Internet of

Things
Module 1: The IoT Landscape
Table of Contents
What Is IoT? ................................................................................................................................................... 3
IoT Applications ........................................................................................................................................... 5
IoT Background—A Brief History ............................................................................................................ 9
The 1980s................................................................................................................................................... 9
The 1990s................................................................................................................................................... 9
The 2000s ............................................................................................................................................... 10
The 2010s ................................................................................................................................................. 11
A peek into the future of the internet of things ............................................................................ 11
IoT will become more industry-specific .......................................................................................... 12
IoT will continue to merge with other technologies ..................................................................... 13
Security will remain a blind spot......................................................................................................... 13
Ten Trends of Internet of Things in 2020.............................................................................................14
TREND 1: GROWTH IN DATA AND DEVICES WITH MORE HUMAN-DEVICE INTERACTION15
TREND 2: AI A BIG PLAYER IN IOT (AGAIN) ..................................................................................... 16
TREND 3: VUI: VOICE USER INTERFACE WILL BE A REALITY ....................................................... 16
TREND 4: MORE INVESTMENTS IN IOT ............................................................................................. 16
TREND 5: FINALLY, A REAL EXPANSION OF SMART IOT ............................................................. 17
TREND 6: THE RISE OF INDUSTRIAL IOT & DIGITAL TWIN TECHNOLOGY .............................. 17
TREND 7: MORE MOVEMENT TO THE EDGE ................................................................................... 17
TREND 8: IOT FOCUS ON SECURITY USING BLOCKCHAIN ........................................................ 18
TREND 9: MORE SOCIAL, LEGAL, AND ETHICAL ISSUES ............................................................. 19
TREND 10: STANDARDIZATION STILL A PROBLEM........................................................................ 19
IoT Architecture ......................................................................................................................................... 20
The 4 Stages of IoT Architecture .......................................................................................................... 20
STAGE 1: Sensors and Actuators ....................................................................................................... 21
STAGE 2: Internet Gateways and Data Acquisition Systems ..................................................... 21
STAGE 3: Pre-processing: Analytics at the Edge ......................................................................... 22
STAGE 4: In-depth Analysis in the Cloud or Data Center .......................................................... 22
IoT Wireless Networks ............................................................................................................................. 23
Classification of wireless Internet of Things protocols .............................................................. 23
1. LPWANs................................................................................................................................................ 24
2. Cellular (4G and 5G) ....................................................................................................................... 25
3. Zigbee and Other Mesh Protocols ............................................................................................... 25
4. Bluetooth and BLE ............................................................................................................................ 26
 5. Wi-Fi ..................................................................................................................................................... 26
6. RFID....................................................................................................................................................... 27
The complexity of IoT connectivity and wireless IoT protocols – use cases first ............... 27
IoT Devices ................................................................................................................................................... 31
Introduction Of IoT Devices ................................................................................................................ 31
What are IoT devices?.......................................................................................................................... 32
What are the examples of IoT devices? .......................................................................................... 32
How many IoT smart devices may be there by the year 2021? ................................................ 32
What technologies are used in IoT products?............................................................................... 32
What exactly is the use of an IoT product/device? ..................................................................... 32
List Of Top 18 IoT Devices Examples In 2021 ...................................................................................... 32
Google Home Voice Controller......................................................................................................... 33
Amazon Echo Plus Voice Controller ................................................................................................ 33
Amazon Dash Button ........................................................................................................................... 35
August Doorbell Cam........................................................................................................................... 36
August Smart Lock ............................................................................................................................... 37
Kuri Mobile Robot.................................................................................................................................. 38
Belkin WeMo Smart Light Switch ...................................................................................................... 39
Footbot Air Quality Monitor .............................................................................................................. 40
Flow by Plume Labs Air Pollution Monitor .......................................................................................41
Nest Smoke Alarm ................................................................................................................................ 42
Nest T3021US Learning Thermostat Easy Temperature Control ............................................. 43
Philips Hue Bulbs and Lighting System ............................................................................................ 44
Bitdefender BOX IoT Security Solution ........................................................................................... 45
Ring Doorbell .......................................................................................................................................... 46
WeMo Insight Smart Plug.................................................................................................................... 47
Logitech Harmony Universal Remote .............................................................................................. 48
Particle Photon Wi-Fi with Headers ................................................................................................. 49
NETGEAR Orbi Ultra-Performance Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi System ...................................50
What Is IoT?
The Internet of Things (IoT) has become a common news item and marketing trend. Beyond
the hype, IoT has emerged as an important technology with applications in many fields.

IoT has roots in several earlier technologies:

• pervasive information systems

• sensor networks
• embedded computing

The term IoT system more accurately describes the use of this technology than does
Internet of Things.

Most IoT devices are connected together to form purpose-specific systems; they are less
frequently used as general-access devices on a worldwide network.

IoT moves beyond pervasive computing and information systems, which concentrated on
data.

Smart refrigerators are one example of pervasive computing devices.

Several products included built-in PCs and allowed users to enter information about the
contents of their refrigerator for menu planning.

In June 2000, LG introduced the first internet-connected fridge. These ‘smart fridges’ were
able to create grocery lists and link to smartphone apps, allowing users to control the
temperature remotely, be alerted if the door was left open, and access online recipes based
on their fridge contents.
LG Smart Fridge

Demo link here: LG smart fridge with half-transparent display & Windows 10 - YouTube

Conceptual devices would automatically scan the refrigerator contents to take care of data
entry.

The use cases envisioned for these refrigerators are not so far removed from menu
planning applications for stand-alone personal computers.

Sensor network research spanned a range of configurations. Many of these were designed
for data collection at very low data rates.

The collected data would then be sent to servers for processing. Traditional sensor network
research did not emphasize in-network processing.

Embedded computing concentrated on either stand-alone devices or tightly coupled

networks such as those used in vehicles.
Consumer electronics and cyberphysical systems were two major application domains for
embedded computing; both emphasized engineered systems with well-defined goals.
Given the wide range of advocates for IoT technology, no single, clear definition of the term
has emerged.

