Aeris IoT 2016 Ebook
Aeris IoT 2016 Ebook
Aeris IoT 2016 Ebook
The Internet of Things will change the world. Or, more accurately, a complex and interlinked set
of evolving and increasingly affordable technologies that we collectively describe as the Internet
of Things will continue an ages-old trend of new technology having a transformational impact on
businesses, government, and society more broadly. Far from all of this is new.
Many of the concepts that underpin the IoT are decades old. Remote monitoring and management
of distributed assets is hardly a new phenomenon. Similarly many of the business transformation
opportunities associated with IoT, such as switching from a hardware to a services business are
established operational behaviour for market leaders. However, the fact that none of this is really new
does not detract from the excitement around IoT. As William Gibson said: The future is already here,
its just not very evenly distributed. IoT is interesting and important because we are going through
an era of democratization of tools and business models which in the past were only accessible to
specialists. Due to the falling cost and complexity in the past five years, almost any business can
benefit from IoT today.
We spend a lot of time at Machina Research educating enterprises on the transformational impact
that IoT will have on their activities and organisations. What we note is a number of prevailing
motivations and benefits associated with IoT that are common across most, if not all, deployments.
Fundamentally, the Internet of Things informs. It informs farmers when their crops need watering, it
informs designers when a piece of industrial equipment has a design flaw, it informs fleet owners of
the location of their vehicles. As such, it provides an extra tool to do the job. In doing so, it provides
the competitive differentiator of the 21st century.
Furthermore, feeding more knowledge into the business also helps to level out some costly
knowledge imbalances. The second-hand car market suffers because of this knowledge imbalance.
The seller knows how good (or bad) the car is but cant communicate it in a meaningful way to the
buyer. Meanwhile the insurance industry derives a lot of value from it, i.e., knowing the risk better
than you do. IoT provides more information upon which to base intelligent decisions.
Many suppliers in IoT are guilty of their own form of knowledge imbalance, inhabiting a world of baffling
acronyms and technology that evolves at lightning pace. If youre thinking of deploying IoT and youre
interested in making intelligent decisions then you have already made a great one in reading this book.
Letting Syed Hosain reset your knowledge imbalance with this comprehensive and authoritative book.
Matt Hatton
Founder & CEO
Machina Research
CONTENTS
1
2
3
4
5
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CONTENTS
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7
8
9
84 IOT ANALYTICS
84 IoT Data and Analytics
85 Types of Analytics
89 Analytics Tools and Languages
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97 Planning Checklist
99 Lifecycle Management Phases
103 Pitfalls to Avoid
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CHAPTER 1
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CHAPTER 1
The Internet of Things envisions a world where both ordinary and exotic devices are connected
wirelessly to the Internet and to each other. This means devices that do not already have a
network connection may have one added in the future, when it is logical and appropriate to do so.
One of the most basic uses of the IoT is to connect devices to the Internet so they can report
their status or their local environment. For example, an IoT device could be a temperature gauge,
a location sensor, a device measuring humidity, or an integrated circuit that checks vibration.
One or all of these sensors could then be attached to manufacturing machinery, and the data
transmitted would help a business track the machines operations. This data could track required
maintenance, improve production efficiencies, reduce downtime, increase safety, and more. Plus,
IoT devices may provide information on the ambient environment of the manufacturing space,
such as the temperature, pollution, and other conditions near the machinery, which may
be particularly relevant for remote installations.
Most IoT projects are motivated by a need to reduce operating costs or increase revenue.
Occasionally, legislation compels companies to deploy IoT applications that support a new laws
data needs. Mobility is an obvious factor driving cellular adoption in markets like transportation.
Desire for competitive features may inspire IoT applications in consumer high-tech. But whatever
the specific purpose, connected IoT devices can give your business the data and information
needed to streamline workflows, predict necessary maintenance, analyze usage patterns,
automate manufacturing, and more.
The depth and breadth of IoT applications are creating new opportunities, providing new markets
for existing businesses, and improving operational efficiencies. Machina Research says the total
value of the IoT market will rise to $4 trillion USD by 20251. Gartner predicts that the number of IoT
devices will grow to 26 billion units by 20202.
1 Machina Research Expands the Scope of Its IoT Forecasts and Highlights a USD 4 Trillion Revenue Opportunity in 2025,
Machina Research, May 3, 2016.
2 Gartner Says 4.9 Billion Connected Things Will Be in Use in 2015, Gartner, November 11, 2014.
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Internet of
Everything (IoE)
is considered a
superset of the
Internet of Things
(IoT), and the older
phrase machineto-machine (M2M)
communications is
thought of as a
subset of IoT.
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Intelligent maintenance is a subset of IIoT that applies to existing assets and management
systems. The benefits of intelligent maintenance are to reduce unexpected downtime, lower
maintenance costs, and eliminate machinery breakdowns. A government study has shown
that it could save up to 12% of scheduled repairs, reduce overall maintenance costs up to
30%, and eliminate breakdowns by up to 70%.4
Machine automation incorporates IoT for precise mechanization and more flexible
production techniques to boost manufacturing productivity by as much as 30%.5
4 Operations and Maintenance Best Practices: A Guide to Achieving Operational Efficiency, Release 3.0, 4. G. P. Sullivan, R.
Pugh, A. P. Melendez, and W. D. Hunt, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, August 2010.
5 Industry 4.0: Huge Potential for Value Creation Waiting to Be Tapped, Deutsche Bank Research, May 23, 2014.
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The Nest thermostat is arguably the most well-known of the products in this category. Nest,
which is currently owned by Google, provides a Wi-Fi-connected thermostat thats capable of
learning a persons activities and setting room temperature based on those preferences. The idea
behind Nest is to always keep a home comfortable while boosting energy efficiency.
The Nest can be integrated with automated IoT lighting, security systems, and other tools,
making the long-imagined connected home more of a reality.
Internet-connected fitness trackers such as FitBit and smartwatches like the Apple Watch do
everything from act as pedometers to sleep alarms to personal coaches. These devices are
part of a quantified self movement that started in the mid-2000s to gain greater personal
understanding through data and technology. Devotees feel that these wearables help to achieve
health goals, and theyre even used by businesses as part of employee wellness programs to
incentivize fitness and potentially reduce health insurance premiums.
The connected car is one area that has witnessed a large increase in features. Devices are being
developed that capture a cars computer sensor data using the vehicles on-board diagnostic port
(OBD) for cars built since 1996. Examples include automatic notification of crashes, notification
of speeding, and safety alerts. Additionally, concierge features provided by automakers or apps
alert the driver of the best time to leave for a prompt arrival for an appointment in the calendar or
sending text message alerts to friends or business associates to alert them of arrival times. Users
can also unlock their cars, check the status of batteries on electric cars, find the location of the
car in a parking lot, or remotely activate the climate control systems. As time passes, we expect
an increasing number of applications including the truly self-driving car made possible by IoT
technology.
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The fleet industry has been one of the earliest industries to adopt IoT because of its many
benefits. IoT-enabled trucks, ships, and vans can be tracked and managed in a more efficient
manner allowing visibility across the transportation ecosystem. Fleet telematics allow the
exchange of information between a commercial vehicle fleet and a central dispatching office.
Now, the physical health of a vehicle can be checked at a fraction of the time and in real-time.
Additionally, GPS tracking can guide a vehicle to its destination in the most efficient manner and
allow the central office to optimize the dispatch of its fleet more effectively. Some of the leaders in
the fleet management space include PeopleNet and Isotrak.
Here are examples of other industries with interesting IoT enterprise applications that are currently
deployed in the field:
Acceptacard is a provider of dedicated card-processing solutions for UK businesses. Its mobile
POS terminal is a breakthrough from what is typically provided by the banking industry in that
there are no multi-year contracts with expensive terminals. Its mobile payment solution is a
terminal-independent solution with reliable connectivity service regardless of the location and is
designed for businesses that want a payment solution on a self-service basis with online access.
Badger Meter, a leading global manufacturer of flow measurement and control solutions, enables
smart water meters for utilities and consumers to better manage their water usage. Their managed
solution allows meters to be read remotely, providing more accurate readings with proactive information
to help organizations identify potential leaks and understand what is happening in their water systems.
Also, water customers will have more control of their water usage through a consumer portal and
smartphone and tablet apps giving end-users the opportunity to see how their water is being used.
Minnetronix is a medical technology company with deep expertise in electronic and
electromechanical devices. The company created a medical device platform for remote medical
device connectivity. The platform can be integrated with any class of medical device and allows
the company to remotely manage, update, locate, and understand how their devices are being
used in the field. With this system, businesses can get real-time access to valuable information
from their devices via the web or a mobile dashboard using cellular connectivity.
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Detectronic helps reduce flooding and prevents water pollution through its intelligent network
monitoring for the British and European water industries. The companys remote monitoring
devices provide insightful data and permit analysis and reporting that help to prevent pollution
caused by network failure and predict floodingreducing the risk of catastrophic failures. All of
these operations depend on a reliable cellular network with SIMs capable of working over many
years and sometimes in remote areas.
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To get started with IoT and M2M for your business, youll need a basic understanding of what
makes it all work. You dont need to be an engineer or a data scientist, but it is useful to have a
grounding in the concepts of how IoT systems are connected, how they communicate, how the
data is analyzed, and how this can positively impact your organization. Well present an overview
on networking and the Internet and describe the Internet of Things in more detail. To do this, well
cover these broad topics:
All of these aspects of the Internet of Things will be addressed from an enterprise point of view
for those running small to large businesses. While IoT will make an impact on many everyday
consumers lives, we feel that the end-user world of smartphones, fitness trackers, and connected
toasters has been sufficiently discussed elsewhere. We want to look behind the scenes into how
these IoT devices are run and managed, where the data they collect goes, and how its used. If
youre in the business of IoT or looking to start up a deployment, this guide is for you.
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CHAPTER 2
IoT Network
Technology
12 IOT NETWORK TECHNOLOGY
12 Basic Internet Concepts
14 Choice of Connectivity
15 ICANN and IP Addresses
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CHAPTER 2
To understand how the Internet of Things and machine-to-machine communications work, you
need a basic overview of the technology used for the Internet. While technology is always evolving,
certain principles are common to how networking functions. What changes more frequently are the
tools and protocols used to access the network, such as modems, cellular radios, transmitters,
and more.
PacketData travels across the Internet in packets. Each packet has both a source and
destination IP address, but many packets may be needed to make up one complete item.
For example, a single email message can be comprised of many different IP packets that,
when assembled by the recipients email program, makes a complete piece of mail. A
webpage retrieved by your browser is also comprised of multiple packets.
RouterA router connects one network to another. For example, your home or office
wireless router connects the internal network in your home or office to the public Internet
via an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Your ISP connects to other providers and Internet
backbones using routers.
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CHOICE OF CONNECTIVITY
The Internet can be accessed in many ways, depending on your device and application. There
are pros and cons to each form of connectivity technology, particularly when implementing a
large IoT/M2M project.
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However, connectivity was dependent on where an ISPs lines could extend to, and setups could
be complicated. These early applications tended to be purpose-built, meaning each industry and
company developed its own devices and software systems from scratch.
The 1990s saw a move towards using wireless radio technologies in these applications. Ademco
Corporation, a leader in intrusion and fire detection systems, began to build out a private radio
network to address this need. In 1995, Siemens introduced the first cellular radio module for data
transmission applications. Very shortly afterwards, Aeris introduced its MicroBurst data services
using the control channels of the Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS) cellular service, and
Ademco became the first major customer to deploy M2M devices using this transport.
These new technologies broke machines free from wires, and more IoT/M2M functions were
possible in different industries and even for consumer products. OnStar was one of the first
connected-car systems in 1995, offering a mix of safety services and entertainment options.
Fleet and container tracking solutions similarly made use of mobile telematics for the trucking and
railroad transportation industries. In addition to being mobile, cellular connectivity could extend
application reach to more remote locations than wired networks could allow.
By the 2000s, changes in cellular technology introduced digital cellular networks with features such
as Short Message Service (SMS), General Packet Radio Services (GPRS), and 1 Times Radio
Transmission Technology (1xRTT). However, there arose two competing types of digital cellular,
CDMA and GSM, and different industries chose each one. The automotive and trucking industries
mostly chose CDMA devices, while the alarm and security industries generally picked GSM. By
2017, the largest American 2G GSM operator will sunset its GSM network, so alarm and security
systems still using this service are upgrading to later technologies or switching cellular systems.
The future holds promise for more varieties of wireless data technologies such as wider
adoption of 4G LTE, and, eventually 5G in the next few decades. Short-range data transport
methods, such as Bluetooth, ZigBee, and 6LowPAN, may augment long-range cellular in some
applications. We are also seeing the commercial deployment of Low Power Wide Area Networks
(LPWAN) that provide long-range communication similar to traditional cellular.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) manages top-level domain
name assignment and delegates the assignment of lower-level domains so no two domains get
assigned the same address. ICANN works with various regional Internet registriesfor example,
the RIPE Network Coordination Centre is responsible for handing out IP address in Europe, the
Middle East, and parts of Asia, while LACNIC is responsible for Latin America. These regional
groups assign IP addresses to different countries. Coordination is important because, among
other things, the world began to run out of top-level IPv4 addresses in 2011.
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101.10.101.10
This is a 32-bit number comprised of four 8-bit numbers. There are theoretically
255*255*255*255 or approximately 4.2 billion of these numbers available. In actual practice,
there are fewer IPv4 addresses because of the groupings into IP address classes. Many address
ranges have special uses, like 192.nnn.nnn.nnn for internal networks.
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CHAPTER 3
Cellular Connectivity
and Location
18 CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY
AND LOCATION
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CHAPTER 3
Cellular Connectivity
and Location
In many Internet of Things and machine-to-machine applications, knowledge of the physical
location of the remote device as it performs its tasks is an important requirement, particularly if that
applications behavior and function depends on the location of the device.
Various mechanisms can provide this physical location with varying degrees of accuracy. The
specific accuracy needed depends on the particular application function that uses the location.
In applications where the device moves its physical location as part of its normal tasks, cellular
technologies are commonly used for data transmissions.
This chapter briefly, and generally, describes the cellular technologies used in IoT/M2M
applications and the methods used to determine device location for the applications.
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A N A LOG CELLUL A R
The first cellular service was an analog cellular system1 later termed First Generation (1G). In
North and South America, this was the Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS). It was deployed
in the US in the early 1980s and was eventually shut down in February 2008.
AMPS used radio frequencies (spectrum) distinct from other wireless services. In particular, the
technology used relatively low-power transmissions, which restricted the distance of the radio
signals, to reach a tower (also called a base station) where the voice call could be sent into the
landline telephone system.
This allowed re-use of the radio channels beyond a particular distance from a towereach
tower received and transmitted only to the cellular radio devices within that range. Grouped
into cells (hence, the term cellular) like a beehive, the tower radio did not communicate with
devices outside its cell. Cellular devices communicating in remote cells could use the same radio
channels (i.e., hence re-use the frequencies) without interfering with calls in the closer cell.
In the US, the spectrum used for AMPS was at 850 MHz (termed cellular) that was grouped into
two bands (called A and B). Thus, each market had two cellular telephone service providers
that customers could select to receive their cellular service.
The A and B bands in each market were subdivided into 30 kHz analog voice channels.
During a voice call, a channel at the tower was dedicated to that particular call, to transmit and
receive from a cellular telephone (also called a cellphone, mobile, or handset). The voice
communication used the entire channel for the duration of the call. As can be appreciated, this
was a very inefficient use of that available spectrum.
AMPS
1980s
ANSI-136 TDMA
ANSI-95 CDMA
GSM
GPRS, EDGE
1XRTT
1990s
3G CDMA
(EV-DO)
3G UMTS
(HSPA/HSPA+)
2000s
5G
4G LTE
2008
Beyond
1A
lthough analog cellular is no longer used, it is described here for completeness.
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When more and more cellular users began using AMPS, it became clear that the available
channels could not support the business requirements of the operators who provided the service.
