IoT Architecture – Bricks of IoT Ecosystem

What is the IoT Architecture?

IoT Architecture is a connection process between the components. Basically, there is not such a unique or universally define standard concurrence of Internet of Things architecture. Most of all, iot architecture differs on the basis of their functionality and depending upon their solutions.

IoT Architecture Building Blocks

Basically, IoT architecture building blocks design on the common functionality and solutions. The building blocks are following

1. Sensors

The front end of the iot architecture building block is sensors. Fundamentally, the ‘Things’ are the sensors and actuators. Sensors take data from the environment and actuators give data to the surroundings. For example Sensors, the MQ2 gas sensor senses the concentration of LPG, Methane, Butane, etc. For example actuators, the Solenoid valve passes air or water according to the data.

1. Processors

In the building block, processors are the brain. The sensor captured the data process so as to extract valuable data from the enormous amount of raw data collected. Basically, the processor mostly works on real-time data and easy appliance controlled. Processors are responsible for securing data to encrypt and decrypt.

1. Gateways

Gateways are responsible for routing and send out to the proper location to proper utilization. Network connectivity is essential for the iot system. Gateways provide network connectivity. For example, LAN, WAN, PAN, etc. of network gateways.

1. Applications

The application dashboard is the end block of iot system. Application is essentials for the proper utilization of collected raw data. Cloud-based applications are rendering an effective meaning to the collected data. The user controls the application and has the delivery point of particular services.

Stages of IoT Architecture Solution

There are several stages for building an iot architecture. IoT architecture is a fundamental way to design the various components of IoT. So, it can deliver the service to the betterment of the future.

Basically, the primary stages of the IoT are the following.

1. Sensors/ Actuators

Sensors and actuators are the main stages of the architecture. Sensors play a major role to collect data from the environment. Actuators convert energy into torque which controls a system.

1. Gateways and Data Acquisition

Sensors and actuators produced a huge number of data. So, it requires high-speed Gateways and Networks to transfer data. This network can be  Local Area Network (LAN such as Wi-Fi, Ethernet, etc.), Wide Area Network  (WAN such as 5G, GSM, etc.)

1. Edge IT

Edge in IoT architecture is a software and hardware gateways that analyze and pre-process data before transferring to the cloud server. If the data taken from the sensors and gateways are not changed from its previous reading value then it does not transfer over the cloud.

1. Data Center/ Cloud

The data center or cloud is one kind of management service that processes the information through analytics, management of device and security controls. Besides this cloud transfer data to the end-user application.

IoT Architecture Layers

The most basic iot architecture three layers are perception, network, and application layers.

Perception Layers:

It is the physical layer, which has sensors for sensing and gathering information form the environment. It senses physical parameters or identifies from the environment for smart objects.

Network Layers:

It is a bridge between the connection of smart things, network devices, and servers. This layer has a feature for transferring and processing data.

Application Layers:

This layer takes a role to deliver the application-specific services to the users. It describes many applications where iot can be implemented.

Basically, Three layers iot architecture is the main but it is insufficient for research purpose. So, for the research point of view more finer research aspects required. As a result, much more layered architecture is proposed in the literature. The five layers of iot architectures are perception, transport, processing, application, and business layers. Basically, the role of the perception & application layers are the same as the three layers of architecture. The rest three layers are the following.

Transport Layers:

This layer transfers the sensor collected data from the perception layer to the processing layer and vice versa through a wireless network like 3G, LAN, Bluetooth, RFID, and NFC.

Processing Layers:

This layer is the middleware of the iot architecture model. Here, it stores analyze and process the huge amount of collected data from the transport layer. Basically, here many emerging technologies are implemented like database, cloud computing, big data processing, etc.

Business Layers:

Here, this layer mainly focuses on the management of the IoT system, including application, business, and profit models, and the user’s privacy.

Conclusion

In conclusion, IoT architecture may vary from solution to solution, but its core concept is the same. The fundamental features of the iot architecture that makes sustainable iot ecosystem are functionality, scalability, availability, maintainability, and cost-effectiveness. Above all, IoT architecture plays a major role in the possibilities for implementing attractive and future proof IoT projects.