We can identify several possibilities:

• Internet-enabled physical devices, although many devices don’t use the Internet
Protocol
• Soft real-time sensor networks
• Dynamic and evolving networks of embedded computing devices

IoT Applications
IoT systems are useful in a broad range of applications:

• Industrial systems use sensors to monitor both the industrial processes themselves – the
quality of the product – and the state of the equipment. An increasing number of electric
motors, for example, include sensors that collect data used to predict impending motor
failures.

If you want to learn more about IoT on Industrial systems you can check Altair | Discover
Continuously. Advance Infinitely - Only Forward. on their products and services.

• Smart buildings use sensors to identify the locations of people as well as the state of the
building. That data can be used to control heating/ventilation/air conditioning systems and
lighting systems to reduce operating costs. Smart buildings and structures also use sensors
to monitor structural health.
Example of a Smart Building by ASUS:

Smart Building Solutions by ASUS IoT (Full Version) - YouTube

• Smart cities use sensors to monitor pedestrian and vehicular traffic and may integrate
data from smart buildings.

A brief overview of: Smart Cities - YouTube

• Vehicles use networked sensors to monitor the state of the vehicle and provide improved
dynamics, reduced fuel consumption, and lower emissions.
• Medical systems connect a wide range of patient monitoring sensors that may be located
at the home, in emergency vehicles, the doctor’s office, or the hospital. Use cases help us
understand the requirements on an IoT system.

Here’s an example of an IoT application on Health Care IoT Health Care - YouTube

Mysphera - MYSPHERA | IoT & RTLS for Care

Sensor network - The system may act strictly as a data gathering system for a set of
sensors.

Alert system - Data from sensors may be gathered and analyzed. Alerts are generated
when particular criteria are met.

Analysis system - Data from sensors is gathered and analyzed, but in this case, the analysis
is ongoing. Reports on analytic results may be generated periodically – hourly, daily, etc. –
or may be continuously updated.

Reactive system - Analysis of sensor data may cause actuators to be triggered. We reserve
the term reactive for systems that don’t implement typical control laws.

Control system Sensor - data is fed to control algorithms that generate outputs for
actuators.

We can identify a class of nonfunctional requirements that apply to many IoT systems.
Nonfunctional requirements on the system impose nonfunctional requirements on the
components.

Event latency - Latency from capture of an event to its destination may not be important
for batch-oriented applications but becomes important for online analysis.

Event throughput - The rate at which events can be captured, transported, and processed
depends on the throughput of the nodes, network bandwidth, and cloud throughput.

Event loss rate and buffer capacity - In the absence of strict upper bounds on event
production rates, the environment may produce more events in an interval than the system
can produce.

Event loss rate captures the desired capability, while buffer capacity is a more pragmatic
requirement that can be directly tied to component capabilities.

Service latency and throughput - Ultimately, events will be processed by services. We can
also specify the latency and throughput for services.

Reliability and availability - Since IoT systems are distributed, reliability is more likely to be
specified over parts of the network rather than reliability of the complete system. Availability
is commonly used to describe distributed systems.

Service lifetime - IoT systems are often expected to have longer lifetimes than we expect
for PC systems. The lifetime of the system or a subset of the system may be considerably
longer than that of a component, particularly if the system uses redundant sensors and
other component
IoT Background—A Brief History

The internet of things (IoT) has only recently become ingrained in our everyday life. It
surrounds us everywhere we go: connected cars driving on the street, home automation
devices located in the house, smart office sensors embedded in the workplace, and fitness
trackers worn on our bodies.

Altogether, they create a massive ecosystem of 26.66 billion interconnected things,

according to Statista, which hold a remarkable influence over societies and economies
worldwide.

But the world hasn’t always been this way. Until 1999, the term “internet of things” didn’t
even exist. So, how exactly did the internet of things evolve so fast and become such a
regular buzzword, and what milestones marked internet of things development globally? In
order to answer these questions, let’s dive into the roots of this incredible technology.

The concept of connected devices itself dates back to 1832 when the first electromagnetic
telegraph was designed. The telegraph enabled direct communication between two
machines through the transfer of electrical signals.

However, the true IoT history started with the invention of the internet—a very essential
component—in the late 1960s, which then developed rapidly over the next decades.

The 1980s

This might be hard to believe, but the first connected device was a Coca-Cola vending
machine situated at the Carnegie Melon University and operated by local programmers.
They integrated micro-switches into the machine and used an early form of the internet to
see if the cooling device was keeping the drinks cold enough and if there were available
Coke cans.

This invention fostered further studies in the field and the development of interconnected
machines all over the world.

The 1990s

In 1990, John Romkey connected a toaster to the internet for the very first time with a TCP/IP
protocol. One year later, University of Cambridge scientists came up with the idea to use
the first web camera prototype to monitor the amount of coffee available in their local
computer lab’s coffee pot.

They programmed the webcam to take pictures of the coffee pot three times per minute,
then send the images to local computers, thus allowing everyone to see if there was coffee
available.
The year 1999 was easily one of the most significant for the IoT history, as Kevin Ashton
coined the term “the internet of things.”

A visionary technologist, Ashton was giving a presentation for Procter & Gamble where he
described IoT as a technology that connected several devices with the help of RFID tags for
supply chain management.

He specifically used the word “internet” in the title of his presentation in order to draw the
audience’s attention since the internet was just becoming a big deal that time. While his idea
of RFID-based device connectivity differs from today’s IP based IoT, Ashton’s breakthrough
played an essential role in the internet of things history and technological development
overall.

The 2000s
At the beginning of the 21st century, the term “internet of things” came into widespread use
by the media, with outlets like The Guardian, Forbes, and the Boston Globe making mention
of it. Interest in the IoT technology was steadily increasing, which led to the 1st International
Conference on the Internet of Things held in Switzerland in 2008, where participants from
23 countries discussed RFID, short-range wireless communications, and sensor networks.

Moreover, several major developments fostered the IoT evolution. One was a refrigerator
connected to the internet that was introduced by LG Electronics in 2000, allowing its users
to shop online and make video calls. Another essential development was a small rabbit-
shaped robot named Nabaztag created in 2005 that was capable of telling the latest news,
weather forecast, and stock market changes.

