IoT ecosystem
An IoT ecosystem is typically comprised of node, data, connectivity, and application layers. The node layer is a coalition of intelligent devices such as microcontrollers, microprocessors, sensors, actuators, connectivity, and gateways that interact with a network.
The data layer is dedicated to the collection, processing, delivery, storage, analysis, presentation, and use of data in business contexts. The application or user layer is the component that allows humans to interact with IoT devices. We will talk about the connectivity layer that is made up of the IoT and communications protocols.
Types of IoT protocols
The inherently adaptable and reliable nature of Internet Protocol (IP) makes it an acceptable medium for procedural transmission between IoT modules. The system architecture (through which the data must travel) determines the type of the IoT protocol. The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model provides a map of the different layers that send and accept data. Each protocol in the IoT system architecture enables communications between devices, from device to gateway, from gateway to data center, from gateway to cloud, and between data centers. The next Figure shows the IoT protocol stack.
The following are some of the key IoT protocols used in the different layers of the IoT network.
Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP)
AMQP is an application layer (software) protocol that provides routing and queuing for a message-oriented middleware environment. It is used for reliable end-to-end connections and supports seamless and secure data exchange between devices and the cloud. AMQP has three different components: exchange, message queuing, and bindings, which ensure the successful and reliable exchange and storage of messages. They also denote the relationship between two messages.
Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP)
CoAP is a bounded network and broadband protocol for limited devices. This protocol allows the client to send a request to the server, and the server returns an HTTP response to the client. Uses the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) for lightweight deployment and minimizes space usage. The protocol uses an EXL binary data format. The CoAP protocol is used primarily in automotive, microcontroller, and mobile. The protocol dispatches a request to the home application endpoint and returns a response from the application to services and resources.
Data Distribution Service (DDS)
DDS is a flexible peer-to-peer communication protocol. It does everything from running tiny devices to connecting high-performance networks. DDS simplifies deployment, increases reliability, and minimizes complexity.
Message Queue Telemetry Transport (MQTT)
MQTT, also known as publish/subscribe protocol, is the lightweight messaging protocol of choice for IoT devices. Gather data from multiple devices and monitor remote devices. It runs on Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and supports event-based message exchange over wireless networks. MQTT is mainly used in devices that require less memory capacity, for example sensors in cars and smart watches.
Communications protocol between machines (M2M)
It refers to an open industrial protocol created to manage IoT devices remotely. These cost-effective protocols use public networks. M2M creates an environment where two machines communicate with each other and exchange data. That protocol encourages machines to monitor themselves and allows systems to adapt according to the changing environment. It is mainly used in home automation, vehicles and ATMs.
Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP)
The XMPP has a unique design. It was developed using open XML (Extensible Markup Language). It uses a push mechanism to exchange synchronous messages. XMPP flexible can be seamlessly integrated without any changes. The XMPP works as a presence indicator. Shows the availability status of the server.
Apart from WhatsApp, Google Talk and other instant messaging apps, XMPP is also useful in online games, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and news websites.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is widely used for short-range communications and is the standard IoT protocol for wireless data transmission. The low energy version is Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). The latest version, Bluetooth 5.0, supports low data rate applications and has a range extended to 150 meters. Features such as location services and beaconing have helped deploy it in a wide variety of automotive and fitness applications. It can support the star topology. Newer versions support mesh topology, stretching the network by using networks between many devices, suitable for home automation applications.
Zigbee
ZigBee uses the IEEE 802.15.4 physical layer and link standard, operates in the 2.4 GHz ISM band with a range of up to 300 feet. Supports mesh topology. Consequently, the network can be extended over a greater distance using multi-hop operations. The protocol is highly interoperable and includes standard libraries for data models, security, and network management procedures. ZigBee features low power, node discovery, duplicate packet detection, route discovery, sleep mode, and reliability. It is widely used in home automation and building automation applications.
