IoT Introduction – From Concept to Reality
This article will briefly introduce IoT as we discuss numerous fascinating topics like what IoT is, how it works, and a brief discussion on protocols, IoT hardware, and software. We shall finally conclude by looking at a few applications of IoT.
Suppose you are interested in any topic and want to satisfy your hunger by going deeper into a specific topic. You can always read our articles on that topic. So sit down, pay attention, and quench your curiosity by reading till the end of the article!
What is IoT?
Before you read further, I want you to look around where you are sitting. I bet that you would have found at least one IoT device! It can be your phone, laptop, TV, personal assistant, bulb, fan, thermostat, speaker, doorbell, camera, or countless others.
Even though the term “Internet of Things” was coined just 16 years ago. But currently, there are more than 13 billion IoT devices. To define IoT crudely, IoT is the ability to connect objects to the cloud.
However, we are not here for simple definitions or layman’s terms. Technically speaking, IoT is the collection of devices with embedded electronics, sensors, actuators, and communication capabilities that allow these appliances to connect, store and share large amounts of data.
What is the architecture of IoT?
IoT architectures come in various shapes and sizes. There are 3-layer architectures, 4-layer architectures, 5-layer architectures, and more. Nonetheless, the fundamentals of architecture are the same. Since the 4 layer architecture is the most famous, let us look at its components.
IoT mainly consists of 4 components that make the working of IoT possible. Let us first look at each of these four components in depth, and then you will automatically picture how IoT will work. The four components that are essential for IoT to work are:
1. Sensors and actuators
2. Connectivity
3. Data processing
4. User interface
Let us take a deeper look into these components before we understand the working of IoT.
Sensors and actuators
We all know that IoT revolves around sensors. Why? Because they convert information obtained in the outer world into data for analysis. They include data regarding the process or environmental surroundings like temperature, fluid flow in the pipe, air quality, and more.
But what are actuators? That is one term we have yet to hear often enough. Well, by definition, actuators can intervene to alter the physical reality. It sounds fantastic when you put it like that, but they are boring. They are regular machines like fan regulators, switches, thermostats, valves, air conditioners, etc.
Every IoT device must and will have sensors because it is from this stage that data is generated. This data will travel through the different stages of IoT architecture and, finally, the cloud.
Connectivity
Once we have the data, do we need to send it to the cloud? Several methods are available for connecting IoT devices to the cloud. They include WiFi, Bluetooth, satellite, cellular, and 5G. With the help of a connection, the data from the devices will be sent to the cloud for data processing.
Connectivity is nothing but a protocol. It enables all the devices in an IoT ecosystem to communicate with each other (including the cloud). The way a device connects to the cloud depends on various factors, like the data collected and how it will be processed.
Connectivity is so essential for an IoT device that without it, it cannot operate as an IoT device. It means that without a connection between the device and the cloud, the information collected by the IoT device is useless as it can’t be sent to the cloud for processing.
Data processing
After the data is collected by the sensors, it is sent to the cloud using a connection to process the data. But what is data processing in the first place? Data processing is where the cloud converts the raw data obtained from the sensors into a machine-readable form. It allows the IoT device to know what should happen next.
Data processing is a way the cloud reads and understands the data. Let us know this with a use-case scenario. It could be a simple process, like making sure the temperature is at the right level, or it could be slightly more complex, like using computer vision to identify safety hazards. IoT devices are programmed to understand a few datasets to carry out specific functions based on the information they collect.
User interface
We now have data that has been processed to a machine-understandable state. But what good is it without a way to use the data? It is where UI (user interface) comes into the picture. The UI gives the output to the user after the data is processed.
The reason that most IoT devices have a UI is that people can interact with the device. Alexa is an excellent example of this. Therefore, UI plays a vital role in the working of IoT devices. For example, security personnel will get a text alert when motion is detected at their location after hours.
How does IoT work?
Now that you know the role of each of the four components and have a rough idea of how they work together for an IoT system to function let us look at the holistic picture to understand the working of IoT.