Even back then the number of interconnected devices surpassed that of people on Earth,
according to Cisco.
The 2010s
The IoT boom was supported by its addition to the Gartner Hype Cycle for emerging
technologies in 2011.

In the same year, IPv6—a network layer protocol that is central to IoT—was launched
publicly.

Since then, interconnected devices have become widespread and commonplace in our
everyday lives. Global tech giants like Apple, Samsung, Google, Cisco, and General Motors
are focusing their efforts on the production of IoT sensors and devices—from
interconnected thermostats and smart glasses to self-driving cars. IoT has found its way
into almost every industry: manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, oil & energy,
agriculture, retail, and many more. This dramatic shift has us convinced that the IoT
revolution is right here, right now.

As of today, IoT platforms maintain a strong hold on their position among the top trends in
this year’s Gartner Hype Cycle, along with virtual assistants, connected homes, and level 4
self-driving cars. The technology will reach its plateau of productivity in 5–10 years.

A peek into the future of the internet of things

Given this rapid pace of development, IoT will soon dominate the world. In 2019, Gartner
predicted that the enterprise and automotive IoT market would grow to 5.8 billion endpoints
in 2020, marking a 21% increase from 2019. Everything that can be connected will be
connected, thereby forming a comprehensive digital system wherein all devices
communicate with people and one another.

Here are several crucial factors spurring this rapid IoT expansion:

• Falling sensor costs

• Falling costs of data collection and storage due to cloud solutions

• Widely expanding internet connectivity

 • Increasing computing power

• Increasing smartphone and tablet penetration

Undoubtedly, IoT’s rapid growth will fundamentally change the world we live in. Imagine how
an interconnected car will access your work schedule and notify colleagues about your
being late to the meeting if it hits a traffic jam on the way to work.

Our inevitable interconnected future will certainly bring in a lot of value and exciting
opportunities for people. However, it will have its own challenges, too. Let’s take a look at
what experts think about the future of the internet of things and emerging industry trends.

IoT will become more industry-specific

In the near future, IoT manufacturers will focus on designing solutions for particular
industries and industry segments rather than for general needs. There is a growing demand
for specific use cases that help to resolve industry-specific challenges. For example, IoT
solutions for remote patient monitoring aimed at reducing costs and improving the quality
of patient care. The global remote patient monitoring market is expected to reach $1.8 billion
by 2026, according to Grand View Research.

New areas are also appearing at the intersections between interconnected technologies
and various industries:

• Internet of medical things

• Industrial internet of things

• Automotive internet of things

 • Smart cities and smart buildings

• Smart agriculture

• Smart retail

IoT will continue to merge with other technologies

However powerful IoT is on its own, it provides far more opportunities when combined with
other technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data,
AR/VR, and cloud and edge computing. In the future, there will be far more mixed solutions.

For example, the application of blockchain in IoT will help decentralize networks and ensure
higher security data transmission between interconnected devices. Blockchain is already a
leading IoT trend, and more value is sure to emerge from the blending of these two
technologies.

IoT’s future is closely linked with AI and machine learning as well. Application examples
include the predictive maintenance of interconnected devices, the self-optimization of
production processes, and smart home devices that learn your preferences. In the near
future, IoT devices will not only report information, but also make autonomous decisions and
become smarter on their own by deploying machine learning techniques.

Cloud and edge computing will continue to be integral to IoT data storage in 2019 and
beyond, with experts predicting that edge computing will soon gain even more popularity.

Security will remain a blind spot

Despite the efforts of numerous governments to strengthen IoT security regulations and
improve protection mechanisms for interconnectivity, data security and privacy problems
will never diminish.

Cybercriminals use more and more sophisticated tactics in order to find vulnerabilities in
connected devices, thereby gaining access to private information. As a result, consumers
and organizations are increasingly concerned about IoT security and see it as the leading
barrier to widespread IoT adoption.
Ten Trends of Internet of Things in 2020

The Internet of Things (IoT) is actively shaping both the industrial and consumer worlds.
Smart tech finds its way to every business and consumer domain there is—from retail to
healthcare, from finances to logistics—and a missed opportunity strategically employed by
a competitor can easily qualify as a long-term failure for companies who don’t innovate.

The year 2020 will hit all 4 components of IoT Model: Sensors, Networks (Communications),
Analytics (Cloud), and Applications, with different degrees of impact.

By 2020, the Internet of Things (IoT) is predicted to generate an additional $344B in

revenues, as well as to drive $177B in cost reductions. IoT and smart devices are already
increasing the performance metrics of major US-based factories.

They are in the hands of employees, covering routine management issues and boosting their
productivity by 40-60%. The following 10 trends explore the impact of many technologies
on IoT and predict what is next for IoT.
TREND 1: GROWTH IN DATA AND DEVICES WITH MORE HUMAN-DEVICE
INTERACTION

By the end of 2019, there will be are around 3.6 billion devices that are actively connected to
the Internet and used for daily tasks. With the introduction of 5G that will open the door for
more devices, and data traffic. You can add to this trend the increase adoption of edge
computing which will make it easier for business to process data faster and close to the
points of action
TREND 2: AI A BIG PLAYER IN IOT (AGAIN)

Making the most of data, and even understanding on a basic level how modern
infrastructure functions, requires computer assistance through artificial intelligence. The
major cloud vendors, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, are increasingly looking to
compete based on their AI capabilities.

Various startups hope to increase their market share through AI algorithms able to leverage
machine learning and deep learning, allowing businesses to extract more value out of their
ever-growing volumes of data

Artificial intelligence is the fundamental ingredient needed to make sense of the vast
amount of data collected these days, and increase its value for the business.

AI will help IoT data analysis in the following areas: data preparation, data discovery,
visualization of streaming data, time series accuracy of data, predictive and advance
analytics, and real-time geospatial and location (logistical data).

