I don’t do “Top 10 Trends for Next Year” articles. I find them worthless. I do observe and ask questions. Part of these questions were spurred by these two news items about Arduino, that open source inexpensive hardware platform. I also have a news item following about a similar technology—the Raspberry Pi.
Consider these hardware platforms. Consider also that many new engineers will be entering the industry with the wish to use tools such as Python and NodeRED. And no wish for Relay Ladder Logic, or Ladder Diagram as it’s known in IEC 61131. I’d swear that when I was in the machine design and build business every time we lost money on a project it was due to difficulty trouble shooting bugs in Ladder.
I also lived through the transition Rockwell had to make when its cash cows the PLC5 and NEMA motor starters were bypassed by new technology. Developing the Logix engine and moving control development to South Korea and Singapore for the ControlLogix bought the company many years.
Now, I ask, will these new engineers look at the price of a ControlLogix (or similar from Siemens, Beckhoff, ABB, Emerson) and say, “I can do more with less”? I have been asking executives I meet for the past few months. Many see this possibility.
Something to think about as we check out this Arduino news.
In brief:
- Customers report 25-40% accelerated time to market and up to 60% reduction in non-recurring engineering (NRE) services
- Eight companies — including AWS, Software AG, AT Kearney and DMC — joined Arduino Partner Programs in Q3.
- Annual partner conference brought together technology, distributor and integrator partners from around the world
Arduino, an open-source hardware pioneer with 32 million active developers worldwide, today announced its hardware is now integrated into more than 30,000 businesses globally.
The Arduino System Integrators Partnership Program saw tremendous growth in the third quarter, with eight companies signing up as partners, including AWS, Software AG, AT Kearney, DMC, DojoFive, Motion Technology, Riotsecure, and Opreto. These new partners are helping to fuel growth for professional service companies integrating Arduino technology in commercial projects for enterprise clients. Over 20 new system integrators have been accepted into the partnership program over the calendar year.
The program has proven successful for both Arduino and its partners, particularly in industrial automation, condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, IoT and smart agriculture. When leveraging Arduino products with system integrator partners, customers report 25-40% accelerated time to market and up to 60% reduction in non-recurring engineering (NRE) services. Distribution partners remain Arduino’s primary go-to-market source, with 2024 forecasts estimated to be over 200% YoY.
The industrial-grade line of Arduino PRO products lowers the barrier to entry and accelerates time to market for OEMs and industry integrators. Featuring 24 products, including the Portenta X8 Linux SOM and UL-certified Opta PLC. Arduino PRO technology gives more people the power of automation and controls than ever before.
The second news item concerns a new SI parrtnership.
- DMC joins the Arduino System Integrator Partner Program as a Platinum Partner to accelerate time to market for enterprise customers.
- DMC expands Arduino PRO solutions to 13 offices throughout North America, specializing in manufacturing automation & intelligence, test & measurement, embedded development and full-stack software development, including web, cloud, mobile & backend services.
- The combination of DMC’s expert system integration services with Arduino’s world-class hardware advances the democratization of open hardware in the industrial automation sector.
DMC joins Arduino’s ecosystem as a Platinum Partner, part of the Arduino System Integrators Partnership Program. The program is designed to fuel growth for professional service companies integrating Arduino technology in commercial projects for enterprise clients. Under the partnership, DMC and Arduino jointly approach projects to accelerate time-to-market and reduce NRE costs.
The partnership will initially focus on producing commercial solutions for manufacturing, logistic centers, and factories leveraging Arduino’s Opta PLC and Portenta Machine Controller, as well as OEM product development incorporating the Portenta and Nicla line of modules for embedded applications.
