‘Communication’ is an important factor of our life, there is no need to explain its importance. As an amazing fact, this post you’re reading is also a medium of communication. And through this medium we’ll tell you how devices communicate with each other. In the present gadgets have become part of our life. And as for us humans they also need to communicate with each other to work properly. Like your smartphone needs to talk to you phone to notify you about any new notifications and more. That is where ‘Internet of Things’ comes into picture. Let’s continue to connecting the dots: unraveling IoT standards and protocols, see you in the next section.
What are Iot Standards & Protocols?
- IoT (Internet of Things) Standards are the set of rules that ensures devices from different manufacturers can communicate with each other seamlessly. For Example- Work as the universal language that devices use to ‘talk’ to each other.
- IoT Protocols are the rules that need to be followed for transferring data between devices. These guidelines ensure that messages are sent and received in the correct manner.
These two factors are essential for IoT technology for proper communication between devices.
Why are IoT Standards and Protocols Important?
As communication & coordination is necessary for best outcomes. So Iot Standards & Protocols counters all the issues related to device communication & coordination.
Interoperability
Without a common set of rules, devices made by different companies won’t be able to work together. Example- Your smart watch won’t be able to communicate with the sensors made by different companies. And unable to deliver the desired outcome.
Security
And one of the most important factors is security. By defined standards it can be made sure that data is transmitting securely. Which will prevent hackers from easily accessing your connected devices.
Efficiency
With clear and defined guidelines, IoT systems can be optimized for performance. Reduce energy uses and improve reliability.
Key IoT Protocols: How Devices Communicate with Each Other
Different types of devices and networks work on different protocols respectively. Here we are including the most common IoT protocols.
MQTT (MessageQueuing Telemetry Transport)
- Purpose: Lightweight protocol for low-bandwidth, high-latency, or unreliable networks.
- Working: In this protocol devices send messages to a central server (broker). Which forwards the message to the intended device.
- Used in: Smart home systems, frequent real-time messages.
HTTP/HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol)
- Purpose: Most common and used protocol for web browsing.
- Working: This protocol allows devices to request and receive data over the internet. However, it has a large bandwidth requirement. So, it can’t be used in devices with limited resources.
- Used in: IoT applications or softwares where devices need to connect to a cloud server.
CoAP (COnstrained Application Protocol)
- Purpose: Designed for devices which have limited processing and memory.
- Working: The working structure of CoAP is similar to HTTP, But it is much lighter and optimized for small devices.
- Used in: Temperature sensors, smart lights in smart cities.
Bluetooth and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy)
- Purpose: Short range communication for the devices which have low power.
- Working: Devices exchange data in a short range, using minimal energy of the device.
- Used in: Used in wearable gadgets, smart home gadgets.
LoRanWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network)
- Purpose: For long range, low power wireless devices.
- Working: Uses low-frequency radio waves to send small amounts of data over long distances.
- Used in: For agriculture, environment monitoring.
Security Procedure in IoT to Ensure Data Protection
As more devices get connected, handling security gets complex tasks. So, for ensuring security in IoT systems there are few key principles and standards.
- Encryption: This procedure ensures that the shared data between devices is unreadable to unauthorized parties.
- Authentication: Devices need to be registered for identification before exchange of data.
- Authorization: Device must be granted permission for the task it is assigned for.
- Regular Updates: Devices need to be up to date to avoid any unwanted or new threats.
Future Trends in IoT Standards and Protocols
5G Connectivity
With the arrival of 5G, IoT devices will be able to communicate faster and more efficiently. And this will add more reliability and opportunities for Internet of things applications. Integrating 5G will open lots of possibilities and accuracy to the outcomes of IoT devices.
Edge Computing
Edge computing will be going to play a crucial role in the evolution of the IoT system. As currently IoT devices rely on centralized servers which adds some latency to the process. Edge computing will eliminate all these barriers by allowing them to process data locally. But, this requires new protocols for local communication and data management.
AI and Machine Learning
Implementation of AI and Machine Learning will help IoT devices to make decisions and improve the overall performance. For this standards will evolve to support the integration of these technologies.
Interoperability between Different Ecosystem
As IoT devices are evolving continuously and the number of connected devices increasing correspondingly. So, there is a need to markout & create needed standards to provide seamless communication between devices. Example: smart home, healthcare.
Conclusion
So, through connecting the dots: unraveling IoT standards and protocols we know how IoT standards and protocols play a vital role in the communication of devices with each other. Without these standards and protocols the things will be messed up for sure. But, as the new ecosystem continuously evolves, these standards and protocols also need evolution to make sure that everything works properly. And it will be exciting to see the future innovation of IoT devices and its ecosystem.
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