TREND 3: VUI: VOICE USER INTERFACE WILL BE A REALITY

It’s a battle among industry leaders who would like to dominate the market of IoT at an early
stage. Digital assistant devices, including HomePod, Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant, are
the future hubs for the next phase of smart devices, and companies are trying to establish
“their hubs” with consumers, to make it easier for them to keep adding devices with less
struggle and no frustrations.

Voice represents 80% of our daily communications, taking a chapter from Sci-Fi movies,
talking to robots is the common way of communications, R2D2, C-3PO, and Jarvis to name
a few.

The use of voice in setting up the devices, change that setup, giving commands and
receiving results will be the norm not only in smart houses, factories but in between like cars,
wearables for example.

TREND 4: MORE INVESTMENTS IN IOT

IoT’s undisputable impact has and will continue to lure more startup venture capitalists
towards highly innovative projects in hardware, software, and services. Spending on IoT
will hit 1.4 trillion dollars by 2021.
IoT is one of the few markets that have the interest of the emerging as well as the
traditional venture capitalists. The spread of smart devices and the increasing dependency
of customers to do many of their daily tasks using them will add to the excitement of
investing in IoT startups.

Customers will be waiting for the next big innovation in IoT—such as smart mirrors that will
analysis your face and call your doctor if you look sick, smart ATM machine that will
incorporate smart security cameras, smart forks that will tell you how to eat and what to
eat, and smart beds that will turn off the lights when everyone is sleeping.

TREND 5: FINALLY, A REAL EXPANSION OF SMART IOT

IoT is all about connectivity and processing, nothing will be a better example than smart
cities, but smart cities have been in a bit of a holding pattern recently.

Smart sensors around the neighborhood will record everything from walking routes, shared
car use, building occupancy, sewage flow, and temperature choice 24/7 with the goal of
creating a place that’s comfortable, convenient, safe, and clean for those who live there.

Once the model is perfected, it could be the model for other smart neighborhoods and
eventually smart cities.

TREND 6: THE RISE OF INDUSTRIAL IOT & DIGITAL TWIN TECHNOLOGY

An amalgamation of technologies is pushing this new techno-industrial revolution, and IoT

plays a big part in making manufacturing more efficient, less risky, and more profitable.
Industrial IoT brings enhanced efficiency and productivity through data integration and
analysis in a way that isn’t possible without an interconnected manufacturing process.

Another notion that is gaining popularity is “digital twin” technology. Through its use,
organizations can create a clear picture of how their IoT devices are interacting with the
manufacturing process. This gives keen businesses insight into how the life cycle of their
machines operates and allows them to predict changes that may be needed ahead of time.
According to a Gartner survey, 48% of smart manufacturing adopters have made plans to
make use of the digital twin concept.

TREND 7: MORE MOVEMENT TO THE EDGE

Edge computing is a technology that distributes the load of processing and moved it
closer to the edge of the network (sensors in case of IoT). The benefits of using fog
computing are very attractive to IoT solution providers. Some of these benefits allow users
to minimize latency, conserve network bandwidth, operate reliably with quick decisions,
collect and secure a wide range of data, and move data to the best place for processing
with better analysis and insights of local data.

Edge computing has been on the rise in recent years, but the growing scope of IoT
technology will make this move even more pronounced. Two factors are leading this
change:

• Powerful edge devices in various form factors are becoming more affordable.

• Centralized infrastructure is becoming more stressed.

Edge computing also makes on-device AI a realistic proposition, as it allows companies to

leverage real-time data sets instead of having to sift through terabytes of data in a
centralized cloud in real-time. Over the coming years and even decades, it’s likely that tech
will shift to a balance between the cloud and more distributed, edge-powered devices.

Hardware manufacturers are building specific infrastructure for the edge deigned to be
more physically rugged and secure, and security vendors will start to offer endpoint
security solutions to their existing services to prevent data loss, give insights into network
health and threat protection, include privileged user control and application whitelisting
and control, that will help in the fast adoption and spread of edge computing
implementations by businesses.

TREND 8: IOT FOCUS ON SECURITY USING BLOCKCHAIN

The IoT tech market will see a renewed focus on security as complex safety challenges
crop up.

These complexities stem from the diverse and distributed nature of the technology.

The number of Internet-connected devices has breached the 26 billion marks.

Device and IoT network hacking will become commonplace in 2020. It is up to network
operators to stop intruders from doing their business.

Blockchain offers new hope for IoT security for several reasons. First, blockchain is public,
everyone participating in the network of nodes of the blockchain network can see the
blocks and the transactions stored and approves them, although users can still have
private keys to control transactions.

Second, blockchain is decentralized, so there is no single authority that can approve the
transactions eliminating Single Point of Failure (SPOF) weakness.

Third and most importantly, it’s secure—the database can only be extended and previous
records cannot be changed.

In the coming years, manufacturers will recognize the benefits of having blockchain
technology embedded in all devices and compete for labels like “Blockchain Certified”
TREND 9: MORE SOCIAL, LEGAL, AND ETHICAL ISSUES

IoT devices represent a largely unregulated new technology. IoT will inevitably find itself
facing social and legal questions in the near future. This is particularly relevant for data
collected by these devices, which may soon find itself falling under the umbrella of
the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

This regulation regarding the handling of personal data and privacy in the European Union,
the GDPR extends its reach beyond the European region. Any business that wants to
successfully operate within the EU will need to comply with the guidelines laid out in its 88-
page document.

Security issues are essential when it comes to the legal regulation of personal data.
Development teams can ensure the required level of security and compliance on various
levels, including data encryption, active consent, various means of verification and other
mechanisms.

Their goal is to collect data legitimately and keep its accessibility, processing, and storage
to a minimum that is dictated by the software product.

TREND 10: STANDARDIZATION STILL A PROBLEM

Standardization is one of the biggest challenges facing the growth of IoT—it’s a battle
among industry leaders who would like to dominate the market of IoT at an early stage. But
what we have now is a case of fragmentation.

One possible solution is to have a limited number of vendors dominating the market,
allowing customers to select one and stick to it for any additional connected devices, similar
to the case of operating systems we have now have with Windows, Mac, and Linux for
example, where there are no cross-platform standards.