Improvements were needed.
Thus, radio technologists began to explore ways to use available wireless spectrum more efficiently.
The first improvement used digital encoding protocols for the communication rather than analog.
Three competing digital systems came into existence: ANSI-136 TDMA, ANSI-95 CDMA, and
GSM. Since this was a major change to cellular technology, these new systems (and the additional
data transmission protocols, see below) were termed Second Generation (2G) cellular.
Eventually, AMPS and other analog cellular services were discontinued in most parts of the world
(in the US, this was the AMPS Sunset in February 2008).
A NSI-136 TDM A
To maintain backwards compatibility with AMPS in the early deployments, technologists in the US
used a mechanism to slice each AMPS radio channel in time. When speaking into a cellphone,
the human voice is converted from the analog electrical signals generated by the microphone,
into digital bits using an Analog to Digital Converter (ADC). To listen to the received voice from the
tower, digital bits are converted into an analog electrical signal using a Digital to Analog Converter
(DAC) and then amplified to drive a speaker in the cellphone.
In ANSI-136 TDMA, each voice call was allocated one-third of the time (the slot) that the channel
was active for the transmission of the digitized voice bits. The transmissions were decoded at the
towers into multiple voice paths sent into the landline telephone system to their destinations. Hence
the general term for the protocol: Time Domain Multiple Access (TDMA). Humans are unaware of
the missing times when the channel is used for other voice calls, as long as the duration of the
missing time is short enough. The TDMA2 protocol is quite successful at this function.
The standard deployment was called EIA-136 TDMA (eventually ANSI-136 TDMA), and it
improved the efficiency of the channel by a factor of three (since each call only used the channel
one-third of the time). Essentially, each channel could now support three TDMA voice calls
simultaneously rather than one AMPS voice call.
2 The term TDMA is a description of the method and protocol for the data encoding, and ANSI-136 TDMA is a specific set of
standards implemented for these cellular transmissions. This distinction will become clearer when the GSM technology is described.
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A NSI-95 CDM A
In the 1990s, another new digital protocol was also deployed. Rather than using TDMA encoding,
the digitized human voice bits are combined, or multiplexed, with codes using a mathematical
algorithm. Thus, this encoding protocol is called Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA).
The combination of voice bits combined with codes allows the data to be transmitted over a
single wider channel. In ANSI-95 CDMA, each channel is approximately 1.25 MHz wide. The
bits are essentially spread across the spectrum width of that channel, and it is thus a spreadspectrum communications system.
In general, CDMA protocols are more spectrally efficient
than TDMA protocols. This has allowed the deployed CDMA
technologies to survive longer than other protocols. The time
slots in TDMA are not necessarily optimal for all use cases
and essentially have a hard limit when every slot in a channel
is in actual use for calls.
In CDMA, additional calls are combined (or spread) using
mechanisms that are beyond the scope of this book to
describe. Suffice it to say that the number of possible calls
in a given channel may not be entirely deterministic. A very
rough estimate (and this is subject of some heated debate)
is that ANSI-95 CDMA was probably ten to twenty times
more efficient than AMPS, while ANSI-136 TDMA was three
times more efficient than AMPS.3
GSM
In Europe (and eventually most of the world), a different approach was used for the first digital
cellular deployments. Although the encoding mechanism is still TDMA, the available spectrum
was grouped into 200 kHz channels with eight time slots, rather than 30 kHz channels with
three time slots in ANSI-136 TDMA. This system was termed Global System for Mobile
Communications (GSM)a marketing term that described this digital cellular service.
The bandwidth allocations and channel differences in the TDMA transmissions in ANSI-136
TDMA and the TDMA transmissions in GSM are incompatible. A GSM cellphone could not
operate in an ANSI-136 TDMA network and an ANSI-136 TDMA cellphone could not operate in a
GSM network. Of course, there were other network differences too (such as the messages used
in the control channels of the technologies), but the radio technical differences were fundamental.
3 The term CDMA is a description of the method and protocol for the data encoding, and ANSI-95 CDMA is a specific set of
standards implemented for these cellular transmissions. This distinction will become clearer when newer technologies are described.
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GSM rapidly became popular in Europe and in other parts of the world. This was particularly true
because the early analog cellular systems in many countries were entirely replaced very quickly or
were not deployed in the first place in some other countries.
This rapid growth of GSM networks and services made it a popular choice outside the Americas
and a few other countries. With the far larger deployed base of cellphones, the economies of
scale meant that GSM cellphones rapidly became lower in cost than ANSI-136 TDMA cellphones.
Thus, the operators in North and South America eventually abandoned ANSI-136 TDMA in favor
of GSM to take advantage of this reduced cost.
Data Transmissions
When cellular systems became digitally encoded, it was natural to consider treating the
transmitted digital bits as something other than human voice encoded bits. This allowed the
deployment of data transmission services for purposes other than human voice. This included
communications from mobile radio devices (data handsets) and data cards for mobile computers
(laptops) to access the increasingly important Internet and the World Wide Web.
The mechanism for treating the digital bits as application data, rather than human voice, was
different in the deployed technologies. ANSI-136 departed too quickly for any significant data
protocols to be deployed, but both 2G GSM and ANSI-95 CDMA experienced this evolution.
Thus, GPRS is commonly used around the world for cellular IoT/M2M applications. But it
encountered spectral efficiency issues that make it impractical for use for high-end human
smartphone applications. In the US, the largest operator providing 2G GSM announced that it will
stop providing GPRS and EDGE data services (and hence, sunset 2G GSM) on January 1, 2017.
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Other US operators are likely to follow this example at some time in this decade too, but this is
less of a problem for countries where competitive business pressures for wireless spectrum are
not as high. For example, GPRS is very likelyalbeit not certainto remain in use in Europe
through the middle of the next decade.
EDGE was rarely used for IoT/M2M applications, since GPRS (in GSM) and 1xRTT (in CDMA, see
below) was sufficient for the vast majority of such uses, and newer data technologies became
common for power smartphone users quickly enough.
2G CDM A DATA: 1X RT T
Like GPRS in GSM, the CDMA operators in many countries deployed a data transmission
technology called 1x Real Time Transmission (1xRTT). This was faster than GPRS in its base
throughput rate and has also proven to be very successful for many IoT/M2M applications.
Defined into the ANSI-2000 standard, it provided (and continues to provide) a reliable, extensive
coverage data network for IoT/M2M applications.
In the US, the wide availability of 1xRTT makes it an easy choice for physically mobile
applications, such as the automotive and trucking industry, that need coverage across the
continent. The early deployment and expansion of CDMA and 1xRTT (while the other camp was
busy with a transition from ANSI-136 to GPRS) led to excellent coverage across the country.
However, the complexity of the CDMA data encoding protocol compared to TDMA also resulted
in a higher cost for the radio modules, since chipsets for CDMA radios are more complex. Thus,
due to the greater deployment of GSM and economies of scale, 1xRTT modules are more
expensive than GPRS radio modules.
3G CDM A (E V-DO)
For smartphone users, the CDMA data standards were substantially improved to enhance their
data throughput rates. Technology change cycles added EV-DO Rev. A and EV-DO Rev. B to the
portfolio (renaming the original implementation as EV-DO Rev. 0). The changes were added to a
new standard called ANSI-2000, which detailed the 1xRTT and EV-DO technologies.
Although used by some IoT/M2M applications, 3G EV-DO has not been extensively used for
these kinds of applications, since the higher throughput (compared to 1xRTT) is not strictly
required. The excellent coverage and availability of 1xRTT service in the US essentially made it
unnecessary to do so, since the radio module costs are higher for EV-DO.
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4G LTE
One limitation of 3G technologies is that they use fixed-width channels. With the ever-increasing
number of smartphone data users, the availability of wireless spectrum has created many new
bands that are not always optimally usable by 3G technologies. National governments have
auctioned a large number of new bands for smartphone users.
To use these new bands, the standards entities developed a new technology for more flexible
spectrum use. Since they also had the opportunity to select the encoding protocols to use these
new bands, Long Term Evolution (LTE) was designed to use a new protocol called Orthogonal
Frequency Domain Multiple Access (OFDMA). Again, the specific encoding details of OFDMA
is beyond the scope of this book, but it has been termed a Fourth Generation (4G) technology,
since it is quite different from 3G and also meets some of the original performance requirements
set for new cellular implementations under the umbrella of a 4G service.
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What is quite important, however, is that LTE is very flexible in terms of the channel widths that
can be used, and thus the available spectrum bands can be partitioned into smaller blocks with
greater ease. And it also allows existing spectrum to be partitioned into multiple blocks, which
can allow an operator to deploy 4G without having to entirely remove older technologies.
The flexibility comes at a price. There are more than 30 bands available for LTE use, and countries
have not auctioned or made available the full set of possible bands. Indeed, some bands may be
impossible to use for LTE in certain countries because they are dedicated to other uses.
Thus handsets that can be used for LTE everywhere must support a number of different bands,
and the addition of each band adds cost, since filters and power-amplifiers inside the radios must
support each band. For IoT/M2M applications, this can increase the overall cost of the radio
module substantially. Smartphones can absorb the higher cost of multiple band support, since it is
a smaller percentage of the overall cost of the phone. This cost issue will eventually drop in impact,
because the ever-increasing number of deployed LTE units will cause economies of scale to apply.
In addition, LTE uses the concept of categories (CAT) to define a set of performance metrics
that are dependent on other parameters (such as the number of spatial layers, antennas, and
protocols). Originally defined as CAT 1 through CAT 8, these provided a different range of
performance, from 10 Mbits/sec download speeds in CAT 1 through 1200 Mbits/sec downloads
in CAT 8.
Most LTE smartphones use CAT 3 and 4 to provide data rates that are sufficient for power users,
and CAT 6 smartphones are becoming available. For IoT/M2M applications, CAT 1 radios would
be sufficient performance, but were not originally developed since the LTE chipsets with CAT 1
support were not deemed adequate for smartphone users. However, recent developments in LTE
chipsets have allowed manufacturers to release CAT 1 modules for IoT and M2M applications.
The standards bodies also defined CAT 0 (and CAT M) radios for LTE that have reduced
performance and network requirements, and these have been recently ratified. These are
expected to be supported in LTE chipsets and within the network (since changes are required in
the network deployments too) within the next few years.
CAT 0 radios that do not support the higher performance requirements of LTE categories should
be even less expensive, since the chipsets should be substantially lower in cost too.4
4 The CDMA operators (who had deployed 2G 1xRTT and 3G EV-DO) as well as the GSM operators (who had deployed 2G
GSM/GPRS/EDGE and 3G HSPA) are all rapidly moving to fully deploy 4G LTEthis has implications for the types of LTE
radios used by these operators.
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CELLULAR FALL-BACK
During the early phases of any new cellular generation deployment, it is often the case that the
newer generation is not fully deployed everywhere. Typically, the geographical coverage starts
small and expands over time. Thus, the cellular devices must support multiple generations of
technologies till coverage is fully complete for the new technology.
The cellular radios essentially fall back from newer generations to older generations when the
newer generation service is not available at a particular geographical location. The control of
when to fall back (including which technology to fall back to) is incorporated in the Subscriber
Identity Module (SIM) or other radio firmware.
LTE-Only
These fall-back mechanisms increase the complexity
and cost of the chipsets within the current modules and
smartphones. In time, when LTE is commonly available
everywhere that cellular services are deployed, it makes
sense to use radios that only use LTE servicescalled
LTE-Only modules. These have just begun appearing for
purchasing, and more manufacturers will deploy LTE-Only
modules soon.
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LTE-Only can reduce the cost of modules substantiallywith scale, these LTE-Only devices are
approaching, and will become less expensive than the lowest-cost 2G GPRS radios available
today. In a few more years, this should be true for all suppliers that provide IoT/M2M modules.
Customers who want to migrate from 2G to 3G services to 4G may find it worthwhile to wait for
this cost reduction in LTE-Only modules to make the transition.
This transition date is dependent on the customer product longevity requirementsclearly 2G
GPRS units may stop working in markets (such as the US) soon enough that a transition to a 2G
CDMA, 3G HSPA, or a 4G LTE device may be required sooner rather than later.
In truck telematics, a dispatch service may need to know the location of the vehicles in its fleet to
optimize the selection of the correct vehicle to handle the specific eventperhaps it is the nearest
vehicle to the pickup or one that has the available cargo capacity for the job. In both cases, the
knowledge of the device location is important to a particular degree of accuracy (i.e., the error in
the location fix).
For emergency dispatch, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has defined
location accuracy requirements that must be made available to Public Safety Access Point
(PSAP) personnel. These are often called the E911 requirements, since the number 911 is
used to access emergency services from landline phones and cellphones.
The E911 accuracy requirements are not necessarily sufficient for some IoT/M2M applications.
The location error may not allow proper calculation of routes or dispatch with sufficient
optimization. For these applications, more accurate location fix mechanisms must be used.
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Ground-based
references can be
used by certain
receivers to greatly
enhance the basic
accuracy of the GPS
system from 15
meters to less than
10 centimeters.
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Originally intended for military uses, the US government made the system and its information
available for civilian use in the 1980s, without any fee or subscription charge. This enabled a large
number of new location applications around the world.
For example, the truck telematics
industry relies heavily on the
GPS system to locate trucks
and trailers. Hikers and off-road
personnel can use hand-held
GPS trackers to avoid becoming
lost. High-accuracy augmented
GPS systems are used by semiautomated farming equipment
since these can often locate the
vehicle within a few centimeters
on the surface of the Earth!
Survey equipment can use GPS
to accurately measure location for
mapping and thus increase map
quality and improve route guidance
systems in vehicles.
A satellite service similar to GPS, called GLONASS, has been deployed by the Russian
government. The European Union is in the process of launching its own system called Galileo
(named after the historic astronomer). As of this writing, the Galileo constellation of satellites is not
yet operational. The Indian government has introduced its own localized system, called IRNSS,
to determine location, but only over the Indian subcontinent. Similarly, the Chinese government
launched the first version of their satellite location systems, called BeiDou-1, to cover China. They
are now launching new systems, called BeiDou-2 and BeiDou-3, for global location coverage
similar to the US and Russian systems.
In time, Galileo will provide a free, low-precision location fix with an accuracy of 1 meter, but highprecision fixes will only be provided for a fee. Since it is a new system, it also has new features that
are not available in the older US GPS and Russian GLONASS systems. For example, Galileo has
radios that are planned to support a unique relay service for Search-and-Rescue (SAR) distress
signals, allowing emergency dispatch around the planet.
In addition to the satellite GPS system transmissions, enhancements are available to dramatically
improve the location accuracy. For example, a set of ground-based references can be used by
certain receivers to greatly enhance the basic accuracy of the GPS system from 15 meters to less
than 10 centimeters. This enhanced system is called Differential GPS and enables farms to use
automated equipment that need a very high accuracy location fix.
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Einsteins Special
and General Theories
of Relativity must
be used to correct
the data, since time
literally flows at a
different rate for
the satellite clocks
compared to the
Earth-bound clocks.
When this time difference and distance is determined from a number of GPS satellites, the
location of the receiver can be determined within about 5 to 10 meters of accuracy on the surface
of the Earth. At least three satellites must be used for a latitude-longitude fix on the surface of the
Earth, and a fourth satellite can then determine the altitude of the receiver.
It should be emphasized that the above is a very general description of the method used to
determine location from the GPS satellite signals. There are a number of other factors that affect
the accuracy and are taken into account by sophisticated receivers.
For example, the more satellites the receiver listens to, the better the accuracy. Thus, a 10- or
12-channel GPS receiver (which allows it to listen to 10 or 12 GPS satellites simultaneously) will
generally provide a more accurate location fix than an older 4- or 6-channel receiver. Modern
GPS chips can listen to more than one satellite system simultaneouslyi.e., both GPS and
GLONASS satellitesfor best accuracy.
Furthermore, since the GPS satellites are in motion and are quite far above the Earths surface
(i.e., operating in reduced gravity), Einsteins Special and General Theories of Relativity must
be used to correct the data, since time literally flows at a different rate for the satellite clocks
compared to the Earth-bound clocks.
