There are many key terms and abbreviations in the IoT world. I have listed below some of the ones I commonly see. With how broad IoT is, I can’t include every term used. Please add any terms to this list that may benefit others.
AI - Artificial Intelligence – This consists of the ability for computers to act as a human would. It also is the ability of a machine to be able to learn a task from experience doing the task.
APN - Access Point Name - This is the “address” your device connects to. Commonly they are given to you by your cellular provider.
BLE - Bluetooth Low Energy – A low energy version of Bluetooth. It is not backwards compatible with the original Bluetooth.
e-SIM - Embedded SIM – A SIM card that is typically attached to your device when purchased, that often connects to which ever network provider is chosen.
Edge Computing - This is processing the data closer to the device. The data could either be processed at the device or a local server.
Gateway - A node that connects two networks, which are typically two different protocols.
LTE-M - An energy efficient version of LTE. See more in this forum post.
M2M - Machine to Machine – Two or more devices that are connected and talking without human assistance.
Mesh Network - Nodes are connected to other nodes via multiple paths. This allows nodes to communicate to any node via any path.
MIMO - Multiple In Multiple Out – Allows multiple transmit and receive signals by utilizing two antennas. This is most commonly found in LTE.
Modem - A device that allows another device, often computers, to connect to a network.
NB-IoT - Narrow Band IoT – It’s a low power, wide area network (LPWAN). It’s a cellular network that is used for low usage and power. See more in this forum post.
Protocol - The language used for machine to machine communication. See more in this forum post.
RFID - Radio Frequency Identifier – A device that uses radio waves for transmission and capture of data.