➢ 5.

3 The Transport Layer, IoT Application Transport Methods, Generic Web-Based

Protocols,
The Transport Layer

• Transport Layer in IoT: This layer in IoT systems moves data from various
devices to a central data center.
• IoT Gateway Functions: IoT gateways convert analog signals to digital and
select a data transfer protocol (DTP) for transmitting data.
• Factors Affecting DTP Choice: DTP selection depends on data amount, speed,
reliability, power usage, security, and device communication.
• Popular DTPs:
• MQTT: Lightweight, widely used, and suitable for remote devices with
poor connectivity.
• Modbus: Ideal for connecting PLCs and RTUs, following the SCADA model.
• AMQP: Offers strong security features, developed for financial services.
• PROFINET: Ethernet-based protocol for industrial automation and edge
device communication.
• CAN bus: Originally for automotive industry, now used in various sectors
for direct device communication.
• EtherCAT: Real-time data updating protocol for industrial systems, widely
supported.
• Other DTPs: Include CoAP and DDS, used in both industrial and non-industrial
IoT applications like lighting, security, and healthcare.

IoT Application Transport Methods

o Because of the diverse types of IoT application protocols, there are various means
for transporting these protocols across a network.
o Sometimes you may be dealing with legacy utility and industrial IoT protocols
that have certain requirements, while other times you might need to consider the
transport requirements of more modern application layer protocols.
o To make these decisions easier, it makes sense to categorize the common IoT
application protocols and then focus on the transport methods available for each
category.
o The following categories of IoT application protocols and their transport methods
are explored in the following sections:
■ Application layer protocol not present:
• In this case, the data payload is directly transported on top of the lower
layers.
 • No application layer protocol is used.
■Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA):
• SCADA is one of the most common industrial protocols in the world.
• It was developed long before the days of IP, and it has been adapted for IP
networks.
■Generic web-based protocols:
• Generic protocols, such as Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and 4G/LTE.
• These are found on many consumer- and enterprise-class IoT devices that
communicate over non- constrained networks.
■ IoT application layer protocols:
• IoT application layer protocols are devised to run on constrained nodes
with a small compute footprint and are well adapted to the network
bandwidth constraints on cellular or satellite links or constrained
6LoWPAN networks.
• Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) and Constrained
Application Protocol (Com covered later in this chapter, are two well-
known examples of IoT application layer protocols.

Generic Web-Based Protocols

• Common Usage: Web-based protocols are widely used in both consumer and
enterprise applications and services.
• Integration with IoT: Leveraging web-based protocols for IoT applications,
services, and devices simplifies data and device integration from prototyping to
production stages.
• Familiarity and Accessibility: Many programmers with basic web programming
skills can work on IoT applications due to the high level of familiarity with generic
web-based protocols.
• Scalability Considerations: Understanding scaling methods for web
environments is crucial, especially when developing consumer applications for a
potentially large number of IoT devices.
• Node and Network Constraints: Designing appropriate web-based IoT
protocols involves considering issues related to constrained or non-constrained
nodes and networks.
• Client vs. Server Side: The choice between supporting the client or server side of
the connection in web services implementation on IoT devices needs careful
consideration.
• Transporting Data: On non-constrained networks, data payloads can be
transported using HTTP/HTTPS or WebSocket protocols, with representations like
XML or JSON.
• Embedded Web Servers: Constrained devices can deploy embedded web server
software with advanced features implemented in minimal memory, enabling the
use of embedded web services software.
• Real-time Communication: Interactions between real-time communication tools
and IoT devices are driving the need for simpler communication systems, such as
Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP).
• Benefits for IoT: The Internet of Things benefits greatly from existing web-based
protocols like HTTP/HTTPS and XMPP, facilitating the integration of IoT devices
through well-known and scalable programming techniques.