The Internet of Things, by its very nature, means that devices from different manufacturers using different communication protocols will be able to exchange data. This will allow you to connect devices or entire processes that previously could not interact.
Smart city, smart grid, smart building, smart home...
Most intelligent systems have either emerged as a result of interoperability or have been greatly improved with it. An example is predictive maintenance of construction equipment. Whereas in the past one could empirically expect maintenance based on the use of equipment, this information is now supplemented by data from devices such as vibration or temperature sensors built directly into the machine.
Data exchange can be carried out either directly between network participants, or through gateways, as in the case of data transfer using various communication technologies.
Gateways
Gateways are sometimes referred to as edge devices, similar to off-site sensors that can store incoming data in the cloud in the event of a communication failure with the IoT platform. In addition, they can also process the data to reduce its volume and transmit only those values ββto the IoT platform that show some anomaly or exceed acceptable limits.
A special type of gateway is the so-called data concentrator, whose task is to collect data from connected sensors and then forward them over another type of connection, for example, by wire. A typical example is a gateway that collects data from multiple calorimeters using IQRF technology installed in a building's boiler room, which is then sent to an IoT platform using a standard IP protocol such as MQTT.
Devices based on direct communication are mainly single-purpose sensors, such as pulse sensors, designed for electricity meters, which can be equipped with SIM cards. On the other hand, devices using gateways include, for example, Bluetooth Low Energy sensors that measure indoor carbon dioxide levels.
Wireless network
In addition to standard and widespread proprietary public communications technologies such as SigFox or 3G/4G/5G mobile networks, IoT devices also use wireless local area networks built for a specific purpose, such as collecting data from air pollution sensors. For example LoRaWAN. Anyone can build their own network, but it's important to remember that they are also responsible for maintaining and maintaining it, which can be challenging given that these networks operate on unlicensed bands.
Benefits of using public networks:
- simple network topology when it comes to deploying IoT devices;
- simplification of connection maintenance;
- the operator is responsible for the functionality of the network.
Disadvantages of using public networks:
- dependence on the network operator makes it impossible to find communication errors and correct them in a timely manner;
- dependence on the signal coverage area, which is determined by the operator.
Benefits of operating your own network:
- the total connection cost can be optimized for specific connected devices (eg sensors);
- longer battery life, correspondingly less requirements for battery capacity.
Disadvantages of operating your own network:
- the need to create an entire network and ensure the stability of wireless communications. Problems, however, can arise if, for example, building functions or availability change and, as a result, the sensors may lose their signal, as they usually have a lower transmission power.
Finally, it is important to note that it is the interoperability of devices that allows us to process and analyze the collected data using technologies such as Machine Learning or Big Data Analysis. With their help, we can find connections between data that previously seemed obscure or trivial to us, allowing us to make assumptions about what data will be measured in the future.
This contributes to a new way of looking at how the environment works, such as using energy more efficiently or optimizing various processes, ultimately improving our quality of life.
Source: habr.com