Track It, Trace It, Trust It

Pebble Tracker is a secure, battery-operated, cellular-IoT prototyping platform designed for blockchain-based applications. Built around Nordic Semiconductor’s latest low-power nRF9160 System-in-Package (SiP) and driven by open-source firmware, Pebble Tracker is equipped with GPS support, a variety of rich sensors, NB-IoT/LTE-M connectivity, and advanced security features that make it ideal for sophisticated logistical applications where trust is paramount. In combination with the IoTeX blockchain, its on-board capabilities allow developers to design and build innovative, decentralized IoT solutions that go well beyond conventional asset tracking. Don’t trust, verify!

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Pebble Tracker is equipped with an expansive array of sensors — internal/external GPS, climate (temperature, humidity, air pressure, air quality), motion (acceleration, angular velocity), and light intensity — that deliver verifiably trustworthy insights about an asset’s environment and movement. All data is cryptographically signed, making it verifiable and tamper-proof right from the source, and then transmitted in real-time to the IoTeX blockchain or MQTT endpoint of your choice. Pebble Tracker does the work of converting real-world phenomena into verifiable digital data so that you can focus on building innovative asset tracking, remote monitoring, and automation solutions! Whether you are interested in utilizing verifiable data, experimenting with secure hardware and IoT protocols, or diving into the world of blockchain + IoT, Pebble Tracker is the ideal platform for your next big idea.

Advanced Cellular-IoT Applications With nRF9160

Pebble Tracker incorporates Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF9160, a compact and fully-integrated System-in-Package (SiP) that makes advanced processing and security accessible for low-power, cellular-IoT use cases. The nRF9160 SiP utilizes an ARM Cortex-M33 dedicated application processor, a multimode LTE-M/NB-IoT modem, and power management capabilities to deliver high performance, energy efficiency, and unparalleled security.

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The nRF9160’s powerful 64 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 processor provides 1 MB of on-chip flash and 256 KB of RAM to make advanced cellular-IoT applications possible with a single-device solution. An integrated cellular-IoT modem for LTE-M & NB-IoT allows Pebble Tracker to operate globally and to connect with mobile network operators via SIM card, removing the need for regional variants. The nRF9160 SiP supports power-saving features, such as eDRX and PSM, as well as IPv4 and IPv6 communication, including TCP transport and TLS security.

Best-in-Class Security With Arm TrustZone & CryptoCell-310

Pebble Tracker offers best-in-class security with trusted execution capabilities via Arm TrustZone to secure and isolate the most critical processes and peripherals for your applications. Arm CryptoCell-310 further enhances the security of Pebble Tracker by offering cryptographic and security resources to protect your applications from various attacks.

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Blockchain-Ready With IoTeX

Pebble Tracker integrates seamlessly with the IoTeX blockchain to empower decentralized IoT solutions with end-to-end trust. The combination of blockchain and secure hardware is incredibly powerful, allowing verifiable data from trusted devices to enforce the execution of verifiable smart contracts on the blockchain. While tamper-proof hardware like Pebble Tracker offers trusted data, tamper-proof software like blockchain offers trusted execution of code. When combined, blockchain + IoT ensures both the provenance/authenticity of data and the verifiability of data processing without the need for centralized, error-prone intermediaries.

Open-Source & Developer-Friendly

Pebble Tracker was built by developers, for developers. Accompanying the hardware is a suite of open-source tools that provide everything you need to get started, and much more. Pebble Tracker utilizes open-source firmware and integrates seamlessly with developer-friendly tools, including ThingsBoard, an open-source IoT platform for device management, data processing, and data visualization. And setup is a breeze with our extensive hardware, backend, and firmware documentation.

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Pebble Tracker offers two backend configurations: hosted and custom. The hosted backend utilizes open-source software including hmq (MQTT broker), minIO (K8S storage), and ThingsBoard (data visualization) to facilitate ideation and development in a convenient plug-and-play environment. You can review our hosted backend framework here. For production usage, you can configure Pebble to send data to any custom backend of your choice, such as AWS IoT Core (device management), AWS S3 (object storage), and ThingsBoard (data visualization) — this configuration supports SSL/TLS client certificates, offering maximum security and scalability.

