Arduino launches a new modular platform for IoT development

Arduino, the open-source hardware platform, today announced the launch of a new low-code platform and modular hardware system for IoT development. The idea here is to give small and medium businesses the tools to develop IoT solutions without having to invest in specialized engineering resources.

The new hardware, dubbed the Arduino Portenta H7, features everything you'd need to get started with building an IoT hardware platform, including a crypto-authentication chip and communications modules for WiFi, Bluetooth Low Energy and LTE, as well as Narrowband IoT. Powered by 32-bit Arm microcontrollers, either the Cortex-M7 or M4, these low-power modules are meant for designing industrial applications, as well as edge processing solutions and robotics applications. It'll run Arm's Mbed OS and support Arduino code, as well as Python and Javascript applications.

"SMBs with industrial requirements require simplified development through secure development tools, software and hardware to economically realize their IoT use cases," said Charlene Marini, the VP of strategy for Arm's IoT Services Group. "The combination of Mbed OS with Cortex-M IP in the new Arduino Portenta Family will enable Arduino's millions of developers to securely and easily develop and deploy IoT devices from prototypes through to production."

The new H7 module is now available to beta testers, with general availability slated for February 2020.