To understand the difficulty of standardization, we need to deal with all three categories in
the standardization process: Platform, Connectivity, and Applications.

In the case of the platform, we deal with UX/UI and analytic tools, while connectivity deals
with customer’s contact points with devices, and last, applications are the home of the
applications which control, collect and analyze data.

All three categories are inter-related and we need them all, missing one will break that model
and stall the standardization process.

There is no way to solve the problem of fragmentation without a strong push by

organizations like IEEE or government regulations to have common standards for IoT
devices.

Activity 1

Research the Emerging Technologies utilizing IoT

IoT Architecture

A key aspect of IoT is event-driven or aperiodic sampling. Traditional digital signal

processing and control assume periodic samples resulting in time-series data.

However, time series consume too much power at the nodes and too much bandwidth on
the network. Not all applications are amenable to aperiodic data acquisition.

Constraints on power and bandwidth also encourage distributed computing over sensor
events.

Relatively small processors can perform useful processing on many data streams.
Recognizing interesting events using edge processing reduces the amount of network
bandwidth consumed; it also reduces power consumption since wireless communication
requires large amounts of power.

Cloud computing- (centralized servers) or fog computing (servers closer to the edge) can
be used to perform further processing on those extracted events.

The 4 Stages of IoT Architecture

What makes an automated device like a motion-activated light switch different from an IoT-
connected device that does the same thing?

In a word: data. With an IoT-connected device, when a sensor detects motion and an
actuator turns on a light, those actions are captured as data and sent to the cloud or a data
center for recording and analysis.

And where there’s data, there needs to be an IoT architecture that tells the data where to
go, what format to use, how to get there and what actions to take based upon this data.
STAGE 1: Sensors and Actuators

The process starts with sensors and actuators, the connected devices that monitor (in the
case of sensors) or control (in the case of actuators) some “thing” or physical process.

Sensors capture data regarding the status of a process or an environmental condition, such
as temperature, humidity, chemical composition, fluid levels in a tank, fluid flow in a pipe, or
the speed of an assembly line as well as much more.

In some cases, a sensor might detect a condition or event that requires an almost immediate
response so that an actuator can perform remediation actions in real time, for example,
adjusting the flow rate of a fluid, or the movements of an industrial robot.

In these situations, very low latency between the sensor and analysis/triggered actuator is
required.

To avoid the delay of a round-trip of data to the server, analysis of data to determine failure
and sending of control to the “thing”, this critical processing is performed in close proximity
to the process being monitored or controlled.

This “edge” processing can be performed by a system on module (SOM) device such as
a Digi ConnectCore® module and/or a Digi Cellular Router with Python.

STAGE 2: Internet Gateways and Data Acquisition Systems

A data acquisition system (DAS) collects raw data from the sensors and converts it from
analog into digital format.
The DAS then aggregates and formats the data before sending it through an Internet
gateway via wireless WANs (such as Wi-Fi or Cellular) or wired WANs for the next stage of
processing.

At this point, the volume of data is at its maximum. The quantities can be huge, especially,
for example, in a factory setting where hundreds of sensors may be gathering data
simultaneously.

For that reason, the data is also filtered and compressed to an optimum size for
transmission.

STAGE 3: Pre-processing: Analytics at the Edge

Once the IoT data has been digitized and aggregated, it will need processing to further
reduce the data volume before it goes to the data center or cloud.

The edge device may perform some analytics as part of the pre-processing.

Machine learning can be very helpful at this stage to provide feedback into the system and
improve the process on an ongoing basis, without waiting for instructions to come back
from the corporate data center or cloud.

Processing of this type will generally take place on a device in a location close to where the
sensors reside, such as in an on-site wiring closet.

STAGE 4: In-depth Analysis in the Cloud or Data Center

At Stage 4 in the process, powerful IT systems can be brought to bear to analyze, manage,
and securely store the data.
This usually takes place in the corporate data center or in the cloud, where data from
multiple field sites/sensors can be combined to provide a broader picture of the overall IoT
system and deliver actionable insights to both IT and business managers.

A company may have operations in different geographies and IoT data can be analyzed to
identify key trends and patterns, or to spot anomalies.

At this level, industry-specific and/or company-specific applications can be used to

perform in-depth analysis and apply business rules to determine whether action needs to
be taken.

The incoming data may indicate desirable changes to device settings or other ways to
optimize the process, forming a loop that facilitates constant improvement.

Stage 4 also includes storage in a data warehouse, both for record keeping and for further
analysis.

IoT Wireless Networks

Wireless IoT protocols, standards, solutions and technologies for connectivity and data
communications come in many flavors for many potential IoT use cases.

An overview of wireless IoT protocols and technologies (with some criteria to consider
when making choices).

In our guide to IoT we looked at IoT connectivity and IoT network technologies from various
angles.

One was the division of IoT connectivity solutions in five types of networks, namely PAN,
LAN, WAN, MAN and NAN, as is often done (with LPWAN being something else in that
classification).

Wireless networks enable far more flexibility than wired networks (IoT book ‘Digitize or Die’
by Nicolas Windpassinger)

Classification of wireless Internet of Things protocols

These are traditional forms of networks as we know them from the network world whereby
the ‘AN’ in each of them stands for Area Network and the letter before the “AN” describes
the type of area: Personal, Local, Wide, Metropolitan and Neighborhood.

It’s maybe not the best way ever to look at the various types of IoT connectivity solutions
but relevant to look at wireless communication and connectivity protocols and technologies
for the Internet of Things.
And wireless is the scope of this post. Wireless IoT connections and thus the use of wireless
IoT protocols are on the rise, also in the Industrial IoT (IIoT) and Industry 4.0.

1. LPWANs

Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWANs)

are the recent development specifically designed for the requirements for IoT.

Generally, these wireless systems provide long-range communication. They use low cost,
low power radios and, inexpensive batteries that aim to last for years.

This type of technology can support large-scale IoT networks sprawling over vast industrial
and commercial campuses.

However, like all things in life, not all LPWANs are created equal. The main difference to
consider is operating in either the licensed spectrum (Cellular, NB-IoT, LTE-M) or unlicensed
spectrum (LoRa, Sigfox, Ingenu etc.).

