What is AliOS Internet of Things (IoT)?

AliOS IoT is an IoT ecosystem built on the AliOS operating system developed by Alibaba. The system is aimed at automobiles, IoT terminals, IoT chips and industrial fields, and aims to achieve data interaction and intelligent control between devices by connecting various IoT devices. AliOS IoT has become one of the preferred operating systems for IoT devices with its lightweight, diverse application support and high security, and is widely used in smart homes, smart transportation, industrial IoT and other fields.

AliOS Things is an open source operating system developed by Alibaba Cloud for the IoT field. It aims to provide a high-performance, highly scalable basic platform to simplify the development process of IoT devices. AliOS Things supports multiple hardware platforms, has rich components and drivers, and can run on various microcontrollers (MCUs) and microprocessors (MPUs).

AliOS IoT is an IoT operating system based on the Linux kernel and LiteOS, and integrates various services of Alibaba Cloud. It aims to provide developers with a lightweight, efficient and easy-to-expand IoT development platform.

AliOS IoT is mainly used in the following aspects:
Smart home: AliOS can connect smart home appliances, smart door locks, smart cameras and other devices to achieve remote control and intelligent linkage, and improve the convenience and comfort of home life.
Smart health: Combining sensor technology and cloud computing capabilities, AliOS can be applied to the field of smart health, monitoring body data, providing health advice and other functions.
Smart transportation: AliOS can be used for applications such as smart vehicle systems, smart traffic lights, and vehicle navigation to improve traffic safety and efficiency.
Industrial IoT: AliOS can also be applied to the field of industrial automation to realize functions such as equipment monitoring, remote maintenance, and intelligent production, and improve industrial production efficiency and quality.
In addition, AliOS is also suitable for IoT devices with high CPU performance and memory requirements, such as automobiles, to provide them with full-vehicle intelligent solutions. In general, the application scenarios of AliOS IoT are wide and diverse, covering multiple fields such as smart home, smart health, smart transportation, industrial IoT, and automobiles.

AliOS IoT and Android each have their own advantages and applicable scenarios, and it is impossible to generalize which is better. AliOS IoT is mainly optimized for IoT devices, focusing on low power consumption, real-time and security, and is suitable for use in smart homes, smart transportation and other fields. The Android system is widely used in devices such as smartphones and tablets, with a rich application ecosystem and a strong user base. Therefore, choosing which system is better depends on the specific application scenarios and needs.

The shortcomings or deficiencies of AliOS IoT mainly include the following points:
Imperfect ecological chain: Compared with the Android system, AliOS IoT is not yet perfect in terms of application ecological chain, which may limit the realization of some advanced applications and functions.
Delayed system update: The system update speed of AliOS IoT may be relatively slow, resulting in the device’s inability to keep up with the latest technological trends in terms of function and security.
Compatibility issues: Since AliOS IoT is developed based on a specific architecture and platform, there may be problems in compatibility with other non-Ali devices or systems.
Promotion difficulty: Due to its relatively small market influence, AliOS IoT may face certain difficulties in the promotion process, which may affect its market share and user experience.

AliOS IoT can seamlessly access Alibaba Cloud’s IoT platform through built-in support for Alibaba Cloud IoT Hub to realize functions such as identity authentication, remote control, and real-time monitoring of smart home devices. It supports multiple chip platforms and development boards, facilitates cross-platform migration and reuse, and is widely used in smart home scenarios such as smart bulbs, air conditioners, and security equipment.

Security: Integrate Alibaba Cloud’s security solutions to ensure the security of data transmission between devices and the cloud.
Ease of use: Provide an intuitive development environment and detailed documentation to reduce the difficulty of development.
Scalability: Rich component libraries and open interfaces facilitate customized development and third-party service access.
Eco-compatibility: Fully connect with Alibaba Cloud’s ecosystem and integrate many industry solutions.

Connection problems: Smart home devices rely on Internet connection and wireless communication technology, and may experience unstable or disconnected connections.
Compatibility issues: There may be compatibility issues between smart home devices of different brands and types, making it difficult to achieve interconnection and collaboration.
Security issues: When smart home devices are connected to the Internet, there may be a risk of being hacked, resulting in security risks such as user privacy leakage and device control.