5 Contrary to popular belief, GPS satellites are not in a geo-synchronous orbit above the same spot on the Earth.
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Without proper compensation, the relativistic effects of the speed of the satellites combined
with their height could create a net error of about 38 microseconds per day at the satellite clock,
compared to an identical ground-based clock. This may seem quite inconsequential, but the
difference in time can make the location fix inaccurate within a matter of minutes, to beyond the
5 to 10 meter accuracy of the system. Then, accumulated errors could make the location fixes
completely unreliable and unusable in a matter of days to weeks since the GPS system requires
nanosecond time accuracy.
Fortunately, the GPS system uses these Einsteinian Relativity calculations and corrects to ensure
that the time and location accuracy is excellent, and remains excellent, under most conditions.
With multiple location fixes (i.e., taken over time), the data fixes can also be used to determine
other information such as speed and direction (i.e., velocity). Sophisticated GPS tracking devices
can use the data to display the location and provide route guidance in friendlier ways than a simple
latitude-longitude-height-time recorddisplayed on a graphical moving map, for example.
LIMITATIONS OF GP S
Location fixes from GPS are not perfect. In urban canyons (i.e., within cities with tall buildings),
it may be difficult for GPS receivers to lock onto more than a few satellites, since the signals
may be blocked by the buildings. This may reduce the accuracy substantially. Regardless, it
may remain sufficiently capable for many uses of that location data. A higher-performance GPS
receiver with many channels may perform better in urban canyons since it has a better chance of
listening to satellites that may be visible and not blocked by tall buildings.
The signal strength is low enough that many GPS receivers cannot listen to the signals from the
satellites when inside buildings and underground garages. This limits their use in indoor applications.
Sometimes, heavily overcast days can reduce the strength of the GPS signals, enough to prevent
the receiver from locking on to the signals, particularly when the receiver has been re-started from
a power-off condition. If the internal clock of the receiver is not sufficiently accurate, the measured
time may have drifted, and the receiver could be attempting to listen to a set of satellite signals that
are not present. Those particular satellites may not be visible. Under these conditions, it may take a
while for the receiver to lock onto the satellite transmissions and provide sufficient accuracy.
IoT and M2M applications that depend on the accuracy must take this potential for incorrect
location fix data into account when deploying the device into the field.
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CHAPTER 4
DATA COLLECATION
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CHAPTER 4
The Definitive Guide | The Internet of Things for Business, 2nd Edition.
Vibrations detected
by an acceleration
sensor could be an
excellent indicator
of a potential problem
with a moving part.
| 33
Accelerometers
Acceleration is a measure of a change in
velocity (change of speed or direction).
Accelerometers are devices that measure
acceleration. The parameter being measured
may be a static force, such as gravity exerted
on a device. Other sensors make dynamic
force measurements to measure motion
changes and vibration.
Y
Figure 7: Accelerometer
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Temperature Sensors
Temperature is a parameter that is often measured and
reportedparticularly in industrial applications where an
accurate temperature reading may be needed for process
control. Depending on the desired measurement range,
there are various types of available sensors for measuring
temperature.
Silicon chip (semiconductor) sensors are easily used in the
range from -50 to +150 degrees C. These are quite accurate
and linearto within 1 degreewithout the need for extensive
calibration. They are as rugged as most integrated circuits
(package and metal-can style) and relatively inexpensive.
Thermistor sensors can cover a wider rangefrom -100 to +450 degrees Cfor more
applications. A thermistor is often more accurate than a silicon chip temperature sensor, albeit at
a slightly higher cost per sensor. More importantly, they require a complex correction to achieve
good linearity and accuracy over the desired temperature range.
Resistance-Temperature Detectors (RTD) provide yet more range, from -250 to +900 C, but are
quite difficult to use since they are more fragile than other types of temperature sensors. They are
the most accurateoften a hundred times more accurate than a silicon chip sensor, although
this carries the same complex solutions for linearization as thermistors, and some models can be
quite expensive.
Finally, for the widest temperature range, particularly for high temperatures, a thermocouple is the
correct choice. They are quite rugged and can be used from -250 to +2000 C for many industrial
applications, such as chemical process monitors and high-temperature furnaces used in the
semiconductor industry.
One important fact about temperature sensors: the response time for the sensor data can be
quite slow, since temperature changes are not as rapid as other measured physical parameters.
The sensors must settle and equalize to the same temperature as is being measured. This must
be taken into account when taking readings.
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Light Sensors
Light sensors cover a broad range of potential applications, from automated brightness control
in cellphones to medical diagnostic equipment. Not surprisingly, there is also a wide range of
available light sensors that use different methods for measuring the ambient light.
A very early example of ambient light sensors used in local consumer applications are photocells
within lamps that automatically turn the lamps on at dusk and turn them off at sunrise. These are
simple light detectors, with equally simple sensitivity controls that are manually adjusted by the
owner of the product. The actual value (in lumens) of the ambient light is not measured or reported.
Simple light sensors can also be used for proximity detection. Counters in manufacturing systems
use the presence or absence of light on photocells to measure products being moved past the
counter on conveyors. Garage door systems can reverse direction to avoid hurting children or
pets that cross under a closing garage door and temporarily cut the light from a source sending a
beam of light across the door opening onto a photocell.
Often, light sensors can be used with light that is not visible to human eyes. Infra-red light
sensors can be used as motion sensors in alarm systems or to automatically light a driveway
or passage when people and pets come into range. Full-range sensors are used when the light
measurements need to correspond to human vision.
As with other types of sensors, the mechanism used to measure ambient light varies depending
on the application. Simple Cadmium Sulphide (CdS) or Cadmium Selenide (CdSe) photoresistors change their resistance as a function of the ambient light. This resistance change can be
measured in electronic circuits to provide an indication of a change in the ambient light. It should
be noted that these photocell devices can be significantly affected by temperature and are quite
unsuitable when accuracy is required.
Common uses of photo-resistors include automated light controls in lamps, dimmers in alarm
clocks and audio system displays, control of street lighting systems, etc., where the accuracy of
the reading is not a paramount requirement.
Photo-diodes and photo-transistors, with active semiconductor junctions, are used when greater
accuracy is required, since the ambient light is converted into a measurable current that can be
amplified or converted for a measurement. This measured current can be used to determine the
amount of ambient light on the sensor. Indeed, since semiconductor junctions are affected by ambient
light, integrated circuits where this effect is not desired must be enclosed in opaque packages.
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MEMS Sensors
In modern, high-end smartphones, integrated chip sensors to
measure motion, direction, pressure, magnetic fields, rotation
speeds, etc., are becoming quite common. These can be
used to augment the location information and human motion
in the cellphone.
In chip form, these are usually Micro-Electro-Mechanical
Systems (MEMS) sensors for many different parameter
measurements. The implementation of MEMS uses ultraminiaturized physical structuresbeams, arms, and
associated electronicsto measure the motion of the
structures when the chips move. The physical motion is
converted to electrical signals that can be measured for the
specific function being measuredfor example, whether it
is rotational motion or air pressure. The device essentially
converts a mechanical motion into an electrical signal.
A gyro sensor, for example, senses rotational motion and changes in orientation. These can be
used in a variety of applications, such as correcting for hand-held shake in video and still-image
cameras and human motion sensing for video games. In smartphone applications, a screen
display can be automatically rotated from portrait to landscape display modes when the phone
is physically rotated.
MEMS sensors are generally manufactured in the same large-scale facilities as semiconductors
or chips. This means that the mechanical precision of the devices can be very high and allow for
excellent, reliable performance at low cost.
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Because of the wide variety of sensors, the types, the parameter being measured, and
what physical phenomenon is converted into a measurable signal, it is difficult to provide
implementation details. Thus, this section must necessarily discuss general concepts rather than
specific information.
Sensors are often used in local applications, where their signal is processed using circuitry
designed for that local application. However, in a sensor that is used for remote data transmission
of the measurement, the electrical signal must be converted into a digital value, or number, for
the transmission.
The specific electrical signal from different sensors may vary over a wide range of current or
voltage or other electrical parameters (such as resistance or capacitance) and often must be
converted and amplified into a voltage that can be measured.
If necessary, the signal must be electronically filtered to eliminate signal noise or to reduce the
frequency of the measurement for the requirements of the application. For example, a temperature
sensor generally changes its value relatively slowly as the sensor matches its environment.
Therefore, a rapid change in reported temperature may be an inaccurate reading, which should be
filtered to reduce potential errors.
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For example, a commonly available semiconductor temperature sensor provides an electric current
of 1 microAmp per degree Kelvin when power is applied to it. Over a useful range of -50 degrees
C (or 223 degrees Kelvin) to +150 degrees C (423 degrees Kelvin), this current is approximately
223 microAmps to 423 microAmps.
This current can be used in a circuit with an Operational Amplifier (Op-AMP) and other
components (resistors, capacitors, and diodes) to convert to a voltage in the desired operating
temperature range being measured. This voltage can then be measured by an ADC and
processed by the device taking the temperature measurement for the application function.
Some, usually more complex and expensive, sensors may have built-in functions for converting
the measured physical parameter directly to a number that is sent to the application processor or
communications module for transmission.
For example, a GPS device may report continuous position and time readings on a serial port
using the common National Maritime Electronics Association (NMEA) formats called NMEA 0183
or NMEA2000. This signal is already conditioned in a text format that can be used by a device
processor to communicate and transmit the location data.
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ADC
DAC
For example, an 8-bit ADC will convert the signal from a low value of 0 to a high value of 255 (with
integers in between) to represent the value of the analog signal in approximately equal steps. This
may quite sufficient for many IoT/M2M applications.
In other applications, it may be necessary to use a 12-bit, or even a 16-bit, resolution ADC for
the conversion. A 16-bit ADC provides a digital numerical value between 0 and 65535 based on
the input analog voltage. With higher resolutionsparticularly with low signal levels, the signal
conditioning and amplification circuits may need special care to ensure that electrical noise does
not cause erroneous readings.
It is important to note that resolution is not the same as accuracy or linearity. It merely identifies the
number of steps between the lowest and the highest value being converted.
A full discussion of these concepts is beyond the scope of this book. Interested readers can refer
to the data sheets and applications notes from ADC and DAC suppliers for more information.
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To achieve the
best accuracy, the
measured signal can
be corrected using a
variety of techniques:
direct math, single
linear approximation,
or piecewise linear
approximation.
Other temperature sensors are even more problematic. For example, an RTD can be a hundred
times more accurate than a semiconductor temperature sensor, but without correction, its
readings are quite useless. The RTD requires precise signal conditioning, linearization, and
calibration to achieve that accuracy.
These corrections are often applied digitally, as when the reading from an RTD is first converted
to a digital value, and then the correction is applied. Different types of RTDs need different types
of corrections. For example, a platinum RTD has two distinct relationships to temperature with
different polynomial equations describing its resistance above and below 0 degrees C.
In an RTD, to achieve the best accuracy, the measured signal can be corrected using a variety of
techniques: direct math, single linear approximation, or piecewise linear approximation. Each has
its advantages and disadvantages.
It is beyond the scope of this book to describe the specifics for correcting the readings from
sensors (for example, for correcting an RTD measurement). Suffice it to say that developers
designing IoT/M2M applications must take linearization and calibration into account for the
specific needs of their application, particularly if the resulting accuracy is important to the
function and features.
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Specialized Sensors
In industrial and simple applications, many standard sensors have been developed and
commercialized over the years. These have evolved and improved over time. The costs and sizes
of sensors have been reduced with increasing efficiency and practicality.
Recently however, particularly with the start of the IoT/M2M revolution, there has been a great
demand for a variety of new parameters to be measured at ever-larger scale and lower cost.
The healthcare industry is among those at the forefront of this revolution. New methods to
measure human medical parameters are being researched and commercialized, and this has seen
an explosion of new techniques (and sensors) to measure these parameters. In medical monitoring
applications, the need for new measurements, reduction in size of devices, and adoption of
wearable fitness and medical products, is driving significant research and growth.
Beyond the sensors that are incorporated into hand-held or wearable products (e.g.,
smartwatches, clothing, and bracelets) for reading basic body functions or medical monitoring
products (such as continuous blood sugar monitors and insulin dispensers), there is also a need
for semi-permanent sensors implanted within the human body. The research into tiny, implantable
sensors has been energized by the availability of semiconductor and MEMS solutions including for
mission-critical applications such as cardiac monitoring and vision correction.
For example, medical startups are developing MEMS sensors that are implanted into pulmonary
arteries using cardiac catheter procedures similar to angioplasty. These sensors can measure
artery pressure and transmit the readings to a nearby wireless device by the patient at home, and
the readings can then be wirelessly sent to a database for review by medical practitioners.
These new sensors, and devices using these sensors, that have been commercialized in the past
five years and those that will also be introduced in the next decade, will completely revolutionize
the medical health care industry in ways that we cannot even imagine today.
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CHAPTER 5
Scheduling, Encoding,
and Processing
44 SCHEDULING, ENCODING,
AND PROCESSING
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CHAPTER 5
Scheduling, Encoding,
and Processing
As mentioned in the previous chapter, data and sensor readings are generally transmitted to
Internet of Things and machine-to-machine application programs for processing, storage, and
business actions.
This may be a relatively short-range transmission. The sensor readings can be delivered to a
smartphone application using a short-range wireless technology such as Bluetooth, ZigBee, or
Wi-Fi, for an action by the owner of the smartphone. For example, a heart-rate monitor may send
heartbeats-per-minute to a smartphone application during exercise, and this can be monitored to
modify the specific physical activity. The data can be logged by the application to ensure that the
desired fitness goals are being met.
For other IoT/M2M applications, the data may be sent over a longer-range transmission to servers
and programs, where it is processed for actions or stored for analytics. The data (or patterns in
the data) may lead to business actions if appropriate for that specific application. For example,
an airbag deployment notification from a vehicle can be sent to an automotive Telematics Service
Provider (TSP) that contacts the driver and connects them to public safety personnel for dispatch
of emergency services.
This chapter describes the systems and methods used to encode, transmit, store, and process
the data in a server application.
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If possible for
an application,
randomizing the
transmissions can
have a major impact
on the capacity
requirements of the
connectivity and the
server systems.
Scheduled Transmissions
In some applications, devices transmit on a regular schedulesometimes sleeping to conserve
power until they are woken up by scheduled timers or to report an event.
Devices with accurate time (such as those equipped with GPS capability) must be careful when
using regularly scheduled transmissions. In large deployments, if all devices were to wake and
transmit at exactly the same time, the simultaneous connection attempts could overwhelm the
connectivity paths and the server systems that receive and process the data. If possible for an
application, randomizing the transmissions can have a major impact on the capacity requirements
of the connectivity and the server systems.
There are simple ways to achieve this randomization. For example, a device identification
numbersuch as the last four digits of the Mobile Directory Number (MDN) in a CDMA cellular
device, modulo 3600can be used to select the number of seconds past the hour when a
regular transmission is sent.
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Transmit On-Demand
Utilities
Enterprise
Retail
Sensors
Vehicles
Mobile
Devices
Medical
In most IoT/M2M applications, it is typical for the device to transmit on demand when an event
requires it to do so. For example, a business or residential security system may transmit a signal
when a break-in occurs; a car may transmit an accident notification when an airbag deploys or
when the driver pushes a concierge button for assistance. These are generally sporadic enough or
spaced temporally sufficiently well that they do not create traffic (and server) spikes.
Often, devices that transmit to report sporadic events are also set to transmit a periodic
heartbeat to report their condition and health. These heartbeat transmissions should also be
randomized.
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UDP OR TCP
We are often asked whether a device should use User
Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets or use Transmission Control
Protocol (TCP) streaming sessions for the data. The answer, not
surprisingly, is: It depends!
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has detailed
definitions, but lets briefly describe these two protocols to
understand why one may be better than the other for certain
M2M and IoT data transmissions.
