Barix at ISE 2019 introduces a new series of Linux-based I/O, IoT sensor and interface controllers in its popular Barionet product line. The new devices combine the power and flexibility of the universal, programmable Barionet platform with the simplicity of Lua programming and a cloud-based code deployment solution.
While Barix’s adoption of Linux in recent years has offered tremendous customization depth for experienced Linux programmers, many potential customers don’t have that level of coding expertise. Barix’s latest models support the lightweight, embeddable Lua scripting language, making customization of the devices’ behavior easier than ever before. While earlier Barionet models featured the proprietary Barix Command Language (BCL) to simplify development, the incorporation of Lua support in the newest generation allows customers to use an industry standard programming language that is extremely easy to learn and implement.
Complementing the devices’ easy programmability is Barix’s new, cloud-based FLEXA service, which dramatically simplifies the deployment of custom Lua scripts to multiple Barionet units. Eliminating the need to manually load firmware onto each individual device, FLEXA effortlessly distributes the code to specified units over the internet. Developers first use the FLEXA portal to define which devices should receive the new scripts by a device-specific registration key. When one of those devices is subsequently connected to the internet, it will be directed to the portal,and the corresponding scripts will be automatically downloaded and installed onto it.
“While our previous Linux-based Barionet model was very attractive to developers, the new support for Lua in our latest configurations makes the Barionet platform accessible to a broader customer base that aren’t deep programming experts,” says Reto Brader, CEO, Barix. “Meanwhile, FLEXA brings the distribution of code to remote devices into the 21st century, and makes it a breeze. Customers can tailor operation using Lua scripts, and deploy them automatically to any number of Barionet units through the FLEXA portal.”
Barix will offer a complete range of Lua-capable and FLEXA-compatible Barionet models, enabling developers to choose the right device for their application based on their required interfaces and advanced features. Lua and FLEXA support will be available on the new Barionet 200, Barionet 400 and Barionet 1100 – all premiering at ISE – and will be added to the existing Barionet 1000 model. The quartet of products provides a flexible choice of interfaces including analog and digital I/Os, relays, USB, WiFi, LoRa, CAN, Dallas 1-Wire and more, along with integration features such as Power over Ethernet (PoE). The new Barionet models support both IPv4 and IPv6, and meet all modern security requirements.
While Lua support provides an easy entry point for customization, experienced programmers can still program the Linux-based devices using the Open WRT framework in their language of choice. Barix also offers Professional Services for developing applications on the Barionetdevices, enabling customers to take advantage of the platform’s benefits without tasking their own development resources if they prefer.
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