Check the wireless network: Make sure that the router is working properly and the distance between it and the smart device does not exceed the signal coverage range.
Restart the device: Try restarting the smart device to see if it can restore normal connection.
Update software and firmware: Make sure the software versions of smart devices and related applications are the latest.

Use strong passwords: Set strong passwords for smart devices and related applications, and avoid using default usernames and passwords.
Update software regularly: Keep the software versions of smart devices and related applications up to date to get the latest security patches.
Strengthen network security: Use secure wireless networks and firewalls to protect the connection of smart devices.

Unified platform: Choose a central control platform that can integrate various smart devices and brands, such as smart voice assistants or smart home controllers.
Choose products of the same brand: If users already have a smart device of a certain brand, they can choose to purchase other devices of the same brand to improve compatibility.

AliOS Things is closely related to Alibaba Cloud IoT platform. As an operating system on the device side, AliOS Things provides connectivity between devices and Alibaba Cloud IoT platform. Developers can use AliOS Things to develop firmware for IoT devices to implement data collection, processing, and reporting functions on the device side. At the same time, Alibaba Cloud IoT platform is responsible for data communication and management between devices and the cloud, providing developers with a complete IoT solution.

AliOS Things supports multiple communication protocols, including MQTT, CoAP, etc. These protocols enable devices to interact with cloud services efficiently and achieve real-time data transmission and processing.

The differences between AliOS Things and MQTT and CoAP are as follows:
AliOS Things:
Nature: AliOS Things is a lightweight IoT embedded operating system launched by Alibaba Cloud, dedicated to building a cloud-integrated IoT infrastructure.
Function: It provides a wealth of connection components and capabilities, such as self-organizing network protocol (uMesh), socket adaptation layer (SAL), TCP/IP network protocol stack (LwIP), etc., and supports multiple connection protocols (such as WiFi, BLE, LoRaWAN, etc.). – Application scenarios: It can be widely used in smart home, smart city, new travel and other fields.
MQTT:
Nature: MQTT is a message transmission protocol developed by IBM and others, based on the publish/subscribe model.
Features: It supports all platforms and can connect networked objects to the Internet; it uses TCP/IP to provide network connection to ensure the orderly, lossless and bidirectional transmission of messages; it has the characteristics of small data transmission, low power consumption and small network traffic.
Application scenarios: It is suitable for scenarios where a large number of remote sensors and control devices with limited computing power and working on low-bandwidth and unreliable networks need to communicate.
CoAP:
Nature: CoAP is a restricted application protocol tailored for IoT devices with limited resources and based on the UDP protocol.
Features: Built-in discovery support and content negotiation, allowing devices to spy on each other to find ways to exchange data; low requirements for network bandwidth and network stability.
Application scenarios: It is suitable for IoT devices with limited resources, such as devices based on NB-IoT and LoRa, and provides functions such as remote firmware upgrade (FOTA).

Using AliOS Things to develop IoT applications usually includes the following steps:
Select a suitable hardware platform and ensure that it supports the AliOS Things operating system.
Download and install the AliOS Things development tool chain and IDE (such as VSCode, etc.).
According to application requirements, obtain or develop the required components and drivers in the open source community of AliOS Things.
Write firmware code on the device side to implement data collection, processing and reporting functions.
Burn the firmware code to the hardware platform, debug and test it.
Create products, register devices, and configure data flow rules on the Alibaba Cloud IoT platform.
Develop cloud applications, process data uploaded by devices, and implement business logic.

The advantages of AliOS Things mainly include the following points:
High performance: AliOS Things provides efficient task scheduling and memory management mechanisms, enabling devices to handle more concurrent tasks and store more data.
High scalability: AliOS Things supports modular design, and developers can flexibly add or delete components and drivers according to application requirements.
Rich components and drivers: AliOS Things provides a rich component and driver library, supports a variety of hardware platforms and sensors, and reduces the difficulty of development.
Seamless integration with Alibaba Cloud IoT platform: AliOS Things has built-in support for Alibaba Cloud IoT platform, allowing devices to easily communicate and interact with cloud services.