In this article, we’ll look at some of the most popular IoT protocols. So let’s get this party started.

Protocols for IoT

The wireless hardware used in IoT is comprised of nodes and base stations. The devices that connect to the base stations are known as nodes or clients. The routers or gateways are the base stations. We’ll go over the protocols that these devices use.

What is the significance of IoT protocols?

The ability of IoT devices to interact with one another and solve common problems is what distinguishes them from traditional computers. These interactions are only possible if the IoT ecosystem includes a medium or means of communication. Thus, IoT protocols serve as a common “language” that allows devices to communicate with one another. The IoT protocols establish standards that are followed in every IoT ecosystem to ensure proper operation and to avoid security threats.

There is currently no universal protocol that can be used to communicate with all IoT devices. The OMA Lightweight protocol simplifies device management and provides adaptive solutions.

IoT Protocol Types

IoT protocols are divided into two categories:

[A] Internet of Things (IoT) Data Protocols

Telemetry Message Queuing Transport (MQTT)

MQTT is a well-known IoT protocol. MQTT protocol is a type of IoT communication protocol that is well-known and growing in popularity due to its message transport via publish/subscribe messaging. It is small and simple to use for transferring data between two or more machines.

Devices communicate with one another via a broker or server. Download the broker to your PC, MAC, Linux, or Raspberry Pi system. HIVEMQ and Mosquito are two of the most common brokers on the market these days.

MQTT differs from the traditional client-server model. It categorizes customers into two groups. MQTT brokers act as a middleman, forwarding messages from clients (publishers in MQTT) to consumers who receive data on the other end (MQTT subscriber).

Sensor messages are received by base stations such as LPWAN. The message is published on the MQTT broker by the base station. The message is passed on or forwarded by the broker via the TCP/IP protocols. Messages are only delivered to devices that have subscribed to the specified topic.

Message Queuing Protocol (Advanced)

In 2003, JPMorgan Chase & Co. established the AMQP protocol. This is a critical protocol in the Internet of Things. It is an open TCP/IP protocol that allows data exchange within a network.

The AMQP protocol is primarily used in banking systems and other commercial applications. It employs either the request-response or publisher-subscriber messaging models.

Messages are created by publishers, and consumers choose which messages to process. Message brokers ensure that the correct message is delivered to the correct consumer.

As shown in the diagram, the brokers use two components to accomplish this:

Exchange

Queues

A message is posted by a publisher, and the message is forwarded by an exchange. Queues receive the message and route it to the appropriate consumer. This is determined by the device’s configuration.

AMQP is dependable, secure, and ensures message delivery to the intended recipient. It also acknowledges that messages have been received. The AMQP protocol is extensible.

Service for Data Distribution

Because of its versatility and extensibility, DDS is a widely used protocol in IoT. It does not rely on middlemen for communication and instead connects sensors to other devices directly for open communication.

DDS has a lot of applications in IoT. Users can easily handle large amounts of data generated by devices, process this data, and produce quick results. DDS results in faster results, more informed decisions, more revenue, and lower costs.

DDS is primarily concerned with data, and it understands how to transfer data from one messaging point to another. Programmers in message-centric middleware write code to send messages, whereas programmers in data-centric middleware write code to share data values. DDS ensures secure data sharing and message transfer.

The Restricted Application Protocol (CoAP)

Another promising protocol for the future of IoT is CoAP. The CoAP protocol transfers documents like HTTP, but its design caters to the needs of constrained nodes. When compared to HTTP TCP, CoAP packets are much smaller in size. CoAP communicates via UDP. Connectionless datagrams are used by clients and servers to retrieve information.

CoAP addresses UDP broadcast and multicast.

CoAP also operates on a client/server model. Clients send requests to servers, and servers respond with responses. Clients can GET, POST, DELETE and PUT resources.

Tags for request and response messages include “confirmable” and “non-confirmable.” Non-confirmable messages are categorized as “fire and forget.” CoAP ensures similar data security methods, with the exception that data is transferred via UDP rather than TLS.

Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol(XMPP)

The Jabber open-source community’s XMPP protocol makes extensive use of the XML language. It is a messaging-oriented middleware. It allows data to be exchanged between two or more network clients. The XMPP modification known as XMPP-IoT has applications in IoT technology. Because it is an open-source community, it is highly scalable and compatible, and it also meets consumer standards.

One of the most significant disadvantages of XMPP-IoT is the lack of quality of service and encryption.

[B] Internet of Things (IoT) Network Protocols

Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs)

This network is also known as a Body Area Network (BAN), a Medical Body Area Network (MBAN), or a Body Sensor Network (BSN). They form close connections and are typically 10 centimeters to 1 meter in length.

Bluetooth, NFC, Zigbee, RFID (Radio Frequency), and other proprietary technologies are among the most common.

Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs)

When compared to the WBAN, these have a greater range. These have a range of 1 to 10 meters.

Bluetooth, RFID, and other proprietary software technologies are examples of these networks. Consider these devices to be the devices that you want to connect to or make connections to other personal devices.

Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)

You’ve probably heard of the term WLAN. A Wireless Local Area Network is any local wireless network.

WiFi/802.11 and Zigbee networks are included. WiFi is a universal standard, whereas Zigbee is used for protocols that require high-level communication. Bluetooth can also be classified as WLAN.

Metropolitan Area Wireless Networks (WMANs)

This network serves a larger geographic area, such as a city or state. The network is large enough to house an entire city, and various devices throughout the city can easily connect to it.

Wireless Wide Area Networks (WWANs)

This is yet another type of network. When compared to WMANs, this network provides connectivity on a much larger scale. It is also capable of providing global communication.

Thread / Threading

Thread is an IPv6-based network protocol that specializes in IoT device networking. Its design is appropriate for low-power IoT devices in WPAN. Thread does not rely on 802.15 mesh networking protocols like Zigbee, Z-wave, or Bluetooth.

Protocols that our IoT devices use

Cellular protocols such as LTE and 5G can be used. LTE stands for Long-Term Evolution. It is used in mobile phones and data ports for communication.

LTE (Long-Term Evolution)

When communicating over LTE, you must use a gateway or a cellular device. In general, all wireless devices connect to this gateway, which then communicates with the 5G or 4G network. As a result, you connect all of your IoT devices to a gateway that is an LTE subscriber. LoRa and Zigbee are two popular wireless standards. These gateways connect to LTE and provide wide-area connectivity to your IoT devices.

5 GHz

These days, 5G frequency range bands are the most commonly used. The FR1 and FR2 frequency range bands are the most common.

Traditional wavelengths are referred to as FR1, and millimeter-wave technologies are referred to as FR2. The frequency bands change over time, and new bands are constantly added. So you might want to keep up with these bands.

Network of Cells (Cellular Networks)

Cellular IoT is a technology that connects IoT devices via a cellular network. This technology is used by smartphones to connect to mobile networks. This lowers the cost of creating a separate network for IoT devices. Cellular networks that are most commonly used in cellular IoT are 3G, 4G/LTE, and 5G.

Network of Service Providers

In the IoT ecosystem, IoT service provider networks provide connectivity. They provide services such as bandwidth and sell access to network points. IoT devices can connect to the Internet of Things and improve their functionality.

Personal Computer Network

Both the performance and usage of LTE and private 5G networks are rapidly increasing.

Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)

It is the link between a smartphone and any other Internet of Things device that can connect to the internet. Bluetooth SIG, also known as the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, is the organization in charge of Bluetooth.

Bluetooth Low Energy, also known as Bluetooth 4.0, is a relatively new technology. It uses less energy. BLE enables the connection of devices with short battery lives due to its low power consumption. It sends and receives small data packets.

