Barix recently introduced a new series of Linux-based I/O, IoT sensor and interface controllers in its Barionet product line.
The new devices, which debuted at ISE 2019, “combine the power and flexibility of the universal, programmable Barionet platform with the simplicity of Lua programming and a cloud-based code deployment solution,” according to the Barix press release.
Barix’s latest models support the Lua scripting language, “making customization of the devices’ behavior easier than ever before,” according to the company announcement.
Differences From Earlier Models
While earlier models featured the proprietary Barix Command Language (BCL), 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,” according to the Barix press release.
Programmability
Complementing the devices’ programmability is Barix’s new cloud-based FLEXA service, which 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. [related]
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 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,” said Barix CEO Reto Brader in the company announcement.
“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 units through the FLEXA portal,” said Brader.
Barix will offer a complete range of Lua-capable and FLEXA-compatible models. Lua and FLEXA support will be available on the new Barionet 200, Barionet 400 and Barionet 1100 and will be added to the existing Barionet 1000 model.
Listen: A Check-In on Access Control Tech: Episode 32 of AV+
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),” according to the Barix press release. The new 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 Barionet devices, enabling customers to take advantage of the platform’s benefits without tasking their own development resources if they prefer.
