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22 can get to market faster by using open source code and modules that others have built because you won't have to build everything from scratch." The tradeoff is that you may not be able to take advantage of the most cutting-edge technologies present in innovative new components, such as lower power consumption or more horsepower in the device, for less money. Barker notes, "For a manufacturer, it means having something that's proven and stable versus something that's perhaps edgier and cooler." Another processor selection consideration that affects product longevity is backward compatibility. Barker describes it this way: "If you are creating a stable product, you're going to upgrade and continuously improve that device over time. Staying within a component family makes upgrades easier." For example, adopting a family of microcontroller units (MCUs) that has the same board-level connectivity but different onboard capabilities enables you to upgrade an MCU without having to completely rearchitect the entire device. "If you're within the family, you have greater backward compatibility and you don't end up having to create six different versions of the software, which becomes a product maintenance headache for you," Barker says. Choosing sensors is yet another balancing act. "When it comes to sensors, I'm a fan of an omnisensor approach: packing as much sensing capability as makes sense into one unit. The more sensors you can pack into a smaller form factor, the less power you need and the fewer sensors you need to deploy," Barker says. But he also points out the need to balance the sensing capabilities you need today to do the basic job with what you may be able to take advantage of in future software updates. This compromise has both cost implications and security implications. Security is a big factor in Internet of Things devices in general and smart building control systems in particular. Device vulnerabilities can provide access to connected networks, compromise data, cause mechanical and network malfunctions, and even become a "If you are creating a stable product, you're going to upgrade and continuously improve that device over time. Staying within a component family makes upgrades easier."

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