IoT is no more a buzz word. It’s emerged in daily life since a decade . You can see presence of IoT in any sector you name – Agriculture, Manufacturing, Automobile, Life Science, HealthCare, Supply Chain , Inventory Management , Environment management and list is never-ending . Even from your Kitchen table to high end luxury vehicles , you see use of IoT.

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a network of physical devices, vehicles, appliances, and other objects embedded with sensors, software, and network connectivity. (“What is the Internet of Things (IoT)? | IBM”) These smart devices can collect and share data, creating an interconnected ecosystem. Let’s delve into the details:

Definition and Scope:

The Internet can be described as the communication network that connects individuals to information , while The Internet of Things (IoT) is an interconnected system of distinctively address able physical items with various degrees of processing, sensing, and actuation capabilities that share the capability to interoperate and communicate through the Internet as their joint platform. (“International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences ... - ResearchGate”)

It may be a system of interrelated Computing devices, mechanical and digital machines given unique identifiers and therefore the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.

How IoT Works?

Here we understand , why it is called Internet of Thing (IoT) . Simple … as each device is connected and communicating over Internet without human interventions. IoT works by connecting devices to the internet through a variety of technologies, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular networks. Once devices are connected to the internet, they can send and receive data. This data can be used to track the devices, monitor their performance, and control their behavior*. SENSORS , NETWORKS and SOFTWARE* are the pillars .

Sensors: Sensors are devices that collect data from the physical world. They can measure things like temperature, humidity, light, motion, and sound.

Networks: Networks connect the sensors to the internet. They can be wired or wireless networks.

Software: Software is used to collect, store, and analyze the data collected by the sensors. It can also be used to control the devices.

Feature of IoT :

Data is the Fuel for IoT .

Smart devices collect and transmit information, which is then analyzed and used to improve performance, user experience, and even sales strategies. As IoT continues to expand, the amount of data collected and analyzed will grow exponentially, enabling increasingly personalized and connected experiences.

This information is used to streamline, manipulate, and measure these entities interact . Example: Your smartwatch tells the heart health , Step Count, Reminds you for sipping Water. More complex example- Engine Noise can be analyzed to predict the problem and suggest solution .

Your service provider and the product manufacturer can then use those insights to achieve a variety of objectives – from improving the device’s performance, and your experience of using it, to identifying how or when they should be selling you extra services or products.

Different Layers of IoT:

IoT architecture can comprise up to seven layers, which are known as the:

Perception Layer

The perception layer of an IoT system, also known as the device layer, includes various elements like sensors, cameras, and actuators that gather data and perform tasks.

Transport Layer

The transport layer of an IoT system transmits data from multiple devices (e.g., on-site sensors, cameras, actuators) to an on-premises or cloud data center.

First, IoT gateways convert incoming input from analog to digital format. Next, the gateway uses one of several data transfer protocols (DTPs) to send the data to an on-premises or cloud data center.

The following factors determine how the transport layer is built, which DTP will be used in IoT networks, and whether the data center should be on-premises or in the cloud:

Amount and type of data to be sent
Desired speed and interval of transmission
Reliability of network connection
Power consumption during data transmission
Data and network security
Communication among edge devices
Volume of data

Edge Layer

As IoT networks grow, latency becomes a major performance challenge because many devices connecting to a hub can congest the network. Edge computing addresses these problems by enabling data processing and analysis as close to the source as possible. This is handled through the edge layer of an IoT system. These edge devices are also programmed to manage and control damage when there is an anomaly in data transferring and processing.

Processing Layer

The processing layer in an IoT system analyzes input data to generate new insights, useful predictions, and timely warnings. Also known as the middleware layer, it typically uses many connected computers simultaneously, in the form of cloud computing, to deliver efficient compute, storage, networking, and security performance. The middleware works in three stages to process data:

Data accumulation: Identifies and assigns different data types to appropriate storage.

Example:

1. Unstructured Data, like audio-video streams and images requiring more storage, are saved to data lakes.

2. Structured Data, like logs, documents, files, and telemetries, are stored in data warehouses.

Data Abstraction: Aggregates data from multiple sources and ensures it is converted into a format readable by the software of the application layer.
Data Analysis: Uses machine learning (ML) or deep learning algorithms to detect patterns within large and seemingly random data sets.
1. Application Layer

The Application Layer involves decoding promising patterns in data and compiling them into summaries in human-readable formats, such as graphs and tables.

Business Layer:

Patterns decoded at the application level can be used to create business insights, predict future trends, and make operational decisions that improve efficiency, safety, cost-effectiveness, customer experience, and other important aspects of business functionality. This is how industries develop innovative product features and e-commerce generates predictive shopping suggestions, among many other applications.

Security Layer:

The most important requirement, or rather a key challenge, in IoT system architecture is security. This can be:

Device Security: Involves protecting the actual IoT devices from malware and hijacks.
Cloud Security: Since most IoT data is processed in the cloud, securing the cloud is crucial to prevent data leaks.
Connection Security: Focuses on securing data transmitted across networks, primarily through encryption. The Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol is considered the benchmark for IoT connection security.
Information Security: Ensures data security.