The Beginner’s Guide to the Internet of Things (IoT)

Written by Prasad Gholap & Vishal Gaikar

Introduction to IoT

Internet of Things is a system of physical objects connected over the Internet. It collects and transfers data to get the necessary work done without manual touch.

You can operate objects ranging from household devices to commercial equipment over the IoT. For example, we can automate switching on and off light bulbs, fans, AC’s, and other appliances in a home over IoT.

Recent trends in IoT usage have been seen in the fitness and healthcare industries. Also, the automobile industry makes use of IoT in notifying the customer about the vehicle engine's health.

The blog covers how the IoT works. It covers the architecture and communication protocols and IoT over the cloud. It lists down the benefits and challenges of IoT. It also covers the top 10 IoT application areas and how to get started with IoT testing challenges. This blog is for Business Analysts and Quality analysts at the beginner stage in the software industry

How the Internet of Things Works

The IoT device collects data from the devices and shares valuable information by applying analytics. These powerful IoT platforms come up with useful information and ignore unnecessary details. It suggests recommendations and detects possible problems before they occur.

For example, in the case of the automobile business, I am keen to know which components (leather seats or alloy wheels, for example) are the most popular. IoT can help me here with the following:

• Use sensors to detect which areas in a showroom the customers linger in the most
• Apply analytics on sales data to identify which components are being sold.
• Smart supply chain logistics to make sure popular items don’t go out of stock.

The connected devices help make smart decisions on which components to stock up on with real-time information. It helps in saving time and money.

With the insight provided by advanced analytics comes the power to make processes more efficient. Smart objects and systems can automate repetitive, time-consuming tasks

Let’s look at some examples to see what this looks like in real life.

You wake up at 7 am every day to get ready to go to work:

• Your alarm clock does the job of waking you at the time you set
• But what if something goes wrong? Assume that your train is now canceled, and you have to drive to work instead.
• The problem is that it would take more time to travel by road, so you would have to get up at 6.45 am to start early for travel.
• You also get to know that it’s raining outside, so you’ll need to drive slower than usual.
• A connected or IoT-enabled alarm clock would reset itself based on all these factors to ensure you got to work on time.
• It recognizes that the train is not running. Then it calculates the driving distance and travel time for your alternative route to work.
• It then checks the weather and factors in slower traveling speed and calculates your wake-up time, so you’re not late.
• It will also sync with your IoT-enabled coffee maker to ensure your morning caffeine’s ready to go when you get up. That’s smart, right!!!!

IoT Architecture

The IoT architecture depends upon different application areas of the Internet of Things, and it works as per the design. There is no standard defined architecture of IoT. It completely depends upon its functionality and implementation in different sectors. The below diagram shows a basic process flow of IoT.

Image 1: IoT Architecture

The IoT system combines many smart devices and the cloud platform to which they are all connected.

The IoT system operates on several levels:

• Hardware can be wireless sensors or actuators. They react with the environment and make the data they collect available for analysis. For example, you can use them to switch off a light when the sun rises.
• IoT Gateway connects to the sensors and actuators, which compiles all their data. It then converts it into digital form and routes over the network by the internet gateway.
• Cloud infrastructure, which handles storage and processing of the data received. This is the preferred storage method in IoT implementations.
• The application controls IoT devices on the user side (for smartphones, tablets, or PCs).

IoT Communication Protocols

IoT protocols are being used to transfer data from devices to other IoT-powered devices. IoT protocols ensure that the information that is sent from one device is received effectively by the next device which is part of the connected environment.

We are listing here the top IoT communication protocols involved in the Internet of Things devices and applications.

• WiFi: Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) is the most popular for wireless local area networks. WiFi enables powerful communication between connected devices. It is applicable for indoor applications and home automation. (Range: 100 to 250 ft)
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth is one of the most important IoT network protocols. Nowadays the new Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) is what IoT companies are using for different consumer product markets.
  Bluetooth can be useful in smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and media players. Bluetooth is more useful while transferring information between two or more devices that are near each other.
• ZigBee: Zigbee is an open global standard for wireless technology. It uses low-power digital radio signals for personal area networks. Zigbee has lower power consumption, high security, and has a longer range of communication. Zigbee can reach 200 meters whereas Bluetooth can reach 100 meters.
• LoRa: Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) is a long-range radio-wide area network that provides low-cost mobile security to IoT and industrial applications. It has the ability to communicate in long-range with low power consumption and supports a large network of millions of devices.
• Z-Wave: Z-Wave is a radio frequency based low-power consuming communication protocol and like Zigbee, it is based on IEEE 802.15.4 standard. The operating frequency of the Z-Wave communication protocol is 900 MHz, and the range is around 30–100 meters.
  This low-power radio frequency communication protocol is designed for home automation systems and electronic devices such as lamp controllers and sensors. Its data rate ranges approximately from 40kbps to 100kbps.

IoT Cloud

Image 2: IoT Cloud

An IoT cloud is a huge network that supports IoT devices and applications. This is a platform that stores and processes IoT data. IoT cloud consumes large volumes of data generated by devices, sensors and then starts actions for real-time responses.

The sensors/devices from the IoT system talk to the cloud through some connectivity. The software starts processing the data and starts sending alerts. It can also turn the devices on and off based on the settings done within the application.

IoT clouds offer an efficient and scale-able model for delivering the configuration and services. Businesses with limited resources can opt for a demand solution of IoT cloud.

