IoT Device | What is an IoT Device ?

What is an IoT Device ?

In this article we discuss an IoT Device. Sometime an It is known as Node Device in IoT application. We know that a “Things” in IoT – Internet of things can be any object that has a unique identifier and which can send/receive data over a network.  Here Send/Receive data can be user data. For example : Wearable devices, Smart phones or TV, Computer, SBC, Car, Refrigerator and an electronic device. Basically these IoT devices are connected to the internet and send data (information) about themselves or about their surroundings (information sensed by connected sensors such as a DHT11 temperature) over a network (to servers or other device) or allow actuation upon the physical entities/environment around them remotely.

We can understand in a simple way by some examples are given below:

• A sensor connected device that sends information on a smartphone.
• A home automation device that allows remotely controlling and monitoring the status of appliances.
• A Wearable device (Health band) that measures data and send to a cloud server.

IoT devices include wireless sensors, software, actuators, and computer devices. They are attached to a particular object that operates through the internet, enabling the transfer of data among objects or people automatically without human intervention.

So we can say “Anything that has a sensor attached to it and can transmit data from one object to another or to people with the help of internet”.

Recommended : Physical and Logical design of IoT

Basic Building blocks of an IoT device

It can consist of a number of modules based on functional attributes, such as:

• Sensing – Sensors attached with IoT device (Sensor can be on-board) for collect some information. For example An IoT device can collect various types of information from the on-board or attached sensors such as temperature, humidity, distance, light intensity, Gas and Pressure etc. Device can send collected information to other devices or cloud based  storage.
• Actuation – An IoT Device can have various attached Actuators that allow taking actions upon the physical entities in the vicinity of the device. For example an Internet of things device connected with a relay switch can turn on or off a light bulb or other electronic appliances.
• Communication – Responsible for sending data or collect data between other devices or cloud based storage.
• Analysis & Processing – Responsible for making sense of the collected data.

In IoTByHVM.ooo, you can find many IoT based tutorials. In all tutorials, We used SBCs (single board computers) such as Raspberry Pi or ESP8266/ESP32 or Arduino board as an representative IoT Device.

Block Diagram of an IoT device

Recommended :

• Internet of Things (IoT) Introduction | IoT Tutorial Part-1 | IoT Basics
• MicroPython vs CircuitPython | What is MicroPython and CircuitPython

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