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Parse for IoT launches four new SDKs

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Parse for IoT has expanded its SDK lineup with four new kits built with Atmel and other industry leaders.

The Internet of Things is one of the most exciting new platforms for app development, especially as more and more people interact with connected devices every day. But it also poses a host of challenges for developers, as they must wrestle with the complex task of maintaining a backend with a whole new set of constraints. Many IoT devices also need to be personalized and paired with a mobile companion app. Cognizant of this, the Parse team is striving to make it simpler.

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At F8 this year, Parse for IoT was announced — an official new line of SDKs for connected devices, starting with an SDK targeted for the Arduino Yún (ATmega32U4). Now, Parse has shared that they are expanding their lineup with four new SDKs built with Atmel, Broadcom, Intel and TI. This will make it easier than ever to use Parse with more types of hardware and a broader range of connected devices. For example, you can build an app for the Atmel | SMART SAM D21 and WINC1500 — and connect it to the Parse cloud in minutes, with nothing more than a few lines of code.

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“We’ve been excited to see the creative and innovative things our developer community has built since we first launched Parse for IoT at F8. Already, hundreds of apps for connected devices have been created with the new SDKs,” explains Parse software engineer Damian Kowalewski. “Our tools have been used to build exciting and diverse products like a farm-to-table growing system that lets farmers remotely control their equipment with an app (Freight Farms); a smart wireless HiFi system that syncs music, lighting and more (Musaic); and even a smart BBQ smoker that can sense when meat is perfectly done (Trignis). Here at Parse, we had fun building a connected car and a one-click order button. And we’ve heard that our SDKs are even being used as teaching tools in several college courses.”

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As to what’s ahead, this lies in the hands and minds of Makers. From a garage hacker’s weekend project to a production-ready connected product, manufactured at scale — Parse can power them all. Ready to get started? You can download the new SDKs and access QuickStart guides here.

Parse for IoT is connecting hardware with the cloud

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Announced at F8, Parse for IoT is an official new line of SDKs for connected devices. Here is what Facebook’s Parse team had to say…

At Parse, our passion is making developer experiences easier on any platform—including platforms that extend beyond mobile. Of these platforms, one of the most exciting new spaces is the Internet of Things. We believe that connecting more hardware devices with the cloud has the potential to change the world for the better. We are already seeing devices that add tremendous value to people’s lives, from wearables that help you sleep better to insulin trackers that aid people living with diabetes.

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But, as with mobile, connecting these devices to the cloud can be difficult. In addition to maintaining a backend, developers must contend with notoriously constrained environments on the client. We’ve been listening to feedback from a wide range of Parse customers who are already using our platform in hardware products — like Chamberlain, who makes a line of smart garage door openers that interact with our REST API; Milestone Sports, who make the wearable running tracker Milestone Pod; and Roost, who make smart batteries for smoke detectors. From these conversations, we decided we could go one step further.

Today, we’re proud to announce Parse for IoT: an official new line of SDKs for connected devices.

Arduino SDK

The first is an Arduino SDK targeted for the Arduino Yún, a [ATmega32U4 based] microcontroller board with built-in Wi-Fi capabilities. The SDK interface is in Wiring, and, in the spirit of Arduino, we designed it to be as simple as possible. For example, all it takes is a few lines of code to save temperature data from a smart thermostat:

ParseCreateObject create;
create.setClassName("TemperatureReading");
create.add("currentTemperature", 175.0);
create.execute();

From there, the data will be available in your Parse app ready to be retrieved by your mobile app, another device, or simply logged for analytics purposes. Beyond the Yún, we’re already working on SDKs for upcoming platforms such as the Arduino Zero [Atmel | SMART SAM D21] with the Wi-Fi 101 Shield [ATWINC1500].

In addition, we’re releasing an Embedded C SDK, targeted for Linux and Real Time Operating Systems (RTOS). These open source SDKs serve as reference implementations that are being used by leading chipset manufacturers to provide support for their hardware platforms. If you are a chipset manufacturer interested in working with us, please reach out at iotpartners@fb.com.

The C SDK provides a simple interface for our REST API. For example, to save the same temperature data you would do:

char data[] = "{ \"currentTemperature\": 175.0 }";
parseSendRequest(client, "POST", "/1/classes/TemperatureReading", data, NULL);

You’ll be able to find these SDKs on GitHub, as well as a full set of Quick Starts and Guides on Parse. With these SDKs, your device will be able to receive push notifications, save data, and take advantage of the Parse Cloud. It’s easy to get started from scratch, and the process should be very familiar for developers who already use Parse. Check out the Quick Start guide and start adding Parse to your hardware device in minutes.

The possibilities are endless. You could make a smart thermostat that can be controlled via a mobile app, or a security camera that saves images every minute, or even a music device that can be controlled via a web app. We’re so excited to see what you build.

This post was originally written by James Yu and published on the Parse Blog. You can read it here.