It is important to note that both UDP and TCP are used over an
underlying Internet Protocol (IP) connection.
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Which to Use?
In general, the choice of UDP vs. TCP must take into account:
The desired balance between the reliability of TCP and the lower cost of UDP, since UDP uses
fewer bytes of overhead to transmit the same amount of application data.
The increased complexity of TCP, where the module must open a data stream to a remote
server where programs await connections.
Careful design of TCP server programs to allow easy scaling as the number of deployed
devices increases.
A requirement for the acknowledgments provided by TCP sessions.
However, it is also important to note that using these two protocols is not mutually exclusive for a
given IoT/M2M application.
For some uses, a simple transmission of a UDP packet to a remote host may be quite sufficient
including using independent acknowledgments via UDP. If an acknowledgment is expected, but
not received, either side can retryintelligently (i.e., with limits on number of retries, variable delays
between retries, etc.)
For other uses, even in the same application perhaps, a device may open a TCP connection to a
server and communicate with the higher reliability of a TCP streaming session to a program that
accepts these connections and transmissions.
Often, the amount of data may require TCP. For example, if a device needs to transmit a large
file (i.e., more than a kilobyte), it is better to use TCP, since the consequences of an error during
transmission via UDP could mean that the entire file might require a complete retransmission.
CONTENT ENCODING
When a device transmits its data to the servers and receives
commands and instructions from the servers, there is a format
required for the information sent in both directions. In every
application, the devices and servers must agree on the format
and information that is sent.
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These protocols
fall into two basic
categories: humanreadable (JSON,
XMPP) and nonhuman-readable
(CoAP, MQTT).
| 48
Proprietary Formats
Devices for a particular application and the servers may use a proprietary format for the data encoding.
This allows the devices and servers to encode and interpret the content in ways unique to the needs
of that application and can often minimize the amount of data sent in that connection session.
Proprietary formats are more difficult to implement initiallysince they must be relatively complete
for that application to be deployedas well as difficult to maintain and update later when changes
are needed. Most proprietary formats tend not be extensible.
JSON
MQTT
IoT
XML
M2M
CoAP
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XMPP
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Proprietary Formats
JSON is an open-standard format that sends key-value pairs of information. The key is generally the
attribute or description of the content sent in the value. The protocol is described in RFC 7159 from
the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). See www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc7159.txt for more information.
The JSON format is human-readable and language-independent, and public code for parsing and
generating JSON text data is readily available in a variety of programming languages. The format
is effectively self-describing, since the definition and value are right next to each other.
For example, the following simplified text illustrates the encoding of a temperature reading of 25
degrees Centigrade from a sensor with a hypothetical sensorID of 123456789:
{
}
sensorID : 123456789 ,
temperature : 25 ,
units : Centigrade
As you can see, the JSON content is verbose and very human-readable. The key-value pairs
immediately identify the attribute and its value.
JSON format messages can also be extended readily. For example, the physical location and
manufacturer might be added, along with a time-stamp noting the time that temperature was
measured.
Of course, the presence of this additional information depends on whether it should be
transmitted. In the above example, the sensorID could be used to look up the location and
manufacturer in a server database (assuming it was stored there at installation of the sensor).
However, sending the time-stamp from the device can be more useful since it provides the time
when the data was collected (assuming the device knows that time information, of course).
COAP
As the name implies, CoAP is a format and protocol intended for use in bandwidth limited
networks or where minimizing the size of each message transmission is important. The core of the
protocol is described in RFC 7252 from the IETF, although extensions to add unique requirements
for IoT/M2M are currently in progress. See http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc7252.txt for more information.
CoAP is a simple protocol that is well-suited for transmissions from small electronic components,
such as sensors, and can also be used to control the devices from remote servers. CoAP also
includes the concept of multi-cast (or one to many) group communication, where many
devices can receive the control information at the same time.
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The protocol provides two types of message: requests and responses using a type-length-value
(TLV) coding that is different from the JSON format. These CoAP messages are sent using a UDP
transport to adhere to the concept of low overhead for the messages.
MQTT
MQTT is another light-weight messaging protocol that is designed for data transmissions from
devices operating in bandwidth limited networks. The devices transmit the data to message
brokers that are then responsible for sending the content of the messages to clients who are
interested in that data and who subscribe to the feed.
This mechanism is the essence of a publish-subscribe approach, where data from the devices is
published to a broker, and subscribers to that broker can access the data.
Originally developed by IBM, the MQTT protocol was transferred to the OASIS standards body
and is now supported by that entity. See http://www.mqtt.org for more information.
MQTT was originally designed for the IoT/M2M markets for devices transmitting using TCP/IP. To
allow simpler electronic devices (such as sensors) to use this protocol, a version called MQTT for
Sensor Networks (MQTT-SN) has also been released to extend the protocol beyond TCP/IP.
XMPP
XMPP is an open-standard communications protocol for messages based on XML. It is intended
for near-real-time exchange of messages between two (or more) elements on any network. Like
XML, it is extensible and can also be used for publish-subscribe message systems.
There are multiple RFCs from the IETF that specify the XMPP standards: the core ones are RFC
3922, 3923, 6120, 6121, and 7622 (see http://www.ietf.org), although the XMPP Standards
Foundation (see http://www.xmpp.org) is also actively extending XMPP further.
The XMPP protocol evolved from an earlier open-standard protocol called Jabber and was used
for Instant Messaging (IM) services as well as Voice over IP (VoIP) control messages. In this last
application, XMPP competes with the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).
When XMPP extensions are used for publish/subscribe services, they are useful for IoT/M2M data
applications. However, like JSON, they are human-readable and verboseperhaps even more
verbose than JSON due to the XML roots. This may make it difficult for a small sensor to encode
XMPP directly, but a communications device could make the necessary conversion from raw
sensor data.
In XMPP, binary files and content can be encoded (using base64 conversion of the binary data to text)
and sent using XMPP, but this is likely to be more overhead than is desirable for IoT/M2M applications.
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GATEWAYS
In most low-cost sensorseven newer ones that speak IPit is difficult to provide the
data encoding and decoding capability within the sensor. Often, the sensors use short-range
communication pathseither wireless or wiredto a device with more computing capacity to actually
encode the data and transmit to a remote server.
This device may be a unit serving a single sensor and associated application. More often, a gateway is
a product with multiple short-range wireless and wired connections to local sensors and a long-range
wireless or wired connection to the remote servers.
For example, gateways used in home-automation applications
communicate with sensors using Bluetooth, ZigBee, and
Wi-Fi, and to the remote servers with cellular or wired
Ethernet connections. The gateway is a good location in the
communications path to implement the data encoding as well
as security best practices, with software agents that take the
raw information from the sensors and encode the data in the
formats described above.
The gateway is a
good location in the
communications
path to implement
the data encoding as
well as security best
practices.
APPLICATION SERVERS
The remote data is transmitted to application programs running on the servers that may be dedicated
to the task of processing that datawhether it is streaming data or message oriented.
Typically, these servers are deployed in data centers on the customer premises or in data centers. The
programs on the servers receive the data and process them for the specific business action of the
IoT/M2M application. This may include storing the data in traditional databases, filtering for erroneous
information, alerting when the information is outside pre-determined bounds, displaying the data,
reports, etc. The needs vary greatly.
Often, remote devices, even those that are transmitting lightly, cannot tolerate server downtime for
any significant duration. Processes and network infrastructure to automatically balance the loads on
redundant servers, including at multiple sites, are critical.
For large-scale deployments, the application servers must literally be running continuously with high
availability and processing redundancy (including geographic redundancy), particularly for missioncritical applications. With the projected growth of the IoT/M2M market, this will place an immense
burden on servers and data centers. This creates a capital and operation cost of systems, physical
site maintenance, power distribution, cooling, etc.
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IoT/M2M deployments
often should consider
taking advantage of
newer IT methods like
Cloud Computing.
CLOUD COMPUTING
In recent years, the phrase called cloud computing or simply the cloud has been coined to
describe the systems that allow processing and storage of information and data in extremely large
data centers for a fee. Cloud vendors provide the ability and flexibility to start and stop computing,
storage, and networking resources based on the specific needs of the customers and applications
using these cloud services.
This has transferred the need for entities and corporations to maintain their own physical hardware,
data centers, and data networks, etc., to the cloud providers. This eliminates traditional operational
burdens of physical site maintenance, electrical power management, environmental conditioning, and
system redundancy.
The specific compute, storage, and transport requirements for the cloud customers can then be
adjusted fairly dynamically to conform to the needs of the applications being executed. The latest
techniques and software for managing the large amount of data can be applied to the data gathered
from the devices in the IoT/M2M applications.
These compute elements, storage, and data transport are, of course, provided for a fee. The charges
can vary, but can often be high for large-scale applications and large numbers of device deployments.
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FOG COMPUTING
Some data stored
IoT endpoints
& real time
Data
The volume of data gathered from a large number of sensors and devices could overwhelm
the communications path (transmission and connectivity) or the remote storage capacity and
systems that process the data at the customer sites.
While cloud solutions alleviate this problem, the cost could become very expensiveparticularly
for streaming applications. Often, a general approach is a transmit everything and process in the
cloud implementation.
However, if actions based on the data must be processed in real-time or near-real-time, it may be
better to process or filter the data remotelyat the device, or elsewhere hierarchically in the data
flow before it gets to the remote storage. This remote processing and filtering has been termed
fog computing by Cisco.
Fog computing is not without its issues and concerns. If the filtering removes essential
information that could be better processed at a central site (such as the cloud) to determine
patterns, its use could result in a weaker application.
Sometimes, the specific filter used at the remote device may need to evolve or change. Thus the
devices must be programmable or configurable to the required degree, increasing the complexity
of the overall solution.
One significant advantage of fog computing is the concern about security. Good security practices
can be implemented farther away from the central servers, where a device (or groups of devices)
that have been compromised could result in less damage to the overall application deployment.
It also reduces the transport costs of sending a lot of datamuch of which may be meaningless
or repetitive or simply not neededon metered transports where the transport of a large set of
data could be expensive.
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CHAPTER 6
INTERNET OF THINGS
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CHAPTER 6
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The US Federal
Trade Commission
Chairperson Edith
Ramirez noted any
device that is connected
to the Internet is at
risk of being hijacked.
| 56
Individuals have an expectation of privacy with regard to their personal data, and it is crucial for
businesses to consider implement relevant security methods. In particular, financial and medical
industries have specific governmental regulations that govern their products and services in their
respective markets. The new IoT/M2M implementations that companies in these industries are
deploying may have special testing and certification requirementsparticularly in regard to security
and privacy issues.
SECURITY OBJECTIVES
There are four overall security objectives that must
be met for IoT/M2M security implementations:
Authenticated sender and receiver
Sender and receiver accessible
Trust in the data content
Confidentiality of information
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Confidentiality of Information
Finally, the confidentiality of the information must be maintained. Only the correct recipient should
have access to the transmitted data, since it may contain proprietary or confidential information.
Indeed, privacy laws in many countries require extra care with information regarding individual
citizensfor example, in the US, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
provides specific rules for individually identifiable medical information.
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It is vital to recognize
that risks cannot
be completely
eliminated, and
there is no single
security solution for
all possible security
requirements for all
applications.
Multiple Networks
Some IoT/M2M devices operate in more than one transport network or technology for redundancy
or hybrid solutions. In these devices and solutions, security may be more of a concern in one
network compared to the others. For example, a short-range wireless technology such as Wi-Fi
can have quite a different security threat vector and potential for breaches compared to a longrange cellular service.
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Scaling Growth
In IoT/M2M deployments, there are predictions of explosive growth in the near futurebillions of
potential devices within the next 5 to 10 years. Thus, in any application where a security problem
exists, the overall problem could be greatly magnified by the large numbers of devices that may
be affected. This could result in network and data security issues that are difficult to solve, since
replacing all the compromised devices could be extremely difficult, perhaps impossible.
Automated Functionality
In many IoT/M2M applications, the data is acted upon by automated programs that process
the received data and take business actions based on the content. If the transmitted data is
compromised, any simplistic responses or automated functions to that compromised data could
cascade into difficulty. If some set of devices transmit excessively due to a program error, the
servers processing that incoming data could overload and not provide a response to the devices.
Simplistic retry algorithms in the devices may create a data storm as a result.
Long Lifecycles
Unlike handsets used by people who change them every
few years on average, IoT/M2M devicesparticularly in
industrial applicationsmay be deployed for many years
and operate relatively continuously over that time. Often,
the devices use electrical power rather than batteries
(unlike handsets that shut down when battery energy is
depleted), and the IoT/ M2M devices could continue to use
the networks for years. Devices with compromised security
could stay operational for lengthy periods.
Remote Updates
It is essential to plan and design for device updates over-the-air (OTA). When a device security
breach is sufficiently critical that the device programming must be updated, the ability to reprogram the functionality remotely is vital. The devices may be in inaccessible locations or a large
number of devices must be modified rapidly.
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Even if we could
determine all possible
threat vectors, the
cost of designing
preventative measures
to counter every threat
might be prohibitively
expensive.
In all IoT/M2M deployments, it is important to assess the potential for damage caused by a
security breach, and implement security solutions accordingly. Ask the following questions, to
start:
If a single device is compromised, can it be used to compromise other devices? The data
transport used by that application? The remote application servers? That entire application?
If an application is compromised and misused, what impact does that security event have?
Is it life-threatening to one individual? To more than one individual? An entire population in a
region?
Can a data content breach cause financial harm to an individual? More than one individual?
The entire set of people depending on a particular IoT/M2M application to function well?
How quickly can the specific breach or intrusion be detected? Is it using a well-known target
mechanism (such as might exist in a widely used cellular device operating system)?
Can a compromised device or set of devices be isolated from the application rapidly?
The opportunities for implementing security best practices occur at different points and differing
capabilities in the IoT/M2M data chain. IoT/M2M developers should assess the opportunity for
implementing security best practices (authentication, encryption, etc.) at every point during the
design of the application.
For example, the source of data could be a sensor. These are not likely to be compromised easily,
since they are so specific to their function, but they still need protection. Because of the simplicity
of such sensors, it is often difficult to implement a security solution for them.
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SOURCE
SENSORS
SMART
TRANSPORT
SHORT RANGE
NON-WIRELESS
NETWORK
INFRASTRUCTURE
IDENTITY MGMT
Provisioning
Authentication
Authorization
Access Control
DATA
COLLECTIONS
HOST
SYSTEMS
RECIPIENT
INTERNET
SERVERS
HUMANS
POINT-TO-POINT
CORPORATE
NETWORK
PROCESSES
VPN
OTHER
INFORMATION
ACCESS
CONTROL
AUTOMATION
Control Messages
Data Transport
However, a compromised sensor could be used to inject false data into the application, where an
incorrect action could be taken by a server or human at the remote end of the chain.
A more complex source device, such as a multi-technology gateway connecting to multiple types
of sensors, or a cellular modem, offers more opportunityboth for breaches to occur, as well as
a location in the chain for implementing a good security solution. For example, a gateway device
could have the compute capacity to implement strong encryption algorithms, thus securing the
content further along the chain.
In general, the further towards the device that security best practices can be implemented, the
less impact a security breach can have on the overall application.
Each business and its IoT/M2M application implementations will require its own risk assessment
to determine the relevant security needs, and organizations have to understand the trade-offs
they make upfront. It is simply impossible to determine all possible methods by which all such
applications could be compromised.
Even if we could determine all possible threat vectors for a particular application, the cost of
designing detection and preventative measures to counter every threat might be prohibitively
expensive for that application. The best we can do is understand and minimize the risk as best
as we can upfront and design the devices and application processes to be as easily updatable as
possible.
While server programs and accessible elements of the data chain can be updated more easily, the
ability to re-program the devices using OTA updates is key to ensuring that the impacts of security
breaches can be contained and repaired.
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The Heartbleed
security bug in
OpenSSL, discovered
in 2014, affected about
17% of the worlds web
servers.
