According to IEEE regulations, the basic definition of Internet of Things (IoT) devices can be summarized as any object that has been assigned an IP address and can transmit data through a network. Therefore, IoT devices can be anything.

The scope of the use of IoT devices

In fact, the range of IoT devices is very wide, from low-cost consumer goods (such as $5 Bluetooth key finders) to very advanced complex sensor networks used for medical, manufacturing, transportation, and utilities. Most (not all) IoT products have some kind of wireless function, and for many designers, RF components may be a stumbling block, and some engineers do not even care about wireless and EMI testing.

Therefore, what the IoT means and what it means for IoT designers is not yet defined. Even IEEE admits in the above-mentioned white paper that the definition is "very vague". The challenges faced by engineers developing Bluetooth remote keys are completely different from those developing industrial-grade sensors or life-saving medical devices. Similarly, they also face completely different testing and measurement challenges.

One question that is often heard in the IoT field is whether RF testing is necessary. For many low-end projects, testing is often considered a low-priority item because designers use pre-certified wireless modules and have tight delivery schedules that require short time-to-market. The cost of test equipment that can complete testing tasks is also an important factor. Start-ups or small micro-enterprises generally do not have the financial resources to purchase vector signal analyzers or spectrum analyzers.

Another obstacle is the lack of expertise to perform RF testing, which has spawned some interesting workaround methods.

For inexpensive consumer products, this approach is feasible-if lacking RF expertise and test equipment, this approach is even more appropriate. This method assumes that everything is going according to plan and is consistent with the vendor's statement.

Is this how things evolve in the actual electronic engineering field?

This arbitrary testing method is not suitable for industrial or medical devices, especially those that involve key tasks/life or need to be installed in remote or inaccessible locations. In this case, thorough and comprehensive testing must be done.

There is a strong relationship between testing and improving reliability and performance, even when pre-certified components are used, because the RF environment of these components changes greatly after they are integrated into the final product. Using pre-certified modules with customized antennas may not provide optimal power transmission, but there will be significant improvements after optimization with a vector network analyzer. Measuring and optimizing DC power supply efficiency is critical for wearable devices and other battery-powered devices.

Testing also helps you dig deep into problems and make basic functions work properly. Using pre-certified RF modules does not exempt consistency testing with electromagnetic interference/electromagnetic compatibility standards. Many IoT design teams believe that EMI testing is just a form. Unfortunately, this assumption is basically not true: EMI testing costs and repeated circuit board rework will increase costs quickly. (You may need information about cellular module manufacturers) 

The rise of IoT devices is changing the pattern of RF testing

Testing is often either done quickly or not passed. Unfortunately, those products that did not pass may be difficult to meet standard requirements in the end.

For those in the testing and measurement industry, they believe that they need to focus on providing instruments that are more powerful and cost-effective, and can handle projects such as assessing wireless modules, basic debugging, performance optimization, and EMI pre-consistency testing. They also need to continue to improve usability so that even RF novices can get valuable information. EMI pre-consistency testing and RF standard consistency testing need to be automated and traceable.

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