There are pros and cons for each approach and offer varying degrees of performance in
key network factors.

For instance, power consumption is a significant issue for cellular-based, licensed LPWANs.
Quality-of-Service, coverage and scalability are main considerations when adopting
unlicensed technologies.

Security is an important consideration for use of this technology. Both NB-IoT and LTE-M
derive from the LTE authentication and encryption security features making them more
secure than many WLAN systems.

Unlicensed LPWANs are restricted in how often the radios can transmit as the spectrum is
shared. These systems are suitable for supporting a wide range of applications. These
include remote monitoring, smart metering and worker safety to building controls and
facility management. However, as LPWANs can only send small blocks of data at a low rate,
they are therefore better suited for use cases that don’t require high bandwidth and are not
time-sensitive.

Standardization is another important factor to think of if you want to ensure reliability,

security, and interoperability in the long run. Selecting the best wireless technology for your
IoT applications, requires an accurate assessment of bandwidth, QoS, security, power
consumption and network management.

2. Cellular (4G and 5G)

In the consumer mobile markets, cellular networks operating over 4G offer broadband
communication supporting voice calls and video streaming applications. However, they are
quite costly.

They have significant power requirements and indoor coverage partially in industrial
environments can be challenging.

They do however make an excellent choice as back haul from an LPWAN system. Ultimately
IoT data needs to be delivered over the Internet with 4G being the best choice for
bandwidth, scalability and interoperability globally.

5G has received both good and not so good press coverage recently. The technology
promises high-speed mobility support and ultra-low latency. It is positioned to be the future
of autonomous vehicles and augmented reality.

Latency or round-trip time for communications in 5G should be ten times less than in 4G,
making it the obvious choice for time critical applications such as public safety, connected
health and some industrial deployments.

The industry standards group 3GPP chose the 5G NR (New Radio) standard together with
LTE as their proposal for submission to the IMT-2020 standard and offers significant
increase gigabit per second in both upload & download speeds.

3. Zigbee and Other Mesh Protocols

Zigbee is a short-range, low-power, wireless standard (based on IEEE 802.15.4), commonly

used to extend coverage by relaying sensor data over multiple sensor nodes. Compared to
LPWAN, Zigbee provides higher data rates, but at the same time, much less power-
efficiency due to mesh configuration.

Because of their physical short-range (< 100m), Zigbee is best-suited for medium-range IoT
applications with an even distribution of nodes in close proximity.

Typically, Zigbee is a complement to Wi-Fi for various home automation use cases like smart
lighting, HVAC controls, security and energy management, etc. – leveraging home sensor
networks.
4. Bluetooth and BLE

In the area of Wireless Personal Area Networks, Bluetooth is a short-range communication

technology used commonly in the consumer marketplace. Bluetooth Classic was originally
intended for point-to-point or point-to-multipoint (up to seven slave nodes) data exchange
among consumer devices. The original target application was cable replacement for PC
peripherals such as printer, mice & keyboards.

Bluetooth Low-Energy or BLE is widely integrated into fitness and medical wearables (e.g.
smartwatches, glucose meters, pulse oximeters, etc.) as well as Smart Home devices (e.g.
door locks) – whereby data is conveniently communicated to and visualized on
smartphones.

The inherent low power design of BLE makes it an ideal choice for these kinds of consumer
applications as it also allows interoperability with mobile devices and gateways.

The latest versions Bluetooth and BLE are suitable for many industrial IoT applications as they
have lower power consumption and extended range mode. Bluetooth™ 5/Bluetooth Low
Energy works very well in situations where sensors are deployed for extended period and
battery changes are to be avoided.

The big advantage is vastly improved power consumption and reduced communication
requirements done by simplifying the protocol and allowing the devices to skip connection
intervals to conserve battery when not needed. It is also one of the least expensive IoT
technologies to use.

5. Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi, given its critical role in providing high-throughput data transfer for both enterprise
and home environments is widely available. However, for IoT applications, its major
limitations in coverage, scalability and power consumption make the technology much less
prevalent.

Wi-Fi is energy intensive so therefore often not a feasible solution for large networks of
battery-operated IoT sensors, especially in industrial IoT and smart building scenarios.
Instead, it is more suitable for connecting devices that can be conveniently connected to
power outlets like smart home gadgets and appliances.

Wi-Fi 6, the newest Wi-Fi generation brings in greatly enhanced network bandwidth (i.e. <9.6
Gbps) to improve data throughput per user in congested environments. The new standard
is poised to improve customer experience with new digital mobile services in retail and mass
entertainment sectors.
Also, in-car networks for infotainment and on-board diagnostics are expected to benefit
from the use of Wi-Fi 6. Roll out will likely take time as infrastructure is not replaced regularly.

6. RFID

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) uses radio waves to transmit small amounts of data
from an RFID tag to a reader within a very short distance. The technology has been used in
retail and logistics sectors.

By attaching an RFID tag to all sorts of products and equipment, businesses can track their
inventory and assets in real-time, allowing for better stock and production planning as well
as optimized supply chain management.

Alongside increasing IoT adoption, RFID continues to be entrenched in the retail sector,
enabling new IoT applications like smart shelves, self-checkout, and smart mirrors.

The complexity of IoT connectivity and wireless IoT protocols – use cases
first
Before doing so, let’s go back to the mentioned classification of PAN, LAN, WAN, MAN and
NAN to show how de facto various IoT wireless protocols and IoT connectivity solutions
overall are combined and to introduce the classification by Nicolas Windpassinger which
uses some of the mentioned terms for his classification and then elaborates on the various
IoT wireless IoT technologies within each ‘type’.

We’re not going to explain what personal area networks, local area networks and so forth
are. Again, these terms exist since the early days of computer networks so in case they don’t
ring a bell, you should find ample information on them.

Let’s look at practice and at the variety of connectivity solutions, including IoT wireless
technologies, instead and show why no single technology can only be used for one purpose
alone.

