By Mehdi Hasan
The colossal network of the connected devices which is growing from the previous two decades over the globe is named as the Internet of Things. Nowadays, there is a range of objects around us that are capable of collecting, sending and processing data to the other servers and other applications. The IoT Protocols is such a system that will transfer data in the online. But it will transfer data only then when the communication network between the two connected devices is safe. What are the things that make such a remote secure connection possible?
Some languages are invisible. This language usually allows communication between two or more physical objects. These objects are composed of the IoT Protocols and standards. In this way, internet of things protocols make the entire work possible.
We have managed to come up with the most prominent internet of things protocols along with the details. Let’s have a look.
Top 15 Standard IoT Protocols
We can divide the internet of things protocols into two basic types: IoT Network Protocols and IoT Data Protocols. There are diverse options for the connectivity. This article will explain you the major IoT Protocols that the developers offer you.
1. Bluetooth
One of the most broadly used wireless technologies of short-range is Bluetooth. You can quickly get Bluetooth apps that offer you wearable technology for pairing up with the smart gadgets. The recently introduced Bluetooth protocol among the IoT protocols is BLE or Bluetooth Low-Energy protocol. It will afford the range of conventional Bluetooth in combined with lower power consumption supremacy.
You have to remember that BLE is not designed for transferring large files and will go perfectly with the small portions of data. This is the reason for Bluetooth leading the internet of things protocols of this century. The newly invented Bluetooth Core Specification 4.2 adds up one innovative Internet Protocol Support Profile. It permits Bluetooth Smart Sensor to get access on the internet straight via 6LoAPAN.
2. WiFi
For IoT integration, WiFi is a favored choice according to many electronic designers. It is because of the infrastructure it bears. It has quick data transfer rates along with the aptitude to control a large quantity of data.
The widespread WiFi standard 802.11 presents you the ability to transfer hundreds of megabits in only one second. The only own drawback of this IoT protocol is it can consume excessive power for some of the IoT Application. It ranges approximately 50 m, and along with working on internet protocol standards, it includes IoT Cloud infrastructure access. The frequencies are 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.
3. ZigBee
Just like Bluetooth, there is a vast user base of ZigBee. Among the internet of things protocols, ZigBee is designed more for the industrials and less for the consumers. It usually operates at a frequency of 2.4GHz. This is ideal for the industrial sites where data is generally transferred over small rates amongst home or a building.
ZigBee and the popular ZigBee Remote Control are popular as famed IoT Security Protocols for supplying secure, low-power, scalable solutions along with high node counts. The ZigBee 3.0 has taken the protocol to a single standard. It made it handier.
4. MQTT IoT
MQTT IoT is a message protocol and full form is Message Queue Telemetry Transport. It developed in 1999 by Arlen Nipper (Arcom) and Andy Stanford-Clark (IBM.) This is mostly used for monitoring from a remote area in IoT. The principal task that MQTT does is obtaining data from so many electrical devices.
It also conveys them to the IT communications or infrastructure. A hub-and-spoke architecture is fundamentally ordinary for MQTT IoT Protocol. It works on top of the TCP for supplying reliable yet simple streams of data.
This MQTT protocol is made of three core components or mechanisms: Subscriber, Publisher, and Broker. The work of the publisher is generating data and transmitting the data to the subscriber with the help of the broker. Ensuring security is the job of the broker. It does it by checking and rechecking the authorization of the subscribers and the publishers.
This protocol is a preferred option for all devices that are IoT based, and these are also capable of providing enough information-routing functions to the cheap, low-memory power-consuming and small devices with the help of low and vulnerable bandwidth based network.
5. CoAP
The CoAP or Constrained Application Protocol, an internet productivity and utility protocol, is mainly developed for the restricted smart gadgets. The design of CoAP is for using it among the devices that have an identical restricted community. It includes general nodes and devices on the internet and different restrained networks and devices that are joined on the internet.
IoT systems based on the HTTP protocols can go tremendously with CoAP IoT Network Protocols. It uses the protocol-UDP for implementation of lightweight data. Just like the HTTP, it also uses the restful architecture. It is also used inside the mobiles and the other social communities that are basic programs. CoAP helps in getting rid of ambiguity through HTTP get, put up, delete and placed strategies.
6. DDS
Amongst the internet of things protocols, the IoT Messaging Protocols – DDS or Data Distribution Service is a standard for high-performance, expandable and real-time machine-to-machine communication. The Data Distribution Service – DDA is developed and designed by OMG or Object Management Group. With the help of DDS, you can transfer data both in the low-footprint devices and with the Cloud platforms.
The Data Distribution Service includes two significant layers. Those are the DCPS and the DLRL. The DCPS or Data-Centric Publish-Subscribe works by delivering information to the subscribers. The DLRL or Data-Local Reconstruction Layer does its job by providing an interface to the Data-Centric Public-Subscribe functionalities.
7. NFC
NFC from the IoT Protocols takes the benefit of safe two-way communication linking. Recently, we saw that the NFC IoT Communication Protocols are applicable for the smartphones.
The NFC or Near Field Communication allows the clients to connect to the electronic devices, to use digital contents and to do the contactless payment transaction. The essential work of NFC is to expand the “contactless” card technology. It works within 4cm (between devices) by enabling the devices for sharing information.
