What is the Future of PHP and IoT Together?

PHP and IoT together: It was around 10 years ago that industry researchers came up with words termed as the Internet of Things (IoT); however it was only recently that it emerge into mainstream public view. Basically, IoT allows network devices to sense and collect data from the world around us and then share it around the Internet to it being processed and utilized for various interesting purposes.

Several of ordinary household gadgets are easily modified so that they could work in an IoT system. These Wi-Fi network adapters, motion sensors, cameras, microphones, and other instrumentation can be embedded in these devices, making them work in the Internet of Things. Wearable computing devices such as watches and glasses also happen to be critical components in future IoT systems.



Meanwhile, several ideas derived from the term Internet of Things. In fact, some future consumer applications envisaged for IoT sound like science fiction, whereas there is some more practical and realistic sounding possibility for the technology comprising of:

• Receive warnings on your phone or wearable device when IoT networks sense some outside danger
• Self-parking automobiles
• Automatically order groceries and other home supplies.
• Automatically track exercise habits and other daily personal activities that comprise of goal tracking and regular progress reports.
  

We hope this made you understand the Internet of Things as a whole, and now let’s move to PHP.

General Introduction to PHP

PHP is actually a server-side scripting language embedded in HTML and a robust tool using which you can make dynamic and interactive Web page content and images used on websites or elsewhere. It’s a widely-used, free, and effective alternative to competitors like Microsoft’s ASP. This language works best for server-side web development, and in that case, PHP mostly runs on a web server. The general approach is that PHP runtime plays an integral role in executing PHP coding.

The Future of PHP and IoT together

Well, PHP comes around as the best support for IoT, with it being affordable and the most flexible language platform out there. As they both come together, they will create new and exciting ways for users to interface the digital world like never before and offer ways so that developers can monetize new IoT Commerce opportunities. In the future, we expect these two to play a brilliant role in just everything and make life no less than a movie for you, like create a drinks machine with PHP, to a real-life alarm as when a door in Minecraft opens.

Hardware useful in IoT

Arduino: It’s an open-source prototyping platform based on easy-to-use hardware and software. Its boards are efficient at reading inputs – lights on a sensor, a finger on a button, or a Twitter message – turning it into an output. This way, it activates a motor turns on an LED and does a lot of things. This is an integral part of the Internet of Things that mainly makes this technology work. This development platform has its own unique way of working by the mean of abstracting the steps from resisters and wires to functional computation. Arduino boards are programmed with the use of C/C++.

Onion IoT: This is again a hardware platform like Arduino and works just as the same. However, on a good side, it’s all the more flexible and more language agnostic, supporting PHP. These devices and add-ons are away too reasonable and can be easily mixed and matched with other hardware, from generic electronics to Arduinos.

Electronic Components: In the starting stage, you can’t really know well how you can use electronic components or how to plug them into a circuit. It’s always good to brush up some basics before you begin with them. A few of the common components comprise of Diode, Resistor, Light-Emitting Diode (LED), Transistor, Relay, Motor, Servo, among others.

Gas Sensors: Well, we have reached a time when it’s easier to find proper hardware, but you can’t come with a gas-based resistor sensor easily. Websites are offering you a gas-based resistor sensor that can be integrated into your application. These websites design and manufacture high-performance gas sensors with gas sensor components being high volume plastic lamination and printed electronics techniques that make high-performance electrochemical gas sensors in a thin, lower-cost package.

Intel Developer Zone Hardware Store: This comprises of a good catalog of hardware designed mainly for IoT. In actual these are the general-purpose electronics; however, they all bundled together into one store that has its focus solely on IoT. Thus, if you are someone who loves to place an online order, then this is just the right place to get equipped.

Software useful in IoT

Firmata (JavaScript-based): As you start with Arduino, there can be instances when you do not have the time or wish to be able to program aboard. Now the good thing is that you do not need to. Now Firmata is available in numerous languages that easily communicate with it.

Makey Makey: This offers new electronics for kids emulating a keyboard/joystick that work wonders in making your favorite games work.

UnoJoy: When you have an Arduino and aspire for it to work the same as a MakeyMakey, then this is just the apt library for you. It comprises of conversion kits that can be restored back to being only an Arduino.

Arduino + Serial PHP Communication: Firmata need not be used to control Arduino. This guide helps create a custom serial communication channel between PHP and your Arduino. This is the right arena to begin with when you require using special C/C++ controlled components besides a PHP application.

Gorilla PHP Extension: When you have Firmata that runs on your Arduino, you then require a sweet communication library for your PHP application.

Now, did you know that you can build a PHP app that uses GPS data from an IoT device?

Well, the great thing is that developing PHP apps for the Internet of Things with IBM Watson IoT Platform, Bluemix and MQTT is a lot easier. You just need to turn your Android phone into a GPS sensor that is continually publishing its location to the Bluemix cloud. Next comes connecting a PHP application with this data stream, and it can be used for tracking the location of the Android phone in real-time in your web browser.

So what’s ahead?

So you are now well-equipped to begin. Simply go on and come up with new ideas, think of many scenarios, and go to your electronics store, so you get purposeful hardware.