As an example of where a Personal Area Network would fit in, think about the typically
close range and wireless connectivity solutions for consumer IoT applications, from
personal healthcare trackers (very close) to the smart home (a bit less close).

PAN IoT protocols such as Zigbee (Pro) are also used in non-consumer contexts as well,
however:

we gave an example of an IoT case whereby Zigbee, built on the 802.15.4 standard, is used
as a wireless IoT protocol in an urban air quality control case, whereby it sends data, which
are captured via several special sensors, to a sensor hub in a vehicle. Via another wireless
technology (in this case 3G) the information is sent to a cloud application.
This simple IoT smart city application shows how de facto in IoT solutions in practice several
IoT connectivity solutions are used.
In the Wireless Personal Area Network segment we see technologies such as Bluetooth
Low Energy or BLE, Thread, Zigbee, EnOcean, Z-Wave and more 90 percent of the potential
market is in the so-called ‘last 100 meters’!

In WLAN we encounter Wi-Fi, which comes in many versions such as 802.11ah, which is
especially important for IoT. the Wi-Fi Alliance introduced 802.11ah, also known as Wi-Fic
HaLow in 2016, specifically for the needs of IoT. Other standards and protocols in WLAN in
the infographic.

IN WNAN we see Wi-SUN and JupiterMesh while in the wireless wide area network
segment (WWAN) we encounter the technologies, alliances, protocols and so forth which
are most covered nowadays: cellular ones such as 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE-Cat M and NB-IoT and
non-cellular low power wide area network technologies (LPWAN) such as Sigfox, LoRa and
DASH7 which we covered.
IoT Devices

Introduction Of IoT Devices

It is a matter of fact today that a number of IoT products have surpassed a huge number of
humans on this planet.

Approximately there are around 7.62 billion humans on our planet, but to your surprise, by
the year 2021 with an increasing graph of IoT devices, there may be around 20 billion IoT
smart devices up and running with an increase in the demand of 5g network.
What are IoT devices?

IoT devices are basically smart devices which have support for internet connectivity and
are able to interact with the other devices over the internet and grant remote access to a
user for managing the device as per their need.

What are the examples of IoT devices?

There are several top devices in the market. Smart Mobiles, smart refrigerators, smart
watches, smart fire alarm, smart door lock, smart bicycle, medical sensors, fitness
trackers, smart security system etc., are few examples of IoT products.

How many IoT smart devices may be there by the year 2021?

IoT device market is increasing drastically, hence it is assumed to have more than 20 billion
IoT products in the market up and in running state by the year 2021.

What technologies are used in IoT products?

The technologies used in these devices are low energy wireless and Bluetooth, NFC, LTE,
ZigBee, wireless protocols etc.

What exactly is the use of an IoT product/device?

IoT product/devices are basically physical devices integrated with software and can
connect with each other over the internet to exchange information, they help the user for
more simple and direct integration of the physical world.

List Of Top 18 IoT Devices Examples In 2021

Enlisted below are the top Internet of Things devices that are used all over the world.

You can actually buy and experience these devices for yourself! That is the beauty of this
list.
Google Home Voice Controller

Google Home Voice Controller is a smart IoT device which allows the user to enjoy
features like media, alarms, lights, thermostats, control the volume and much more
functions just by their voice.

YouTube Link: Google Home Voice Controller

Top Features:

• Google home allows a user to listen to media.

• Let’s the user to control TV and speakers.

• It is capable of managing timers and alarms.

• It can remotely handle the volume and home lights as well.

• It helps the user to plan their day and get things done automatically.

Company Website: Google Home Voice Controller

Amazon Echo Plus Voice Controller

Amazon Echo Plus voice controller is a popular and reliable IoT device. It is capable to run
songs, do phone calls, set timers and alarms, ask questions, provide information, check the
weather, manage to-do & shopping lists, manage house instruments, and several other
things.

YouTube Link: Amazon Echo Plus voice controller

Top Features:

• Amazon Echo can play songs, connect to external speakers or headphones.

• It is capable of making calls and messaging on voice command.

• Amazon Echo has around 6-7 microphones, good technical specification and sound
cancellation. It is capable of hearing your voice from all the directions even when
songs are played.

• Controls compatible smart home devices including lights, plugs, and more.
Amazon Dash Button

Amazon Dash Button is basically a device that gets connected over internet Wi-Fi and
makes sure that the user does not lack important household items like soft drinks, grocery
material, medical and personal care, kids and any pet items ever again.

If a user wants to fully utilize the Dash Button, then the user must be an Amazon Prime
member.

YouTube Link: Amazon Dash Button

Top Features:

• It allows the user to order products quickly and there is no need to recall the
message again and it also helps to reduce the time frame for searching the
required product by the user.

• Amazon Dash Button also allows the user to reorder from popular brands – like
Bounty, Tide, Cottonelle, Glad, Clorox etc.

• It does not accept fresh order if the prior order is not complete unless the user
allows multiple orders.

• It is a good and reliable IoT product that is developed for making the user’s lifestyle
simple and easy.
August Doorbell Cam

August Doorbell Cam is an effective IoT innovation. August Doorbell Cam allows you to
answer your door from anywhere or remote location. It constantly checks your doors and
also captures motion changes in your doorstep.

YouTube Link: August Doorbell Cam

Top Features:

• Doorbell Cam pairs with all August Smart Locks to easily let guests into your home.

• The integrated floodlight delivers clear, full-color HD video even full-color.

• It constantly monitors your doorstep and will click the moments leading up to a
motion alert.

• Free 24 hour video recording.

• It comes with a speedy and hassle-free installation process.

August Smart Lock

August Smart Lock has proven to be a reliable security IoT device. It allows the user to
manage their doors from any location hassle-free. It helps the user to keep thieves away
and family in your home.

YouTube Link: August Smart Lock

Top Features:

• Allows the user to know about each and every person coming and going into your
home.

• Provides unlimited digital keys and no fear of stolen key.

• It gives the status updates of your door as it is properly closed or not.

• It has a good auto-unlock feature and as soon as the user arrives near the door it
opens automatically.

