Computing Boards for Internet of Things: A Comparative Survey

The performance of present-day Internet of Things (IoT) computing boards is primarily based on their architectural designs and selection of appropriate application scenarios. This paper conducts a comprehensive and comparative survey of 60 popular and commercially available IoT computing boards with respect to various performance metrics. The metrics include the capability of processor, available interfaces, available modules for communication, available memory interfaces, power system-related specifications, over-the-air programming capability, Geo-location capability, shielding capability, compatibility with other IoT computing boards, and availability of community support/integrated development environment. Further, we highlight the selected 60 IoT computing boards’ architectural advancements that result in diverse real-world application capabilities. Moreover, we also discuss possible application scenarios of the IoT computing boards and their implementation details in the context of selected performance metrics. Our comparative survey on the selected 60 IoT boards can be helpful for the IoT board manufacturers and the system developers to understand the state-of-the-art designs requirements. Furthermore, the insights can be used to develop IoT computing boards for appropriate future application scenarios.