The internet of things (IoT) is a buzzword that has been used in several industries over the last few years. Many questions arise regarding to what the internet of things is and what its implications are for our daily lives. The “Internet of Things” is a collection of devices that are connected to one another and can exchange data with one another. A sensor in a remote location can tell a server in an office what the temperature is at the sensor. This can be done wirelessly using several different technologies like Bluetooth, Cellular, Wi-Fi, LoRa, Sigfox, and many others.
IoT is a broad topic and hopefully some of the information here will help some of the readers broaden their understanding of IoT concepts. Here is a list of places that can hopefully help shed some light on IoT technologies, applications, and products that can used on the internet of things.
Silicon Labs:
The Wireless Protocols Tying Together the Internet of Things (need to make account to view this one)
- Covers the following:
o Sub-GHz Wireless
o Wi-Fi (802.11)
o Bluetooth
o Zigbee
o Z-Wave
o Thread
- Covers the following:
o Bluetooth
o Bluetooth 5.0
o Bluetooth Beacons
o Bluetooth Mesh - Mesh Networking
Thread
Zigbee 3.0
Bluetooth Mesh
Z-Wave - Wireless Technology
Mesh Performance
Multiprotocol
Wi-Fi Coexistence
Wireless and RF Solutions - List of Zigbee / Thread / Bluetooth / Wi-Fi / Proprietary / Z-Wave / Multiprotocol products. Most of these will be stocking at Digi-Key or can be a non-catalog order.
NXP:
IoT Solutions Page
- Covers NXP’s “Smart Things”, “Connected Things”, and “Secure Things” portfolios
- Several articles relating to IoT topics
Analog Devices:
-
IoT Applications Page
o Covers different technology areas and is landing page for IoT applications on the Analog Devices page -
Internet of Things (IoT): What’s Next
o Covers importance of IoT applications and shows benefits of using connected devices -
Ahead of what’s possible – Internet of Things World 2017
o Contains several use case videos for Analog Devices products -
Reliable, Low Power Wireless Sensor Networks for the Internet of Things: Making Wireless Sensors as Accessible as Web Servers
o Covers low power wireless devices -
Analog Devices IoT and the Intelligence of Things
o Covers Sensing, Measuring, Interpreting, Connecting, and Power Management in IoT with several Analog Devices products on the Digi-Key website
Particle:
-
Over-The-Air Firmware: The Critical Driver of IoT Success
o Covers benefits of OTA firmware updates and implementation of OTA firmware updates -
Using Particle to Power Better Business Decisions
o Covers the effectiveness of using the Particle Cloud Platform to develop low-cost IoT solutions -
Tracking Public Parks Traffic Data with Solar Powered IoT
o Covers use case for using solar powered IoT application in public parks
NimbeLink:
-
Game Changers in Low Power Cellular IoT
o Covers cellular service for IoT applications -
How LTE Cat M1 Saves Power and Money for the Internet of Things
o Covers power saving functions and cost saving reductions from using CAT-M1 cellular technology -
M1, Sigfox, and LoRa
o Covers different wireless technologies and how they can be used in IoT applications
Sierra Wireless:
-
The Internet of Things (IoT): Where do you begin?
o Covers challenges such as security, scalability, and time-to-market in relation to IoT (need to register for this and it is emailed to you)
Artik:
-
Featured Resources
o Contains Videos, eBooks, and case studies (need to register for these and they are emailed to you)
Echelon:
-
Requirements for the Industrial ‘Internet of Things’
o Covers industrial IoT applications
Helium:
-
A Decentralized Machine Network
o Covers several IoT topics in a vendor specific white paper
Multi-Tech:
-
University Program
o Making it easy for schools and universities to learn and apply new connectivity technologies -
Multi-Tech Masters Program
o Enabling customers to successfully implement large scale IoT programs
Laird:
-
Understanding the Enterprise Internet of Things (EIoT)
o Covers financial implications of IoT applications and addresses some challenges
While Digi-Key’s vendors have a lot of information relating to IoT topics, it is good to mention that several other groups should be mentioned that can be great sources of learning.
Bluetooth SIG: https://www.bluetooth.com/
LoRa Alliance: https://www.lora-alliance.org/
Sigfox: Home - Sigfox 0G Technology
Z-Wave: http://www.z-wave.com/
Thread: https://www.threadgroup.org/
In addition to these resources, Digi-Key now offers an IoT Resource Center that has different IoT products, technologies, development platforms, and more!