• Easy installation and is compatible with most standard single cylinder deadbolts.
Kuri Mobile Robot

Kuri is the first sort of home robot and most popular too. It is specifically designed for
entertainment. Kuri interacts with the users and captures moments all around the house
daily.

YouTube Link: Kuri Mobile Robot

Top Features:

• Kuri has capacitive touch sensors and HD camera.

• It is integrated with gestural mechanics and microphones.

• It has heart light and speakers.

• It includes integrated mapping sensors and drives system.

• It has a good processor and smooth charging pad.

Belkin WeMo Smart Light Switch

The WeMo Light Switch helps a user to manage your home lights from the wall, your
mobile or by using your voice. This smart light switch connects to your existing home Wi-Fi
network to give wireless access of your lights – with no subscription or hub required.

YouTube Link: Belkin WeMo Smart Light Switch

Top Features:

• It comes with a clip-on faceplate and no screws are required.

• Easy on/off, push anywhere to toggle.

• WIFI indicator and night light available.

• WIFI reset and power restart available.

• It has a very quick, simple installation.

Footbot Air Quality Monitor

Foobot is a reliable IoT device which is helpful in measuring indoor pollution and leads to
improved air quality in houses, workplace, and indoor public spaces. It often gives accurate
results.

YouTube Link: Footbot Air Quality Monitor

Top Features:

• It cleans the air pollution.

• Keeps the humidity and temperature levels in check.

• Helps to develop more focus and energy by breathing fresh air.

• Supports to increase the lifespan of the users.

• It has a very fast and simple installation process.

Flow by Plume Labs Air Pollution Monitor

Flow Air pollution is an amazing discovery in the IoT market. It is a personal air quality
tracker which informs the user in which area the air quality is bad and polluted and vice
versa. It shows all the results in the map available in its app.

YouTube Link: Flow Air pollution

Top Features:

• It tells the user about air quality and has a vegan leather strap.

• It comes with a stainless steel body.

• It has capacitive touch on its body.

• It includes good quality RGB LED’S.

• It has a good user guide and simple installation.

Nest Smoke Alarm

Nest Smoke Alarm is a very useful IoT device. It is a smoke alarm that thinks, speaks and
alerts your mobile phone about any un-wanted emergencies in your home. It automatically
tests itself.

YouTube Link: Nest Smoke Alarm

Top Features:

• The user can manage this alarm with the phone without any extra hardware.

• Installation is easy and can be set up through iPhone, iPad or Android device.

• Appearance is very good.

• It also has certain colors like green, yellow, red to communicate with a user
according to the situations.
Nest T3021US Learning Thermostat Easy Temperature Control

It helps to control the home’s temperature and cooling environment with no effort from
the user for Nest thermostat. It adapts according to your activities and manages room the
temperature automatically based on your routine.

YouTube Link: Nest thermostat

Top Features:

• It can interact with Alexa for voice control.

• It saves a lot of energy by adapting to the room temperature.

• It helps to read the display across the room.

• It is compatible with many types of equipment.

Philips Hue Bulbs and Lighting System

Philips Hue is a very famous IoT device and is used as a personal wireless lighting
system that allows to control your light and create the right ambiance for every moment.

It makes the smart home to live with the most connected lights in the world.

YouTube Link: Philips Hue

Top Features:

• Smart and away from home control.

• Light schedules and comfort dimming.

• Create your ambiance, wake up, well being, etc.

• Sync with music and movies.

Bitdefender BOX IoT Security Solution

Bitdefender Box is a very useful IoT device. It is the Smart Home Cybersecurity Hub that
prevents various Internet-connected devices from malware, stolen passwords, identity
theft, spying etc.

YouTube Link: Bitdefender Box

Top Features:

• It provides Double-Clad Home Network Security to users.

• Bit defender comes with a high-performance ratio.

• It provides a unique and rich feature of parental control.

• It comes with award-winning technology.

Ring Doorbell

Ring Doorbells is a reliable IoT product and allows the user to answer the door from any
place using your smartphone. Protect your home with security cameras from Ring video
doorbell.

YouTube Link: Ring Doorbells

Top Features:

• It provides Double-Clad Home Network Security to users.

• Night vision and interchangeable faceplates.

• HD video quality and motion detection sensor.

• Comes with a rechargeable battery with high performance.

WeMo Insight Smart Plug

WeMo smart plug is a good IoT product which helps to turn on your lights, turn appliances
on/off and provides the ability to monitor them from anywhere remotely.

YouTube Link: WeMo smart plug

Top Features:

• It gets insight into home energy usage and is easy to use and install.

• It also creates rules, schedules and receives notifications.

• Compatible with both IOS and Android devices.

• It integrates with Alexa or Google voice for hands-free voice control.

Logitech Harmony Universal Remote

Logitech Harmony is a powerful and useful IoT smart device for daily purposes. It is a
universal remote which lets you control your house media, lighting, and other smart
devices from one location remotely.

YouTube Link: Logitech Harmony

Top Features:

• It has features of up to 8 remotes, reduces complexity and clusters in-house.

• It supports more than 5000 brands and new brands can also be added in the
future.

• It has a simple online setup using your computer.

• It includes one-click activity buttons like watch a DVD so that it switches to it.
Particle Photon Wi-Fi with Headers

This is the particles IoT board which provides everything that a user needs to build a
connection project. It makes prototyping simple and easy due to plugins.

YouTube Link: Particle Photon Wi-Fi

Top Features:

• It has an open source design.

• It comes with a real-time operating system.

• It has particle WIFI module and RGB LED.

• It also has pre-soldered headers.

NETGEAR Orbi Ultra-Performance Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi System

It is an extremely powerful Internet of Things device which maintains the whole-

home mesh Wi-Fi system that is capable to cover the whole house with fast WI-FI. It can
work with the existing internet service provider.

YouTube Link: NETGEAR Orbi

Top Features:

• It has a simple and quick installation with Orbi app.

• It allows pausing Wi-Fi to do a quick status check.

• Eliminates Wi-Fi dead zones and buffering.

• Provides good speed Wi-Fi even if many devices are connected at the same time.

End of Module 1