Amazon opens IoT initiative to developers

Amazon Sidewalk is a step closer to connecting devices across the globe.

The e-tail giant is opening Amazon Sidewalk, a secure, low-bandwidth, long-range network designed to provide Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity for one billion devices, for developer testing. According to Amazon, Sidewalk coverage now extends to 90% of the U.S. population, and free test kits are available for developers to validate Sidewalk coverage and build devices for the network.

Devices connected to Sidewalk come with a connection to the cloud designed to be secure, persistent, and low-cost. Sidewalk test kits are designed to validate real-world coverage by regularly pinging their location over the network, providing signal strength readings on a map within a developer portal.

Developers can now use the tools and technology from Amazon Sidewalk, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and participating silicon companies to build and onboard devices and supporting cloud-based applications to Sidewalk. Developers within Sidewalk’s coverage area can instantly connect a qualified silicon provider's developer kit to the cloud without deploying their own network infrastructure.

New tools and features available to developers include:

• Software Development Kits (SDKs): Distributed by silicon companies Nordic Semiconductor, Silicon Labs, Texas Instruments, and module vendor Quectel, these SDKs support Sidewalk technology and enable developers to build their Sidewalk applications while also integrating with existing silicon provider toolkits.
• Hardware Development Kits (HDKs) and connectivity module: To support their SDKs for Sidewalk, Nordic Semiconductor, Silicon Labs, and Texas Instruments each offer HDKs for developers to prototype,and design their applications on reference hardware. Additionally, Quectel offers a Sidewalk connectivity module designed to help developers productize their Sidewalk-enabled devices and decrease their time-to-market.
• Mobile SDK and tools app: Delivered by Amazon via GitHub, the mobile SDK for iOS and Android devices is designed to speed up the integration of Sidewalk technology into developers’ mobile apps. Amazon also offers a tools app for developers to debug and troubleshoot designs in the field.

• AWS IoT Core for Amazon Sidewalk: AWS IoT Core lets developers have access to and configure their Sidewalk-enabled devices via a web interface, and offers a range of AWS services.
• AWS Samples GitHub Repository: Developers can gain aceess to the software, source code, scripts, and documentation needed to connect devices to Sidewalk, providing AWS reference.

“We’ve rapidly built out a long-range, low-bandwidth network that now covers more than 90% of the U.S. population, and this is an open invitation for developers to put it to the test,” said Dave Limp, senior VP of Amazon Devices & Services. “Many types of connected devices have been limited by the range of Wi-Fi and the cost of cellular technology, which has hindered the ability to connect devices like environmental sensors, leak detectors, and smart locks. Sidewalk is designed to provide a secure, low-cost way to invent and connect a whole new range of devices, and we can’t wait to see what developers build.”

Amazon is partnering with third-party companies to develop Sidewalk devices that will perform tasks such as such as residential and industrial facilities monitoring, shipment tracking, and remote door locking and unlocking.

[Read more: The Role of IoT Connectivity During an Economic Downturn]