IoT devices are connected to the internet, and this gives us an advantage for product updates. When new functionality or bug fixes are developed, we can use the internet to push updates to our IoT devices.
This process is easy when using an SBC. You just push the update as you would for any software.
If your product uses a microcontroller or FPGA, then things get a bit more complicated. Your device will need to download a firmware image, and then transfer that into non-volatile memory as required.
If the device's power is interrupted during the firmware update phase, the device could be left in an unusable state. This can be prevented through careful design. If the device has enough memory to store the firmware twice, it is possible to download the entire firmware update without overwriting the original. In this case, the device can detect the failed update...
