As the number of devices grows, so do the resources that companies are willing to allocate to areas related to IoT technology. In 2027, investments in IoT software applications that cater to specific use cases are projected to reach $127 bn, up from $36 in 2022. How to connect these devices with the help of appropriate technologies for IoT? Which one will work for you? Read on to find out!
Understanding IoT connectivity
The connectivity level is a ground zero for IoT solutions. The first step in the IoT journey is connecting devices and ensuring data flow to your systems. At this point, you must ensure that all devices you plan on gathering data from are connected to your data platform and that the data flow is recognized.
The journey that starts at the point of connectivity aligns with the stages of the Industrial Revolution.
Types of IoT connectivity technologies
Connectivity is key for data gathering, but it’s complex. It can be divided into wired and wireless technologies, each with different protocols and applications. Factors to consider include power consumption, range, data rate, scalability, interoperability, and security.
Do you need an IoT connectivity management platform?
Connectivity management platforms allow you to oversee your devices and infrastructure from one place, Such platforms are secure and allow you to tailor the solution to your needs accordingly.
Read also: 5 IoT challenges in 2024 and a guide to overcoming them.
Choosing the right IoT connectivity solution
Connectivity choice is crucial when it comes to using the right IoT connectivity solution. With the rise of IoT technology, there are various connectivity options available, each with its benefits and drawbacks.
IoT Connectivity Comparison
There are different types of connections in the context of IoT devices. Some of the examples:
Wired connectivity
- Ethernet
- Serial
- Fieldbus
- USB
- Power Line Communication
Wireless connectivity
- RF 433 MhZ
- WiFi (IEEE 802.11)
- NFC
- LoRA
- Cellular (GPRS 3G / 4G, Nb-IoT, LTE-M, 5G
- Zigbee
IoT Application Protocols
- CoAp
- MQTT
- DDS
- XMPP
- AMQP
- HTTP/REST
- FTP
- LwM2M
Factors to Consider When Selecting an IoT Connectivity Solution
When comparing different connectivity options, you have to consider such factors as:
- range and related costs
Specific connectivity solutions cover smaller or larger areas. Mobile solutions cover large areas and cellular IoT is a rapidly growing technology. Satellite solutions, in turn, have global coverage. The choice of solution will affect costs (e.g., related to data transfer and range). Cellular connectivity is one of the most important areas and IoT trends,.
- bandwidth
Data transfer between devices will also incur costs. Bandwidth speed is crucial in many situations, as latency can directly affect your business.
- power consumption
Taking into account the aspect of data transfer speed, we must remember that this affects energy consumption. The faster the transfer, the higher the consumption. The choice between high-latency solutions and low-latency solutions will therefore depend on the company’s needs in terms of connecting devices (e.g., do we need to work on real-time data).
Connectivity – exploring IoT use cases
Inetum cooperated with an industry leader in producing steel wires and ropes. Our client needed to measure steel rope parameters involving various data types, including numeric and image data, transferred using an internet connection.
Their goals and challenges:
- Centralized round-checks resources to manage the product lifecycle
- Easily compare results of consecutive checks
- Scattered data of different types (numeric, images, MRT results)
How did they prepare for the IoT journey:
- Custom optical and MRT solution for steel ropes monitoring
- Measurement data gathered in a local database
- Ethernet-based communication for the first stage
IoT connectivity solutions in various industries
We cited an example of a company in the manufacturing area. However, connected devices are common in almost every industry, and in many of them – they are critical. Industries that are successfully using IoT-connected devices include healthcare, automotive, logistics, retail, and agriculture, for example.
Other interesting examples of IIoT solutions from projects implemented by Inetum:
- Our client from the energy sector dealt with thousands of devices using wireless and cellular connections, standardizing data for central IoT solutions.
- The other client of Inetum, used a combination of wired and satellite links for real-time data transfer from their jet engines.
Consult your IoT project directly with a specialist
Book a meetingSecurity and efficiency in IoT connectivity
The more connected devices and the greater the number of operating systems a company has, the greater the risk of cybersecurity incidents. Here is why it is important to include secure IoT strategies.
Possible threats include the use of security breaches, malware attacks and, also, the human factor due to a lack of awareness of threats.
Ensuring IoT security in connectivity solutions
- get to know the risks and undertake protective measures.
- upgrade company knowledge in terms of IoT security solutions
- use proven safety standards and solutions (firewalls, extending endpoint security).
- set up processes for dealing with security incidents, bearing in might that “anything that can go wrong will go wrong”.
Optimizing power consumption in IoT devices
When it comes to optimizing power consumption in IoT devices, the choice of IoT connectivity option plays a crucial role. Choosing an IoT connectivity that is tailored to the specific requirements of the device can significantly impact its energy efficiency. It is important to evaluate the power consumption.
Here are the steps you can take:
- Optimize network
– Ensure proper IoT device’s transmission frequency
– Comply with bandwidth standards
– Transmit only useful data to lower energy consumption - Optimize software
– Use low-power sleep states appropriately
– Take advantage of monitoring capabilities and apply predictive maintenance
– Ensure your applications are not performing unnecessary tasks - Optimize hardware
– Select appropriate microcontrollers (MCU) with various speeds and clock times to adjust the battery usage.
– Disable power to unused RAM, whenever it is an option.
– Restrict the number of peripherals and get rid of unused ones.
How to choose the right connectivity technologies?
Choosing the right connectivity technology can be troublesome.
Especially if we must balance price, data transfer speed, and power consumption. What you need to consider and questions you need to ask yourself:
- the type and size of devices and their scalability – bear in mind not only individual devices and their size, but the entire ecosystem – the number of devices in the IoT network, security solutions, and network capabilities.
- Environmental aspects – will your devices be spread over a smaller or larger area? In cities, rural areas, or remote locations? All this will affect the type of connectivity, as you need to consider the appropriate coverage of the area and the power consumption of the devices.
- Needs in terms of data transmission – are you operating on real-time data (live streaming, or batch-processing data? What are the data sizes and what speed do you need for your operations?
Technologies for IoT – summary
The role of IoT solutions is growing in areas such as remote asset monitoring, IoT-based process automation, vehicle fleet management, location tracking, or plant asset performance optimization. Connecting IoT devices is just the first step leading to understanding data and making value out of it. To advance, you need a plan, skills, knowledge of use cases, and partnerships. All these factors will contribute to the success of an organization’s IoT deployment.
When deciding on a particular IoT platform, it is worth making sure what the capabilities are within the connectivity management framework. At Inetum, we are a partner of Cumulocity IoT, which has a network of partners providing platform-compatible devices with substantial connectivity capabilities.
 Streamline Your IoT Operations Andrzej Gumieniak, our Head of Practice IoT, is here to help you navigate the complexities of IoT solutions. Book a consultation to discuss your case. Schedule a meeting |