Weaknesses in Encryption
No encryption method is perfect. Depending on the computing power available at a particular
location or the time used by the encryption method, the algorithm may be weak or strong.
Strong algorithms may seem impossible to break, but applying enough compute resources to the
task could reveal weaknesses that allow the data to be decrypted by unauthorized systems or people.
Indeed, bugs may be discovered in the method itself, or in the particular software implementation.
A recent example is the Heartbleed security bug in OpenSSL discovered in 2014. This affected
about 17% of the worlds web servers and potentially allowed encrypted data to be read. Patches
were made to OpenSSL, and a majority of web servers have since been updated.
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CHAPTER 7
ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
68 What Is Scalability?
70 End-of-Life Management
70 Scalability and Connectivity
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CHAPTER 7
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Even if the huge numbers forecasted are inaccurate by large percentages, or even a factor of
10 or more, they still represent enormous growth. Indeed, the estimated number of connected
devices by 2020 exceeds the projected population of the entire planet by many multiples.
This explosive growth needs to be managed and planned, if we are indeed going to come close
to the predictions for what these markets and industries can do for all of us. Furthermore, cellular
is not likely to be the dominant data transport for these large volumes. Indeed, it may account for
less than 10% of the total devices deployed in IoT/M2M applications.
All of this anticipated growth in the IoT/M2M market will bring new challenges:
Scaling for the growth in the numbers of devices and applications
Providing effective security solutions for the content and solutions (as discussed in the
previous chapter)
Storing the data and providing rapid analysis for action
Deploying new wireless and wired connectivity technologies for the increased traffic
Managing the connectivity and device subscriptions for large numbers of devices
Therefore, this chapter will also briefly review some of the alternative technologies that are likely to
be used for large-scale IoT deployments.
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WHAT IS SCALABILITY?
In the context of IoT/M2M, scalability is the ability to
grow the application, the solution, and platform to keep
up with the projected growth in the number of devices,
the data traffic from these devices, the applications
servers that process and store the received data,
the real-time (or near-real-time) streaming data alert
systems, the pattern and predictive analytics, etc.
Successful organizations
plan for the entire
application lifecycle, from
development to operation
to scaling to end-of-life.
Essentially, this is the ability of the IoT/M2M ecosystem, both for any given application and all such
applications in general, to grow at the same rate as the predictionsto make them a reality rather
than hype. The demand for IoT/M2M applications, devices, and services will continue to grow
exponentially, and companies with connected devices will need to scale their resources accordingly.
Solutions for managing the application must be scalable and designed for growth. For example,
most IoT/M2M platforms let the customers rapidly provision the cellular devices for service at
volume. Requests are not sent in by humans; rather, automated systems make the requests, and
automated systems process the requests.
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END-OF-LIFE MANAGEMENT
Many M2M and IoT devices have an end-of-life that must be managed. The in-service period is
generally much longer than the typical period we expect for electronic devices today, particularly for
industrial applications. But, once the end-of-life of a device, or all devices within an application, is
reached, their removal from service must be managed, to avoid tying up resources.
For example, in cellular networks, devices have a number that identifies them to the network for
operational, accounting and authentication purposes. In CDMA, this is the Mobile Identification
Number (MIN) or Mobile Directory Number (MDN); in GSM, this may be the International Mobile
Subscriber Identity (IMSI) or the Mobile Station ISDN (MSISDN).
These numbers are often from an allocated range, or
number pool, and is a resource that must be managed.
Ideally, the numbers are re-used when devices are
removed from service permanently.
Devices removed from business service may still have a
presence on the networks and impact overall network
performance if they are still electronically operational. For
example, cellular devices used in automotive applications can
be removed from service but could still attempt to register on
the cellular network every time the vehicle is turned on and off.
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ZigBee
Wi-Fi
LPWAN
Cellular
5G
Bluetooth
Wired
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For short-range data transmissions, where using a wired solution may not be practical, wireless
technologies such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, etc., are quite popular. These are common
industry standards for which low-cost implementations of the wireless radio and their protocols
are available in integrated circuits. The low cost of these short-range wireless technologies enables
using them directly within sensors.
These short-range wireless technologies are generally quite limited in rangefrom a few meters to
a few hundred meters. If the data needs to go further, the short-range communication is typically
sent to a gateway modem that then connects to the servers using cellular, cable or some other IP
network transport.
For medium ranges (for the wireless transport), typical implementations of IoT/M2M solutions use
cellular for communication to a nearby tower (generally within a few miles) that then backhauls the
data into the Internet or a remote server.
When cellular is not available, such as on ocean-bound ships or remote geographies with
low human presence, long-range satellite data services provide a global reach for devices to
communicate to a distant server program for that IoT/M2M application.
Whichever of these two categories the implementation falls into, fixed or mobile, will drive the
selection of the network and communications path for the application.
A hybrid cellular-satellite
device, with multiple
radios, can provide truly
global data access.
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If cellular is not available in a truly remote location, such as an ocean-bound ship or in mountain
regions, the coverage from satellite data services is excellent, although some of the satellite
services may have relatively higher latencies (the time for a data packet to traverse end to end)
than other technologies. Coverage inside urban canyons with tall buildings is usually difficult for
satellite data services, but this is where cellular services can excel. If required, a hybrid cellularsatellite device, with multiple radios, can provide truly global data access.
In both cellular and satellite, the cost of the radio can be high relative to the rest of the device,
and the radios general consume substantially more electrical energy to transmitthe data range
is relatively long. For example, it would not be practical to equip low-cost sensors or simple IoT
application devices with cellular or satellite transports. These would be far better served by the
short-range wireless technologies such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, etc.
There is one other concern with cellular technologies: the longevity of deployment is driven by
smartphone users. Thus, the technologies evolve relatively rapidly and devices using cellular
services must be replaced after some period of timelonger than typical smartphone user
turnover, but less than older traditional wired technologies
Short-Range Wireless
In many IoT/M2M applications, short-range wireless data technologies such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi,
ZigBee, etc., are in common use. For certain consumer IoT applications that only transmit to
a nearby smartphone belonging to an individualsuch as fitness application devicesusing
Bluetooth and low-power Wi-Fi are common choices. These allow the users to gather data via
applications on their smartphone. The need to further transmit the data to central servers for
processing is not a paramount requirement but can be done with ease from the smartphone,
if necessary.
Short-range wireless is also relatively low-energy, so battery-powered devices are easily
designed and deployed. In some low-use applications, the battery may last for months or years
before it needs to be replaced. This is a key advantage over cellular and satellite applications
that require far more frequent energy replacements (for example, using rechargeable batteries
that might last a few days).
For many home and business applications, a gateway modem that provides one or more shortrange wireless technologies for deployed sensors and low-power, low-cost, data transmitters
are ideal for a number of IoT/M2M applications. The gateway communicates to the application
servers using cellular or wired ISP connections.
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A number of
operators have opted
to deploy certain
LPWAN technologies
for public access
by IoT and M2M
applications.
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More than 10x to 100x the number of connected devices in use today
Dramatically lower latency (for end-to-end data packets) below a few milliseconds
The ITU has projected that the first set of 5G standards will not be available until 2020, although
work is already underway to discover what solutions and technologiesincluding new radio
encoding protocolswill be needed to meet the 5G requirements.
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CHAPTER 8
Connectivity
Management Platforms
77 CONNECTIVITY
MANAGEMENT PLATFORMS
77 What Is a Connectivity
Management Platform?
Management Platforms
Platform Features
IoT8:Scalability
and Alternative
Technologies
Connectivity
Management
Platforms
TheThe
Definitive
Definitive
Guide
Guide
| The
| The
Internet
Internet
of Things
of Things
for for
Business,
Business,
2nd2nd
Edition.
Edition. CH 7:CH
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CHAPTER 8
Connectivity
Management Platforms
Advanced, diversified, and cost-effective connectivity is integral to the success of Internet of Things
and machine-to-machine communications initiatives. Smart devices and network endpoints generate
unprecedented amounts of data that must be collected, stored, and analyzed to perform IoTdriven business operations and services. These processes involve data transmission using various
connectivity services and technologies that organizations must manage effectively to maximize the
value potential of their IoT deployments.
Connectivity Management Platforms (CMPs) are developed to achieve these goals as IoT companies
and connectivity service providers leverage multiple data communication solutions. This chapter
explores the role of CMPs in the modern IoT infrastructure, IoT organizations, and the evolving IoT
enterprise landscape.
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Connect to
network
through any
transport
Support for
a diverse
set of IoT
applications
Merely keeping IoT deployments connected is a challenge in itself. Even with high signal strength,
IoT networks may be impacted with hardware, firmware, configuration, or application level issues.
Fast and effective issue resolution is dependent upon real-time monitoring and issue-tracking
capabilities. Failure to resolve connectivity issues not only increases operational costs but also
risks system-wide outages and downtime that may lead to reduced non-compliance and legal
implications, as well as customer dissatisfaction and damaged brand reputation.
Organizations need multiple connectivity options as they support global deployments with the
most reliable, cost-effective, high quality, and advanced connectivity services. With multiple service
providers, organizations need to manage multiple agreements and numerous billing and rating
systems. Service providers may use different types of connectivity technologies, which gives rise to
several integration, stability, and performance concerns in an otherwise unified IoT system. These
organizations must also collect, standardize, and analyze data from various platforms to perform
desired IoT operations. Significantly large resource investments and expertise are required to
address these challenges in favor of operating a global IoT network or at least one that leverages
multiple connectivity providers.
Organizations pursuing scalable IoT solutions to yield business growth should therefore proactively
manage and monitor their IoT deployments, connectivity channels, and the other associated
financial, legal, and technical aspects. This capability ensures reliable and high value performance
of IoT systemsregardless of deployment location, network span, and operator diversification.
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CMP Architecture
The CMP plays a vital role in an IoT technology stack, enabling the promised technology and
business functions within the IoT infrastructure. Enterprise users expect single pane of glass
access for multiple connectivity technologies, whether theyre using cellular or Wi-Fi, and the CMP
must also support a diverse set of IoT applications.
Web Portal
Interface
Rest API
Enterprise
Application
Integration (EAI)
BYOC Connectivity
Connected Devices
Figure 17: Architecture of a CMP
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connectivity management. Your CMP should support these diverse and evolving needs as
more functionality is added to your IoT applications.
Open SystemStrong integration with your infrastructure and other enterprise applications
via open APIs.
Flexible Accounts and User AccessProgressive and agile organizations scale teams
rapidly to meet evolving resource requirements. The ability to create and manage new
accounts and streamline user access enables effective connectivity management.
Diagnostics and Fault ResolutionCMPs can extend the monitoring and diagnostic
capabilities of your IoT systems with rich graphical representation of connectivity patterns and
defined performance metrics.
Light Touch IntegrationThe CMP should operate as a standalone tool and connect with
other enterprise applications only when and as required.
Highly Scalable and ElasticYour IoT needs will change. Consider a connectivity
management solution that accommodates these changes.
Without a single-pane-of-glass view for managing multiple connectivity services across different IoT
deployments, organizations risk connectivity issues that present severe business, technology and legal
implications. The traditional practice of using manual processes or individual platforms to manage IoT
connectivity service is both time consuming and ineffective, and CMPs can help solve this issue.
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CHAPTER 9
IoT Analytics
84 IOT ANALYTICS
84 IoT Data and Analytics
85 Types of Analytics
89 Analytics Tools and Languages
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CHAPTER 9
IoT Analytics
This chapter will describe what is meant by analytics in the context of Internet of Things and
machine-to-machine applications. Looking at data and finding meaningful patterns in that data is
the basis of analytics. These patterns could describe the state of the data, predict an outcome,
find correlations between variables, project trends in the data, and more. Analytics is used in
many aspects of business, from marketing to risk management. In this chapter, well discuss
analytics as it relates to IoT/M2M data.
Over time, IoT applications can generate vast amounts of datathis is part of the Big Data
revolution that is much hyped in the media. For example, the Aeris IoT/M2M network manages
traffic from over one billion IoT events each day. The more IoT/M2M data points being transported,
the more sophisticated analytics are needed to understand and gain value from the patterns.
New ways to process and store computing data has made it possible to apply analytics to
business problems faster and at a greater scale than ever before. Successful organizations
take advantage of these tools and analyze the data their IoT/M2M deployments collect so they
can gain insights into everything from how to streamline their manufacturing processes to how
satisfied their customers are.
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TYPES OF ANALYTICS
Analytics can be grouped into four broad categories: Descriptive statistics, diagnostic analytics,
predictive analytics, and prescriptive analytics.
DESCRIPTIVE
ANALYTICS
DIAGNOSTIC
ANALYTICS
PREDICTIVE
ANALYTICS
PRESCRIPTIVE
ANALYTICS
What Happened?
Descriptive Analytics
Descriptive analytics, also called descriptive statistics, gives a numerical representation of the
data that is on hand right now. It provides a way to express in absolute, unambiguous terms, a
quantitative measurement of the current state. This analysis can draw conclusions of data from the
past as well.
In a broad sense, descriptive analysis answers these questions:
What happened?
Knowing the current status of the IoT/M2M data provides a baseline to compare future states
against. It is possible to compare basic data from the past to present, tracking progress.
Descriptive analytical tools can be as simple as tracking website traffic or more complicated such
as cluster analysis in market research.
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Diagnostic Analytics
This type of analytics is often merged with descriptive
analytics, and together they can give data greater interactivity.
Where descriptive analytics asks what happened?,
diagnostic analytics asks why did this happen? The
diagnostic tools can be applied to the data to look for the
root causes behind the results observed in the original data.
Usage-based insurance implemented with vehicle telematics
is one example of descriptive and diagnostic analytics in
action. This type of car insurance bases the drivers insurance
premium rates on behavior that is tracked via a GPS-enabled
cellular transmitter in the car. The distance a person drives,
when, and where are tracked, and this data is used to
calculate the insurance cost.
Usage-based
insurance
implemented with
vehicle telematics
is one example
of descriptive
and diagnostic
analytics in action.
Predictive Analytics
Prediction is one of the main reasons that businesses use analytics in the first place: predictive
analytics provides a means of projecting what will happen next, based on what has happened in
the past. By finding patterns and trends in the data, it may be possible to predict future results.
While assuming future behavior will be the same as past behavior isnt always the case with,
for example, the stock market or consumer purchasing habits, machine behavior is generally
highly predictable. In a factory, vibration and temperature data broadcast from an IoT/M2Mconnected device can indicate, with a high degree of accuracy, when a machine needs preventive
maintenance. Businesses can use predictive analysis in their own IoT/M2M deployments as part of
supply chain management and manufacturing processes to increase efficiencies.
Brake balancing in trucking fleets is a complex and expensive maintenance issue. Without regular
maintenance, the risk of a truck jackknifing is high. It takes a highly trained technician a great deal
of time to check for the combination of brake temperature and pressure on a truck fleet to know
when to make an adjustment to the vehicles brakes.
But in Michael Lawrence-Smiths study, Cooperating Artificial Neural and Knowledge-Based
Systems in a Truck Fleet Brake-Balance Application, he describes how machine-learning
techniques used predictive analysis to improve brake maintenance. These computer-aided
systems have a 90% success rate at predicting when to replace brakes, resulting in an annual
savings of at least $100,000 for larger trucking companies.
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Prescriptive Analytics
Prescriptive analytics is the logical next step from predictive analytics. It asks what a business
should do based on the data collected and analyzed. Prescriptive analytics uses models to both
recommend actions and forecast outcomes to reduce risk.
Much as descriptive and diagnostic analytics work well together, predictive and prescriptive
analytics work hand-in-hand. As past data is used to calculate future results, prescriptive analytics
can be used to make better choices and take advantage of opportunities.
Googles self-driving cars, for example, use prescriptive
analytics to make countless driving decisions, according to
Data Informed. The cars communicate with the cloud using
IoT/M2M systems to obtain data on traffic and weather,
which becomes part of their driving computations. The
vehicles on-board computers apply machine learning to the
problem of what a car should do based upon predictions
of future outcomes. For example, the cars computer may
predict traffic based on the time of day and then determine
what route to take and what speed to travel safely.