8. Cellular
There are a lot of IoT applications that may call for operation over a longer remoteness. These IoT applications can take the help of Cellular communication capabilities like GSM/3G/4G. Cellular is one of the IoT Communication Protocols which can send or transfer a high amount of data. Here, you have to remember is the cost.
The fee for sending a high quantity of data will be high too. Cellular does need not only high cost but also to need high power consumption for several applications. This Internet of Things Protocol is amazing for sensor-based data projects of low-bandwidth. This is because they can send a very insignificant amount of data or information on the Internet.
It includes the low-cost development board of authentic tiny CELLv1.0. It also has a range of shield that connects boards (so that you can use them with the Arduino and Raspberry Pi platforms.) Here, the key product is SparqEE.
9. AMQP
Advanced Message Queuing Protocol or AMQP is an application layer protocol. It is basically message oriented and designed for middleware environments. The AMQP IoT messaging protocols got the approval as an international standard. The processing chain of AMQP IoT Protocol consists of 3 necessary components, and those are Exchange, Message Queue and Binding.
The Exchange part works by getting the message and putting them in the queues. The job of the Message Queue is to store the message, and it stores the information until the messages are developed by the client app safely. The work, the Binding Component, does is stating the connection between the Exchange Component and the Message Queue Component.
10. LoRaWAN
LoRaWAN or the Long Ranged Wide Area Network is one of the IoT Protocols for the wide area networks. LoRaWAN IoT Network Protocols is specifically designed for supporting the vast networks with the help of million low-power devices. Smart cities use this kind of protocol.
Including the low-cost mobile communication, LoRaWAN is also famed in scores of industries for protected bi-directional communication. The frequency of LoRaWAN may vary from network to network. The data rates of this Internet of Things Protocols runs between 0.3-50 kbps. In the urban areas, the range LoRaWAN varies from 2 km to 5 km. In the suburban areas, the range of this IoT protocol is about 15 km.
11. RFID
The Radio Frequency Identification of RFID works with the help of wireless technology. It uses the electromagnetic fields so that it can identify objects. The short ranged Radio Frequency Identification is around 10 cm. But the long-range Radio Frequency can go up to 200 mm.
The ARAT or the Active Reader Active Tag system usually makes the use of the active. These activity tags awake with any interrogator signal (signals from the active reader.)The best part of RFID IoT Connectivity Protocols is they do not need any power.
12. Z-Wave
Z-Wave IoT Protocols affords you the low-power RF or Radio Frequency communications. We typically use these in our home automation applications. The sensors, lamp controllers, etc. are the low-power Radio Frequency. This technology of low-latency also has more features of shielding from wireless technologies (such as the WiFi.) This works with the help of functioning in the sub-1GHz band.
Designers are concerned with the simple and rapid development process of IoT Protocols. They are working for the easy setup of Z-Wave IoT Protocols. The frequency of Z-Wave Internet of Things Protocols is 900MHz, and the range is about 30-100m. It provides you Cloud access and requires a bridge for it. Data rates of this protocol are 40-100kbit/s
13. Sigfox
Sigfox is known as one of the best alternative technologies which bear the attributes of both Cellular and WiFi. As Sigfox IoT Protocol was developed and designed for the M2M applications, it can only send data of low-level. By taking the help of UNB or Ultra Narrow Band, Sigfox can hold speeds of 10 to 1000 bits per second for transferring low-data. It only consumes 50 microwatts of the power.
The frequency of the IoT Connectivity Protocols Sigfox is 900MHz, and it has Could-access. In rural environments, Sigfox IoT Protocol covers a range of 30 km to 50 km. In the urban areas, the range of this protocol is 3-10 km.
14. Thread
One of the most recent internet of things protocols that have come in the scene is IoT security protocols Thread. The inventor of Next has designed this protocol. In the home automation application, this IoT Protocol is now ramping up its usage. This is an IP-based IPv6 networking protocol, and it is based on the 6LowPAN.
It was chiefly designed for complimenting WiFi inside the home. This protocol is royalty-free. This protocol supports the mesh networking within radio transceivers of IEEE802.15.4. It can handle about 250 nodes along with encryption and authentication. The frequency of Thread IoT Protocol is 2.4GHz (ISM), and it can cover up to 10-30m.
15. EnOcean
Among the IoT Connectivity Protocols, EnOcean takes an innovative twist. It is a wireless sensing and energy harvesting platform. It is perfect for designing devices that need a response in different circumstances such as changes in temperature, lighting and other patchy situations.
Most of the applications for this IoT Protocol are presently exercised in transportation, home automation, industrial automation, and logistics. The frequency of EnOcean IoT Protocol is 315 MHZ, 868 MHz and 902MHz. It provides you access in Cloud, and the range it covers is 300m outdoors and 30m indoors.
The Final Verdict
There are various protocols available out there to choose from if you are working on any IoT Project. For making your decision easier than ever, we are presenting these protocols with all the excellent points. So which one are you going to choose?
Before selecting your desired protocol, know the bandwidth, range, power consumptions and node of the protocols.