Testing a Wireless IoT Product: Things We Wish Someone Told Us...
summary
Recounts concrete fixes and numbers: two-stage shielding (commercial inner boxes ~85 dB plus a shielded server rack) yields ~140 dB shielding and makes RF tests repeatable; a microwave gives only ~30 dB. Uses Zephyr firmware, pytest fixtures, GNU Radio and SDRs to reintroduce deterministic interference, and builds a custom symmetric power splitter PCB to replace a $1,000 12‑way part for about $100, plus programmable attenuators (40–80 dB) to measure sensitivity reliably. Tests and tools all demonstrably work.
AI-written summary · about
chapters (30)
- 0:00Testing IoT product intro
- 3:55Why testing matters for IoT
- 5:20RF interference in home/office
- 8:31RF shielding basics
- 10:16Why aluminum boxes fail
- 11:39Two-stage shielding solution
- 13:06Commercial vs DIY shielding
- 14:29Avoiding signal reflections
- 15:11Replacing antennas with cables
- 16:55Custom power splitters design
- 17:58Using attenuators for signal control
- 19:01Software-defined radio intro
- 20:44Detecting RF interference with SDR
- 21:48SDR hardware limitations
- 22:10GNU Radio for RF processing
- 23:35Pi test framework assembly
- 24:17Pi test fixtures for hardware
- 26:03Pi test with Zephyr RTOS
- 27:48Transceiver sensitivity testing
- 28:54Pitfalls in sensitivity testing
- 29:57Randomizing test order
- 30:19Key testing takeaways
- 31:02Q&A: Shielding with internal cables
- 33:00Q&A: Test vs customer environments
- 34:27Q&A: Real-world failure rates
- 35:32Q&A: RF channels with GNU Radio
- 36:43Q&A: Cheap DIY shielding
- 37:47Q&A: Cost of RF enclosures
- 38:49Q&A: Copper layer thickness
- 39:10Closing remarks
related talks
50mIoT In The Matrix: Mocking External Dependencies For IoT Systems Using Physical Hardware
40mTesting Zephyr Bluetooth Devices at Scale
50mCommon Strategy to Test IoT for Different Industries
41mTesting in the world of IoT- 40mTesting Zephyr Bluetooth Devices at Scale
36mUsing sensors to reduce wasted support time: case study for testing in IoT
32mBoF: Quality and Testing Processes for Zephyr + Discussion
36mSimulating the Chaos of Real-World Networks for Resilient Applications