Much as descriptive
and diagnostic
analytics work
well together,
predictive and
prescriptive analytics
work hand-in-hand.
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AerVoyance identifies devices with connectivity issues and allows zooming in on a specific device,
time, or usage activity including data, SMS, voice, sessions, cellular registrations, etc. This allows
customers to find specific devices that are behaving abnormally. In addition, there is a summary
view of the device portfolio including billing, usage, and status. This type of connectivity analytics
tool helps businesses understand their aggregate and average connectivity usage over time and
better deployments.
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Planning in advance
for analysis of the
data that will be
collected and stored
is a crucial part of any
IoT/M2M project.
R Language
R is a programming language for statisticians. Common in academic research, R has also become
quite popular with data scientists in the corporate world as business needs for analytics have
grown dramatically.
This language can be used to draw graphs and return the numeric results of algorithms run against
the data. R has functions to let the programmers run different analytics tools against the data. This
makes it easier because it contains packages or functions contributed by different people around
the world as open-source software.
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CHAPTER 10
Implementing
an IoT Solution
91 IMPLEMENTING
AN IOT SOLUTION
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CHAPTER 10
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What are the costs for the entire lifecycle, not just per
Kb rates? Make sure you wont be hit with hidden costs
from your cellular operator that drive up your IoT/M2M
service bill.
Are they carrier-agnostic? Can the service provider expand cellular coverage beyond its
own cell towers? Traditional operators only optimize their cellular coverage based on their
cost of delivery, and they always prefer to use their own towers, even if the coverage
they provide is weak or intermittent. A carrier-agnostic provider, like Aeris, can expand
coverage where needed, and will offer the strongest signal, regardless of operator, with no
interruption in service.
Do they offer remote troubleshooting as well as hands-on support? Cellular carriers with
remote, real-time troubleshooting capabilities can save you significant costs. Also, an
operator with a network operations center support team that deals only with IoT/M2M-related
issues is going to be more knowledgeable about your devices and connectivity issues.
Do they offer a dedicated IoT/M2M network? A network dedicated solely to IoT/M2M traffic
wont experience the delays caused by crowds of consumer handsets. The lower latency of
an IoT/M2M-dedicated network means youll be able to rely on mission-critical transmissions
to get through the first time.
Do they have APIs for easy integration with your existing systems? Can the cellular operator
provide a full suite of free APIs that let you extend the capabilities of your customer-facing
applications and back-office solutions, leveraging business applications such as those from
SAP, Oracle, and PeopleSoft? These applications are integral elements of enterprise resource
planning-based supply chains and are linked to back office systems with APIs.
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Do they offer pay-per-use as well as per-device billing plans? Can the cellular operator offer
rate plans that are flexible enough to meet your needs? When managing IoT/M2M services,
it often makes more sense to go with a pay-per-use plan than with a per-device or fixed-data
plan. Pay-per-use is most cost-effective for lower-usage device profiles. If your devices have
higher-usage levels10 MB or morea per-device data plan is your best option.
These are some of the top-level concerns your company should consider when choosing a
cellular operator. Youll want to partner with a service provider that suits your business needs and
can support your IoT/M2M project over the long term.
DEVICE CERTIFICATION
Devices must be approved or certified to run on the
operators network. For this certification, the focus is
generally on testing the cellular behavior of the device.
One example of this might be the behavior of the retry
algorithm used by the device if it fails to connect to the
application server in your data center. A continuous retry by
thousands of your devices at the same time could overload
the operators network. Implementing a random back-off
algorithm and testing it prior to certification is a better idea.
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Additional
certification may be
required by standards
organizations,
regulatory agencies,
or even your
customers.
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Operator certification is also an opportunity to use the application host server software for
additional tests that stress the interaction between the device and the server. Unusual scenarios,
such as delayed responses from the server (that might be observed during congestion or server
scaling), can be used to see if a device handles them gracefully.
In certain markets, such as the healthcare industry, additional regulations for device performance in
medical environments and data privacy rules may apply. Additional certification may be required by
standards organizations, regulatory agencies (such as the Federal Communications Commission
in the US), or even your customers, particularly if there is end-user integration. Each company
deploying such IoT and M2M applications must determine how to best meet all the regulations
that apply to them.
What should a mobile IoT/M2M device do if it loses cell signal? The device needs to know
when it is appropriate to hold the data in its queue and retry later.
The range of normal operations will vary for each IoT/M2M deployment, so youll need to set initial
parameters for all aspects of the program. Then you can track performance against this baseline
moving forward.
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Should the device assume there will be a connection when needed or should it be able to
queue data for delivery later?
Will the application fire and forget data or will it wait for an acknowledgment? At the network
layer, fire and forget means to use the UDP protocol for transmission.
The general call flow is to establish a connection, transmit data, wait for acknowledgment,
then disconnect. This is generally a TCP protocol implementation.
Does the data need to be encrypted? That can increase the amount of data being sent.
Your developers will need to outline each aspect of the IoT/M2M applications call flow, accounting
for both standard, predictable behaviors and for outliers.
Implementing an IoT/M2M network project requires a great deal of forethought. But this advance
planning pays off in a scalable product with a higher return on investment. The next chapter gives
an overview of how to manage your IoT/M2M projects lifecycle once youve implemented the
network itself.
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CHAPTER 11
IoT Lifecycle
Management
97 IOT LIFECYCLE
MANAGEMENT
97
Planning Checklist
99
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CHAPTER 11
PLANNING CHECKLIST
An IoT/M2M project manager needs to define the
deployments scope from a business point of view as well as
integrating the technical considerations. While you plan for
the intensity of the initial deployment activities, you should
make sure your company invests in a robust connectivity
management platform.
In addition, application and data analytics must be part of
your IoT/M2M program. Key stakeholders should understand
the fixed and recurring costs, while the IT organization needs
to be supportive of the IoT/M2M deployment.
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Product
Design
Product
Testing
End of
Life
Operations
Installation
Product Design
A crucial decision to begin with is whether your company will be manufacturing the IoT/M2M
device itself, assembling it from parts, or purchasing a complete device from a supplier. You must
understand your business needs and whether a customized or off-the-shelf solution is the best fit.
Whichever route you select, youll have to plan for the whole lifecycle of the IoT/M2M product.
Consider the longevity of your productmany IoT/M2M devices are deployed for long periods,
operating 24/7, and possibly for more than 10 years. These devices may also be in rough or
remote locations, so its important to think about the physical durability of the design. Consider
how the device will function under whatever variety of temperatures, humidity, and vibration
specifications it may be subjected to in the field.
Finally, what data do you need to collect and transmit? Different sensors are relevant for different
needs. Some can be used in combination to provide unique results. Whether youre building an
IoT/M2M solution from scratch or from modules or buying a complete device, it all comes down to
having the right sensors. Refer to chapter 4 for an overview of commonly used sensor categories.
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Product Testing
Comprehensive testing is not only important to test the core functionality, its also essential to
ensure the IoT/M2M solution operates correctly over your selected cellular network. This usually
begins with lab testing in a controlled environment. In the lab, engineers typically ensure that the
device has a strong signal level that will provide a high-quality cellular connection and achieve
consistent data rates across the air interface.
This is fine for basic functional testing, but negative test cases should be introduced to force poor
signal quality conditions that are sometimes present in the field and lead to low bandwidth and
long latency conditions. Applications requiring near real-time communication may not operate
correctly under these conditions, so it is critical to consider this when designing the application,
selecting the technology (for example 2G, 3G, and LTE each have different latency characteristics),
and when testing the application.
Field-testing a small device population can provide an indication of how the devices will behave
after launch. Providing you select an appropriate sample size and deployment environments, if
you see a problem with 1% of your devices then, within a margin of error, you are likely to see the
same problem in 1% of your devices after launch. If you can address the problem and get the
problem device count within an acceptable margin, then there should be a high level of confidence
after launch that the percentage of devices with problems will remain manageable.
Installation
Placing the IoT/M2M devices in the field, connecting them
to the network, and provisioning them are key steps to
installing a deployment. Each of these aspects has its
own requirements. Field installation, for example, may be
done by third parties who arent necessarily experienced
with your product, so your developers will need to write
detailed installation procedures. Automated post- installation
verification methods and clear troubleshooting procedures for
installation failures can also be very useful.
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Provisioning
means registering
the device on the
IoT/M2M platform,
such as a cloudbased application.
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Connecting the devices to the network and provisioning them must be done correctly before datacollection can begin. Provisioning means registering the device on the IoT/M2M platform, such
as through a cloud-based application. Once devices are provisioned and on the network, the IoT/
M2M application can begin functioning as designed.
Operations
Once an IoT/M2M deployment is installed, the devices, their applications, and the data generated
have to be managed. For the devices, this includes managing device traffic, analyzing device
performance, troubleshooting problem devices, managing rogue devices, and updating devices
remotely, as well as billing, suspending, and canceling devices. For applications, your operations
plan must account for secure and reliable collection, storage, analysis, and publishing of the IoT/
M2M data produced by all of your devices.
During initial deploymentafter a set of devices are installed and used by end-usersit is a good
idea to verify that the device behavior (transmission patterns, retry algorithms, etc.) is as expected.
Early detection of problems is important, so that serious problems can be fixed before deploying
larger numbers of devices, thus reducing the cost of repair or replacement.
You may also want to track device transmission patterns
and server performance measurements to establish a
baseline for future monitoring. Later, any data transmission
pattern change from the baseline can be an early indicator of
problems. These early measurements also provide guidance
for scalingthe server performance load can be recorded
for future expansion planning. During normal operation,
the device transmission patterns should continue to be
monitored and measured against the patterns recorded
during development and initial deployment.
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OV ER-THE-A IR UPDATE S
IoT/M2M devices will generally need at least one or more application firmware updates during their
lifetimes. Planning for this download is critical to reduce costs. Frequently, devices are deployed
in remote or hard to reach locations, where sending out a technician would be expensive.
Businesses should add over-the-air (OTA) firmware update capabilities to their IoT/M2M devices.
This may require extra hardware components; for example, sufficient memory to hold at least
two images of the firmwareone active and one newas well as code for the download and
verification of the images, restoration of old images, etc. This can add cost to the device but will
be easily justified the very first time an IoT/M2M device needs updating.
Developers can also deploy an incremental update capability, using software that allows
sending smaller chunks of firmware. This uses less memory in the hardware, reduces the
update transmission time, etc., but it can increase the coding support and complexity
required in the device.
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PITFALLS TO AVOID
In general, addressing a problem early, as soon as it arises, is less expensive, particularly if a
device recall is required or a large number of devices must be physically serviced by a technician
for a replacement or firmware update. Some major problems can be avoided if troubleshooting
capabilities are designed into the device, the servers, and the complete IoT/M2M application and
product. This can avoid major cost issues after deployment.
IoT/M2M deployments are not immune to disasters and factors beyond human control. When
a service disruption is inevitable, the IoT/M2M enterprise must guarantee immediate fixes to
the problems affecting its customer base. IoT/M2M solutions can experience both front-end
and back-end service failures at times, so youll need plans in place to deal with the worst.
Your network operator should be able to provide assistance and share its expertise to minimize
downtime, while your customer support staff addresses end-user concerns directly.
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CHAPTER 12
INTERNET OF THINGS
More Connected
Data Analytics
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CHAPTER 12
IoT
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FIRST
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The Internet of Things: Mapping the Value Beyond the Hype, McKinsey Global Institute, June 2015.
IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Internet of Things 2016 Predictions, IDC, November 4, 2015.
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Interoperability is
key to ensuring the
long-term success
of IoT initiatives so
companies need to be
careful when going
with a vendor-specific
solution that may not
play well with others.
Vendors, solutions providers, and distributors will also undergo changes as a result of the lack
of standards. Beyond consolidation in the industry that is typical of any fast-growing, dynamic
sector, IoT companies will move to providing fully connected solutions instead of just products
and services. Additionally, we will see a shift in IoT from technology and vendor-specific solutions
to agnostic solutions. The primary driver for this change is to help reduce the complexity of
incorporating and integrating point solutions which slows down the number of purchases but also
increases the value of the solutions services provided to the customer.
In terms of defining standards, the good news is many organizations are taking leadership roles.
Here are a few groups furthering education, standards, and best practices for creating, integrating,
deploying, and maintaining an IoT program:
The IoT M2M Council (IMC) is focused on proving the business case of the IoT technology to
those that would adopt it. It aims to stand for connectivity as its own global industry and not
viewed through the narrow lens of a technical standard or single vertical industry.
The Automotive Security Review Board (ASRB) is a nonprofit research consortium committed
to mitigating the cybersecurity risks of connected and autonomous vehicles, while
encouraging technological progress and innovation. It is founded by Intel, Aeris, Uber, and
other companies that are paving the path to the connected car of the future.
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) is a healthcare-focused
organization that globally leads endeavors to optimize health engagements and care outcomes
through information technology. Its large membership is representative of the healthcare
industry and is helping shape interoperability standards that will be successfully adopted.
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Security should be
about incremental
changes and
should not pose
a fundamental
challenge that is
insurmountable.
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A world where there are more connected devices than people has already come and gone. As
with any new, fast-growing technology, the Internet of Things is not without challenges. However,
the opportunities are vast, and those that navigate the waters thoughtfully can find great success.
Data
Modeling
Data
Architecture
& Structure
Business
Intelligence
& Reporting
Data
Analytics
Data
Migration
Extract,
Transform
& Load
IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Internet of Things 2016 Predictions, IDC, November 4, 2015.
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Directory of IoT/M2M
Industry Terms
111 DIRECTORY OF IOT/M2M
INDUSTRY TERMS
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1xEV-DO
1xRTT
2.4 GHz
2G
3G
3GPP
3GPP2
4G
The fourth generation of GSM cellular technology and the latest upgrade to
the GSM network, providing greater data transfer speeds. 4G is also referred
to as LTE.
6LoWPAN
802.11ah
New Wi-Fi protocol that uses sub 1 GHz license-exempt bands as opposed to
conventional Wi-Fi that operates in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.
868 MHz
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92 MHz
AAA
ACaaS
Acceleration
Sensing
Accelerometer
Access Control
A system that determines who, when, and where people are allowed to enter
or exit a facility or area. The traditional form of access control is the use of door
locks, but modern access control may include electronic systems and wireless
locks. Access control may also apply to cybersecurity.
Access Control as
a Service (ACaaS)
Access Point
Active Sensor
Actuator
ADAS
Additive
Manufacturing
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Address
Resolution
Protocol (ARP)
Addressability
Advanced Driver
Assistance
Systems (ADAS)
Advanced
Encryption
Standard (AES)
Advanced
Message Queuing
Protocol (AMQP)
Advanced
Metering
Infrastructure
Advanced Mobile
Phone System
(AMPS)
An analog cellular mobile system using FDMA. Analog AMPS has been
supplanted by digital in much of the world.
Amazon Web
Services (AWS)
Ambient Assisted
Living (AAL)
Intelligent systems to assist the elderly and others with daily care activities,
often through IoT technology. Application fields are security (for example,
observation), functionality (such as automated light switches), and even
entertainment.
Ambient
Intelligence
Sensor-filled environments that interpret and react to human events and activity,
and learning to adapt over time, the environments operation and services
change based on that activity.
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AMPS
AMQP
Android Wear
Anomaly
Detection
ANSI-136
ANSI-2000
ANSI-41
ANSI-95
API
Application
Programming
Interface (API)
Application
Software
Programs that enable specific, end-user actions. This means the software uses
the given potential provided by computers to form an application. Examples
include Microsoft Word (text editing), Adobe Photoshop (image editing), and
many other programs.
Application
Specific Sensor
Nodes (ASSN)
Integrating sensors and sensor fusion in a single device, ASSNs have a builtin intelligence to cope with the complexity of applying multiple sensors to a
specific problem such as augmented reality, navigation, positioning, and more.
Bosch Sensortecs BNO055 is an example of an ASSN.
