IoT Design and Development Solutions

Application Notes

Introduction

 

Kevin Ashton first coined the phrase “The Internet of Things” in 1999 when discussing applications for RFID tags. From the simple tracking and counting of RFID objects, the Internet of Things has taken off with Machine-to-Machine (M2M), Big Data and Machine Learning, enabling applications such as the smart building, smart grid and intelligent transport systems.

 

IoT devices at the end nodes connect to the cloud or server for intelligence and analytics. Some connect directly and some via gateways, as shown in Figure 1. Gateways aggregate traffic from lower power networks onto higher capacity LANs and WANs. They typically include greater power supply and computing resources than end-nodes. Edge or fog applications running in gateways offload processing from both cloud and end-node sensors and actuators. End-nodes are often designed to have a long battery life, necessitating the efficient use of embedded computers and radio transmission. Intelligent threshold triggers in gateway applications make traffic more efficient by passing actionable information to central cloud servers. Gateways interface with the cloud and end-nodes via a heterogeneous mix of wireless technologies, both cellular and non-cellular. Radio interfaces address varying application needs depending on coverage, latency, throughput, energy efficiency, and cost.