LoRa (low-range)/LoRaWAN

LoRaWAN is a low-power wide-area network. Its specifications are compatible with wireless batteries used in IoT applications.

It is useful for devices and sensors with long ranges and low power consumption.

LoRa enables users to communicate over long distances while using less power.

LoRa contributes to the internet of things’ potential.

It is an LPWA network that is not cellular.

They contain three types of devices: A, B, and C.

Class A includes battery-powered sensors, Class B includes both battery-powered sensors and actuators, and Class C includes main-powered actuators that are plugged into a power source. The distinction in operation is made based on how these devices operate with and without power.

WiFi

Wifi is a radio or frequency protocol that transmits data in the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz frequency ranges. These frequencies are higher than the frequencies of the other cellular networks we’ve seen so far. WiFi, on the other hand, has high power consumption and a limited range of connectivity. Wifi is best suited for IoT devices that do not care about power consumption or devices that do not require longer ranges, such as a smart home.

Z-Wave

Another wireless technology is Z-Wave. Its primary goal is to make smart homes safer and more secure. It facilitates IoT device communication. The Z-Wave starter kit includes beginner-friendly software. It was a single device that handled both end devices and their networking.

ZigBee

Zigbee is a wireless technology with protocols that are compatible with global networking standards. It eliminates the power and cost issues associated with other IoT technologies. The IEEE 802.15.4 physical radio is used by the Zigbee standard.

Mesh networking is supported by the Zigbee protocol. Mesh networking connects constrained nodes with one another, allowing each node multiple paths.

6LoWPAN

6 LoWPAN is a wireless technology that combines IPv6 and LoWPAN. 6 LoWPAN connects small devices with limited processing power to wirelessly transmit data via an IoT protocol. It ensures that small devices can also connect to the Internet of Things framework.

It is a request/response protocol that accepts requests from clients and forwards them to users who respond.

M2M (Lightweight)

This protocol is simple and lightweight, and it adheres to industry standards. This protocol uses less power and is tailored to IoT applications. The OMA-DM standard has been a success. In comparison, it uses less power and consumes fewer data. It does, however, have limited processing and storage capabilities. It is cross-platform and can be deployed immediately.

All of these characteristics combine to make Lightweight M2M one of the most popular IoT protocols.

HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP)

The HTTP protocol is commonly used to communicate on the World Wide Web.

It is compatible with web browsers and server functionality. HTTP/1.1 is the most recent version that is widely used around the world.

WebSocket

WebSockets solves a few HTTP-related issues. When using HTTP, you can constantly request updates, whereas WebSocket provides continuous real-time updates. TCP is used to communicate between clients and servers in the client-server model. Because it maintains a single, continuous open connection, WebSocket eliminates latency issues in the HTTP request-response model. WebSockets reduces the amount of data that is sent to the server.

NFC

NFC, or Near Field Communications, allows for communication over distances as short as 4cm. Small amounts of data can be shared between an NFC tag and an Android device, or between two Android devices. NFC-enabled Android devices can:

NFC tags can be read and written.

can communicate with other NFC companions and

can function as NFC cards

Sigfox

Sigfox provides low-power connectivity solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. It is an LPWA network with low battery consumption. It provides the best user experience for customers.

Sigfox sends messages over the 192kHz band. The transfers are narrow, and data transfers occur at a precise rate. Here is a list of Sigfox technology principles:

It achieves high service quality through the use of random access.

In the Sigfox network, these networks use “spatial diversity” as well as time and frequency diversity to achieve high-quality service.

To save money, Sigfox communication protocols send small messages.

These messages are two-way.

Neul

Neul is an Internet of Things protocol that connects everything at a low cost. Neul’s methodology is very similar to that of Sigfox, as we have seen before. Neul uses small pieces of the TV white space spectrum to provide more expansive, scalable networking.

Neul is a weightless communication technology that works with IoT protocols like GPRS, 3G, CDMA, and LTE WAN. Their power consumption is lower, and as a result, their life span is longer.