Arduino
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ARP
ASSN
AT Commands
Attention commands, developed by Dennis Hayes, that are used to set data
connections. The set of short string commands allow developers to set up calls
with a modem, as well as perform far more complex tasks. For an example of
an AT command set, take a look at Telits 3G module, the HE910, AT command
directory.
Audio Profile
Augmented Entity
Automated
Identification and
Mobility (AIM)
Technologies
A group of technologies that are used to identify, store, and communicate data.
An example would be a barcode, though there are many technologies in this
area that are used for different services and are often used in combination.
Automatic Call
Delivery
A feature that allows a user or device to receive calls when roaming outside of
the device's home coverage area.
AWS
BAN
Band
Bandwidth
The radios and other equipment at the cell sites that are used to communicate
with the cellular devices.
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Base Station
Controller (BSC)
The equipment that consolidates and controls multiple BS sites (usually, more
than one BS is attached to a BSC).
Base Transceiver
Station (BTS)
Beacons
Big Data
Data sets so large that they cannot be used with traditional database tools. Big
Data often requires massively parallel computing resources to access, curate
and analyze. Big Data analysis techniques are crucial to such disciplines as
spotting business trends and simulation.
BLE
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 4.0
(BLE)
The latest iteration of Bluetooth, also called Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).
It offers lower power use for portable devices and new profiles including
Bluetooth Mesh, a Bluetooth topology that allows devices to be connected
together, sending/repeating commands from the hub to any connected device.
Apples iBeacon is an example of a BLE application, and BLE as many potential
uses for IoT devices.
Bluetooth LE
(BLE)
Bluetooth Low
Energy (BLE)
The latest iteration of Bluetooth, also called Bluetooth 4.0. It offers lower
power use for portable devices and new profiles including Bluetooth Mesh,
a Bluetooth topology that allows devices to be connected together, sending/
repeating commands from the hub to any connected device. Apples iBeacon
is an example of a BLE application, and BLE as many potential uses for IoT
devices.
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Body Area
Network (BAN)
Brick
Enterprise term recognizing that people are bringing their own Wi-Fi enabled
devices into the corporate network.
Broadband
Brownfield
BS
Base Station.
BSC
BTS
Business Logic
BYOD
CAN
CAN Bus
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The type of credit transaction where the merchant never sees the actual card.
CNP has the obvious potential for fraud but is vital for newer services such as
contactless mobile payments.
Carrier
CDMA
Cellular Modem
Allows a device to receive Internet access over the cellular mobile networks.
Devices can also be configured to remotely connect to a server or device to
enable off site access and data collection.
Cellular Router
One of the CxO class of corporate officers, the CIoT coordinates the integration
of IoT into the enterprise. Successful CIoTs will break down silos between
disciplines such as big data, data analytics, security, communications
protocols, etc.
CIoT
Class 1 Bluetooth
Offers a greater wireless data transfer distance (over 100m, up to 1km) through
using greater power consumption (100mW).
Class 2 Bluetooth
Cloud
Or the Cloud, meaning cloud computing. The name cloud comes from
the fluffy cloud typically used in Visio-style network diagrams to represent a
connection to the Internet.
Cloud
Communications
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Cloud Computing
Cloud
Orchestration
The automated management of a cloud. This includes all services and systems
that are part of the cloud as well as the flow of information.
CNP
CoAP
COBie
Code Division
Multiple Access
(CDMA)
Cognitive Vehicles
A term coined by IBM to describe vehicles that will learn from the behaviors of
drivers, occupants, and vehicles around them, plus be aware of the vehicles
own condition and the state of the surrounding environment. A cognitive vehicle
will thus be capable of configuring itself to a specific driver, other occupants,
and various conditions.
Communication
Model
Companion Device
Connected Home
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Constrained
Application
Protocol (CoAP)
This software protocol is used in small electronics devices and serves as the
interactive communication between those devices.
Construction
Operations
Building
Information
Exchange (COBie)
The COBie approach simplifies the capture and recording of building project
handover data, basically by entering things like serial numbers as the project
progresses. COBie breaks down the design into Facility, Floor, Space and Zone
elements. COBie can be displayed in several interoperable formats.
Control Network
Controller Area
Network (CAN)
In automobiles, a CAN connects Electronic Control Units (ECUs) using a multimaster serial bus (the CAN bus) to control actuators or receive feedback from
sensors. ECUs can be subsystems such as airbags, transmission, antilock
brakes, or most importantly, engine control. The standard consists of ISO
11898-1 and ISO 11898-2.
COPE
Corporate Owned,
Personally
Enabled (COPE)
A compromise around pure BYOD, COPE devices allow the user to control
much of the data on the device, but the enterprise controls the security model.
Cortex-A
Cortex-A refers to a series of processors from ARM that are equipped with
ARMv7 and ARMv8 command sets. They are used for applications that require
a lot of processing power, mainly in the areas of mobile handset (smartphones),
computing, digital home, automotive, enterprise, and wireless infrastructure.
Cortex-M
CPS
Cyber-Physical Systems.
CR2032
A battery rated at 3.0 volts commonly used in watches, wireless doorbells, and
other small devices. Sometimes referred to as a button cell or lithium coin,
the battery is shaped like a coin with dimensions of 20mm diameter x 3.2mm
height (from which the 2032 is derived). The CR2032 is twice as thick as the
CR2016.
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Cyber-Physical
Systems (CPS)
Dashboard
Data Center
A collective term for the physical site, network elements, systems, etc., that
supports computing and network services.
Data Janitor
Data Lake
Coined by Pentaho CTO James Dixon, a data lake is a massive data repository,
designed to hold raw data until its needed and to retain data attributes so as
not to preclude any future uses or analysis. The data lake is stored on relatively
inexpensive hardware, and Hadoop can be used to manage the data, replacing
OLAP as a means to answer specific questions. Sometimes referred to as an
enterprise data hub, the data lake and its retention of native formats sits in
contrast to the traditional data warehouse concept.
Data Scientist
Data-Driven
Decision
Management
(DDDM)
Datakinesis
DDDM
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DDS
Degrees of
Freedom (DoF)
De-identification
The stripping away of personally identifiable information from data prior to its
use. The process must include the removal of both direct identifiers (name,
email address, etc.) and the proper handling of quasi-identifiers (sex, marital
status, profession, postal code, etc.).
Demand Response
(DR)
The voluntary reduction of electricity use by end users in response to highdemand pricing. Demand response can reduce electrical price volatility during
peak demand periods and help avoid system emergencies. An example of DR
would be a utility paying Nest to have thermostats turn down air conditioners in
empty homes on a hot day.
Device Attack
DG
Distributed Generation.
Digital Data
Storage (DDS)
This format is used to store computer data on audio tape. It was developed by
HP and Sony in 1989 and is based on the digital audio tape (DAT) format and
was a widely used technology in the 1990s.
DIN Rail
Distributed
Generation (DG)
DL or D/L
Downlink.
DNP3 Protocol
DoF
Degrees of Freedom.
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Domain Model
A model that contains all areas and terms related to a certain field of interest.
It includes attributes, relations, constrains, acts, etc., that are relevant for a
certain task.
Domotics
Downlink (DL or
D/L)
DR
Demand Response.
EAN
ECU
EDGE
E-Health
Electronic Control
Unit (ECU)
Electronic Serial
Number (ESN)
Electrostatic
Discharge (ESD)
This sudden flow of electricity can occur if two electrical objects with different
electrical charge come in contact with each other. The difference in charge is
often due to friction. Sometimes, the short process is accompanied by sparks,
as can be seen with lightning. ESD can lead to severe damage to electrical
devices (such as generators).
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Embedded Device
Hacking
Embedded
Firmware
The flash memory chip that stores specialized software running in a chip in an
embedded device to control its functions.
Embedded
Software
Embedded System
Security
Embrace, Extend,
and Extinguish
EMD
EMI Protocol
EnergyHarvesting
Technologies
Technologies which use small amounts of energy from close proximity to power
small wireless devices. Applications can be found in wireless sensor networks
or wearable tech. Energy sources are, among others, sun, wind, or kinetic
energy.
Enhanced Data
rates for GSM
Evolution (EDGE)
Enterprise Mobile
Duress (EMD)
EPCglobal
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ESD
Electrostatic Discharge.
ESN
EtherCAT
European Article
Number (EAN)
This is used to mark and identify products. Since 2009, it is also called GTIN
(Global Trade Item Number). The number is usually found beneath barcodes
and consists of up to 13 digits (EAN 13 barcode).
EV-DO
Facility
FAKRA
Fast Data
This is the application of Big Data analytics to smaller data sets in near-real or
real-time to solve a problem or create business value.
FDMA
Firmware
The process of updating a mobile phones operating system and software over
the network, rather than having the consumer come into a service center for
updates.
Fitness Band
A type of activity tracker worn on the wrist, with sensors specifically related to
exercise and activity measuring. In contrast to a smartwatch that may include
fitness/activity tracking features, a fitness band is primarily dedicated to
fitness.
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Fleet Management
Fog Computing or
Fogging
Form Factor
FOTA
Firmware Over-the-Air.
FrequencyDivision Multiple
Access (FDMA)
The division of the frequency band allocated for wireless cellular telephone
communication into 30 channels, each of which can carry a voice conversation
or digital data.
Galileo
Gateway
A link between two computer systems or programs. This way they can share
information with each other. The router for your home Internet is one type of
gateway.
Gateway GPRS
Support Node
(GGSN)
General Packet
Radio Service
(GPRS)
Geofence
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Geographic
Information
System (GIS)
GeoJSON
Geotagging
GGSN
GIS
Global Navigation
Satellite System
(GNSS)
Global Positioning
System (GPS)
A system of satellites and radio transmissions that can be used to locate GPS
enabled hardware anywhere on the planet to a very good accuracy.
Global System
for Mobile
communication
(GSM)
This is the most widely used digital cellular network and the basis for mobile
communication such as phone calls and the short message service (SMS).
GLONASS
GNSS
GPRS
GPS
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Greenfield
GSM
GSM MAP
HaaS
Hadoop as a Service.
Hadoop
Hadoop as a
Service (Haas)
Hadoop
Distributed File
System (HDFS)
Handoff
The transfer of a wireless call in progress from one transmission site to another
site without disconnection.
Haptic Technology
or Haptics
HDFS
Heating,
Ventilation, and
Air Conditioning
(HVAC)
HEM
HEMS
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Heterogeneous
Network (HetNet)
Small cell networks using both macro and small cells. HetNets allow mobile
operators to better utilize their data networks capacity.
HetNet
Heterogeneous Network.
High Speed
Downlink Packet
Access (HSDPA)
HLR
Home Automation
Home Energy
Management
Home Energy
Management
System (HEMS)
Equipment and services that optimize energy use in a residential setting while
maintaining comfort. A HEMS includes smart appliances, home gateways,
smart meters, and information exchange with local utilities via a smart grid.
Home Location
Register (HLR)
Host
Computers that provide (or host) certain services or resources within a network
that other participants within the network can then access and use. Hosts are
the hardware basis for servers, as servers are run on hosts. Often times, they
are the central point in a companys data processing process.
HSDPA
HSPA
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HSPA+
HSUPA
HVAC
Hybrid Cloud
A mix of public and private cloud. The distribution of services through private or
public channels is decided upon by the users.
I2C
Inter-Integrated Circuit
IaaS
Infrastructure as a Service.
iBeacon
ICCID
ICT
Identifier
Also just ID, this marks objects for clear identification. Identifiers are usually
letters, words, symbols, or numbers that can also be used to create a code that
reveals a definite identity after it is decoded.
Identity
Identity of Things
(IDoT)
IDoT
Identity of Things.
IEEE 802.11
The family of specifications developed by the IEEE for wireless LAN (WLAN)
communications, first adopted in 1997. The addition of a letter, such as
802.11b, indicates a particular specification.
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IEEE 802.11ac
IEEE 802.11n
IEEE 802.11p
IGES
IGMP
IIoT
IMEI
IMS
IMSI
IMU
Industrial Control
System (ICS)
Computer hardware and software that monitor and control industrial processes
that exist in the physical world, where operator-driven supervisory commands
can be pushed to remote station devices. Industries such as electrical, water,
oil, and gas are typical ICS users.
Industrial Internet
of Things (IIoT)
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Industrial,
Scientific, and
Medical (ISM)
Bands
Industrie 4.0
Industry 4.0
Inertial
Measurement Unit
(IMU)
A MEMS module which measures angular velocity and linear acceleration using
an accelerometer triad and an angular rate sensor triad. Other IMU sensors may
include magnetometers and pressure sensors.
Information and
Communication
Technologies (ICT)
Infrastructure as
a Service (IaaS)
An on-demand business model for IT-capacities. Instead of owning ITinfrastructure or server space, you rent it and pay for it on a per-use basis.
Those capacities are usually owned, maintained, and provided by a cloud
service.
Initial Graphics
Exchange
Specification
(IGES)
Insurance
Telematics
Integrated Circuit
Chip Identifier
(ICCID)
A unique number used to identify a SIM card. ICCIDs are stored in the SIM
cards and are also engraved or printed on the SIM card.
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Intelligent Device
Any type of equipment, instrument, or machine that has its own computing
capability. As computing technology becomes more advanced and less
expensive, it can be built into an increasing number of devices of all kinds. In
addition to personal and handheld computers, the almost infinite list of possible
intelligent devices includes cars, medical instruments, geological equipment,
and home appliances.
Intelligent
Maintenance
System (IMS)
A method that uses the collected data from machinery to predict and prevent
potential failures in that machinery.
Intelligent
Transportation
System (ITS)
Inter-Integrated
Circuit (I2C)
International
Mobile Equipment
Identifier (IMEI)
The unique number used in GSM to identify mobile devices on their individual
operator networks.
International
Mobile Subscriber
Identifier (IMSI)
The unique number used in GSM and CDMA to identify SIM cards on their
individual operator networks.
International
Telecommunications
Union (ITU)
Internet Group
Management
Protocol (IGMP)
Internet of
Everything (IoE)
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Internet of Things
(IoT)
Internet Protocol
Security (IPSEC)
Interoperability
In-Vehicle
Infotainment (IVI)
IoE
Internet of Everything.
IoT
Internet of Things.
IoT Botnet
IoT Healthcare
IoT Privacy
IoT Security
IP Devices
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IPSEC
IPv6
IPv6 Address
IRIDIUM
IS-136
IS-95
ISM Bands
ITS
ITU
IVI
In-Vehicle Infotainment.
JavaScript Object
Notation (JSON)
Used as a lightweight alternative to XML for organizing data, JSON is textbased and human-readable. The format uses name : object pairs to organize
the data.
JSON
Kevin Ashton
The man who first coined the phrase Internet of Things in 1999. Mr. Ashton
cofounded MITs Auto-ID Center which created a global standard system for
RFID.
L2TP
LAN
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Layer 2 Tunneling
Protocol (L2TP)
LED
Light-Emitting Diode.
Light-Emitting
Diode (LED)
Link Budget
LLN
Local Area
Network (LAN)
Long Term
Evolution (LTE)
/ 4G
LTE, often referred to as 4G, is the latest cellular network type, offering superior
data transfer speeds than its predecessor, 3G, and its part of the GSM
upgrade path. Portable devices can now access data at high-speed broadband
speeds through LTE. Depending on where in the world you are, LTE may be
implemented using different frequency bands. For example, European LTE uses
700/800/900/1800/2600 MHz bands, where North America uses 700/750/800/8
50/1900/1700/2100(AWS)/2500/2600 MHz.
These networks are built specifically for M2M communications and offer
long-range, low-power consumption. They solve cost and battery-life issues
that cellular technology cannot, and LPWA networks solve range issues that
technologies like Bluetooth or BLE struggle with.
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Low Power
Wireless Sensor
Network
LPWA
LTE
M2M
Machine-to-Machine.
M2P
Machine-to-Person.
MAC
Machine
Authentication
Machine Data
Machine-toMachine (M2M)
A broad term describing technology that allows for one connected device
to communicate and exchange information with another connected device,
without the assistance of a human.
