The number of IoT devices is rapidly increasing. These days, there are around 7 billion IoT devices all over the world, but the figure is expected to grow by over 3x to 25.44 billion total IoT devices by 2030.
In addition, this technology is noticing significant growth — the industry is expected to be worth over $1 trillion by 2024.
Companies integrate IoT technology into everyday life. They start collecting information and automating routine tasks to speed up business processes and save employees’ time on routine tasks.
IoT is beneficial for various industries — from logistics to healthcare — due to a bunch of sensors, scanners, wearables, and other connected instruments.
So, the question arises — how to integrate IoT into a company’s business processes? What IoT communication standards and protocols are better to use in 2023?
In this guide, you can find answers along with basic information on how IoT devices work.
IoT Devices: How They Work?
The Internet of Things technology connects physical devices and objects to reach primary goals — information exchange and communication.
IoT devices have already become a part of people’s lives. Humans take the most out of this technology with the following devices:
- industrial sensors (e.g., temperature sensors);
- medical devices (e.g., pacemakers, insulin pumps).
- smart home appliances (e.g., thermostats, lighting systems, security cameras);
- wearables (e.g., fitness trackers, smartwatches).
These objects allow for saving time for people at home, e.g. a robot vacuum cleaner cleans the house when the family is out, and at work, e.g. a sensor changes the temperature in the warehouse based on the pre-written instructions.
But how does IoT connectivity work?
This technology has several components:
- Sensors/scanners. There are a lot of sensors and scanners integrated into IoT devices to monitor changes in the environment (e.g. humidity control) and perform actions, depending on the collected data.
- Connectivity protocols. Remove devices can communicate and exchange information, using different channels like — Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular networks (4G/5G), LoRaWAN, Zigbee, and others.
- Application protocols. There are many standards and protocols like MQTT, CoAP, or HTTP that help ensure seamless IoT communication between devices.
- Data processing services. IoT devices can process collected information on-premises or in the cloud. Usually, the choice depends on business specifications and requirements.
- User interface. To monitor the device status and give commands, IoT devices need to have a mobile app or a web interface. Some devices can also have a dedicated interface.
IoT Communication Protocols and Standards to Consider in 2023
IoT protocols can be divided into two separate categories:
- IoT data protocols (Application layers)
- IoT network protocols (Physical layers)
Let’s figure out the details.
IoT Data Protocols
IoT data protocols are mostly used to connect low-powered IoT devices. They need no Internet connection to ensure communication between devices since IoT data protocols use wired or cellular networks.
For example, MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport). This IoT protocol was developed for devices with limited processing power and battery life, often operating in unstable, high-latency, and low-bandwidth network conditions. To put it simply, MQTT is perfect for scenarios with connection problems.
For example, MQTT Client refers to a management center that allows administer and monitor MQTT setup. As a result, it’s possible to get detailed information about all connected MQTT clients, visualize your topic tree, manage HA clusters, and more.
To give your a better idea about IoT data protocols, there are several more examples:
- Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol. XMPP is a flexible data transfer protocol that focuses on instant message technologies like Messenger and Google Hangouts. It’s primarily used to establish machine-to-machine (M2M) communication between IoT devices.
- Advanced Message Queuing Protocol. AMQP is another application layer protocol that is used for transitional messages between servers. It provides a high security and reliability level but isn’t suitable for IoT sensor devices.
- Constrained Application Protocol. CoAP provides secure communication between IoT devices and ensures data transmission between several points. This IoT data protocol is also used for machine-to-machine communication, even for low-energy devices.
- HyperText Transfer Protocol. HTTP has a lot of drawbacks, including battery life, cost, consumption of power, and more. It’s not usually the first choice, but this application layer protocol can publish a large amount of information. For example, it can connect your PC and 3-D printer.
IoT Network Protocols
Let’s move on with the IoT network protocols. They connect IoT devices over the network and are used over the Internet.
Below you can find several examples:
- Wi-Fi networks are widely utilized in the IoT industry since they are available and offer medium-range communication. In addition, the 802.11 standard provides a larger data range compared to other protocols.
- Bluetooth is actively used to connect devices in a short range. For example, it’s a perfect fit for small devices like smartphones and wearables. Bluetooth Low Energy was designed specifically for the IoT industry, so it provides even more benefits for devices with small battery capacity.
- Cellular networks (4G/5G) allow transmitting information fast and securely (especially with the 5G technology). Moreover, several IoT devices can be connected simultaneously. On the other hand, this IoT network protocol tends to be the most expensive.
- LoRaWAN, or Long Range Wide Area Network, was developed for IoT devices that require long-range communication, but have small battery capacity. This protocol is considered as secure and reliable but offers very slow information rates.
As you can see, there are a lot of IoT standards and protocols that can be used to connect IoT devices and establish stable communication. It’s impossible to say what protocol to choose since they cover various needs and requirements.
Usually, IoT devices combine several Internet of Things protocols, so devices can decide which to choose. It allows for saving money while still ensuring uninterrupted connectivity.
Choosing the IoT protocol, companies have to focus on their requirements. For example, data exchange speed can be a crucial point, so it’s better to choose Wi-Fi or cellular networks. If it’s necessary to support several devices at once, you need to pick LoRaWAN.
A lot of factors can affect the final choice, so it’s better to evaluate every available IoT protocol on the market and consider device and region peculiarities before choosing the right one.
Author‘s bio:
As an accomplished technology enthusiast, Laurenz Dallinger has a strong interest in digital transformation, with a particular focus on IoT. His commitment to advancing the field of device communication is evident in his work as a speaker and exhibitor at events like the Ars Electronica Museum. As a valued member of the Cedalo team, the company behind the top MQTT broker, Laurenz is passionate about sharing his knowledge and ideas with developers seeking new and efficient ways of communicating with devices.
