Contiki OS vs Windows 10 for Internet of Things

If y'all have been creating smart devices, you sure might have worked on Contiki Bone. Well-nigh all devices prior to the launch of Windows 10 IoT edition were either using Contiki OS or Linux for creating interactive smart devices that brand the Internet of Things. There are some other lesser-known Bone too. So which is meliorate for the Net of Things? This comparison helps you select the OS for your Internet of Things projection.

What is Contiki Os

Contiki is an open-source operating arrangement for the Internet of Things. You tin can say that Contiki dominates the marketplace when it comes to Internet of Things' devices. With the introduction of Windows 10 for IoT, the time to come may change as the Windows x is now a viable Bone for IoT. Check out this comparing – Contiki vs Windows 10 – to know which 1 of them is better for your IoT project.

Size of Contiki compared to Windows x for IoT

When it comes to smart devices or Internet of Things, the footprint of the Os is the first thing to consider. Since most of you might be using a single-lath estimator, you will have to keep the OS footprint small-scale then that you can accommodate information, etc. on the same lath. You have to select an OS that occupies lower space on the board so that there is space available for other apps and data files.

A stripped-down version (for e.g., later removing debugging tools) Contiki occupies merely 32KB while Windows ten for IoT is a lot bigger. Basically, Windows 10 for IoT has been designed with Raspberry Pi ii in mind. The average infinite requirement for Windows 10 IoT edition is around 200MB. You lot can see that the difference is huge.

Don't jump your gun on this ane signal. Check out other features in this comparison of Contiki with Windows x IoT edition. While Os footprint is ane objective, the other major objectives of programmers are to provide a good interface and security for end-users.

Contiki OS vs Windows 10 for IoT

RAM requirements

Contiki is the winner again when it comes to RAM requirements. Information technology can do well with a minimum RAM of 10KB. Windows 10 for IoT requires 256MB of RAM when you lot don't need a display. If you are using the display as well, the RAM requirements for Windows 10 for IoT increase to 512MB.

An important point to be noted here is that while Contiki core is 10KB RAM, you'll need more than if yous use the full-fledged operating system. In that case, you can expect Contiki'southward RAM requirement to exist over 50KB but notwithstanding pretty less compared to Windows 10 IoT edition which requires >= 256MB even for a stripped-downward, without display option.

User Interface

Coming to the user interface, Windows 10 IoT scores much more compared to Contiki. Both Windows 10 (IoT) and Contiki are able to provide a graphical user interface (GUI) to the terminate-users. Contiki, yet, is a flake fibroid compared to the smooth interface provided by Windows 10 IoT Edition. If you have seen the MS Word for DOS edition, y'all'll know what a coarse GUI is. To become an idea, printing the Windows key and R at the same time to bring up the Run dialog. In the Run dialog, type EDIT to open a DOS-based word processor integrating a graphical user interface. So open up Notepad from Start Menu -> All Apps. Check out the interface of both to get an thought of how different is the experience. Patently, the smoothness of pixels is one of the strongest points of Windows ten for the Internet of Things edition. However, information technology uses much more RAM to provide this experience.

If you need to provide a user interface that involves considerable steps on office of finish-users, Windows x for IoT is amend. But if it is a basic user interface – with non many interactions on part of the user, y'all should get for Contiki every bit it is not feasible to engage so much RAM (256 MB RAM) for just i or ii prompts to the stop-user. It depends upon what kind of device yous are developing.

Security

Experts have many security concerns virtually the Internet of Things. Windows ten for IoT scores again when information technology comes to built-in security. Information technology is not that Contiki cannot provide security. In Contiki also, y'all can implement proficient security if you know how to go nearly processing information technology. That is, you will have to delve deeper into programming to identify several checkpoints or at least use Contiki's pre-built patches that raise security.

With Contiki, programmers have to employ customized security scripts for enhancing security for processes such every bit firewalls, data transmission over network/Internet, and logins. If y'all practice not wish to spend much time on bones security, Windows 10 IoT is ameliorate. If you are ready to code security scripts and the user interface is not an issue, Contiki is better.

You can also create security patches for IoT and reuse them when developing on Contiki. An example of such security patches for IoT is the implementation of AES encryption for information manual and encrypted local or cloud storage. You just developed an independent code that tin be called to different programs. While calling such lawmaking, you may pass parameters that the code will procedure for desired results.

Remember that the more security you implement, the more than will be OS' disk requirement and RAM usage.

Decision

At the basic level, Windows 10 IoT has all the features that provide a practiced user interface, security, and networking. You tin implement the aforementioned in Contiki by making use of your programming skills. Thus, if you can accommodate storage, Windows 10 IoT should exist preferred as it will save a lot of time on coding. However, if you are constrained on space and RAM (to build smaller devices or to make the device bombardment last longer), Contiki should exist your pick.

The in a higher place is a bird's middle view of Contiki vs Windows 10 for IoT – Net of Things. This comparison aims to aid you lot in choosing the ameliorate operating system for your IoT project.

Contiki OS vs Windows 10 for Internet of Things