Machine-toPerson (M2P)
Describes the analytics for big data in a human readable form (e.g.,
dashboards).
MapReduce
A parallel processing model for handling extremely large data sets. First, a
Map process runs to reduce a data set to key value pairs (in tuples), and then a
second Reduce process combines those pairs into a smaller set of tuples. First
introduced by Google, MapReduce is a concept central to Hadoop.
MCU
MicroController Unit.
MDN
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Mechatronics
Media Access
Control (MAC)
The layer 2 in a network that allows the physical medium (radio waves or wire
signals) to be organized to pass data back and forth. For low-rate data wireless
applications, the MAC has many implications on performance.
MEID
MEMS
Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems.
Mesh Networking
or Mesh Network
Topology
Message Broker
Message Queue
Telemetry
Transport (MQTT)
Message-Oriented
Middleware (MOM)
mHealth
MicroController
Unit (MCU)
A full computer on a single chip. The chip contains a CPU, a clock, non-volatile
memory for the program (ROM or flash), volatile memory for input and output
(RAM), and an I/O control unit.
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Micro-ElectroMechanical
Systems (MEMS)
MIMO
MMS
MNO
Mobile Directory
Number (MDN)
The number a user would dial to reach a specific mobile phone. Used in CDMA
conceptually similar to the MSISDN in GSM.
Mobile Equipment
Identifier (MEID)
Mobile Network
Operator (MNO)
Mobile Station
(MS)
Mobile Station
International
Subscriber
Directory Number
(MSISDN)
The telephone number to the SIM card in a mobile phone. Used in GSM
conceptually similar to the MDN in CDMA.
Mobile Switching
Center (MSC)
Mobile Virtual
Network Operator
(MVNO)
Modbus
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MOM
Message-Oriented Middleware.
Mote
Short for Remote. A mote is a wireless transceiver that also acts as a remote
sensor.
MQTT
MS
Mobile Station.
MSC
MSISDN
Multimedia
Messaging Service
(MMS)
Multiple DoF
Sensing
Multiple-Input and
Multiple-Output
(MIMO)
A radio technology using multiple antennas at both the transmitter and receiver
to improve communication performance. MIMO is an important part of wireless
communication standards such as IEEE 802.11n (Wi-Fi).
Nagios
Near Field
Communication
(NFC)
Nearables
Coined for the similarity to wearables, this describes items with nearby
tracking devices, or beacons, attached to them. Nearables can communicate
with smart devices, such as smartphones, to let the user interact with objects in
their vicinity.
NFC
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OBE
On-Board Equipment.
On-Board
Equipment (OBE)
Open Source
A type of software where the source code is available and can be modified and
freely redistributed. Open source is the opposite of closed, proprietary systems.
Many developers insist that IoT must have open standards to reach its full
potential.
Open VPN
Operational
Technology (OT)
Operator
PaaS
Platform as a Service.
PAN
Part 90 Bands
Small parts of the RF spectrum that are made available in small areas to
businesses for data or voice communications. Many smart grid providers use
part 90 licenses for their wireless data.
Passive Sensor
A device that detects and responds to some type of input from the physical
environment.
PCB
PDR
PDU
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Pedestrian Dead
Reckoning (PDR)
A method of indoor positioning that uses a last known waypoint, distance, and
direction of travel to calculate the current location of a moving person. PDR
may be used to supplement other positioning methods such as GPS. Dead
reckoning is subject to cumulative errors.
Pen Testing or
Pentest
Penetration Testing.
Penetration
Testing
PERS
Personal Area
Network (PAN)
Personal
Emergency
Response System
(PERS)
Personal
Protection Drone
(PPD)
Pervasive
Computing
Photoplethysmogram (PPG)
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Platform as a
Service (PaaS)
A platform that provides web developers with the infrastructure they need to
develop and run an application.
PoE
Point-to-Point
Tunneling
Protocol (PPTP)
Power Distribution
Unit (PDU)
Power over
Ethernet (PoE)
PPD
PPG
Photoplethysmogram.
PPTP
Preboot Execution
Environment
(PXE)
Preferred
Roaming List
(PRL)
Printed Circuit
Board (PCB)
A plastic board made for connecting electronic components together and used
in most computers and electronics.
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Private Cloud
Information technology services supplied via the cloud but only within a single
organization, for example, one company.
PRL
Public Cloud
Information technology services supplied via the cloud that are public and
made available for everyone.
Pulse Oximeter
PXE
Python
Python Script
Interpreter
A tool that lets you run Python code, something which is now being seen
embedded directly into devices such as cellular modules.
QoS
Quality of Service.
Quality of Service
(QoS)
Different services that regulate data transfer priorities to identify and control
the quality with which a service can be accessed by users. This is especially
important if a certain quality (for example, bandwidth) has to be guaranteed to
ensure the functionality of a service.
Quantified Self
A movement that started in 2007 that uses modern technical advances to gain
more insight into ones own life by collecting data relating to, among other
things, health and emotions. This data is then used to improve a persons
lifestyle and state of mind.
Quantum Sensor
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Radio
Fingerprinting
Radio Frequency
(RF)
Radio Frequency
Identification
(RFID)
Generally speaking, this is the use of strong radio waves to excite enough
current in a small tag to send a radio transmission back. It works over short
range and only for small amounts of data.
RADIUS
Remote
Authentication
Dial-In User
Service (RADIUS)
Remote
Monitoring and
Control
Remote Sensing
Representational
State Transfer
(REST)
REST
RESTful Web
Services
Web services that are realized within the REST architecture are called RESTful
Web Services. Also see REST.
RF
Radio Frequency.
RF Geolocation
A general term that applies to finding a radio transceiver with another. GPS
is a good example. A good rule to remember is that to do RF geolocation well,
you need a large RF bandwidth.
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RF Sensitivity
The minimum magnitude of input signal you need based on a specified signalto-noise ratio to achieve at minimum error rate.
RFID
RFID Tagging
Roaming
Using a wireless device in an area outside its home coverage area. There is
often an additional charge for roaming.
SaaS
Software as a Service.
SBC
SCADA
SDN
Software-Defined Networking.
SDO
Sensor
Sensor Analytics
Sensor Fusion
The process of combining and processing the raw data coming out of multiple
sensors to generate usable information. For example, because of the quantity
of sensors, a NASA un-crewed vehicle on Mars requires sensor fusion to detect
if there has been a failure.
Sensor Hub
A technology that connects sensor data and processes them. This way the hub
does part of a processors data-processing job.
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Serial Peripheral
Interface (SPI)
SGSN
Shock Sensing
Short Message
Service Center
(SMSC)
Also called Short Message Center (SMC), this is the network element in a
mobile telephone network that stores, forwards, converts, and delivers SMS
messages.
Short Messaging
System (SMS)
A feature of mobile devices that allows transmission of short text messages via
standardized communications protocols.
SIGFOX
SIM
Simple (or
Streaming) Text
Oriented Message
Protocol (STOMP)
Simple Object
Access Protocol
(SOAP)
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Single Board
Computer (SBC)
SMA
SubMiniature version A.
Smart Buildings
Buildings that try to minimize costs and environmental impact. This is achieved
by connected systems and efficient use of energy through new, automated
technology that intelligently responds to certain circumstances (available solar
energy, temperature inside the building, etc.).
Smart Car
An automobile that uses technology to support the driver and create a safer
traffic environment. Different systems (inside and outside of the car) are
connected and communicate with each other to allow intelligent intervention in
dangerous situations and more fluid traffic.
Smart Cities
Smart Grid
Smart Home
Smart Label
Smart Meter
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Smartwatch
A wristwatch, generally with a display, that interacts with the wearer and can
communicate with a network wirelessly (the device may have a USB connection
for charging and other functions). Many smartwatches have MEMS and
physiological sensors, such as ECG and skin temperature thermometers.
SMS
SMSC
SOAP
SoC
System on a Chip.
Social Web of
Things
Software as a
Service (Saas)
Software-Defined
Network (SDN)
Spaced Repetition
SPaT
SPI
SS7
Signaling System 7.
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Standards
Development
Organization
(SDO)
Steel Collar
STOMP
Structure
Attenuation
The loss in intensity of radio waves through a medium (like radio waves through
a brick wall).
SubMiniature
version A. (SMA)
A type of connector commonly used with antenna, giving you male and female
coaxial cable connectors that connect with a screw head.
Subscriber
Identity Module
(SIM)
Subscriber
Identity Module
(SIM)
Supervisory
Control and
Data Acquisition
(SCADA)
SX1272
SX1276
Follow on to SX1272 from Semtech, and this part includes frequency coverage
for more unlicensed bands worldwide and several modes that increase receive
sensitivity.
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System on a Chip
(SoC)
TaaS
Things as a Service.
TCP/IP
TDMA
Telematics
Terrestrial
Trunked Radio
(TETRA)
TETRA
Thing, in the
Internet of Things
Thingbot
Something with an embedded system and an Internet connection that has been
co-opted by a hacker to become part of a botnet of networked things.
ThingManager
Things as a
Service (TaaS)
The concept of delivering IoT functionality without the end user having to
operate or maintain extensive hardware. For example, services such as Hadoop
can be delivered in the cloud to receive and process the data generated by IoTenabled sensor networks.
THNGMNGR
ThingManager.
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Thread
Tilt Sensing
Time Division
Multiple Access
(TDMA)
Transceiver
Transmission
Control Protocol/
Internet Protocol
(TCP/IP)
Transparent
Computing
Transponder
TV Whitespace
A new FCC program that makes unused TV station bands available for
temporary and controlled use in a small geographic area. This is used mostly by
rural Internet service providers and wireless microphone providers.
UART
UBI
Usage-Based Insurance.
Ubiquitous
Computing
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UL or U/L
Uplink.
Ultra-Wide Band
A spark gap transmitter that emits a very weak, very wide (in frequency)
pulse of RF energy. This signal is used mostly for localizing signals. Wide signal
bandwidths are good for measuring distance.
UMTS
Uniform Resource
Identifier (URI)
Uniform Resource
Locator (URL)
A particular type of URI that targets web pages so that when a browser
requests them, they can be found and served to users.
Universal
Asynchronous
Receiver/
Transmitter
(UART)
Universal
Authentication
Universal Mobile
Telecommunications
System (UMTS)
Also referred to as 3G cellular technology, this is the third iteration of the GSM.
It achieves improved data transfer speeds over 2G by adding additional higher
frequency bands (2100MHz).
URI
URL
Usage-Based
Insurance (UBI)
Also called Pay as You Drive (PAYD), UBI bases the insurance rate on predefined variables including distance, behavior, time, and place. The data
gathering and telematics can be provided by a black box in the vehicle, a
dongle-type device, or even a smartphone.
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V2I
Vehicle-to-Infrastructure.
V2V
Vehicle-to-Vehicle.
V2X
Vehicle-toInfrastructure
(V2I)
Vehicle-to-Vehicle
(V2V)
Using a region of the 5.9 GHz band, V2V systems allow vehicles to
communicate with each other and with roadside stations. Networks of vehicles
can help avoid congestion, find better routes, and aid law enforcement.
Vehicle-to-Vehicle
Communication
(V2V
Communication)
Vibration Sensing
Video Motion
Detection (VMD)
Video Surveillance
as a Service
(VSaaS)
A managed data service that transfers the monitoring and storage of video to
the cloud. VCaaS streamlines security operations by centralizing IT and requires
no capital investment in servers but has heavy bandwidth requirements.
Virtual Power
Plant (VPP)
Virtual Private
Network (VPN)
A secure system for users to send and receive data across shared or public
networks. This is accomplished through encryption or protocols that act as if
the users devices were directly connected to the private network.
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Virtual Sensor
These sensors use data to gather information that would not be measurable by
a single device. This way they can attain information that cant be measured
directly.
Visited Location
Register (VLR)
VLR
VMD
VPN
VPP
VSaaS
WAN
WAP
WAVE
Wearables
or Wearable
Technology
Wide Area
Network (WAN)
Wi-Fi
Wireless Fidelity.
Wireless Access
in Vehicular
Environments
(WAVE)
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Wireless
Application
Protocol (WAP)
A protocol for wireless devices allowing the user to view and interact with data
services. Often used to support Internet access and Web browsing on mobile
phones.
Wireless Fidelity
(Wi-Fi)
This is a common form of local area network which operates on the 2.4 GHz
band. Its popularity has led to a wide variety of devices to become Wi-Fi
enabled, including smartphones, cameras, vehicles, and household appliances.
Wi-Fi can be embedded into a device through designing in a Wi-Fi module.
Wristop
ZigBee
Small range wireless networking protocol that primarily operates on the 2.4 GHz
frequency spectrum. ZigBee devices connect in a mesh topology, forwarding
messages from controlling nodes to slaves, which repeat commands to other
connected nodes. Due to its low power consumption and low data rate, ZigBee
has been used in applications such as traffic management, wireless light
switches, and industrial device monitoring.
Z-Wave
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IoT
IoTApplication
Application
AnAn
application
application
provides
provides
the
the
IoT
IoT
solutions
solutions
intelligence.
intelligence.
It It
acts
acts
upon
upon
the
the
device
device
toto
manifest
manifest
functionality
functionality
inin
real-time.
real-time.
It It
also
also
orchestrates
orchestrates
data
data
flows
flows
and
and
invokes
invokes
analytics
analytics
to/from
to/from
the
the
device.
device.
COMPONENTS
COMPONENTS
OF OF
ANAN
IOTIOT
SOLUTION
SOLUTION
Collaboration
Collaboration
& Processes
& Processes
(incl.
(incl.
integration
integration
withwith
people,
people,
business
business
processes
processes,
& systems)
& systems)
Applications
Applications
Applications
Applications
Management
Management
(data
(data
access,
access,
visualization,
visualization,
runtime
runtime
library)
library)
Data
Data
Analytics
Analytics
(rules,
(rules,
datadata
analysis,
analysis,
business
business
logic)
logic)
Data
Data
Ingestion,
Ingestion,
Storage
Storage,
& Transformation
& Transformation
Connectivity
Connectivity
& Device
& Device
Management
Management
(multiple
(multiple
technology
technology
management
management
for for
remote
remote
administration)
administration)
Network
Network
(Cellular,
(Cellular,
Wi-Fi,
Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth,
Bluetooth,
LPWA,
LPWA,
etc.)etc.)
Machines,
Machines,
Devices
Devices,
& Sensors
& Sensors
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INDUSTRIES/VERTICALS
USE CASES
EXAMPLE DEVICES
Healthcare
Industrial
Transportation
Retail
Cities
Smart Enterprise
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LiIon Battery
AAA/AA Batteries
UltraCapacitors
Microbatteries
Power Management Unit
Energy Harvesting
Boost Converters
POWER MANAGEMENT
CIRCUIT
ENERGY HARVESTER
POWER CIRCUIT
MANAGEMENT
BATTERY
RADIO
TRANCEIVER
MODULE
WIFI
MODULE
BLUETOOTH
ACCELEROMETER
SIGNAL
PROCESSING
ULP
CELLULAR
ZIGBEE
LIGHT
SENSOR
IMAGE
SENSOR
TEMP
SENSOR
MAGNETOMETER
GYRO
SENSOR MODULE
RF MODULE
Bluetooth LE
Cellular (GSM,
CDMA, LTE)
LoRaWAN
Z-Wave
6LoWPAN
Signal Processing
Unit
PRESSURE
SENSOR
WiFi
NFC-Near Field
Communication
Neul
Sigfox
Thread
Radio Transceiver
Duplexer
Humidity Sensors
Light Sensors
Magnetometers
Micro Flow Sensors
Position & Angle Sensors
Proximity /Presence
Sensors
Speed Sensors
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Fleet Example
Internet
GPS Satellite
Fleet Management
Server
Users / Client
GPS/GPRS
Network
Fleet
Internet
Vending Management
Server
Delivery van
Vending machine
Warehouse / Logistics
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Mobile phone
users
Visualizing the IoT
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