Alive packets
• Application-level bytes sent to make sure connection is not off
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
How to keep the firmware updated?• Problem:
• There are MANY devices deployed, each with a software version• No one wants to mass-deploy...• Not all updates are required for all devices
• Solution: • Axon has control of each version• Updates are dispatched as needed and/or cleared by client
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
How to debug in-device?• Problem:
• No simple logging framework to write log to• Log redirection works for serial port only, not remote connections
• Solution: • Built a simple logging framework that handles debug level, message,
threads
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
How to debug off-device?• Problem:
• How can we run/test outside the framework?• Many classes you depend on are hardware specific (Files,
Connections)
• Solution: • Built a simple “java abstraction layer” that implements
javax.microedition classes (and proprietary ones too) that runs on Java SE on the desktop.
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
How to keep historical, debugging info?
• Problem:• No long-term storage on devices to keep logs• Flash memory can hold at most 30 minutes of logs• The logs you need are the ones when device is unreachable, but alas,
you can’t download it.
• Solution: • Have a “black box” flight recorder• Small, coded files that can hold critical information for weeks
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
How to synchronize access to resources?
• Problem:• Access to system resources must be synchronized
• Serial device, system files
• synchronized can lead to unknown lock ups• Some race conditions hard to track ando also some bugs...
• Solution: • Custom implementation of Java SE’s Lock
• ReentrantLock inspired• Added few methods for convenience
• tryLock, so that you lock if you can, but don’t fail if you can’t• fastLock, for locks that should last than 2 secods
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
How to default parameters?• Problem:
• Same firmware for different clients with different needs, lots of parameters
• Parameters for APN, Serial, Timings and such
• Flash memory can get corrupt and you lose your parameter files!
• Solution: • Use JAD parameters
• JAD can be custom tailored to each client• Can provide good defaults
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
Pending challenges...... because you can’t win them all...
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
Many pain points are still there• Make smaller binary fragments?
• And small updates over the air.
• Run multiple applications at the same time?
• More “permanent” and/or remote logging
• Security issues• Better management of keys• Anti-tampering measures
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
Incoming changesJava ME (r)evolution
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
Java ME 8 has much new features!• Java ME 8 seems to have addressed some, if not most, this
problems and abstractions• Device I/O• Access Point• NIO• ... And many others!
• Some still need works• No concurrency support might mean no locks...
• We’ll work with JSRs to try and address the rest of them• V2COM is joining the JCP EC to help foster Java ME evolution
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
Q?
© 2002 - 2013 V2COM - Hardware + Software. All rights reserved
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