So we saw that the sensors collect various information, which needs to be sent to the cloud for processing. But for the sensors to communicate or send data to the cloud, they need a protocol, AKA connectivity. It is also this connection that lets the other devices communicate with each other and work coherently.
Once we have the connection, the sensors send the analyzing data to the cloud for processing this data into digital form. Why a digital form? The data needs to be converted to digital form so that machines can understand and perform tasks based on it.
The final stage or component of the working of IoT is the UI, where the user gets to control set automation or schedules, where a pre-programmed task is triggered when all the parameters are met. This UI is mainly an app. It can also show the user hard numbers in the form of charts and graphs.
What is a protocol?
We all know that IoT devices communicate with each other over a network, but most of us don’t know how. Well, they communicate using IoT protocols. But what is an Internet protocol? An internet protocol is a set of rules that specifies how the data gets sent to the internet.
These protocols ensure that the information from one IoT device sensor gets read and understood by another IoT device, a gateway, or a service. There are many IoT protocols. Each has been designed and optimized for different scenarios and usages like communication, messaging, and more.
Since there are so many internet protocols, you must choose the right one that caters to your specific demands. The internet protocol you need depends on the system architecture layer in which the data will travel. Selecting a suitable protocol is essential for your IoT system or device to work as expected.
If you want to know more about internet protocols, you can check out my separate article on it. If you are interested in protocols, you can check out my articles on communication protocols, messaging protocols, data link layer protocols, network layer protocols, session layer protocols, and more.
What is an IoT device?
By definition, IoT devices are non-standard computing devices that connect wirelessly to a network and can transmit data. These devices communicate with each other in a network using an internet protocol.
IoT devices are not your traditional “dumb” machines like your laptop, tablet, desktop, etc. Instead, they are smart pieces of tech that use machine learning and artificial intelligence to send, receive, analyze data, and take actions without human intervention. With that said, they can also be remotely monitored and controlled.
IoT devices are designed for various applications. They come in all shapes and sizes. Unlike PCs and a few other gadgets, IoT devices are portable digital machines. Some excellent and familiar examples of IoT devices are Google Nest, Amazon Alexa, Ring Cameras, smartwatches, and many more.
What is IoT software?
We know that IoT means the network of smart devices that exchange data autonomously without human interference. For an IoT device to work correctly, it needs a few necessities. They include sensors, protocols, and software.
Here is a slightly deeper look at these three components:
- A sensor is for collecting data.
- The protocol is to communicate and send the data.
- The software is to control or automate the data.
The software enables technology that controls data collection and communication on a connected smart device. It is the reason the device provides real-time data that computers can transform into information.
Every IoT system makes use of IoT software. Some real-world IoT ecosystems include smart homes, autonomous cars, security systems, healthcare, agriculture, entertainment, and more.
What is IoT hardware?
We all know that there is no software without hardware. Since we are on IoT software, let us also discuss IoT hardware. We have seen that an IoT ecosystem consists of 4 essential interrelated components – sensors/devices, protocol, data processing, and UI.
The sensors in the hardware components convert information obtained in the outer world into data for analysis. They include data regarding the process or environmental surroundings like temperature, fluid flow in the pipe, air quality, and many more.
But when we say ‘hardware,’ we mean the complete package. Now this package may vary from provider to provider. But essentially, they are all the same.
Apart from the devices like sensors and actuators, we must also consider the wires, the connecting board (breadboard), and the brain that connects to the computer and runs codes.
Yes, the “brain” is the board that directs how the components connected to it are connected by executing computer code. You will better understand it as we look at some examples of IoT hardware providers.
IoT security
We all know that the primary role of an IoT system is to collect and store data. Unfortunately, with so much valuable information in the cloud, IoT ecosystems are very vulnerable to security attacks and breaches. It is why we need better IoT architecture with higher security.
In short, the part of IoT that deals with protecting the IoT system, servers, networks, and physical devices is known as IoT security. IoT security involves various tools, strategies, and methods that help users to safeguard their IoT ecosystems.
