Internet of Things – IoT

It is a MSP division that specializes in the development and design of technological solutions based on the Internet of Things (IoT), with the aim of providing process control and monitoring capabilities through the use of sensors and actuators of physical variables in real time.

What is the internet of things?

The definition of IoT could be the grouping and interconnection of devices and objects through a network (be it private or the Internet, the network of networks), where all of them could be visible and interact. Regarding the type of objects or devices, they could be anything, from sensors and mechanical devices to everyday objects such as the refrigerator, footwear or clothing. Anything that can be imagined could be connected to the internet and interact without human intervention, the goal is therefore a machine-to-machine interaction, what is known as an M2M interaction (machine to machine) or M2M devices.

What exactly is the internet of things?

IoT could be defined as the grouping and interconnection of devices and objects through a network (private or Internet), where all of them can be visible and interact. In the case of objects or devices, they can be anything: sensors, mechanical devices and everyday objects such as footwear or clothing. Anything imaginable can be connected to the internet and interact without human intervention, for the purpose of machine-to-machine interaction (M2M interaction).

What technologies are used?

IoT is already a reality, with a wide scope of application and more devices are emerging every day that make this technology possible. This technology associated with the IoT allows data to be obtained and sent to the network to be analyzed or to carry out a preliminary analysis and then send it to the network.

lot is evolving in this communication process, one of the points to save is the type of communication protocol between said devices («the language» that they speak between them). There are new sensors or devices whose communication and internet connection is direct, there are also other older devices whose communication and connection protocol is not trivial. Each manufacturer has its own communication protocols, which means that not all devices are compatible. An attempt has been made to establish the mechanism of creating an open and standard protocol (proposed by IBM) called MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport), this allows all manufacturers to participate, facilitating communication between different devices from different manufacturers.

If they are looking for IoT devices, they must consider various aspects such as low power consumption and small size, which is why SoCs (SoC, System on Chip) are an important part of these devices. A SoC is an integrated circuit that contains most or all of the modules of a computer. Examples of large manufacturers are ARM and Intel, there are also more recent ones such as MediaTek, Qualcomm or Samsung, there are very affordable alternatives for users such as Arduino that allows a user to assemble their own devices and control circuits for the home.

Sensors are another important part of an IoT device, the processor and the platform manage the information, it comes from the sensors. Arduino allows this type of technology to be available to all users. Cloud service vendors offer ready-made kits with various sensors that allow easy connection to cloud services.

A technologically important component to enable the IoT is the technology that is used for communication between multiple devices that are not in close proximity. We can talk about communication through a «WiFi» network that supports a high transfer rate and has high consumption and low range. We will also mention a mobile network (3G, 4G or the future 5G) where the range is greater and consumption is lower. There are other types of specific networks for IoT, such as: Sigfox (with great coverage both in the United States and Europe) or LoRa.

Talking about IoT technology is talking about solutions proposed by different manufacturers that are constantly evolving. There is not just one technology, but many, which must be analyzed to adapt them to the specific solution that you want to develop.

loT is something very extensive with many applications, that the devices are connected or have some degree of intelligence, it is not something new, what is interesting here is how IoT currently proposes to do it. The idea is that they are connected to the Internet if possible directly, that they can collect data and information and send it to other devices, and that the information is saved and analyzed to improve the operation of the device itself or improve other devices.