Features & Specifications

• MCU
  • Core:​ Arm Cortex-M33 @ 64 MHz
  • Operating supply voltage: 3 V to 5.5 V
  • Flash size: 1 MB
  • RAM size: 256 KB
  • Arm Trust zone
  • Arm Cryptocell 310
• Modem
  • LTE-M / NB-IoT (support in bands from 700 MHz to 2.2 GHz)
  • GPS receiver (time-multiplexed with LTE modem)
  • Power saving modes
  • Secure socket (TLS/DTLS) API
• Buzzer
  • Frequency: 2700 Hz
  • Sound pressure level (dB/min): 85 at 10 cm
• Physical
  • Weight: ~10 g
  • Dimensions: 3.5 cm x 5.3 cm

On-board Sensors

• TD1030 GPS
  • Position accuracy: 3m
  • Speed accuracy: 0.1 m/s
• Bosch BME680 Environmental Sensor
  • Humidity
  • Pressure
  • Temperature
  • Air Quality (VOCs)
• ICM-42605 Motion Sensor
  • 3-axis gyroscope
  • 3-axis accelerometers
• AMS TSL2572 Ambient Light Sensor
  • 45,000,000:1 dynamic range
  • Up to 60,000 lux in sunlight
  • Very high sensitivity
  • Package UV rejection filter

Comparisons

All solutions in the table below are battery-operated, nRF9160-based boards with support for NB-IoT/LTE-M connectivity.

What Are You Getting?

Your Pebble developer kit contains the following:

• A Pebble Tracker board with plastic case
• An LTE antenna
• A MicroUSB-to-USB-Type-A cable
• A label with the IMEI number for your board

Board Layout

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• MicroUSB port: This port is used to power the Pebble Tracker, to charge the battery, and to flash the application firmware.
• Reset button: This is a small switch button to kill and restart the software on the board
• Data port: This is a 10-pin connector that can be used to attach a Segger J-Link programmer so you can flash the application firmware or the bootloader—or even debug the firmware.
• Cellular and GPS antenna: These two coaxial inputs allow you to connect external antennas for the GPS receiver and the LTE modem, in case the integrated ceramic antenna is not enough for your particular application.

Support & Documentation

• Setup & Docs
• Firmware (open-source)
• Backend (open-source)
• Data Spec (open-source)
• Data Marketplace PoC
• IoTeX Blockchain Dev Docs
• IoTeX Community Forum

Manufacturing Plan

IoTeX has deep experience working with hardware manufacturers for both consumer- and developer-facing products. For example, we brought Ucam to thousands of global users through retailers like Amazon in 2020. We have developed several Pebble Tracker prototypes, starting in early 2020, and have tested and iterated our design over the past year. We are now in the final stages of certification, which means the design is finalized and the product is ready for mass production. IoTeX and our manufacturing partners are confident in our ability to mass-produce and deliver large quantities of Pebble Tracker while ensuring proper quality control. We will keep all backers up-to-date regarding the manufacturing process and delivery estimates.

Fulfillment & Logistics

Pebble Tracker will be assembled by our contract manufacturer in Shenzhen, China. Shortly after the end of the campaign, we send all orders to Crowd Supply’s fulfillment partner, Mouser Electronics, who will ship to backers worldwide. For more information, you can refer to this useful guide on ordering, paying, and shipping.

Risks & Challenges

IoTeX has thoroughly tested Pebble Tracker’s hardware, firmware, and backend software to identify any technical issues. We are also working with experienced suppliers and will keep them up-to-date on the total number of backers to preempt any unexpected shortages. As with any hardware product, however, we may encounter issues that are out of our control, such as discontinued parts, shipping delays, and customs clearance problems. In cases like this, full transparency is the best response, and we promise to deliver clear, timely updates to our backers—whether they contain good news or bad. Finally, w​e are here to answer any and all questions you might have, and we look forward to getting Pebble Tracker into your hands!