With the rise in the number of attacks and breaches in IoT ecosystems, numerous IoT developers are using various methods like PKI, end-to-end encryption, and API security to keep their IoT systems secure.
Why do we need IoT security?
With the help of IoT security, we can prevent attacks and vulnerabilities in any IoT system. Today, countless developers use several technologies and methods to prevent these breaches.
One example is developers using isolation to prevent software attacks and tamper mitigation methods to avoid physical device attacks. We need IoT security to prevent valuable data from being compromised and falling into the wrong hands.
What are the advantages of IoT?
There are several benefits of IoT. For the sake of simplicity and time, let us briefly look at a few:
1. Monitoring
One of the most dominant reasons IoT is being used in healthcare and industrial sectors is because of remote monitoring. For example, IoT devices used to monitor patients remotely automatically collect metrics like heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature from patients away from the healthcare facility.
2. Accessibility
IoT gives users real-time information about their devices from anywhere in the world. IoT lets users connect to the application and get information about their personal devices.
3. Minimizing human effort
IoT devices perform numerous tasks with ease as compared to human beings. Why? Because they reduce the dependency on manual labour. The very definition of IoT is the connection of smart devices that constantly exchange and analyze data with the cloud and other systems over the internet “without human intervention.”
4. Efficient resource utilization
Another reason for IoT’s dominance in the industrial sector is because of its capability to utilize resources efficiently. IoT manages and optimizes the usage of resources, such as raw materials, time, minerals, etc. These resources are excellent for reducing waste and offering cost-effective and feasible methods to solve complicated problems.
5. Automation and Control
Another brilliant feature of IoT is automation, where a set of pre-programmed tasks automatically get triggered when all the conditions have been satisfied. So, for example, when you wake up (say 7:00), your smart coffee machine can prepare your coffee, the curtains can be automatically drawn, and the thermostat can be turned off.
What are the limitations of IoT?
Everything on planet Earth has disadvantages. Our job is to identify mistakes and limitations and make new and better products. With that said, let us take a look at the disadvantages of IoT:
1. Security
Since IoT stores a lot of sensitive information, hackers can attack an IoT system to access this data and maybe even expose it. Therefore, security has always been IoT’s number one disadvantage. However, we can use preventive methods like end-to-end encryption, NAC, patch management, security gateways, and more to avoid security breaches.
2. Dependence on the Internet
IoT depends way too much on internet connectivity. IoT devices only work with a stable internet connection, and the tasks are complete. It is a massive disadvantage for people who want to implement IoT in rural places.
3. Complexity
Though IoT creates simple and efficient solutions, IoT devices are complex to handle and operate. They must always have an IT team to check on these devices constantly.
4. Malware
If a cybercriminal puts malware in one IoT device, the entire system becomes corrupt because they are all interconnected in a network. It means that even if one device is hacked, your entire data from every single device in the network will be compromised.
5. Unemployment
With IoT devices slowly replacing humans, the rate of unemployment is increasing. Humans used to supervise and diagnose machine problems. But today, IoT is replacing them as it can constantly monitor devices and send notifications to the person in charge if there is a problem.
What are the applications of IoT?
If I start talking about the applications of IoT, I will never stop. There are countless IoT applications, and I have written 20 articles only on IoT applications and still need to scratch the surface. Therefore, I will not repeat the matter I have already discussed in those 20+ articles to keep this article small and simple.
After reading this much on IoT, if you are curious about where it is used, you can read my articles on the applications of IoT. In these articles, I have covered numerous applications like healthcare, the industrial sector, transportation, government applications, law enforcement applications, construction, manufacturing, environment, energy, education, agriculture, smart cities, smart houses, and many more.
Summary
You have now learned various insightful topics like what IoT is, the architecture of IoT, its working, protocols, IoT software, hardware, and IoT security. We finally concluded by looking at IoT’s advantages, disadvantages, and applications.