HIO Project is a development effort to create expandable modular hardware platforms for building embedded systems and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The goal is to provide affordable embedded computer building blocks that can be used across the entire product development cycle – from evaluation, development, prototyping to finish product. It is based on the bottom up approach, enabling developers to build a custom embedded computer tailored to their applications starting with the minimal building block and adding modules as needed.
It all starts with a core computer board, or “core-board” the structural base and minimal computer unit of the device. The developer can add “modules” to the core-board (or add core-board to module) which provide peripherals, connectivity, user interface, power functionality and features to the embedded computer. The modules can be stackable, expandable and interchangeable to provide different configurations and power requirements. The designs of the modules are open as well as the embedded Linux OS, provide a creative canvas for developers to make their own module for specific application. Ultimately, developers are able to buy the core-board, select the ready-made modules or design custom modules to build their intelligent, application-specific embedded systems and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.