Benefits Of IoT

Looking at the big picture of IoT benefiting any business, the organizations can expect things like:

• Enhancing Productivity: Increased automation with connected devices performs various operations in a shorter duration. This leads to higher productivity
• Customer behavior understanding and Analysis: IoT helps identify the customers’ behavioral patterns. It is useful in establishing better customer relationships and engagement strategies.
• Precise monitoring and alert generation: Ensures the reduction in errors
• Real-time Analytics and Reporting: helps to identify grey areas and take the right measures towards the solution.
• Reduced risk of system failure due to low human intervention
• Improved Quality Control mechanism: Increase quality control in the product life cycle.
• Real-time decision making: the customer behavior patterns help in sustaining the target audience. It leads to marketing and building brand loyalty.

Challenges in IoT

Even though IoT has many benefits, there are certain challenges IoT has. Listed below are a few of the challenges:

• Creating a culture of technology within the organization is a prerequisite to start the use of IoT.
• Organizations need to invest in the following to enable effective use of IoT:
• Investment in sensors — Sensors cost high and need maintenance as well.
• Data analytics — Data analytics tools are required to identify patterns/sequences to arrive at a conclusion
• Network investment — Heavy cost is involved in building the network for IoT
• System integration — A lot of integration activity is involved in getting the IoT devices integrated with the system
• Security — Security is one of the most important aspects which needs to be considered for preserving customer data
• Compatibility and Interoperability of Different IoT systems are also concern factors.
• Getting all the connected devices on one platform needs formalization
• Network challenges will always remain a crucial factor as the Internet is still not available everywhere at the same speed.
• Big Data in itself is so massive that combining it with IoT possesses a great challenge.

Top 10 IoT Application Areas

Out of the 1,414 public enterprises, IoT projects identified, manufacturing / Industrial are most common (22%) followed by the Transportation / Mobility (15%) and Energy IoT projects (14%).

Image 3: IoT Application Areas <Ref: IoT Analytics>

For example, IoT is used for Home Automation. This is the ability to control domestic appliances by internet-connected systems. It may include controlling all lights, motion sensors, contact sensors of your home.

Using smart home IoT solutions, you can get the best level of control over your household. You can remotely switch on and off appliances and control the full range of functionality using mobile or web applications.

Listed below are some of the basic steps you need to follow in order to get started with the IoT project.

• The project team needs to understand the problems the customer to install IoT
• Create a business model around connectivity which will justify the recurring cos
• We need to understand whether preventive or predictive maintenance activity needs an IoT. Also, whether it is for asset tracking, environmental monitoring, automatic refilling, etc.
• We need to research the best IoT platforms, tools, and applications that could help us install an IoT product.
• We should examine the below mentioned things for solutions for an IoT product:
  - Hardware
  - Device management
  - Connectivity
  - Method of connectivity
  - Geographical coverage
  - Type of Service
• To summarize, including an IoT project in a business, we need to understand how the technology works and what it can do for your business.
• A unique set of IoT applications and tools can serve specific industries. The IoT technical partner will help us determine the particular needs better by defining our expectations. This will be useful in avoiding the pitfalls faced by companies that attempt IoT deployment on their own.

IoT Testing Challenges

Here are the few common challenges which the QAs can face while testing the IoT products:

• Gadgets involved in IoT might not be available every time.
• It requires a lot of effort and is difficult to replicate the actual environment.
• Large effort among many teams to get the right test data.
• Due to device fragmentation, it is a challenge to build an IoT that can work across a wide range of devices. Presence of different brands, models, OS, versions of the OS, screen sizes, resolutions, and other elements.
• Many IoT communications protocols are present in the market to test the interaction with controllers and each other.
• Compatibility factor
• Security challenges
• Network and cloud availability: Network and clouds play an important role in IoT systems. It is a challenge to test the data at faster speeds. Testing IoT architecture on all kinds of network connectivity and speed is crucial.

For testers to overcome the above challenges, they must focus on a good testing approach. It is important to follow the structured requirements, comprehensive test plan.

Testing strategy for IoT

IoT testing validates an IoT device’s functionality, performance, security, and connected clouds. It is important to verify that your IoT devices can send sensitive information before bringing your product to market.

Various types of testing help to ensure proper test coverage:

• IoT Device functionality testing: Done on both application and hardware to ensure that the device works as expected.
• Sensor-protocol compatibility testing: Test various IoT protocols like WiFi, Bluetooth, for device compatibility
• Device security testing: Verify that IoT devices are free from any threats, vulnerabilities, or risks. This includes checking device authentication, data collection, data transmission, device software, and more. This testing will make ensure data protection and encryption
• Performance Testing: collect information on the response time and reliability of product features. Testers can check the performance of the devices with various IoT performance testing tools available in the market. It will ensure the expected performance of the IoT device under normal circumstances.
• Network Connectivity testing: To check efficient and smooth connectivity across the connected network. This includes Device-to-Device connectivity and Device-to-Cloud connectivity testing.
• Upgrade testing: The upgrade testing is to check that the devices are working after the firmware upgrade, cloud updates

IoT devices must need large testing before releasing products to the market. The team can streamline IoT testing by adding the above testing practices to your development cycle.

Summary

The article covered various aspects of an IoT project: The architecture and communication protocols and IoT over the cloud. It listed the benefits and challenges of IoT and also covered the top 10 IoT application areas and how to get started with IoT testing challenges.

On the final note, the integration of IoT can open doors for many new opportunities across various business sectors. In the coming years, with more IoT providers, we will see exciting IoT applications and exponential growth in serving IoT Customers.