IOT – we owe this three letter acronym to Kevin Ashton. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Ashton). Since 1999, when the term was coined, the spread of this technology was initially slow to enter the mainstream due to limitations of the capabilities of processors and networks. Devices at that time were equipped with cheaper and ultra-power-frugal processors it became cost effective to connect billions of devices.

The adoption of RFID tags and the increasing availability of broadband internet, and cellular and wireless networking helped to solve some of the limitations of the early IOT devices.

The adoption of the IPv6 — which, among other things, provides enough IP addresses (for every device the world or the galaxy is ever likely to need), finally allowed the IOT to scale.

With the ever-increasing need for new IOT solutions to solve difficult problems, FirstLink Consulting’s services are in demand.

Project: Power Line Monitoring System

The monitoring of Distribution Power Lines is indeed a difficult problem to solve.

Sentient Energy, prior to their recent acquisition by Koch Engineered Solutions (KES), retained our services and software expertise to develop the earlier version of their Sentient Energy Grid Analysis system consisting of intelligent sensors, distributed apps and the Ample Analytics suite.

Our main contribution was the programming of the embedded platforms that constitute the heart of the sensor. Our expertise in low level firmware and the Linux Operating System were instrumental in the success of the first deployment of the sensor devices on the power lines of various power distribution companies such as PG&E and Florida Power and Light (FPL).