AWS IOT Integration?

[sheng]

Hi,

Is there a Particle and AWS IoT Integration in the works? If there is, what is the time line of the integration?

Thanks.

[naikrovek]

I don’t know if there is, and I wish there was. Currently I’m using webhooks and AWS API endpoints and it is not ideal at all.

The issue has to do with authenticating to AWS; it’s a cert-based authentication, and I don’t think there are any SSL/TLS libraries available that can handle this on Particle devices.

[sheng]

@naikrovek, thanks for the reply, I saw a coming soon on: http://iot-hackseries.s3-website-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/particle.html and I thought it was in the works.

Agree, using Webhooks and AWS API endpoints is not ideal at all. Seem like either Google or Azure is the only choice at this point. I do like AWS better.

[jimini]

Hello @naikrovek

Cay you cite an example on how you are using the AWS API endpoint in the Particle ecosystem? I’ve got an AWS API endpoint standing up and I’ve not had success in connecting.

Any assistance greatly appreciated, and thanks in advance.

EDIT: without using webhooks

[Viscacha]

TlsTcpClient library on WebIDE published

Now I publish TlsTcpClient library based mbedTLS. Application can use TLS TCP client on WebIDE very easy. GitHub: https://github.com/hirotakaster/TlsTcpClient Have a fun!

and

Wolfssl [version 0.0.2; documenting]

Hi, I’m working on getting WolfSSL up and running for Photon/P1, but I keep running into problems that I’m having a hard time solving. They have a really good guide for how to do this and I’ve solved most of the configuration issues up until now. I don’t have anything that works yet though and I’m suspecting this has to do with the fact that WolfSSL is C and the Particle compiler have a preference for CPP? I’m pretty sure that the error above indicates a larger problem (unknown type name ‘clas…

are the two most advanced efforts I can recall seeing recently that attempt to bring direct encryption to the Particle, I think both are quite large libraries that will thereby restrict how large your own code can be.

[jimini]

Thanks @Viscacha

I’ve made several attempts to use “Hirotaka’s” TLSTCPCLIENT to no avail. I need to look into the WolfSSL client. Thanks for the references. Hoping to unearth the magic thru some working AWS IoT things/endpoints to see how one of these clients could be forged into shape.

[Viscacha]

I think it is somewhere deep in Particles ToDo list, given the likely overhead maybe they could perhaps introduce it as a fork, so if you need it you target the SSL fork and if you are happy with webhooks you target the standard one. This could even be something automatic handled by all the magic scripting that already happens when we compile.

[jimini]

I would like to think so (it’s on their ToDo list) albeit it’s a different business case. Particle has the “blades and razors”, and a workable https:// client would usurp one side of that model.

In the longer term I believe we’ll have other alternatives for Photon reflashing (http://iot-hackseries.s3-website-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/particle.html). Having the goodness of the Particle Cloud functions and FOTA utilities for now get things where they need to be. In the long run our things can use the cite above or perhaps some other library adaptation.

[naikrovek]

@jimini

Cay you cite an example on how you are using the AWS API endpoint in the Particle ecosystem?

I just publish an event in the normal Particle way, then create a webhook in the Particle web account pages, and point that at an AWS API Endpoint that I have set up to (in my case) call a Lambda function.

It is not the same as calling the API directly from within the Particle code, but it does work.

[jimini]

Thanks @naikrovek

I’m vetting that exact method for now… I had edited my original post to read “without webhooks”, however for now that’s what we’ll use. I’m going to order a JTAG shield so I can perhaps see what the client/server interactions are doing.

[naikrovek]

@jimini

I had edited my original post to read "without webhooks"

Oh. Oops. Well, as far as I know, webhooks are the only way to interface with AWS in a secure way. That may not be fully true, some C++ deity has probably done it, but they aren't sharing how, if so.

So, for now, it's webhooks, I believe.

[jimini]

No worries -

And I appreciate your replies… This does work, but it has limits… has anyone dealt with alternatives to the 255 byte “optional” data?