Z-Wave
Z-Wave is a low power wireless technology designed for IoT home automation applications. It offers reliable, low latency small data packet communications with data rates up to 100 kbit/s. Supports mesh topology with a maximum of 232 nodes in a single network. It operates at 868 MHz in Europe and 915 MHz in North America and Australia, with a data rate of 100 Kbps.
6LowPAN
IPv6 Low-power Wireless Personal Area Network (6LowPAN) is a technology based on Internet Protocol. It is a network protocol that defines the encapsulation and compression mechanisms of the connector. It has the freedom of band frequency and physical layer, and can also be used on various communication platforms such as Ethernet, WiFi, 802.15.4, and sub-1GHz ISM. It is designed to forward IPv6 packets on IEEE802.15.4-based networks and implement many open IP standards, such as TCP, web sockets, UDP, HTTP, COAP, and MQTT. The standard offers end-to-end addressable nodes, allowing a router to link the network to IP. The 6LowPAN is a resilient, scalable, self-healing mesh network.
Thread
Thread is based on various standards, such as IEEE802.15.4, IPv6, and 6LoWPAN, and is an IP-based IPv6 networking protocol for the home automation environment. It primarily complements Wi-Fi and offers a resilient IP-based solution for the IoT. Thread enforces a mesh network using IEEE802.15.4 radio transceivers. Manage up to 250 nodes with high levels of authentication and encryption.
Wifi
WiFi is a wireless communications protocol. WiFi uses the star network topology, and the access point can be used as a gateway to the internet. Each access point can connect to a maximum of 250 devices, and most commercially available solutions support up to 50 devices. 802.11-b/g/n operates at 2.4 GHZ and offers a data rate of 150 to 200 Mbps for home and office environments with a typical range of 50 meters. The latest 802.11-ac standard operates at 5 GHz and offers data rates from 500 Mbps to 1 Gbps.
Cell phone
Many of the IoT applications use existing cellular networks such as 3G, 4G LTE, and 5G for data communication. 3G uses 2100 MHz and offers a data rate of 384 Kbps to 10 Mbps, and 4G LTE provides a high data rate of 3 Mbps to 10 Mbps at 2700 MHz. They are not suitable for most IoT applications due to to its high energy consumption and high implementation costs. Cat-M1 and NB-IOT were introduced in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) for adoption in existing 4G LTE networks for IoT and M2M communications. With greater capacity than any 4G network, 5G is being developed to increase mobile bandwidth users and support communication between devices. For this purpose, different techniques are applied to 5G, such as massive multiple input and output (MIMO), full two-way communication, heterogeneous networks (HetNet), millimeter wave (mmWave) and network slicing. 5G network services can be classified into three different categories according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU): Enhanced Mobile Bandwidth (eMBB), Massive Machine-to-Machine Communications (mMTC), and Highly Reliable Low Latency Communications (uRLLC).
NFC
Near Field Communication (NFC) is a very short range radio communications protocol. It uses the ISO/IEC 18000-3 standard and the 13.56 MHz ISM frequency band. It offers a data rate of 100 to 420 Kbps and a range of up to 20 cm. Some NFC devices can read (according to ISO 15693) high-frequency passive RFID tags that also operate at 13.56 MHz. NFC provides full two-way communications over the entire sensing range from metallic and non-metallic substrates. It is used for contactless payment applications, quick synchronization and access to digital content.
Sigfox Sigfox is a private network provider similar to cellular or telephone service providers, dedicated to serving IoT customers. It uses the sub-GHz ISM bands (868 to 869 MHz or 902 to 928 MHz) and supports long range (up to 50 km) using the star topology. Although Sigfox communications are bi-directional, the load from the base station to the node is negligible. It is used for remote sensing where low amounts of data need to be transmitted sporadically and require long battery life.
LoRaWAN
LoRaWAN is the low power WAN wireless communications protocol in the sub-GHz frequency range (433/ 868/ 915 MHz). It has a data rate of 0.3 to 50 Kbps and a range of up to 15 km. The greatest distance is achieved by dynamically reducing the data rate. It is designed to deliver secure, cost-effective, and low-power full two-way communications for IoT, M2M, smart city, and industrial applications.
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