The Connected World: IoT

Ever wondered if your thermostat could actually talk with your smart lights about the perfect ambiance for movie night? That’s the cool reality of the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT links up everyday objects like toaster, lights, speaker, fan, vehicles etc, so they can swap data and make our routines smoother and smarter.

But let’s get technical without the yawns.

IoT is a network of physical objects embedded with electronics, software, and sensors. These smart devices collect and exchange data, creating a web of interconnected things. The goal? “Connect the unconnected.” It’s about making dumb objects smart and lonely devices social. Instead of each device operating in isolation, they’ll work together to enhance our daily lives. Instead of viewing IoT as a single technology domain, it is good to view it as an umbrella of various concepts, protocols, and technologies, all of which are at times somewhat dependent on a particular industry.

IoT’s birth is often dated to 2008–2009 when internet-connected devices surpassed the global population. Kevin Ashton coined the term “Internet of Things” in 1999 while at Procter & Gamble, originally describing a concept to link the company’s supply chain to the internet. Ashton later expanded this idea, suggesting that IoT essentially gives computers sensory capabilities.

IoT and Digitization

These 2 tech buzzwords that often get mixed up like socks in a laundry machine. IoT is like giving your toaster a smartphone — it’s all about connecting everyday objects to the internet. Picture your fridge texting you about expired milk. That’s IoT in action! Whereas Digitization is more like turning your grandma’s recipe book into a GenZ cooking app. It’s taking analog stuff and making it digital.

While IoT focuses on making things chat with each other, digitization is the broader process of turning everything into ones and zeros.

Remember: IoT connects things, digitization turns things digital.

Convergence of OT and IT

• IT and OT represent two distinct yet increasingly converging domains in the digital ecosystem. IT (Information Technology) focuses on managing and securing data flow across organizational networks, encompassing systems like email servers, databases, and cloud services. It prioritizes data integrity, confidentiality, and availability.
• OT (Operational Technology), conversely, is centred on monitoring and controlling physical processes and devices. It interfaces directly with industrial control systems (ICS), SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems, and various sensors and actuators. OT’s primary concerns are system reliability, safety, and real-time performance in industrial environments.

Machine to Machine (M2M) IoT Standardized architecture

M2M (Machine to Machine) refers to autonomous inter-device communication systems that operate without human intervention, no matter what devices or channels they use.

In 2013, ETSI and its collaborators initiated a pivotal project to standardize M2M and IoT systems. They adopted a layered architecture approach, reminiscent of the OSI model, to create a modular and flexible framework. This stratified design enables independent evolution of system components, facilitating scalability and interoperability in complex IoT ecosystems.

Applications Layer

The oneM2M architecture excels at linking IoT devices with their respective applications. This layer focuses on the protocols and APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that enable seamless communication between applications and IoT devices. APIs are essentially the bridges that allow different software systems to work together smoothly. In this layer, oneM2M strives to standardize these APIs to enhance integration with Business Intelligence (BI) systems, which analyse data to support informed business decisions.

Applications in the IoT world are often tailored to specific industries like healthcare, smart homes, or industrial automation. Each industry has unique data models and needs, so these applications operate as vertical entities within their own context. They use specialized data structures and protocols to ensure they function effectively in their specific environments.

Services Layer

The Services Layer underpins industry-specific applications by offering a unified infrastructure. oneM2M aims to establish a common M2M Service Layer that can be integrated into various hardware and software, connecting multiple devices to application servers. This layer includes management protocols that set the rules for overseeing and controlling devices and networks. It also covers backhaul communications, linking smaller networks to a larger core network through technologies like cellular networks, MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching), or VPNs (Virtual Private Networks).

On top of this infrastructure sits the common services layer, which provides middleware and APIs that facilitate third-party services and applications. Middleware acts as the connective tissue between different systems or applications, enabling smooth communication.

Network Layer

The Network Layer handles the communication between IoT devices, encompassing both the devices themselves and the networks that link them. This layer includes wireless mesh technologies, such as IEEE 802.15.4, designed for short-range, low-rate wireless personal area networks, and wireless point-to-multipoint systems like IEEE 802.11ah, which supports longer-range wireless connections. Wired connections are also covered, including IEEE 1901 standards for communication over power lines using existing electrical infrastructure.

Devices in this layer can interact directly or through a field area network (FAN) to reach specific IoT applications. The gateway device, an integral component of this layer, serves as a bridge between local device networks and the broader core network.

IoTWF

In 2014, the IoT World Forum (with input from Cisco, IBM, Rockwell Automation, and others) released a seven-layer IoT architecture model. This model provides a simplified view of IoT, incorporating edge computing, data storage, and access.

Layer 1: Physical Devices & Controllers

This foundational layer includes all the physical “things” in the IoT, such as sensors, actuators, and endpoint devices. These devices vary in size from tiny sensors to large industrial machinery and are responsible for generating data.

Functions:

• Data Generation: Produces raw data from various physical processes and environments.
• Network Accessibility: Enables devices to be queried or controlled over a network.

Layer 2: Connectivity

The Connectivity layer ensures reliable and timely data transmission from physical devices to the broader IoT network. It encompasses all networking elements required to transfer data efficiently between devices and other system components.

Functions:

• Data Transmission: Facilitates the movement of data from devices to the network.
• Networking Elements: Includes last-mile networks, gateways, and backhaul networks to ensure smooth data flow.
• Bridge Communication: Acts as an intermediary, linking devices to the larger IoT network.

Layer 3: Edge Computing

Also known as the “fog” layer, Edge Computing focuses on processing data close to where it’s generated, rather than sending raw data to a central location.

Functions:

• Data Reduction: Filters and aggregates data to minimize the volume that needs to be transmitted, reducing network load and storage demands.
• Early Processing: Performs initial analysis near the data source, handling tasks like anomaly detection, data normalization, and preliminary analytics. This ensures that only relevant and processed information is sent forward, enabling quicker decision-making.
• Latency Reduction: By processing data locally, this layer significantly cuts down the time required to derive actionable insights. This is particularly vital for applications requiring real-time responses, such as industrial automation, autonomous vehicles, and smart grids.

Layer 4: Data Accumulation

This layer is responsible for capturing and storing data to make it accessible for applications when needed.

Functions:

• Data Capture: Collects data and retains it for later use.
• Data Conversion: Transforms event-based data into a format suitable for query-based processing.

Layer 5: Data Abstraction

This layer ensures the integration of data from multiple sources while maintaining consistent semantics and verifying data completeness.

Functions:

• Data Reconciliation: Harmonizes various data formats to ensure consistency.
• Data Verification: Confirms that the data set is complete and accurate.
• Data Consolidation: Uses virtualization to integrate data into one or more storage locations.

Layer 6: Application

The Applications layer leverages software to interpret and analyse the data, enabling actionable insights and decision-making.

Functions:

• Data Interpretation: Uses applications to derive meaning from the data.
• Monitoring and Control: Oversees and manages operations based on the analysed data.
• Reporting: Generates reports and visualizations to inform stakeholders.

Layer 7: Collaboration & Processes

This layer focuses on sharing application information and coordinating IoT processes, which are essential for realizing the full benefits of IoT.

Functions:

• Information Sharing: Disseminates application data across various processes.
• Collaboration: Facilitates multi-step communication and collaboration on IoT data.
• Business Process Enhancement: Drives changes in business processes to leverage IoT advantages effectively.

This was all about the layers and super basic stuff. See you next Thursday with some more exciting knowledge.